Week 53 - Everything is awesome!

Week 53

03/23/14

This is the family that is teaching me how to cook, and feeds us often

So this week was pretty awesome week.  We really got to work. We had a lot of lessons this week and because of it we were able to get some people to come to church so we were really excited about that. The highlight of the week was having this little party that we the missionaries set up at the church. We invited everyone, a lot of members came and some of our investigators that we are teaching also came. We had a little spiritual message and at the end we played some games it really fun. On a side note, they make this noodle here called pancit bato and while writing this I had to run to the bathroom to do some business so i dont know if they put a worm in it but its literally been killing me for the past 2 days. Hmmm? TMI? Anyways back to my awesome week. So on Tuesday  we found a less active while an investigator blew us off which turned out great because the less active came to our party and she also came to church woo hoo! and we got a investigator who asked if she could be baptized and become a member sooo "wow okay,,,yes!" haha. So we'll add that to one of the things to do for this April. We also taught the another investigators of ours and so far their baptisms are for April 5 so holy cow I'm super happy for all the things that happened this week. This week our lessons taught was our highest. in the district. We were able to teach one lady who hasn't been to church in a while a great lesson,  we focused on families and after that we saw her at the party on Saturday. Progress!

After our party outside the church building

So guess what I killed another giant spider yucks..... i just drowned it in poison... now this might freak you guys out we got attacked this week by mice. Eww!  We had to bring out the big guns, so  we got a pretty heavy piece of metal and then me and Elder Losaki brained them..... thats kind of graphic but yeah, thats our living conditions, sorry. But funny thing  I found out Elder Teiatwanas fear, hahaha I never heard a grown man scream that loud.. I have no room to talk about that thought.... the big spiders suck. 

YUCKS

We have had a lot of dinner and food appointments this week and my stomach has been killing me because of it, but its okay because  its  been super fun.  This week I made some pretty delicious pork steak.... the secret is coconut milk. We also had a birthday party for a member, we bought her some candy for her birthday and that was great because we found out it was the only thing she got. So that made us feel pretty good that we remembered. ahh this was what I wanted to say.... so I am not transferred but I am going to train a new missionary again... woah what the heck I'm a tatay ulit. So yeah I'll tell you how that goes this week. Mamaya (tomorrow) we have another food appointment. Some thing else  that happened this week is  that we found a cat nest in Elder Teitawanas closet... but  the good thing is the mom found a better place for them so we didn't have to move them..... and yes this morning the fire alarm went off I thought it was the fire department telling us that there is flooding but nope I must have been half awake for that one. But yeah that's about it for this week. Shout out time I just want to say happy birthday to Adriana. She says shes wiser now so find her and ask her really hard questions for me. Well thats it for this update I hope everyone has a great week. I love you and I'll update next week. 

Elder Llorens uragon

Week 52

Week 52

t

So this week has been one of the best weeks for me in the mission. I got
to go on exchanges with my good friend and aki ko Elder Relf on
Tuesday and I got to cook Bicol express for us on Tuesday night..look
it up. It is a stew made from long chilies, coconut milk, shrimp paste or stockfish, onion, pork, and garlic.) 


