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.

Mahal Kita!

*picture captions were added by me as well as all items in parenthesis 


So Mom!!!

It is so crazy here!!  There has so many different things in this place!  The food here is just completely weird!!  I am so busy all the time that we barely get any time to do anything fun! But I am loving it!  I can't wait to hear a lot more from some people. So far not too many people have emailed me.  I haven't even gotten one from Kimarie! ): ): ): ): ): (Girlfriend)   Make sure everyone knows my email:  macallen.hedman@myldsmail.net.  I want to hear from as many people as possible!!!

So the trip was such a boring one!  I sat by Elder Gordon, who is from Provo.  He played basketball there on the team.  He like 6' 6" which is so crazy!  And I sat by a Sister Holmes, who Katie Hilton (neighbor) talked to me about.  So it was way cool getting to know them!

My favorite parts of this experience so far has been getting to talk to a lot of different people and learn the language!  The language is so difficult!!  But it is definitely worth it!  We study the language for so long each day!  It just feels so weird talking in a different language and praying in a different one as well.

We already have had our first investigator (someone wanting to learn about the church) while we were here!  The first 2 lessons didn't go to well just because we are only allowed to teach in Tagalog!  So we kinda just stalled out the time while we tried to find what we wanted to say!  But after that we did a lot more studying and then we were able to communicate with her pretty well!  I know that the spirit has helped us do that so much!  It was such a neat experience seeing that what I was trying to say in my mind was coming out in my mouth!  I was able to bear my testimony to her!!!!  It was kinda a simple one but it still worked! I pray every time because my companion doesn't yet know how to say the prayer in Tagalog.  He's still a pretty cool guy.  His name is Elder Gines.   He's pretty cool and a funny guy. He is from Lindon, or near Pleasant Grove I think he said. 

Random Picture, I think of the MTC entrance. The computers were not letting him view the pictures he sent.  He took them last Friday.  He hopes the computer will work next week!

So the experience is going pretty well!  Could you to send more hair stuff?   I haven't been able to do my hair.  It has been completely crazy! And it's driving me nuts!   When we first got here, we all got like an islander haircut kind of like the Mailau's (neighbors from Tonga).  So I felt kinda cool in that sense!

It has been a pretty cool time!  The language is so fun to learn!  But definitely the most difficult of the tasks to do.  The letters must take a while to get here.  I heard that it can take way long to send out. I  sent out a letter, but I don't know when it will get there.

So it was great hearing from you guys! Oh and the weather is great.  The humidity really isn't that bad.  But I imagine that when I get out into the field, where I won't really have any air conditioning, it will be a lot worse!!!

For now my favorite time is gym time because it really lowers my stress!  I have been stressing about everything like none other!  I really want to hear from a lot of people so let everyone know!!! Especially Kimarie! Put that in the blog so she knows also!! (; hahaha

But I miss you guys like crazy and just all the small things that I was able to do!  I love you guys and I will write to you again next week!  Remember that the church is true!! 

2nd Random Picture.  I think this is outside his window. 

Oh and before I go I want to share an experience I had.  On Tuesday, we were able to meet with Elder Anderson from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles!  It was so cool!  We were able to shake his hand and tell him where we are from.  His talk was just so amazing.  I felt like every word of it was directed towards me! 

Neil L. Anderson
He is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  This is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy.  Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are apostles, with the calling to be prophets, seers, and revelators, evangelical ambassadors, and special witnesses of Jesus Christ.

I'll let you guys know more as we continue.  Thanks for writing me!  I miss you guys!!  I love you all!!!!  I'll see you in 2 when I get back!

Love Elder Hedman
MAHAL KITA (love you)!

Arrival

Dear Mom and Dad,

It's Mac, in case that you didn't know that it was me!

I have arrived safely in the Philippines.  Just wanted to let you guys know that I love you.  They say that we will have 1 hour to write our emails on Friday, so i probably be sending the emails on Friday!

Love you guys!

Mac

Philippines Missionary Training Center

A long day!

Mac's flight left the Salt Lake City airport at 7:30 am on Wednesday, October 23.  He traveled to Detroit, Michigan (odd place, but true) and landed at 1:00 pm (SLC time 11am).

He then flew to Nagoya, Japan and on to Manila, Philippines.  He arrived at 11 pm on Thursday evening (SLC time 9am, Thursday).  By the time the group (there were 8 in SLC and maybe more joined the group in Detroit) got their bags and things, it was most likely midnight on Friday morning when they arrived at the Manila Airport Hotel.  Yes, they stayed in a hotel the first night!

Manila Airport Hotel

They had to get up and moving at 5:30 am on Friday, October 25 (SLC time 3:30 pm Thursday the 24th).  They ate breakfast at the hotel and then caught a shuttle to the Philippines Missionary Training Center (MTC).  The shuttle picked them up at 6:30 am.  It takes about an hour to get to the MTC.  I think it takes that long not because of the distance, but due to the large amount of traffic in Manila.  They arrived around 7:30 am Friday, Manila time. (SLC time 5:30 pm Thursday).

Holy long travel day!!