Still Masipag

Dear Family and friends!!!

So this week has been a pretty good week for the work here in our area!!  So to start off, we did have our 2 baptisms this week!!  That was so awesome and it was a great experience for them!!  I got some pictures and I'll probably send them to you guys either this week or next week so you can see.  But they did get baptized so that was really good!!!  We also are still having some great work in our area and are getting another person ready for baptism on the 30th of may!!  So that is good news also!!!  So we might have 3 baptisms this May and then right now we have 4 planned for June so that is going really well!!  We are trying to have a model area in our area and I would say we are doing a pretty good job so far!  So that has been the good news for the work here in our area!!!

Um our roommates are pretty cool!!  One is named elder De Leon.  We were actually in the same district when I first got into the mission.  He trained someone from my batch, so I really know him well and he is an awesome guy!!  And his companion is elder Wigington.  He actually is from the India mission and is waiting for his visa to get back!  So that is pretty interesting.  He doesn't know any Tagalog like at all.   So its kinda funny... we just sometimes speak Tagalog and then he has no idea whats going on.  Then I try and translate it into English and gosh it's hard... it's just so different and such a different culture!!! 

So as for me, I'm doing pretty good.  I have no idea why, but like on Tuesday I got this nasty infection on my face.  And I literally look so gross so I took like no pictures.  It's starting to get better and it's clearing up but its probably gonna be like 3 more days before that happens.  So I'm sorry for little pictures.  I feel so gross looking. hahaha   It's probably because of the heat here.  It's been so hot lately.  It's been crazy and just so annoying!!  But that's okay.  I guess it's just part of missionary work.

So another crazy thing happened in our mission.  A sister in our mission, I didn't really know her at all, she passed away this last Thursday night.  Her name was sister Victorino.  So keep her family in your prayers. She got a sudden sick illness and they couldn't get it to go away.  It shut down some vital organs in her system. So keep her in your prayers.  I didn't know her very well at all.   I'd seen her like once but I felt really bad.  There is a service for her later today.  Only some people are going.  But it was just a sad time in our mission.  But through it all, we are supposed to look on the bright side and just think of the beauty of the atonement and the knowledge we have of the fullness of the plan of our father in heaven.  So that has been comforting to the missionaries here.  Our mission president is doing such a great job and he is just literally the man... he's so incredible. 

So those were the highlights of the week!!  I can't believe how fast the time is going by.  I have like 4 and a half months left almost.  It's so crazy!!  Don't worry, I'm still masipag and that wont change... (: So remember the church is true!!  Oh by the way, I'm almost done with the book of Mormon again.  I'm in 3rd Nephi chapter 20.  I'm hoping to finish this week.  So let's see how that goes!!  I hope you guys have a great week!! Don't worry about me I'm doing all good and am still working hard!! 

Love you guys!!

Mahal ko kayo!!(:

Elder Hedman

Mother's Day!!!

It was mother's day which means.....Skype call!!  It was so great to see and hear from him.  Plus the connection was really good so we had a great chat!

He loves the people of the Philippines and doesn't want to come home.  I told him he better come home or I'll come and get him!  We talked about his room mates (there are 4 living in the apartment) and the fun they have.  It's 2 American's and 2 Filipino's living there.  But the one American is actually serving in the Philippines while waiting for his visa for a mission in India.  So he doesn't speak the language or anything.  I guess they all tease him and speak Tagalog.  Naughty boys!!

We talked about his work as a zone leader.  He says he likes it but thinks people are funny, like goofy/silly funny.  I guess some missionaries called him and couldn't get their water working.  He gave him all these things to try and get it to work.  They kept saying they tried everything and it wouldn't work.  He said try this one thing again, and they came back, kind of embarrassed, and said it's working now.  I told him that was the story of my life!  We've all been there! 

I sure miss this kid of mine.  He is doing such fantastic work.  However, knowing that he is loving the work, the people and the gospel makes it all worth while.  We love you Mac!!

Trunky?

Dear family and friends!!