On Wednesday I got to go on exchanges again with Elder Villamore he's one of my Filipino friends in my batch that came to the mission with me and that was a blast got to hang out and actually have a Filipino companion! My last Filipino companion was Elder Parohinog and that was last year this time. Crazy to think that next week he gets to go home and he's finished with his mission. I am going to really miss that guy and all that he taught me. On Thursday I gave a workshop for our district meeting. Then on Friday we did some planning for our
upcoming week and we were just out teaching some people and right before we were about to teach some people a really old small grandma came up to me trying to basically argue with me and stuff... quite funny but a little sad. As soon as I was going to explain our selves and what we were doing she just walked away with her little posse'. Basically at the time we were teaching some of her former members in her congregation and she got a little mad and came after us for it. She just wanted us to leave and never come back. She ended up embarrassing a lot of people because she did that and I had some people come up to me and apologize. I just said sorry you have to deal with that, and that made the situation better. But later that night went we went to a members house and learned how to make pork steak wooo! I can't wait to cook for people when I come home its going to be great.hahaha. Then we had  a little Baguio (storm) that night and it was horrible is walking home in it, but saw lots of frogs. Saturday morning we found a less active and taught them and I got a haircut afterwards. Then we went out going to a far area walking and while
we were walking a dude said he wanted to talk so we were like okie dokie we'll talk.....found out we was drunker than a sailor and we said we  will come back later but he kept telling us he loved us and stuff… a little too much love for me! So we will  head back at a later time and hopefully catch him when he's sober the thing is we talked to him at like 2 in the afternoon…. but we will keep our fingers crossed. Its been raining on and off.  Sunday we just taught the usual people but then went out to a far area and we took a tricy. We were able to teach one less active and then right before we were about to leave we were talking to a man on a bike who before was taught by the Elders but the Elders forgot to go back. He had a few questions about the church and so we were gald to answer them and he is more interested to listen and so we will be going to teach him hopefully Wednesday morning. So because we spent an hour talking and answering his questions no more tricys..night time. So for our walk back home I had to buy a phone load because we were out so we bought some load and talked to the lady's who we bought it from and they were quite impressed with us and how nice we were. and they said they would like to feed us sometime. So there's your lesson for being nice. Than a drunk dude came up to us with another drunk dude and told us that his family is members in Utah and said he loved us as well. So love is good! But the lesson to be learned, always be a good example because there is always someone watching. Okay so that's my peace for the week.. I'm  thankful for everyone that does amazing things for my family and for me. Shout out to  Pj who just came home from his mission and also Josh Chang you guys are cool! hahaha sigeiyen lang para sa ngayon. sana ang darating linggo ngayon ay astig. salamat sa indo ulit. ingat!

Elder Llorens

Week 51

Week 51

3/10/14

So this has been sort of a rough week for me. At the beginning it was really good. We had a lot of lessons and even a baptismal invitation. I went on exchanges with some Elders to help them out.  We accomplished a lot of work ,but it kind of just got a little rough. My companion got a sick ,so our work slowed down the last couple of days. But I am coming to understand more about honor.  I got a really good letter from my father about Senator McCain when he was serving in the military and when he became a prisoner of war. He talked a lot about having an honor code. Basically for officers in the military they are expected to be a good example to others and to always be doing the right thing. I can relate to it as being a missionary. It gets rough at times for sure. Always being a good example, but its more worth it when you are the example and you see others recognizing it. So being a missionary has changed my whole life. I would like to think of myself as a meatball still, but I have to admit that I have matured really fast in just a little over a year. Its hard but its   shaping my whole life. At times I will fall and that's just a part of growing and life. But I was talking to a really good friend the other day and I remembered this quote, " arise and rise again, until lambs become lions" when ever we fall we can't quit, we have to  just keep going on. The days may seem dark and lonesome but then I remember that I have a Savior who watches and protects me and I have a loving Heavenly Father who is always willing to help and forgive me. That's a lot of love, it reminds me of how good and precious life is. No matter how bad and dark life may get, there is always a light that will break the dawn, something to look forward to.  I am grateful again to be here and serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am grateful for all the trials in my life because they will help me pick myself up and to press forward, on  straight path. I have seen so many miracles from being here that its impossible to deny that God lives and Loves us and that's the truth. I know that life is the playing field and I have to make most of what I have and I intend to. I am also grateful for all the family and friends that give me help especially when I don't think I  need it. You are a blessing. Thank you again and I hope you all have a great and amazing week.

Elder Llorens

Week 50

Week 50
03/03/14

Dear Family and Friends sorry about no letter last week on top of internet problems we unfortunately found out that my companions mother passed away. We went to our head quarters in Naga city so I was busy in my district leader role. So this week has been kind of rough coping with the loss and stuff. But now we are starting to get better and he's doing great. I'm super proud to be his companion and to be serving with him at this time in his life and to help him. But this week has been good. On Wednesday we were able to go to our far area and to start looking for less actives and to teach them. So we got 2 lesson from less actives who haven't been to church in like 10 years thats a pretty good accomplishment. Funny thing too, Elder Teitawana ripped his pants. So at the house we were at there are no chairs and they just sit on logs or big boulders and he went to pick up a boulder and his pants just ripped all the way down the middle. Then we were walking home because after 6:30 there is no more tricy services so on the way home we ran into a member and he told us to come to his house and eat some dinner so that was a blessing! We got to watch some Prince of Persia it was weird to watch or hear American people talking, usually its Tagalog or Bicol that I don't completely understand. The next day we went to an even farther area and basically got no lessons and there is no tricey service there so its walking all the way and walking all the way back. But earlier we had a good district meeting.  

