Not in Kansas (or Utah) Anymore

OK.  First off, pound and maim Jessie because I wanted to see something in my inbox that had to do with music!  I want a couple of song titles.  Just the first lines of the song so that way I can sing when i get bored!!! (He sent Jessie an email asking for these things.  Apparently, Jessie didn't reply yet!)

OK.  As for Thanksgiving, it was so boring here.  It was just like any other day!!  I kinda expected it though because we aren't in America.  I miss Thanksgiving.  Sad.

Make sure when you send the Christmas packages, you put a lot of stickers of the cross and stuff on it because they will take stuff out of it when you don't!!  Also, make sure that you get the thing for  Kimarie from me because I'm too afraid to send something here.  I think that it will get stolen. 

Don't worry about me showering and stuff.  I do at least 1 time a week. (The mom in me wanted to make sure he is showering/brushing his teeth/doing laundry)  Oh, just kidding, I do every day.  I don't really know what a tooth brush is so I don't know if i can brush my teeth.  Oh jokelang, hahaha that's Tagalog.  The showers are good and my razor is good.  And, no I'm a pro and I don't cut myself.  I guess I'm blessed I would say!! hahahaha   I share a room with 6 people.  It kinda sucks but they are all really cool guys so its not too bad!

That's so funny about Jessie's work and that's not good also!  (Jessie works at a local fast food restaurant.  2 employees got fired for being naughty!  It was NOT Jessie though!)   hahaha

I get out to the field on Wednesday!!  So I don't know when my next p day is going to be.  So don't worry if you don't hear from me for like a week and a half.  I have no idea when its going to be!! 

Tell Dad happy birthday from me.  I missed Thanksgiving which sucked.  I feel bad for Brigham (his cousin)  hahaha,  But here it isn't too bad.  I can't wait to get out into the field.

I want to share what happened this week.  I was so crazy!   I kinda told Kimarie something, but I don't wanna type it all over again for you guys, so I'll share something different with you.  You can talk to her if you want the other story also.

(First, the story he told Kimarie:    Okay for the spiritual thing it happened yesterday.  My companion and I were studying for our investigator and what we could do to help them.  So we said a prayer.  I have had a prayer in my heart for her the whole time we have been teaching her.  I know that she wants to come unto Christ, but it is really hard for her because the rest of her family doesn't want her too.  We were reading in Moroni (in the Book of Mormon).  It talks about how he was the only one for 21 years.  He had to keep the word alive for that time all by himself!!   Then how blessed he gets because of it!!  So we shared that scripture with her and it made her cry.  I almost cried!!  it was so amazing!!)


So this week we were supposed to go proselyting with the people in the Quezon City North mission.  But, in an unexpected turn of events,  they had to cancel on us.  So we were worrying that we were not going to be able to go.  I really wanted to go because I still feel like this is a prison but a good prison. hahaha   So when we were getting ready to leave, they told us that we still would be going proselyting but that we would be going as just our companionship that we have in the MTC!!  SO I WAS SO FREAKED OUT!!!   We went out into the field.  And we just started tracting (going door to door).  We had a teacher who was watching over us but we had to do all the talking to people and teach the people.  Some of the people were mean.  I was really shocked because I was told that everyone loves the Americans here.  So we just kept working and,  just like dad said in his email to me, the first couple doors we knocked on just said they didn't want to hear the message because they didn't have time.  We kept walking around and around and some of the people called us Joe.  That's what everyone here calls us!!   So that was funny!  But then we went down this street and we saw a guy who was sitting on a curb.  We started to talk to him and he told us that he was catholic.  We started to just kinda talk to him and we ended up getting his number.  We left him a pamphlet of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ!!  It was so cool because we would speak Tagalog to him and he would speak English to us to show off his English skills.

The best part was the next people that we met.  They were just sitting out in the street.  We said hi to them, and then we heard one of the guys call for us to come into his house.  So we went in and he started talking nonsense about how he was also an elder but for the catholic church but said that he is part Mormon also.  So we just kinda let him talk to us.  We shared another message and they really seemed to like our message.  We were able to give them a Book of Mormon to read!!  They gave us their number and they said that we could call them at anytime and that he would try and make time so we could come by and teach him again!!   So that was really cool!!

