Introduction to the Field

(I have left out some of the stories that were associated with my general mission experience because I wish to focus primarily on the doctrinal aspects of things I learned in the field, however, I do feel that some of these stories help give a little bit more perspective.
I think it will help anybody out on missions, or preparing for missions, kind of understand how it all works and feels those first few months; but honestly, these lessons are applicable to everyone. The following "epistles" is the account of my ministry in the Philippines I sent home via email.)


  PART I

 I am sending this email to everyone I know as a general account of what the Philippines is like and how...different it is.

 My flight from LA to Taiwan was sweet and one we got to Taiwan (13 hours later) we had some delicious Taiwanese food and headed to our next terminal...which was an all out "Hello Kitty" terminal, pink white and cute adorable montages of hello kitty and the gang covering the entire terminal. It was ridiculous.

 So I got to Manila and stayed at the President's home for two nights where we were oriented with the mission and given instructions. It is beautiful here, coconut trees, thick grass, and shrubbery everywhere. It is a jungle here and it is stunning. They're are thousands of "jeepnies" (Wikipedia it). They are everywhere along with trikes. The Filipinos cant afford cars so they ride jeepnies and trikes everywhere. Jeepnies are surplus jeeps from world war 2 decked out like...the only thing I can compare it to is hippie vans in the 60s which is not really even close. They are just radical with random signs and colors and all. Everywhere I go people stare at me, all day, everyday. I have seen one, only one other American in the Philippines in the week I've been here and he was at the super-mall. Wherever I go people yell out "Hey Joe!" (In reference to a G.I.Joe WWII). I often reply "Hey Pedro" (its just a common name) and they usually laugh. Everyone makes fun of my tagalog. Even my comp. In fact, while I'm writing this email in a shop the owner introduced me to her husband. All I said was Kamusta po (which basically means hello) and they all freak out. Its kind of obnoxious at times, but its all good. I just smile and laugh along.

There is no carpet, all walls and floors are either concrete or bamboo or dirt. It is very dirty here, and trash is everywhere. Its fetchin hot, but not unmanageable. We hand wash all our clothes which takes forever. We don't have clean water so we have to filter it and we have a toilet with no toilet seat. Its pretty sick. I sent pics to my mom so she will have all of them (make sure to get the card to jess after mom)(and its not the one in the box, im mailing you a different one).

My trainer's name is Elder Omandam, he is not over 5'0 and its hilarious to see us walking around. People are really intimidated by me, if I'm not smiling they kind of look scared, but whenever I raise my eyebrows or say magadang umaga po (good morning) they always smile and get excited. The children are adorable, they are quiet and very respectful to us elders. We live in "The province" in an area called Lipa - Rosario. The mission president assigned us to re-open this area. So we started with almost nothing. No progressing investigators, no referrals, nothing. So the first few days we met members and they guided us to investigators and all sorts of people. We have three baptismal dates set. Elder Omandam is a monster at missionary work, I rarely understand him but he gets what he wants out of people in a very nice, loving, but forward way. However, he is fairly disobedient, its actually kind of funny. During planning and what not we schedule 2 hours for lunch instead of 1 because he wants to nap. He is an awesome elder, very loving and helpful with the language, but lacks the hardwork. I'll do my best in the upcoming weeks to see if we can use all our time more effectively. I'm chuckling to myself thinking about it. I usually just read my scrips or study my language during that time.

 *Oh the greenie-ness of being a missionary 3/12*

I'm going to be honest, it is super difficult here in the Philippines mostly because of the language barrier. I feel fairly competent in basic tasks but I feel like I didn't learn any of this language in the MTC. I just listen, try to pick out words, and not look stupid when someone asks me a question or when I say a prayer or bear a testimony, but...like I said, everyone laughs no matter what I say. I'm kind of a spectacle, its a good attention getter, and people like to talk to us because of it, so all in all its a good thing.

The food is delicious! its so fresh and tasteful. Everything is no more than a day old and its all so fetchin cheap. its 44.50 pesos to one American dollar. To take a trike into to town which is a few miles is about 25 cents. We bought about 2 weeks worth of food for 15 dollars. However, while your here you don't think about it that way. For example, I bought 4 rolls of toilet paper for 50 pesos and I was like "Sobrang Mahal!" (Thats so expensive!) as I was leaving I realized that is was just over 1 dollar. You get about 140 american dollars per month and it is pretty comfortable to live off apparently.