We did teach a former investigator and she is still really interested in the teaching so we got a return appointment later in the week to go back to her. Its sort of difficult because she wants to listen but her husband doesn't really want to. After that we went to a really nice area to teach a recent convert, beautiful area and nice people and for the first time I saw something that sort of looks like a horse, but really looks like a mule. Not sure what it was. LOL Later on on Friday night we went and had a dinner appointment at the Padernal house and just hung out. Later  this week they are going to teach me how to make Filipino port steak so I'm a little excited. We ended up going  back to the far area and taught a less active family a great lesson. Everyone really felt the spirit testify to them, and its was the sons 18th birthday the next day and what do you know the son ends up going to church! Estig!! So I was really excited about that. Church was great, we taught a new investigator that a member brought to church so we received a new investigator and later on last night we gave a baptismal invitation to a boy for March 29 so I am excited about that.  This week has been good even though it got off to a rough start. It just goes to show that obedience to the Lord pays off! It's really freaking hot now and humid so its officially summer. Last night we also had a dinner appointment and that was fun. I also talked to a recent returned missionary who served in Quezon city north we were talking about mission experiences and I found out he knows some of my friends serving there so it was funny talking about them. But I am really missing home, but I am continuing to enjoy my mission experience here in the Philippines. only got 10 more months left and I am going to make the most of it. Thank you for all the letters that you continue to send to me I love you all. Sorry no pictures the computer I am using won't send them..I will try again next time.

Salamat ulit

Elder Llorens

Week 49

Week 49
2/24/14


So no update this week!  Being in the jungle makes for not so great internet connections.  Here's what I got from the email he did send:

So this week hasn't been great.  I have been sick with a sore throat and fever.  I think it is just a cold but it makes working in the rain and heat miserable. I found out that the son of the couple we baptized doesn't need to go through the discussions he can just get baptized since his parents are members now. So that was good.  I had a meeting with the Mission President this week and I think he is happy with the way things are going out here.  I have zone training next week so I hope to get the box you sent then. We all chipped in and had a small party for a nanay and her family.  She is super nice and feed us when she can so it was fun to do something for her.


Then we got nothing!  But at least we got a small update and know that he is okay…thanks for the continued support..Till next week

Week 48 Less Actives

Week 48
2/17/14

In Seth's wildest dreams!

Good Food 

Hello again friends. This week has been another great one. Earlier this week it rained randomly on Tuesday pretty hard, but the next day it got really hot. We got a lesson in the morning to one of our investigators with a baptismal date. He's actually one of the sons of
the couple that we baptized, so the parents were really happy now that we have a set date/ so after that we went home and cooled off, later in the afternoon we went back out our far area. So we got to walk to our far area looking for some less actives. WE walked pretty far for nothing we found a less active but were unable to teach. But it was not all in vain... we got in a good exercise and got to cross some really beautiful terrain so it was really good sight seeing. I crossed 2 bridges and was pretty tempted to go down to and just jump in the
water and cool off because it was so hot. So we walked all the way to the end of our area and turned around and walked in the other direction basically to the other end of  our area. We taught a less active who has been less active for about 10 years she said and now we are really good friends with her, we just talked about our families and where we are from so we are friends now. Anyways that was a good time because she said shes been gone for a long time from the church she likes how she is learning everything again, so we went to her twice this week. Sometimes just reaching out and sharing with familiar things helps.  We also went to our other less actives and their families. we are starting to read the Book of Mormon with them or Ang Aklat ni Mormon everytime we visit. And they are always fun they give us a little snack usually and we just talk about home and their day. Thats my favorite just talking to people about their lives and their days.. basically just being normal and having a good laugh. We also taught some new investigators this week. One is a son of a mother who is about 17 but unlike a normal 17 year old he gives really good answers when we talk to him about the church and its good that he's been coming to church but just hasn't been baptized.  We are also teaching his sister .. shes really good and has a really solid Christian background.  That helps a lot, at times we talk about prophets, apostles gods power and sometimes people don't have any idea what we are talking so we have to break down the lessons more and more. But we were lucky the one day we walked back  home a member saw us and told us to come to their house and they said they would feed us and he ended up giving me a pretty good pair of pants so that was nice... I guess its just blessings from God. We located  another less active and found out he's from BUHI my second area which is like one of my favorite areas and we were able to talk about the town and the area and I guess that was good for him  because he hasn't been there in a while. So  we got new elders in the district, my favorite is Elder Kaumaitototya. He's a pretty big Fijan. Now we got a Tongan, Samoan, Kiribati and a Fijian. Elders from around the world! He is a cool thing  I ate 2 chicken heads. It wasn't that bad until I tasted the brain when I started chewing... overall it was pretty good an will be paying 6 pesos again for another one hahaha.  I've started to work out again, I took a break but I'm getting back at it and I am going to try and stop eating rice..... I remember when I first got here it was so difficult to eat rice everyday but now its hard not to eat it… I literally need rice at every meal. I can't wait to go back home and eat at Bari Bari and eat all the rice and the Japanese guy is going to be like hahaha fat boy and I'm going to tell him to shut up in Tagalog hahaha. So thank you again to all the people who have emailed me and sorry I cant eamil you back right now... I am so frustrated with the internet shop right now I have had to switch computers 4 times in order to get on to my email and send this little update. so this is just the pleasure of emailing in a foreign country. But thank you again I really miss you all. And if you are wondering yes they celebrate valentines day and no. I didn't do anything for valentines day beside just hang out at home and talk. Thank again eveyone..

