Trainer!!

May 21, 2014


Elder Hedman

Dear Elder Hedman:

Congratulations on your appointment as a Missionary Trainer! It is very gratifying to me to see the effort you have put into your own development so that you have qualified yourself for this very important position.

You will have many opportunities for Church service, but none will demand a greater example of worthiness, obedience, faithfulness, leadership, or love than training a missionary. I earnestly pray that you will understand the magnitude of this stewardship.

Provide the needed example by following mission rules with exactness, read the handbook each week, study, pray and follow the daily schedule established in Preach My Gospel. Be diligent in adhering to the proselyting schedule and do all things necessary to provide a foundation of lifelong faithfulness for this new servant of the Lord. Someone who needs your strength and leadership will now constantly observe you and follow your example.

You are well aware of the need for your new companion to immerse himself in studying Preach My Gospel. Be faithful in helping this new missionary to study hard and complete the 12-week training course for new missionaries. In addition to the 12-week training course one of the most important things you can do as a trainer will be to teach your trainee how to follow the recommended Preach My Gospel schedule, including quality daily and weekly planning sessions, as well as effective personal and companion study. I urge you to hold an evaluation together regularly. Strive for open, thoughtful communication. Listen carefully to those things your companion wants to say--and perhaps is not able to say without your help and encouragement. Love and encourage love. Be diligent in these things and in your work, and you will be blessed beyond measure.
You are a fine missionary! I pray for your success and that of our new missionary in this new responsibility.

Sincerely,

David C. Martino
President

Homies!

Yo homies.... So this week was a crazy last week not to much got done with the work because we had transfers and when we get transferred from the farthest area we have to travel for like 2 days to get there.  So on Monday night I found out I was still going to be in the area.  I was totally okay with that because the area is like way gorgeous so that was way cool!!! But I also found out that I was going to have an anak!!  That means that I have a child in the mission.  So I am now a trainer in the mission and a district leader.... oh great more responsibility!!

So it was fun cause I got to travel all the way to the mission office and pick up my trainee.  He is a really cool guy.  His name is elder Allapitan.  He is actually assigned to the Australia Brisbane mission but he is waiting for his visa.  So he's here while he waits for it.  So that was pretty cool!! There are some cool people that came into the zone so that's pretty fun!

This morning on p day we went to another resort and the just played football on the sand on the beach. That was way cool cause it was like way nice sand so it was super fun to play football.  I miss American sports!

Nothing really exciting happening here besides the fact that I am a trainer now.  Just means more responsibility and I get to make sure everything is going okay and make sure that he doesn't be pasaway. (which means disobedient)  So nothing really to new here!! I actually don't have the most time because we are heading down to Cabanatuan for a meeting with president, all the leaders of mission are going.  So I have to get ready for that.  So sorry it's not the most long email ever!  I will send a bigger one next week with stuff about the area and the stuff I have been learning about the gospel! Oh I'll tell you the story with the kid in the wheel chair.  So he is actually a member and he is way cool.  He was baptized almost like a year ago.  We teach him as a recent convert and he definitely knows the church is true.  He is way cool.  He just wants to do the right thing and loves having fun!  So about 3 weeks ago, when we had the open house for the church out here in Baler, he said he wanted to come.  So we were able to get him in a car of a member and take him down.  Actually a couple missionary happened to attend to see if they could help any of the members out here, and they saw him and worked with him.  So that was his brand new wheel chair that he can actually use a lot better!  So that was way cool to see the blessings of being obedient to the gospel!! Because he desired to go to the church to help others, he ended up meeting people who were able to get him into a brand new wheelchair and one that is a lot easier!!  It just goes to show that the church is true and when we are obedient that many blessings will follow!! Remember the church is true!! love you all!!!

Pizza and coconut milk

Hmm....I think they are having fun!

So this last week was a fun week! Ya it was great talking to you guys! Sorry for all the weird stories about the crazy stuff we do here in the Philippines!  Hope you don't get to worried.  It's just a crazy island, so its fun!!  Also I have grown to hate mosquitoes so much.... like the other day I was on exchanges.  I woke up in the morning and I had 17 mosquito bites on 1 arm.  I was like what the heck is happening.... it was so awful!!  So I hate mosquitoes with a passion.  I kill everyone of them that I  see.  Sorry that was a little random.  Just thought I'd let you guys know!  (I asked if he needed more bug spray, his answer....Nah I'm just too lazy to use it hahahahaha)

So I had 2 exchanges this week and it was pretty sweet!  I went with our zone leader again from Tooele, Elder Park.  He is way cool and definitely one of my favorite people in the mission.  He's at 21 months, so he's pretty close to going home.  When we went on splits, we had a great lesson with some investigators about the restoration and why it was so important that the gospel was restored.  He said my Tagalog is going really good and I'm way advanced for how far I'm in the mission.  I just need to ask better questions sometimes!  haha  But still working on asking inspired questions so that was fun!!!  Also I was a speaker in church yesterday.  So that was pretty sweet.  That helps my Tagalog when I get to speak to the people in only Tagalog.  But the best part was, we had 1 investigator who came to church.  I wasn't really expecting her to come so I was so happy.  And afterward she talked to the first counselor in our branch and she told him that she doesn't know what it was, but when she was listening to our talks, she just sat and listened.   She had this weird feeling that was so amazing and she couldn't explain it.  Then she said that she knows that this is the true church, so that was definitely one of the most amazing things ever!!  Just goes to show the Lord really is helping everyone and is mindful of us all!!  So remember that this church is true always!!