But the funniest part was after that.  So, that was good because we left 2 pamphlets and a Book of Mormon with them.  They were going to read them so that we can follow up.  The best thing was that they don't know that we can't do some things.  So he tried to buy my companion and I a stripper that was walking down the street.  He wanted us to see the show.  We just told him that no and no and no,  that it was forbidden, etc.  He just waved her off.  But it was so weird because a lot of the guys here want to be girls.  So they just switch their gender.  So he almost bought us a stripper that was pretending to be a girl that was a guy!  It was the most disgusting thing that I have ever seen in my life!  Thank heavens that the lord provided a way that we could get out of there in time!  Because that was so disgusting!  But I do know that our message will help them.  I know that his gospel is true!! 

Sorry for just rushing at the last bit,  but I have run out of time to email.  So I will talk to you guys the next time I have a p day.  I don't know when that will be!!  But remember that I do love you guys.  I'm safe and the Lord is watching over me!!

Love you guys!!

Love, Elder Hedman!!

P.S. The internet here just like shut down.  We didn't have time for pictures!! So when I get out into the field,  I will send pictures.  I love you guys!! Thanks for everything!! 

Pagkakaroon ng masaya (having fun)

Here it has been so fun but at the same time it really is hard!! One of my good friends is Elder Loy (picture from the previous post) to answer that.  He's a way cool guy.  The guys here are just all so cool!! The batch (group) above us just left and I swear they reminded me so much of my friends back home.  There was a guy who reminded me of Tanner Burton (neighbor).  It was fun because we just talked about the coolest stuff.  There is a guy who reminds me of Josh Margetts (neighbor) because he seems like the guy who would get all the ladies!  hahahaha  Oh, tell Josh if he doesn't email me once, when I get back I might just beat him up!  Just a possibility!! haha  I want to hear from the people on the running team also!! SO TELL THEM OR SOMETHING!! Thanks for that!!

Elder Loveland, Elder Hedman and Elder Elms

These 2 were like my favorite before they just left for their mission!!!

It's cool here because I can email anyone so I have been talking to Easton  (his cousin serving his mission in Grand Rapids, South Dakota)!! And Latu (neighbor serving in Anchorage, Alaska, Tongan speaking)!!  I miss Latu.  That guy was just awesome.  What a funny guy!!  I can't wait till we get back.  We are going to party together!!

Elders Bartel?, Jensen, Loveland, Loy, Callister & Hedman

So the language is coming pretty good!!  I feel like I'm starting to understand a lot more.  I love my 2 teachers!!  They are the best ones here no doubt!!  They teach in a way that I actually understand.  Which is what I worried about when I thought of learning a language!!  But they really are so cool, they help a lot.   They are also our investigators.  It's cool to see how we get personal insight from them about the things going on and what we need to work on!!


My companion and I do a pretty good job I think.  When we practice in English, I feel like I'm the most amazing person ever because I'm just pro from going to all the mission prep classes!  But then once it gets to Tagalog, I know what I want to say to help them personally but it's so hard to try and translate it so they can understand and know that its personalized for them!!   But it is so worth all the hard work when you see that they are understanding you and your work has payed off!!


I love the language!  When I get back,  Uncle Tim (his uncle served a mission to Manila Philippines) and I are gonna have secret conversations and no one is going to understand what we are saying because we will be the only ones who know!


I miss you guys a lot still.   I'm gonna send a separate email about the really cool thing that happened so I can focus on that.   But I still haven't gotten anything in the mail.  It just takes forever!  So emails are great!  Put a crap load of pictures of Jesus and stuff on things you send.   Because then they won't get into them.   I miss you guys.  I miss just relaxing and having fun!!  I will start working on that other email now!!  Miss you guys and love you!!   REMEMBER I AM THE BEST!! (: Thank you.


Elder Hedman
 
He wrote this in a separate email:

Ok, now for the spiritual thing that happened this week!! 

So on Wednesday, we got to go out proselyting.  Wow, it was the most amazing thing that I have ever done in my life!!  The spirit was just so strong and it was something that I have never experienced before.  At the MTC, I don't feel like I'm really a missionary because we don't really do anything about teaching people who aren't really in the church.  They are just fake investigators.  But when we got to go out, we taught real people who were interested in the Gospel!!  I had a companion who has only been out for 3 months and so his Tagalog isn't the best either.  But we were able to communicate with basically everyone!   I was pretty shy and didn't say to much but it was so cool!! 

The kids here just follow us around because they have never seen white people.  So they just follow us and we talk to them.  It is so funny because they just laugh and run off when I say something because I say it weird!  The people just point at you and giggle and laugh just like Uncle Tim said they would!!   And it is so cool!!   I love seeing the people here.  They really are so nice!