Mahal mula kay Elder Seth "Pogi" Llorens

Week 47 - Baptisms

Week 47
2/10/14

Baptism Day

Okay so its been an awesome week! The reason why my weeks been totally awesome is because we have been teaching this family and some other people and on Saturday the family got baptized. It was just a great feeling to be there and to support them. They are going to now start a long journey and it makes me feel good to be part of that from the beginning. The feeling of the spirit was so powerful! I was standing near one of my favorite kids his name is "Haring" Absalon. He's 14 years old and it is him and his sister , but from the beginning he's been helping us teach people and its been a great experience not only teaching him but learning from him as well as  being his friend. When he was done being confirmed a member he shook my hand and looked me in my eyes... he didn't have to say anything but I felt his thank you. He had tears in his eyes and I felt them come to my eyes as well. The days like these are the ones you can never forget. They are the ones make it  worth while being here in a foreign country.This is my purpose as a missionary to  invite others to come unto Christ. and I hope everyone, someday can feel what I and Absalon felt. But yeah I was pretty excited!  So excited that as we celebrated I put on my Mexican mustache  and started taking pictures with everyone. Great day! 
We also had a lot of awesome food this week. One that is pretty good is jack fruit or in Tagalog... langka. It's pretty delightful, if its done right it tastes like noodles. and we also had this really good fish i think its called "gigiban" something like that. But it was really good it was BBQ'd. But fish is like my favorite now.  There is this thing called kamuting kalhoy and it tastes like potatoes but they have a bunch of farms here that grow it. Basically if they don't have any rice or food they eat this "kamote". It's good.
So I have been just teaching a lot of people this week mostly the people that were baptized to make sure they knew everything before jumping into it. But one day we were at the church teaching a lesson ... it was so freaking hot  then at about 2 o'clock we just see these dark clouds rolling in and when we got done with our appointment at the church it just started to pour so hard, we tried to wait for it to weaken but it just got  harder and harder we didn't have an umbrella because it was really hot. So we got drenched coming home. On Friday we had some fun,we had zone training and I got to see a lot of my friends and talk about our areas and stuff. We also had some transfers but no one in my house got transferred so I'm going to have another transfer with Teitawana and my poly boys. So basically that means we are going to be eating fried chicken and spam for another 6 weeks. My waist line is furious. haha. In other news summer is right around the corner and its starting to suck because now you have to have the fan on you if you want to sleep and if you dont have a fan your are not going to sleep. But besides that now we are just going to be doing the same thing we did this last  transfer. Working ! Cool thing is we are going to be getting 2 new elders tomorrow in the district. So I'll inform you if its anyone I know or anything cool. So the time has come that I have to start getting new shirts because the ones I have  are getting holes in them and are just getting dirty looking. So I'm going to try and buy them here, wish me luck.
 This morning we had a pretty good game of volleyball going on. We should start a team because our basketball team isn't as good as we thought but our volleyball team is pretty good. Basically our ploys are the ones that own it on the court. So its pretty funny when they just spike it on an innocent standbyer who isnt paying attention. It reminds me when Greg in meet the parents spikes it on his sister in law in the pool and gives her a gnarly bloody nose..... just picture a 200 pound Samoan doing that to a 5''4 Filipino.. hahaha classic. But yeah thats been my week. I continue to appreciate everyones emails and great support .... thank you but thats all for now..

Banggi na baga kakan kita

Elder Llorens