Hello Po!!

"Hello po! Eto po si Elder Thomas. Kumusta naman po kayo?"

Well... this is about the most said phrase of the week. This is how we answer the phone. Even when we were out working, either me or my comp spent a ton of time on the phone. This whole virus thing threw the country for a loop. 

But, we actually got through all 3 zone conferences before things got too crazy. But, that is about all the time that I have. The work is still rolling as much as it can. I love you all and send prayers your way. 

Here we are again

This week was sweet. I honestly don't really remember what happened. But, here we are again at the computer shop. 

I guess that I will just share a quick experience that we had. We have this lady that we teach (Rotchel) who I have only taught twice. But, the second time that we taught her, she basically just testified that the Book of Mormon is true. She said that she felt like there were things there that are not in the Bible. Then we didn't get to teach her for the whole week. But, on Saturday, we were just walking up the highway when this jeep pulled over and a lady jumped out. At first we didn't even recognize her, then we realized it was Rotchel. It was super crazy that we just happened to be on the highway at the moment that she rolled up. Then she told us that she wouldn't be able to go to church because she had to work. We were pretty sad because she had told us earlier in the week that she would come to church. Then the next day while at sacrament we looked back and saw her on the back row. It was awesome!! She said that because she happened to see us on the highway that she remembered she had promised to come to church and so she asked for work off and got it. It was super cool. Definitely some involvement from up above on that one. 

We also had our mission leadership council this week which we were in charge of leading. It was super fun. We talked a lot about ways to improve mission culture and work on making district councils every week a productive meeting. 

The mission is super cool. I am grateful for every day that I get to wake up with only one thing in mind. I love spending all the time that I have helping bring our brothers and sisters back to Christ. We don't have much more time, so that will just about do it. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers.

Love Elder Thomas

-plus I got my driver's license. So that is kind of neat

Lasagna, Ribs, French Toast, and Rice Krispy Treats

Whelp... I just wrapped up my first week here in San Fernando. It was wild. I have never been so busy (probably in my whole life). But, we had a good time. And If you read the title, you learn that we eat pretty well here when different events are going on. 

I never actually got a p-day last week because 2 of the people that my comp had been teaching got married in the afternoon, and then that evening they got baptized. So, it was an awesome start.

Then that evening, we had a super cool devotional type thing with the missionaries that were leaving the mission. The spirit hit the room like a bomb when Elder Magistrado (the last assistant) gave his testimony. Then President asked me and Elder Christensen to bare our testimonies. I cried for probably the 3rd time in my whole mission as I talked about how I was feeling with the new assignment. Lots of inadequacy and self-doubt, and not a lot more than just a desire to do whatever I can to help those here in this awesome mission. 

Then we got slammed with all sorts of meetings for like a straight 3 days as new missionaries came in and met their trainers. But, it was exciting to work to help them along.

But, outside of all that, we did get some time to work in our area and had some awesome experiences. We found this one girl named Katherine. Truth be told... she found us. She ran after us down the road and started by saying "what are you guys... missionaries?" Then she asked some of the coolest questions that I have been asked in my whole mission. We had an awesome discussion with her. But, after 20 minutes, her crazy aunt (who is this crazy old lady from another religion) came chasing after her with a stick because she had been talking with us. So, as fast as the whole thing had started, it ended. We just prayed that we would be able to meet her in the future. 2 days later, we finally had time to work, so we got back to that area and managed to find her. Our conversation lasted just long enough to give her a Book of Mromon and bare a quick testimony before she was chased off again by her aunt. So, hopefully we get back to her again because I have honestly never met anyone in my whole life who was a more ernest truth seeker. 

We also taught a girl named Rotchel. She was super cool. I met her for the first time just yesterday and my comp has only taught her 3 times. We got there and she started by telling us about the experience that she had as she read the into to the Book of Mormon and the testimony of Joseph Smith. She said that she compared what she had read to what she knew about the Bible and told us that she felt like she had now found the complete truth. We just bore testimony to her and answered a few of her simple questions. It was an awesome experience. 

I could honestly write like another 15 pages about awesome things that happened this week, but most of you probably don't read this far anyway (congrats if you did) and we don't have a ton more time. 

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. Love you all!!

-Elder Thomas

Assisting the President

Well... I this week was awesome!! After 7 months in Bangued, I finally got a transfer call. I am now down in the very middle of the mission and I am now going to spend some time assisting the President. So, it could make for a couple of interesting transfers. We will see how it goes.