We only had 1 investigator that we were able to talk to.  She was a girl around 20 and we couldn't go into her house because we didn't have another member there that was a guy, so we just talked to her on her doorstep.  (They don't allow members of the opposite sex be alone together for safety reasons.)   She is getting baptized on Saturday.  So it's so cool to see how she is accepting the gospel and is going to be a strong member!   I really love the people here they are so fun to talk too.   It makes me kinda hate the MTC because it feels like prison.  When we go out there,  we can talk to anyone and just tract if we don't have anyone to teach.   So he showed me around and we handed out some pamphlets of the gospel.  We got like 7 return appointments for Sunday!!  So it was way cool getting to see the people and meet them.   I really can't wait to get out into the mission field!  It's going to be so great!!  I love you guys and miss you!! 

Elder Hedman

Syd's Email

Sydney, Mac's sister, sent him the following email:

dear mac,
Hi, so we went and saw catching fire and i got soda.  Someone drank it.  I was asking everyone then dad said maybe mac drank it so... WHY DID YOU DRINK MY CHERRY COKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:-)
love
sydney

Mac's reply:

You are all a bunch of weirdos!  hahahahaha  Goodness, you guys send me the most random stuff in the world.  But yes I did drink your soda, it was good!! SO DEAL WITH IT!!!  hahahaha

Love,
Elder Hedman

Explanation of why this silly email message exists...
We went to the movies this last week and Syd's soda pop disappeared and she wanted to know who drank it. No one would fess up and so since Mac isn't around to defend himself we jokingly said "Well, it must have been Mac." :)

That's Buhay (life)

It's been a completely crazy week!!  But as for the missionaries, it was good.  They all got here safely.  (The missionaries from the typhoon area were flown to Manila and are staying at the MTC until it is safe to return to Tacloban)  I even found out more about them.  I know that 2 of them graduated last year from Bingham (his high school).  I haven't seen them yet but they are OK!  So that was really good!!  My companion and I disobeyed and stayed out 30 minutes later that night the missionaries arrived so we could help them find the things they needed.  It was cool because 2 other companionships did that as well.  It was amazing because the people were just so grateful for the help they had gotten.  

In front of the MTC entrance.  What is up with the "thumbs up" sign?

The most spiritual thing was hearing Elder Gong of the 70  talk to us and saying how we could donate a few things to help them out! (the "Quorum of the Seventies" is a group of the senior leadership of the LDS church.  It is kind of like archbishop or a president of a diocese in the Catholic church.) I donated a shirt to help them out.  All in all, the whole MTC donated so much stuff!! The willingness of the people here to just help others out in their times of need is so cool!!  The gospel is so true and I know it with all my heart!!

I don't think I'll be able to see the links until I'm out in the field.  (I sent him links to his blog and the TV video clip that he was on.)  I will come back and look at them all after I get out into the field.  My teacher has been telling me things about you guys and that you said hi!  I was like, what the heck how does he know my family?  It was so weird!! haha  He is a way cool teacher.  He's easily the best one here!  The language is coming along pretty well to me and my companion.  We are teaching really well in Tagalog now.  It's so cool to see the change and how much we are learning!!  I'll give a short testimony in Tagalog!!

Alam ko po na totoo ang simbahan ni jesu cristo ng mga banal sa mga huling araw, alam ko po na tumawag ang diyos ng mga misyonero para sa atin, alam ko po na totoong propeta po si thomas s monson. alam ko po na buhay po si jesu cristo. alam ko po na manunubos po si jesucristo, sa pangalan ni jesu cristo amen.

(Google translate is the best!  I know that the true Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saint, I do know that God's call for us missionaries, I knew  I knew I would be a true prophet thomas s Monson. Please know I am living Jesus Christ. I know redeemer Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.  It's not perfect, but I get the gist!)

 

So that is a really short testimony because I can't type Tagalog to save my life.  It's just so different from English!!  I'll try and add a little each week.