 I would like to comment on the Catholic church's presence in the PH. Its everywhere, and to be honest, its straight up evil. Like its not good Christianity its super creepy corrupted Christianity. For example, the catholic church looks like a castle, its bright bright sky blue, it makes me want to vomit, and in people's homes, there are these pictures of Christ that are just freaky and dark and dirty and just in a word corrupt. I feel dark and hollow when I look at them. One that's pretty common is Christ is tilting his head down a little bit with the bright yellow circle around him and hes touching his heart which is outside his chest and has  barbed wire around it and a torch on top. He is often covered with bright colorful clothing and some of the statues that they pray to are just freaky. Like a nightmare.

 Blehhh!

Anyways, Im definitely going through some culture shock right now but its all good. I'm sleeping, I'm eating, and I'm still living. I know if I keep working hard and am patient I will be just fine. It could be so much worse and I feel blessed to have what I do. But promise me something all of you who read this. Touch your wall and be grateful that because of its coating your home isnt turned into a toaster oven. When you step on your carpet, be grateful its soft and not filled with diseases that tear your feet in two. Look outside and be grateful that their aren't hundreds and hundreds of dogs everywhere with fur falling of because of the diseases they carry. And if you see a bug from where your standing don't cry; cockroaches, ants, and spiders are everywhere here. There is nothing clean, there is nothing white, except one thing. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It truly is a beacon here. It is the only clean building I've been into yet. It is the only thing that is white and that is not a tainted yellow aged color. It stands tall amongst the other churches (all the churches are on the same street -- kind of funny) except the sky blue catholic church which is just ridiculous.

 The members are the biggest help in the world, we would be lost and without investigators without them. Please pray for me, my companion, and the people here. Its really weird, I feel like I've met some of these people before, kind of like I've seen them on TV or in a dream or something. Its hard to explain. Its sweet though, they make us food quite often, and we share spiritual thoughts, then go find people to teach. Its very interesting.

 Well, I love you all, goodbye, I pray for you all every night!

 PART II

I have been in the Philippines now one month and its hard to believe our first transfer is just around the corner with my first zone conference this week.

My area is getting more interesting the more and more I'm able to understand whats going on. For example, I learned that our branch actually has 283 members but only about 45-55 attend each week...including 60 inactive priesthood holders. So we have been discussing with the Branch President about some of those concerns. We had our first Baguio, and everyone says it was pretty weak, but I was still blown away. It was a downpour for two days, sometimes lightening, but there was no major flooding. Tons of water everywhere and they say its not flooded haha. I love it though, for the first night since we got here we didn't sleep with the fan on because it was cool outside. My comp was shivering, it was funny because to me it just feels kind of nice but he was straight up cold.

 My comp is still...very disobedient, which has been a trial for me, but now I deeply appreciate the white handbook, as it is my only defense against him pulling trainer rank on me. I also appreciate a lot of other things that I didn't before, and I feel a lot closer to my savior as I draw closer to him for reliance, because there is no one else to really relate to, or talk to about it. Its humbling, and our district as a whole is pretty disobedient, for example, our district leader went to an arcade after a zone activity and was playing all these gun games and I doubt he had the discretion to use his own funds. BUT! I do still have vision, and I have a deep rooted foundation in my faith to what my potential is and I will never lose sight of it, and I will continue to do all I can to raise my companionship, my district, and my zone for the sake of the Philippino people.

 I wrote to my mission president in a letter and said "I sacrificed to much to dick around," and I meant that. I'm not here to waste time, this is God's time and I'm really gaining a testimony of that and what "consecration" really means.

I also value and appreciate my family back home to an indescribable level. My younger sister started high school these last weeks, and I never imagined how much it would hurt not to be there to help her and talk to her and share about one of my most treasured times of my life. Its hard not to talk to my brother. He was one of the only people I could really expound every aspect of everything in my life to with a brutal honesty. And I really valued that. I love all my family. Very very much. and I now appreciate the sacrifice I made, where as before, I didn't really comprehend.

 But now its God's time.

I'm grateful for the time you have taken to read my account. I pray for you all, I love you all, God bless you.

-Elder Mace