The monkey reminded me of Jessie so i took a picture... (: (his words, not mine!)

So for P day today we played some way funny games at the church.  But I didn't take pictures, only some videos.  So you'll have to wait for those.  But after we went to a resort and just baught some american food and sat on the beach looking over the ocean.  And eating some good food!!  That was pretty sweet!!! So transfers are actually this week so I will find out what happens later today.  I will let you know about that next week!!  Remember that I love you guys!!! Remember the church is true and Elder Hedman is the best missionary!! Love you all!!!

Good ole' American food!  Looks good!

Mother's Day Skype Call

I received a mother's day gift from Mac......a skype call!  Yeah!

Some things I learned

*  He lives in a seaside town.  Remote, beautiful, green and spa-like.  But the internet connection stinks!!  Either he could hear us or we could hear him, but not at the same time.  We would type question and then speak the answer and vice versa.  He finally went to another internet cafe down the street.  We could finally talk, but the connection was so slow, so it was hard to see and understand what he was saying. 

*  He is having trouble speaking English.  We asked if he and his companion live with anyone else, and it took 3-4 minutes for him to remember the word room mates!  By the way, it is just he and the  companion in the apartment.  No.....what's that word.....oh yeah, room mates!

*  He is loving the people and the country.  He looks happy!  Best mother's day gift for me!

Mayaman

Yo Family was up all, so.... i don't feel like writing a ton of stuff because I'm just gonna be talking to you tomorrow when I skype! So I'll let you know more about the investigators and that stuff tomorrow!

 

So now I'll just let ya know about the fun stuff because lets be real, I'm in the Philippines.  It's pretty freakin fun!  Sorry i never really realized but i say freakin a lot.  Woah it's kinda freakin weird.... hahaha oh gosh I'm funny.

So this last week was a pretty good week we had some great lessons got some good oyms (Open Your Mouth's), and that was pretty good.  I'll let you know more about the investigators tomorrow.  But today, earlier in the day, we went to a place called Mother Falls.   Wow was it so freaking awesome!!  It just sucked cause we couldn't swim at all but that was alright! I took a lot of pictures.  I'll send them to you guys.

It was pretty cool cause actually like 2 days ago I was just chilling outside of our apartment in a duyan, which is a hammock, and it was like 10:00 at night.  Then I was reading and a car pulls up to our house.  This is weird because there are like no cars in the Philippines unless your mayaman, or rich.  It was 2 Americans!  I was like "Woah what is this craziness."  But it was 2 returned missionary's who came back to visit their areas and just look at the Philippines and do the fun stuff here!  One was the assistant to the president and the other was like a district leader also.  They are so cool!  One actually teaches at the MTC in Provo and the other is up at Utah state.  I got some pictures with them and they hung out with us on p day and went swimming.  So we were all jealous! The one up at Utah state looks like "Thor" so he's way chill.  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna find him up at Utah state.  We have made plans for this. It's gonna be really cool.  So that was an interesting experience that happened!  

The returned missionaries swimming and having fun!

District leader was nothing really new.  I just have to do more reporting and follow up with the people's work in the area.  So that isn't too bad. Just get to serve harder but that means more blessings for me.  So I'm down for that!!  The investigators are okay and the branch is alright.  There's like 90 people about at church.  That's at the most, so it's kinda small.  But we have a set meeting house but its not a church. So that's about it for the email cause I'll talk to you guys tomorrow! Love you keep up being good and remember the church is true!

The returned missionaries used his camera and had some fun underwater!  Luckily it is waterproof!

Bastos Ka

So family and friends! This is what has happened this last week.  Nothing to exciting and crazy but just the normal missionary life!! We have been trying to find some new investigators to get them to progress, so we have been finding some great families.  Hopefully as we continue to trust in the lord everything will go great! Gotta love missionary life!  Just working and more working!  It's actually so great though because I love seeing the expressions on the peoples faces when you can really just see families coming under the spirit of the gospel. 

We had a great lesson with one family and at first the tataty or the dad was just like so grumpy.  He didn't look like he wanted to listen to us.  But as we were teaching him, I just kept praying in my heart that the spirit would open up his mind.  And help him to come to the realization of the gospel and the truthfulness of the restoration in these days.  It was such an amazing experience.  It was my turn to share and I just started saying whatever came to my head.  The spirit was so strong.  It was just amazing.  I have really been relying on the Lord a lot through this last transfer cause I have, at times, just felt so stressed.  But because of that it has been such a great experience! I have come so close to the gospel and felt the spirit so much just constantly giving me inspiration to help me and the investigators!! I have been reading a lot of the teachings of the presidents of the church to better understand the doctrine and how to really apply it and become an amazing instrument in the hands of the lord! So this gospel really is such an amazing thing and when things seem like they aren't going the best.  And we wonder why things happen to us.  We need to only remember the Lord has a plan for us and is constantly working our lives for us.  Our job is to be worthy to have the many blessings that he wants to help us with!  So remember the Lord works through us and make sure to be a great person! 

Okay as for the fun stuff going on.  It's been cool going to the beach on p day and just relaxing.  I'm loving the area.  It's a great area and is so fun!  The members here are so fun and funny!  We have 2 returned missionary's who work with us a lot.  That's cool.  So I go on splits with them to cover more area.  That helps with the Tagalog cause no one here speaks like any English.  They say my Tagalog is actually really good and understand what I say.  So that was super cool!!  Just goes to show that hard work really does pay off!!  So work hard and remember that the gospel is true and the Lord is always with us!! Love you all!!

 Can't wait for next week, he gets to Skype us!  We are super excited!