But, I really don't have a lot of time today because our pday kind of got stolen from us today with all of the missionaries coming and going from here. 

But, last week, we finished off the transfer well up in Banacao. We had 6 of the people we are teaching attend sacrament meeting, so that was awesome. Then we kind of had a farewell party on Sunday night because me and my companion both got transferred out of the area. So, the next missionaries up there will have some good work ahead of them. 

That is going to just about rap things up here. I love you all and will hopefully be able to include some more details in the future :)

Love Elder Thomas

1 more week

This week was sweet. We were able to go on exchanges again which was super fun. One of my favorite experiences on the exchange was a little discussion that we had with a member. He has been a member for almost a year now and is just getting ready to go to the temple with his wife. We were just talking and then he asked "Why do people all seem to love the temple?" He told us that as he said that, me and my companion's faces both lit up. He was wondering why people always seem so happy when they talk about it. 

We had a cool discussion a little bit about the endowment. And how we really are given power when we take upon us sacred covenants in the temple. Then we focused on the principle that because the Priesthood has been restored, we now have the authority to seal families for the eternities. We finished the lesson by talking about the blessing that it is that we are able to be instruments in helping those who have already passed on to receive the same blessings. 

Man, I miss the temple. I know that I took for granted the fact that I could get to sooo many temples so close to my house. The temple is the house of God and we are blessed in every way as we make covenants and strive to be faithful to them.

This week, we taught probably more lessons than I have ever taught in my whole mission. Our teaching pool is awesome and we have very carefully found those that we think will progress and accept the gospel. We got home a few nights this week and realized that we hadn't even had time in the day to get to a handful of the people we had hoped to teach. It is definitely not a bad problem to have. 

And this next week is transfers. So, I will send y'all the updates as soon as I can. Love you all. 

Love Elder Thomas

Funeral Song

Well... again, I am not sure how this week went by so fast. But, I will do my best to include a few thoughts I can remember from the week. 

Funny Story first: We went to another funeral service and I was asked to play the piano. It was just at a members house and so they had a small keyboard and then they handed out a handful of hymn books that they had stored at the house. I was sitting up in front of everyone and they announced the opening hymn. So, I went to set up my hymn book and out of the front cover fell a bunch of tobacco leaves. So, all of the sudden as everyone was waiting for me to start playing, I had to sit there first and sweep all of the tobacco leaves off the keys with my hands. Lots of people were really confused. It is a good thing that I am not the person who has to judge the man who is hiding his stash of tobacco inside of a hymnbook haha.

But, this week was awesome. We went on exchanges again this week. I ended up with Elder Woolsey who I went on exchanges like 6 months ago. So, it was super fun to go again.

Then to cap off the week, we had district conference. President Oldroyd and a member of the area 70 came and spoke. They both gave awesome talks about how God uses imperfect people to guide and continue the work of salvation. It was super inspiring. I am grateful that despite all of my imperfections I am able to devote my time to helping bring others to the gospel now. 

We also got 2 new people to come to church this week, so it was super fun to see them. And then we extended a baptismal date to Tatay Rodolfo. So, after months of coming to church, his day to make the next step might finally be close. 

I love you all and am grateful for the thoughts and prayers. 

-Elder Thomas

Speaking at a Funeral

Well... this week was awesome. I still don't know how time is going by so fast, but a lot has happened in the last week. One of the coolest things that I got to be a part of this last week was speaking at a funeral. There were probably 40 members there and like 70 nonmembers. It was especially cool to see some of the nonmembers really think about what I as sharing. I just shared a testimony about life after we die. 

The Plan of Salvation is sooo cool. I know that this has kind of been my thought for the last couple of weeks. But, it really has kind of been a theme in our teaching. We have a  message that brings so much hope to anyone regardless of what their experiences may be in life. 

This week we also got to go on exchanges. I was able to work for a day with a companionship that has struggled a little bit in the past few weeks. It was kind of cool to teach and learn  about how the Atonement blesses also the missionaries in such an incredible way. Even missionaries are far from exempt from problems. But, our faith in Christ and the Plan of our Heavenly Father can help us to get through any problem or trial that we may face. 

Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers. 

Love Elder Thomas

-Zone Conference. Plus a quick throwback