Sorry I don't have much time again today, we are down in Cabanatuan because tomorrow is our meeting with president.  I'm looking forward to that!!  So ya I'm still a zone leader.... its been a while now.  But hey, I gotta do what I gotta do!!  So ya nothing happened there!  My companion is like the most amazing guy ever.  He is so cool and we get along so great.  We just talk about basketball all the time and then talk about more basketball!!  It's so funny.  He is also such a great teacher!!  And don't you even worry about me being trunky... I'm still sanctified.  We actually have 3 baptisms probably this month and then 3 more in June.... it's called sanctification. hahaha  Just kidding!  But really we are doing really well here in the mission!! 

The mission is going great and we are having really good work in this area.  We actually got 8 new investigators this week and 6 of them accepted to be baptized on the first visit.  So that was really great!!  We are really working hard and just doing the best we can.  We are seeing miracles.  Really it's so amazing!! The Lord is really in this work!!  This week also I've been working harder in the Book of Mormon.  I'm in Helaman chapter 4 right now.  The wars are like the most legit thing ever they are so cool and funny!!  And I  learn so much from them about leadership characteristics and how to become a better missionary from it!! So I'm really enjoying that!!!

Sorry this letter is short not really much happened and we are pushing for time today in our emails so we can get a lot of stuff done!!  And we have to get ready to travel also!!  So I hope that you guys have a great week and keep our investigators in your prayers!!  Especially.... John Patrick, Marvin, Malau, and Arjie, they are doing so well and progressing towards baptisms!! So thank you for the prayers and I will continue to work hard!

Remember the Church is true!!

Elder Hedman

National Day of Service

Dear Family and Friends,

Sorry this letter isn't going to be very long... I'm kinda getting lazy.   hahaha  But here is the answer to your guys questions.  So first the mother's day call will probably be Monday here so actual mother's day there... (: Tell Quinn again that I say happy birthday!!  I can't believe how old he is... what is happening with you all!!! It's so crazy!  I don't like recognize anyone in our family.   I saw the pictures you sent and I was like who are those people. Then I was like oh wait that's my family.... goodness!!  It's so different now!!  Glad to hear everyone is doing good back home! 

So this last week has been a good week!!  It was transfer week!! AND.....Yes I'm still in the same area. So I'll be hitting 7 months here also.  Fun stuff!  I have like 5 months left and I'm still in my 3rd area.  That's gotta be some kinda record. But hey, I love the area and it's super cool!!  I'll send ya some pictures also!  But my new companion is someone from my batch!!!  He is so legit and so awesome!!!!!!  His name is Elder Surio.  He's from Manila and he is so awesome.  He loves basketball so we literally get along so well and he's so fun!!!  I love our time together.  He is such a great teacher and one of the highest baptizers in our mission right now, so we are having great work together!!!  The 2 baptisms are still scheduled for May 16.   We actually might have another one maybe May 23 or May 30.  We have another investigator progressing super well right now and her name is Sister Malou.  She's a mother and we just got the husband to sit in also on the lesson so that is going super awesome!!!!  So the work here is going really great.  I'm loving being a missionary!!!

This last Saturday we also had a day of service.  It was national day of service here in the Philippines and so that was super fun!!  We were with some of the other missionaries and we painted a school and like cleaned it all up!!  I took a lot of pictures there so I'll send them to you guys so you can see them!!  But it was so fun.  The branch we are in is so funny and just know how to have a good time!!  So that was super fun and I  think we got some referrals from it also so that was super awesome!!  So that was basically our week it was good!!  Sorry I've like lost my mind and don't know what to write. hahaa  But I hope that was good enough! The work is going really great and we are working with our zone and helping them also get ready for the upcoming months.  We are looking at 23 baptisms in our zone for May and also 23 for June!! So we are keeping up our consistent work!!  Gotta love being a missionary!!  I love you guys!!!

Ingat kayo!! Mahal ko kayo!! (:

Mahal ko kayo!!

*His sd card just corrupt again.  Sad day. 

Dear Family and Friends!

So this week was kinda crazy!!  But first off the people here are literally so nice.  It's so crazy!!  This week the district we are in, Guimba district, they had like their youth conference thing.  They went to Baguio.  Some of the members are so nice and they bought me shirts and some gifts from there!!  I was like mad.  I told them not too or I was going to pay them. But they didn't want to accept my money.  So I got 2 shirts, one from Rosiel, she's the one in a lot of my pictures, and then another one from Jennifer.  She's really nice also so that was so nice of them!!  So the week started off pretty good!!!