When you send things to me, make sure you put lots of pictures of the Savior and even maybe a cross.  The people here are catholic and if they see a cross on a package, they think that they will be cursed if they take things from the package, so they leave those ones alone!  So make sure you put pictures like that on the things you send or the stuff could get stolen!!   As for mail, it takes so long to get here.  I still haven't even gotten anything but that's okay because I hear a lot of it just gets lost also!!  Things that people sent on October first are just barely getting here for other missionaries who are already gone out of the MTC.  So send everything to my mission address not the MTC one!! (see the sidebar to the right for the address) 

As for the week, we just study and study and then teach an investigator.  It's basically the same schedule every day but its good.  It's really exhausting because unlike physical labor where you can just relax and not have to think about anything, I have to be constantly focused so I can learn more about the language.  But it's really worth it!!! (: 

Elder Loy and Elder Hedman

I miss you guys but I know that I'm out here for a reason!!!  There is a purpose for me serving here and I can already start to see it in my life!!  This upcoming Wednesday is the first time that my batch (group) gets to go out of the MTC.  It's going to be so cool!!!   We get to go proselyting and go out to real areas and teach real people!!  I can't wait for that.  We get matched up with a companion who has been out in the field.  I have heard from the missionoaries that have already been out proselyting that it is so different.  That the MTC is just like a heaven compaired to the rest of the world out there!!!  So I can't wait for that.  I will let you know more about that when that moment comes!!

My favorite days are easily P days (preparation days) because even though it's still a freaking schedule, which totally sucks, it's a lot more laid back.  We get more time to relax and not have to worry so much about everything!  I love playing basketball here because the people think that I'm really good!!  Even though I am of course, I mean really I'm just amazing at all i do!!  hahaha

I'm jealous of you getting to go snowmobiling!  The weather here hasn't changed like at all.  I sometimes can't even remember what day of the week it is because it all seems like one big mash up of craziness!!!  But it's so worth it!  My understanding of the gospel has greatly increased and I love it!!  I know that I can rely on the Lord for everything!!  It just helps me get through all the hard times here.  I do have a little more hard times then I thought so I will type up a prayer in Tagalog!!

Ama po namin sa langit, nagpapasalamat po kami para sa ebanghelyo ni jesu cristo, nagpapasalamat po kami para sa araw nyagon, nagpapasalamat po kami para sa mga pamilya namin, at mga kaibigan namin, nagpapasalamat po kami para kay jesu cristo, at kay thomas s monson. basbasan po ninyo kami ng kaloob ng mga wika, bigyan po ninyo kami ng kalasugan, at kalakasan, at kapayapaan, at lakas, at lakas, nagpapasalamat po kami para sa, mga biyaya. nagpapasalamt po kami para sa oputunidad para mga misyonero. sa pangalan ni jesu cristo amen.

(Please Father in heaven, we thank for the gospel of Jesus Christ, we thank for the day nyagon, thank us for our family, and our friends, we thank for Jesus Christ, and with thomas s Monson. Please bless us of the gift of tongues, please give us an kalasugan, and strength, and peace, and strength, and strength, then we are grateful for, the grace. Please nagpapasalamt us for oputunidad for missionaries. in the name of Jesus Christ amen.)


 

That's a small prayer and the grammar probably isn't right but it's kinda the gist of it!!  It's so fun to learn a new language and talk to others about it!  We just communicate in Tagalog a lot and we try not to use English.  That way we can learn the language!!  I love hearing from a lot of different people, so please again let everyone know that I want to hear from them!! (:   Thanks so much!  I miss you guys and love you!!!

Love Elder Hedman

Make good choices!!  haha love you!!

Bonus!!

They gave us some time just so that I could email you guys to tell you that I am safe and that everything is going okay here!!

I was going to jokingly tell you guys that I lost a leg but it was no big deal, but I decided since you guys panic about everything, that you would just freak out! hahahaha  We only got hit with some wind and a little rain where we are.  It wasn't even as bad as some of the storms in Utah! But the south got hit pretty hard.  All the missionaries are safe though!

There is a lot of damage and stuff that happened.  We aren't allowed to go down and help because its like a 4 hour trip I think they said.  Plus it's too dangerous right now.  So the missionaries down there are going to be helping them out a lot!  (They are moving all the missionaries to Cebu and then onto Manila until it is safe to come back.  Safe drinking water, food and violence is a problem right now.)

Here it's just the usual stuff that keeps going on!  Make sure if you guys send me stuff now that you send it to the mission address.  By the time it gets here, I won't be at the MTC anymore.   I will be out in the field.  Send it to the other address not he MTC one!!

Also about music, I have no idea how to get anything down here, so maybe if you guys could send like the cheap mp3 that has music already on it that would be great.  Maybe just some church stuff, like hymns, classical, etc.  Don't do it yet though.  Think about it because I will find out more and let you guys know in the upcoming weeks!!  Thanks!!

