Week 13: Another Week, Another Baptism

This week has been work, but it's been good work. We're having a good time here in Aurora, but we're working our butts off for the people here.

This week I had my first Zone Conference, which was great. I learned a lot from President and Sister Hiatt, and what they had to say. I'm not going to lie though, I was "pondering" pretty hard after lunch, and someone had to wake me up. That's just typical for me. Also I forgot my belt, so I'd say my first Zone Conference was a bona fide success on my part.

Like I said in the subject, we had another baptism this week! The last member of the Bruno Family, Rick, was baptized this week, and Brother Felipe was so excited to baptize his son. It was great. The entire Bruno Family are now members of the church, and I'm so grateful that I've been here to witness it.

They've had their struggles, but the path to join hands with the savior is a rugged one. Their son, Dexter, is 15, and right before we got there, he got hit by a badminton shuttlecock right in the eye, and he had to go all the way to Manila for surgery. That didn't stop their faith though. They kept striving to make that sacred covenant of baptism with the Lord, and I can't thank them enough for the example that they are to me every day of what discipleship is.

I love it here, and I can't wait to bring even more people to become as converted as the Bruno Family.

Love,
Elder Menzie

The Phantom Tagalog:
Minimahal na Ama sa Langit -- Dear Heavenly Father

More Rice

Dinner at the Bruno Home

A cool cloud I found

Our big ole area

Week 12: First Baptisms!

Hey folks, it's starting to feel normal out here, if you can believe it. That's not to say it hasn't been absolutely bonkers, but I think it's kind of like white noise at this point.

This Thursday, the last of the elders who were evacuated to our apartment went home to their area. Before they left though, on Wednesday, They had to go to a health clinic here in Aurora to get looked at, because one of them got bit by a dog on the thumb, and one of them thought he had a fractured back. They walk out of the clinic pretty soon after they went in, because this clinic didn't have the right equipment for them, and they had to take the hour Jeepney ride to Roxas (pronounced Rohas) to get to a clinic that could help them.

Elder Leausa and I stayed in Aurora and went to work we saw a really weird Parade with a float with a statue of Mary leading the way. There were groups of about 50  Filipino children, all dressed up in costumes. One of these groups was dressed in all black. with black and yellow wings on their back, and all of their skin that was showing was painted black. We saw them, and a Filipino turned to me and asked me if that was racist, and I affirmed that a parade with a bunch of kids in blackface would probably be considered problematic in America.

You probably guessed from the subject line, but this week some investigators got baptized! Three members of the Bruno family got baptized on Saturday by Brother Bruno, who just recently got the Priesthood. It was such a blessing to see these people get baptized by their father, and in the case of sister Raquel by her husband. I'm so excited for next week, when the last member of the Bruno family, Rick, is going to be baptized. They're such a solid family.

The baptism was also great because one of our investigators, John Christian, was able to attend with his 4 year-old daughter. He's had a rough past, but he's been super receptive to our message, and on the way home, we asked him how he felt, and he said that he really wanted to get baptized now, so people can know his story, and know why he converted to this Gospel. It's a crazy story, and I'll be sure to tell it one of these days, but it's probably too long for this email. John Christian is the man, and I'm so happy that I've had this opportunity to introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ into his life.

This week, while we were on splits with fellowshipers, Elder Leausa visited an investigator of ours who had been not super receptive. They went and asked her if she wanted to keep being taught, and tried to fix her concerns. Turns out, she wasn't receptive because she couldn't understand what I was saying. That put me into a funk for a while, but I know that I'm not going to get any better at this language if I don't mess up a lot. I'm better than I was last week, and I'm going to be better next week than I am today. I'm on the Lord's side, and He's not going to leave me.

Love,
Elder Menzie

Tagalog. : Gaano para sa akin? - How much for me? (payment)

Bruno Family baptism

Week 11: With All the Strength of a Great Typhoon

Typhoon Mangkhut

So we got hit by a typhoon this week.

Don't worry, my area honestly didn't get hit too bad. We had 4 other Elders evacuated to our apartment though, and it was nice to have the company while we were stuck inside all Saturday.

It started on Wednesday, when some members told us that a big typhoon was coming. We were working and there were some angry clouds in the sky. We had to go home a little early, because Filipinos in our area hate the rain, and if it looks like it's going to rain, contacting is pretty much a no-go, but it didn't even rain!

On Thursday, 2 elders got evacuated to our area, which was super fun. I went contacting with one of them, and we found this area with a lot of interested people.

Friday, we got 2 more elders, and we were all working until we had to come home at sunset to avoid the typhoon.

Except here's the thing, the typhoon came early.

We were at a dinner when it started raining really hard, and the zone leaders called us to tell us to get home. We inhaled our rice, and high tailed it back home through the rain.

We got home, went to sleep, and it was still raining pretty hard. I woke up in the middle of the night, because I was sweating. I realized that we had lost power, so my fan wasn't working. sweet.

Saturday, we did nothing but sit and sleep and read. Our house is fine. Our Area is fine. we didn't even get flooded.

4/10, try better next time, Mr. Typhoon.

Love,
Elder Menzie

Week 9: The Search for Week 8

So it's been a while! Quick update: I'm out of the Manila MTC. I'm in the mission field in Aurora. I ate Balut. They didn't give us any snacks on the flight over. President Hiatt is great, and I can already tell I'm going to do great work here.

So like I said, I'm in the field now. I had to take an hour and 45 minute jeepney ride to get to the Zone leaders' apartment, where I spent my first night. Jeepneys are wild. They're these tiny little buses that drive everywhere in the Philippines. They're super cheap and super uncomfortable. If the Jeepney isn't going where you need to go, you take a trike, which is just a sketchy dirtbike with a sketchy sidecar attached to it. I usually end up riding on the back, and my companion is usually in the sidecar. Have I mentioned drivers are fearless here? Because they are. It's crazy. Pray for me.

When I met my trainer, he informed me that we were opening the area after the last elders got pulled out for being not the best missionaries. We get there, and look in the area book to see what investigators they left us, and they left us two families, but they're awesome families, so it's all good. The work goes super fast here. There are so many people here who are looking for the truth, but don't know where to find it. I love the opportunity we have as missionaries to help them find what they're looking for.

This week I finished my Book of Mormon reading that I started when I first got to the MTC. This time, Mormon Chapter 9 really stuck out to me. Throughout the whole chapter, Moroni talks about how miracles are predicated on faith, which makes sense, because it's shown time and time again that those who don't have faith before they receive miracles always end up rejecting the miracles they had seen with their own eyes. I've seen miracles, even in my first week here. So many people have been prepared for this message.

"16. Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?"

I know for sure that I'm only seeing a tiny little frame of God's plan for these people, but it's so beautiful, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Love,
Elder Menzie

Words of Tagalog:
Pasoy - Disobedient
(Pass-oi)

Elder Leausa and I taking a trike to Aurora

Rice Fields

Us in the apartment

VIDEO: Shaving sa pilipinas