I can't believe that Quinn is turning 15 years old.  That's so weird he was so young and now he can almost get a learners permit to drive.  Time is going by so fast.  I can't even believe it!!  And I can't believe Sydney is getting old also!!  Tell Quinn I said happy birthday!!  So that way he knows I didn't forget!!  Glad to know the family is doing okay.  Sorry to hear about what happened to dad's aunt.  Hope they are doing okay.. that must be hard :/

So for our work this week we actually did do really well.  It was, by the way, my companions last week in the mission.  He is heading home now.  So next email I will have a new companion!  He was okay.  We got along great but some things just like - wow.  hahaha  Love him still!  But we wanted to work really hard this last week to make sure that we finished off strong.  So we got 9 new investigators this week and taught almost 40 lessons which was really good!!  We only had 1 investigator at church but the others were caught up with something with the city they had to do something, so they weren't able to make it.  But their baptisms are still scheduled for the 16th of May.  They actually went also to Baguio.  I feel like they are members already.  The youth are doing a good job of friend shipping them.   So that's really cool!!  We are working on completing families here.  A big problem in the Philippines is children get baptized but the parents just are lazy and don't really want to make commitments.  So we are teaching a lot of parents right now and it's getting some good progression.  So that's really good!!!  But really here, it's crazy about like with parents, the tatay's or the dads.  They really bug me so much sometimes.  Some thing that really annoys me and makes me love dad so much more, is just here they are so lazy and don't do anything to teach children at all.  Most of the dads here just sit on their motor's, or like little goped's, basically and wait for people that need a ride and then say they were hard working and trying to support their family.  But when they get home they literally go buy a big bottle of alcohol and just start drinking with a bunch of these other old dad's.  And the wife just doesn't do anything either so the kids run around and mess everything up.  It's so crazy.  I get so annoyed at times but hey I'm just learning patience.  So that's something I really noticed this week!!! 

I'm loving being a missionary.  But wow with just time getting closer I'm so excited to go home and be able to do stuff like drive and eat out at subway.  So it's so fun being a missionary and seeing a change in peoples lives is literally like the craziest and coolest thing ever!!  Seeing people drop their old habits because of the presence of the holy ghost is so incredible.  I'm loving it so much and i know I'm going to miss this place so much.

Keep up your prayers for our investigators, because it's helping so much and thank you!!  This past week also we have been studying faith a lot and it has helped a lot and just given me new grown hope.  I hope that's a word also... haha but its been great.  I'm in Alma in the book of Mormon.  I've been slacking studying prophet stuff and studying preach my gospel.  So I'll get back into the book of Mormon a little more!!  And I'll let you know how that goes this next week!!  Thanks for everything you guys do!!  Remember the church is true and that Jesus Christ is our savior and our way to salvation!!  Love you all! mahal ko kayo!! 

Ingat kayo Lagi!! Amping Kanunay... Aganad kayo!!! 

Elder Hedman

Conference in the Philippines

Dear Family and friends!

This week has been a good week!!! So to start off the week, we first went to Tarlac last week.  Because we had our MLC with the mission president.   That was really good!!  We are starting to study a new topic for the next couple of months.   We are going to be studying how to experience real growth through the faith in Jesus Christ.  It was really interesting because he felt like after a big in depth study of atonement, we should be seeing changes in ourselves and changes in the way that we work.  But we are still struggling to get the performance that we goaled for.  So we are going to be struggling faith of how to bring those things that we have just studied into action!!  I thought it was really great and I think it will help me a lot here while I'm in the mission and even after the mission also!!

I learned a lot of great things about faith and what kind of things will just halt our faith and keep us from progressing in the way that the Lord has in plan for us.  So I'm looking forward to working on some of those things to just become a better more faithful missionary out here!  So that was probably one of the greatest things.  It was also really cool to see a lot of my friends.  A lot of my batch right now are also zone leaders, so that was cool.  It was basically almost a batch reunion just with some of the other guys not there!!  Haha So that was cool!!  Also it's crazy to think that the sisters in my batch go home next week.  This is their last week in the mission and then they are going home.  I feel like we just got here and already they are going back home.  The time has just flown by so fast.  It's so crazy!!!

