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.
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| 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!!! (:
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| 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
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