PHILIPPINES MANILA MISSION - Narra Branch

PHILIPPINES MANILA MISSION

P.O. BOX 1997

Makati Central Post Office

0714 Makati, Metro Manila

Philippines

15 January 2016

Dear Brother and Sister Ahn,                            

Great news!  Your son arrived in the Philippines Manila Mission last Wednesday!  We picked up all the new missionaries at 6 AM from the Manila MTC.  Your missionary looks great!  Each of the missionaries expressed enthusiasm and excitement to begin their work.  We fed them well, trained them with all the health, financial, and mission things they needed to know to get started.  We also taught them how much Heavenly Father loves them and how He expects them to do their best, but that He is also a wise, loving Father.  We showed a video of our one-year-old grandson, Ryan, learning to walk.  They saw how Ryan’s parents encouraged and cheered him on as he was taking his first steps.  We discussed how they were never upset with him if he wobbled or fell because they understood he was learning to do something new and that he would need practice to be able to do it well.  That is the same type of experience your missionary will be having.  We hope you will support and encourage him during this big transition time.  Help him realize it is natural to feel “wobbly”, but as he keeps trying, he will find his abilities growing until his confidence and enjoyment increases.  Soon, he will love the work and the people with all his heart.

We are so very grateful to you and your family for sharing your missionary with us and the wonderful people of Manila.  We hope that you will be able to enjoy the wonderful growth that your missionary will be experiencing during his mission. We encourage you to email him weekly and share the positive things happening in your family.  If you have serious concerns or worries about your missionary, do not hesitate to email or call us.  You can reach us via email at 2018209@ldschurch.org or by phone at 011632-836-4963.  We, or our office staff, would be glad to help you.

Your missionary has been given one of the best missionaries of our mission, Elder Macanlalay, to be his trainer.  They will be serving in the Narra Branch of the Narra Zone.  We expect great things from them. Please see the enclosed pictures for your enjoyment.  We love your missionary, and we again express our appreciation for your willingness to share him with us.  We will do all in our power to help him have a happy and successful experience here on his mission.  May Our Heavenly Father bless you and your family.

With sincere gratitude,

President and Sister Creg D. Ostler

Philippines Manila Mission

I DID THE THING.

So everyone was telling me that in the Philippines they just straight up don't use toilet paper right?

Sooo yeah. I finally did the thing. I used my left hand and water to wipe. It's pretty.... humbling? Yeah. That.

Okay so anyways... AFTER SAILING ON THE ROCKY WATERS OF THE EMPTY SEA (MTC) WE HAVE FINALLY REACHED LAND. My first area IS............

NARRA IN PALAWAN!

So this is how the Manila mission works. You have mainland where Manila is, then you have Palawan which is this big-ish island down south and it's really beautiful and tropical. And I'M ASSIGNED HERE.

It smells funny and it's really hot and I sweat like 24/7 but I love it so much. I already met the ward and the members are all awesome. I also witnessed a baptism like on my third day here so that was great! We actually have some baptisms set up for February 14th for two little Filipina sisters, so that should be fun. First baptisms!:)

So yeah. That's all fun.

Just from witnessing that baptism and being able to (attempt) teach families in my broken Tagalog, it's so awesome seeing how much our message and how much this Gospel can change their lives. People are always smiling or crying and they're so happy and willing to follow the commandments because they really know with all their hearts that there is happiness through living righteously.

My testimony and faith grows along with everyone here everyday.

Aaaaaaalllsooooo the Book of Mormon is probably the coolest and truest book there is. I really underestimated the power of its message before my mission.

SO INVITATION TO ANYONE WHO ISN'T READING IT RIGHT NOW.

READ IT.

"JUST DO IT" - Shia Labeouf

I'm still alive. I'm still beautiful (of course).

OH

My new companion is great. Elder Macanlalay, Filipino from Ilocos Nortes, he's the man. He's my new trainer, so my new "tatay" (father) for the next 12 weeks. Let the fun and the humbling begin.

-Elder Ahn

That one guy I took a picture of riding that animal. (?)

The MTC Kids

Me and Elder Macanlalay (Literally taken like 20 minutes ago)

NO TIME NO TIME.

NO TIME NO TIME.

Sobrang pasensiya.

Okay let's see uuuummmm oh oh I HAVE 5 DAYS LEFT HERE LIKE WHAT!? Well here in the MTC.

Well we like to call it the Empty Sea. And pretend we're pirates. Hahahahaha yeeeah we're dorks okay.

Um Um Um OH!

We went proselyting again! It was great, I kinda sorta taught two lessons in very broken Tagalog and bore my testimony and stuff, but it was great! Lots of walking, lots of sweating... and lots of people.

Okay but really I"m out of time, I need to head to the Temple for a Temple session.

Mahal ko po kayo!

Here are some pictures.

-MISSIONARIES

-ME AND MY DUDES IN THE DISTRICT

I ALMOST DIED. Oh and Christmas was fun.

NO TIME NO TIME NO TIME.

Also I didn't almost die Hahahahahahaha

But like every time we go outside I SWEAR I'M GOING TO because Filipinos are nutso drivers. Like insane.

Okay anyway...

COOL STORY.

So I still have 2 more weeks here at the MTC. BUT! We got to go proselyting and do splits with some missionaries and it was unreal.

I got to ride in a Jeepney, which is pretty much just a really tiny metal bus thing. They're adorable.

I also got to ride in a Tricycle. Which is pretty much a big metal basket seat thing that's attached to a motor bike. Those things are sketchy too.

The Philippines, well... in the city... so crazy busy. Noises everywhere... people everwhere.... Food and open markets everywhere.... and just a whole lot of traffic.

That's why I said I almost died, because multiple times yesterday I thought I was going to get hit by a Jeepney or we were going to crash inside our sketchy little Tricycle.

Anyway, I was with an Elder named Elder Saludar. He was great. We taught a family and everything was in Tagalog and I didn't understand a whole lot. Maybe like 40%. But I was able to chime in a bit in my broken Tagalog and I extended the invitation for them to read the BoM and pray about it and then I extended the invitation for them to be baptized and THEY AGREED.

So now they have a baptismal date set on Jan. 23rd. BOO YAH.

Oh yeah Christmas was a thing.

Really I just ate food and ate more food and ate more food then took photos then ate more food then watched some movies (church movies of course) and it was good. We had a musical devotional as well and I got to sing a solo. "What Child is This" is a great song.

Not much more is coming to my mind right now. But really, the longer I'm here the stronger my testimony gets and this Church is really just so great. I'm more than excited to get out into the field and share this gospel.

COOL ELDER BEDNAR QUOTE. "Who you are, is far more important than what you say."

That's been helping me when I feel down about the language. Which is still pretty crazy.

Alam ko po na totoo ang ebanghelyo ni Jesucristo.

Lol throw that into Google Translate. I'm curious to see what it says....

Anyway, I'm out. I have like no time left. I'm already overtime.

OH ANOTHER RANDOM THING! Elder Mclaughlin and I are Zone Leaders!

Okay that's all now.

Mahal ko po kayo!

-Elder Ahn