Also another great and wonderful thing that happened was we were able to see conference!!!  Holy cow it was like the most incredible thing in the world.  I kinda wished they just would never stop talking because it was literally so amazing!!  I loved all the talks.  I loved when President Uchtdorf started speaking German on accident.  I almost died laughing from that.  That was hilarious. hahaha   I loved his talks also!  I liked Elder Ballards talk in priesthood session.  There was so much good stuff,  it's hard to remember it right off the top of my head.  But I took a lot of great notes and I loved it.  Just so you guys know, in case I didn't say it, I loved it.  I can't believe some people opposed though to the prophet but it just kinda looked like they knew it was going to happen and were so prepared.  We have the coolest church ever!  So I loved conference and it was great!!

We had 2 investigators at church who are on baptisms dates for May 16.  So keep them in your prayers please!!  John Patrick and Mervin.  They are doing really well and are following up well on their commitments.  So thank you for your guys prayers.  I know that it is working.  The spirit is so strong here and it is a great time to be a missionary.  Just like the general authorities said!!!!

Also by the way... GO DUKE!!!!!!!!!!  What a beautiful thing.  Just another testimony that I know the Lord answers prayers.  And he knows what team is the best... how great! (that is hard to write since I'm from Wisconsin!)

I can't believe Quinn is as tall as dad.  That means he's grown like a foot since I've been gone.  That's so weird.  Well, I'm looking forward to spending time with you guys in 6 months.  It'll be great!!   If I decide to come back I guess.... hahahaha love you guys!!!

Mahal ko kayo!!

Elder Hedman

Being banal

Dear Family and Friends,

Today we are heading to Tarlac, so I don't have to much time to email.  So I'll just let you know of some of the good things that happened this week.

First off, yes I know duke is the greatest team in the world and they are going to win!!!  Even though I love Wisconsin, Duke is going to beat them because Duke is my favorite.  And I've kept them in my prayers. hahahaha  So I'm super stoked to hear about march madness.  Who knows, maybe I'll try and bribe our mission president to show us the highlights from the finals.  Maybe I'll convince him, but probably not. 

So this week was a good week for the work!!  We have been teaching two guys, who's names are John and Mervin.  They are both progressing really well which is really awesome.  They both also have baptism goal dates for May 16.  But with the way they are progressing right now, it could actually be before that so please keep them in your prayers!!!  Also tomorrow is our MLC meeting, so I'll let you know how that goes.  Next week will probably be really fun like it has been in the past!!  So we will get fed really good and will be in the mission presidents house all day tomorrow!! 

Then also, this last Friday, we had interviews with the mission president and his wife.  It was really good and everything went really good!!  We had to give a small work shop as the zone leaders, but it wasn't too bad.  We did a really good job.  So that was really good! (:  I talked to him about some stuff I was just wondering about and he gave me some good advice.  So that was good!!  Sister Clark is worried about my health.  I told her I started exorcizing again..  By the way I'm looking good.  People tell me and I'm losing all my fat again.  But I told her how much water I drink and how much Coke I drink.  She was like -  Elder Hedman - you need to drink more water and less coke!!  So maybe I'll try that but who knows.  I think I'm addicted now.  I drink like 2 liters a day of coke.  It's probably not good for me at all, but it feels good. haha  So that was something you guys might be interested in!!! 

He saw this at a members home.  I think it is pet food for the pigs but the picture is nasty!

Also keep a recent convert of ours in your prayers.  She has just made some bad choices ever since being baptized.  And it's not going well.  So if you could keep Laibon in your prayers that would be great!!  We are working with her and trying to help her see the harm in the things that she is doing.  And how it can really affect her life if she continues to do this!!  So that's always fun.  It's hard seeing people who made good decisions change around and start making bad decisions.  It's really frustrating at times.  But we will do our best!!!  So thank you guys for your prayers they really are great!!! 

Oh by the way, I only have 6 months left.  Woah - I'm 75 Percent done with my mission.  I can't believe how fast it has gone by.  I can't believe how much has changed just with me and with the family looking at the pictures.  Quinn doesn't look 4ft 10 anymore.  He looks like 5 ft 7 or something like that.  What the heck happened there..... goodness!!!!   Hope all is going well with you guys!!  Don't worry about me.  I'm still alive and I'm doing great here!!!  Love you guys and keep up being banal and being a good example to other people!!

Love Elder Hedman