Love you!
Elder Hedman

Mac's MTC district.

We just received a picture of Mac and his MTC district.We are so happy to see that he is doing well and is safe and sound after an eventful weekend.

Mac in the Philippines During Typhoon Haiyan 11/8/13 News

This is a news report that KUTV Channel 2 here in Salt Lake did about Typhoon Haiyan as it was hitting the Philippines on November 8, 2013. They reported about how some of the local Salt Lake City residents are dealing with knowing about the status of loved ones over seas in the Philippines. This video is about 3 minutes long.

YouTube Link:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHAtHd4X3_4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUIGCF4xHHBUU-axinbx6axQ

Kumusta (hello)

Dear Mom,

So this week was pretty fun!  The language has been so much easier to learn now and I'm really starting to get the hang of it!  Don't worry about me and Kimarie (girlfriend), we talked a lot about what is going to happen.  It's all going to happen for a reason.  So don't worry about that!
 

So far it has been such a crazy schedule!!  We wake up in the morning and we study for like an hour.  Then we have classes on the language and we study again.  Studying is basically the only thing that we do which sucks because I don't like to study at all.  But the language skills are really improving!  I can now talk about my testimony and say prayers in the language.  So that's pretty cool!!  We are teaching the people or our investigators in Tagalog so its so crazy.  We have to use only Tagalog and they pretend that they can't speak any English at all.  So study is what the day consists of!!

The food here is just totally weird.  We eat so much fish and it sucks because they don't cook things they way they do in America!!  We have to eat the food here.  We rarely get anything that is from America!!! This Monday and Tuesday, we got American food.  It was the greatest food I have ever eaten!  But it was also the worst American food that I have ever had because it wasn't made right!  But that's OK because i just really needed some American stuff!

As for cards, I haven't gotten anything yet.  They say it takes forever for it to get here.  So I have no idea when the things you sent will arrive.  I would start sending things straight to my mission address that you guys have because it will probably take until then for them to get to me.  (I'll post the new address in about another week.  I think the weather is the reason things haven't gotten to him yet.)  I haven't sent anything to you guys yet.  We can only send cards or letters.  It takes up way too much time to write out a whole page of a card when I can type and get so much more written in the time that I have.

I'm mad you guys went to Vegas!  I really wanted to get some dancing done there (haha).  I knew you guys were gonna rot!  So you might as well enjoy it while you can!! hehehehe

Elder Anderson's talk was really cool.  It was my favorite thing so far.  As for my companion, we actually get along pretty well!!  It was pretty cool, a whole new batch of missionaries just arrived today.  We haven't really gotten to know them yet.  A lot of them are from Murray and some other areas in Utah, so it's cool.

We get to go to the temple on Friday's.  So today, when I was there, I was just pondering the things that have happened in my life.  When I was in the celestial room, I said a prayer.  What happened next is probably one of my most favorite memories I will ever have!  I felt like the Lord was speaking directly to me.  It was like He was there and talking to me, telling me that it is all going to be OK.  That my family and friends are being watched over.  That they will be safe.  The spirit here is so strong!!

I just love the people.  They are so nice and so welcoming!  They just kinda laugh if you say things wrong and then they will help you out!

Well I'll get going now!   I'm going to try and send some pictures!! (in another email he wrote:  I can't get the pictures to work.  I'm sorry!  I really am trying. I will keep trying but it might be until I'm out in the field that i will finally get it working!! SORRY LOVE YOU GUYS!) 

So I love you guys!!   Tell Jessie to aim for the heads of the zombies and it will help out a lot more!  (Jessie - his sister - wrote this in an email to him:  I learned how to play black ops so don't worry while your gone.  Being the oldest at home, I feel it is my responsibility to keep us safe from the zombies and now I can!)   Love you guys!!!!

Love,

Elder Hedman

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys that it really hasn't rained very much here until the past couple days. But when it rains it is soooo cool and it feels soooooo amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love the weather here!  I love you guys! Remember the church is true!!

* all items in parenthesis were added by me

Typhoon Haiyan

Wow, he's been there 2 weeks and gets to experience his first typhoon!  This is headed to the south islands but he'll still feel the effects of it.  Keep in mind, the wind information is in kilometers per hour, not miles per hour.  I freaked out at first!  This may cause a delay in his weekly email since many parts of the country suffer power losses.  Luckily, since he is in the "big city," he may not have that trouble.  Keep him and all the people of the Philippines in your prayers.