235 days left

Hey mom, hows it goin? I'm doing OK here. im not sick or hurt at all or anything. the subject was a joke (he put facial reconstruction surgery...after not hearing from him for two weeks!). hahaha hopefully you laugh and not think that is was a sick joke..:) Anyways, These last two weeks have been so stressful. I have never been stressed like this in my life. i think this part of my mission is like the experience Joseph Smith has in the 122nd section verse 7. When i ask why is it so crazy stressful, this is my answer... experience and benefit.. Its good enough for me to keep on enduring. haha. so we are just plugin away at all the office work and finalizing all the flight schedules for the departing missionaries.

 We were able to play basketball this morning. it was nice, some of the more athletic people transferred out of our zone, but it was still a fun time. Im still not good.. haha.. i wish they played more soccer. ive been practicing some of the tricks we used to do at home. its fun and nice to do something that feels natural.

So here is prolly the highlight of the week. Sunday, we were in Sacrament meeting. It ended, and all of a sudden, we see a small black man talking to our bishop. then i just kinda went on with going to the next class and didnt think much of it. The assistants talked with this man (who will later been named) and the man told them that he wanted to be like them. so he rushed back to his house, and changed into an all white outfit. odd but ok. so by the time he got back, we were almost halfway through Elders quorum. After that we went up and talked with him. His name is King Solomon. nope, not kidding. He is from Nigeria. He has a diamond and gold business in Africa, and he owns a restaurant here in Tacloban. So he told us that he had "been fighting the devil" and during his "spiritual fight", he saw the steeple of the church and ran to it. So he asked us to help him. so we decided to teach him. So Elder Nelson(AP) and i started teaching him the Restoration. We felt it would be best if two english speakers taught him cuz he had a big accent and was hard to understand sometimes. So we taught him and he just ate it up.. He one time threw up his hands and said "thank you Jesus, Thank God" then drop to his knees and start bawling, then lay on his back and start rolling around shouting "thank the Lord Jesus, Thank God". He also told us that when he walked into the church, he felt like he was at home. It was really great to hear how receptive he is. But, he might just be a crazy man. Well maybe not crazy, just.. maybe scattered? that would be a good word to use for him. if he had proper molding i think he could be normal. so we will see what happens from here on out. hopefully he will stay in contact with us..

So yea. thats about it this week. Also, i have a few questions. maybe this week you and dad could look into applying to schools? I have been getting a strong feeling that i need to start that process now. 
Also, my next question is: How far back do we have our genealogy? and if you could maybe attach something with that... i think thats about it... i will prolly remember some later, then forget them when i write you next week. haha we will see.OH.. haha DAD, what lvl are in perfect world? are you still noobing around in that game?

Well i love ya lots. hope your week is great!
Love Elder C-Dog/Chadsdude hehehe :)

Is your camera only taking pictures in black and white? or is there a setting?  It seems like lately that you're only sending black and white photos.  and that's ok. just wondering.

No... i dont know why it sent them in black and white... i will check the settings

You said last time (this was my first time on my own so it was a bit bumpy seeing as i had to do it with completley zero knowledge of how to do it. but it went over smoothly.) that you had no knowledge of how to do it...didn't you have someone training you last time during elders leaving?  

yeah i did but  it really didnt help me at all.. it was not clear at all... lots of guess work.

I find it interesting that you send me a picture of another elder with marks all over his body...now..did he send his mom a picture of YOU with welts all over your body so she wouldn't (or I) get worried?  Do you have a picture of your welts? Oh...wait you're too good to get welts right?  You have arnis sticks skills?

we were just fighting and his body got all welted up.. so we just took a pic to show it... he was the only one that got welts on his body....

I think I ask in another email why you can't hold babies?  why is that?  

i think its just for precautions sake...it says in the missionary hand book not to do it cuz of increasing legal complexities and what not....

any package yet?  I know it's too soon but maybe...I sent it on Sat. Feb. 9.  

maybe tomorrow.... we get the mail then.

How are you feeling?  sick lately? 

ive had a bit of a cough and runny nose. but other than that im all good.

248 days left

Hello Mates! This week was the week for the departing missionaries. I made all the certificates and fancy papers and great things for them. This was my first time on my own so it was a bit bumpy seeing as i had to do it with completley zero knowledge of how to do it. but it went over smoothly. Last night we had The departing devotional. It was so spiritual. All those spiritual giants bearing thier individual witness of the truthfullness of the Gospel. Its great. i love having my testimony boosted in those situations. They really do help me keep my eye focused on the glory of God.
     So this next transfer is going to be a fast one. It will only be four weeks long. So i have a lot of stuff to do in a shorter amount of time.. hopefully it will all be well.; buyag.. 
OK so i found what i have been looking for my whole mission. Arnis sticks. they are martial art sticks that are padded a bit. so it still hurts like no other, but it is sooo fun. Attached is the result of our fights. its great!! we went absolutely crazy last night. well, i hope this next week week goes smoothly. its transfer week again. ha..

Well i wish you all a happy valentines day.
Love you all.
Elder Smith

questions

so did you get amanda's information?

Yes i sure did!! it was sooo cool finding her profile and stuff.. 

weirdest thing you ate? 

umm... i had a lot of fast food this week. we are treated a lot for food the week before and of. its great.

How high (on your body) has a flood gotten?  Like have you had to walk in flooded areas before?  

Just up to my shoes.. I havent been in a huge flood yet.. sayang.. 

Where/when was your scariest moment on your mission? (it's ok...you won't scare me)

ummm.. im not really sure.. there have been lots.. i will think of some...

Is Valentine's day celebrated at all?  or something similar?

yea.. its here too.. all the wards are having different little parties and get togethers and fun dating stuff.. we are not allowed to go to any of them.. i wonder why??? hehe

Poor old chap!  Christian is holding his shirt.

256 days left

Dear mom, this week was ok. 

We were able to visit an investigator of ours named Francis. he is half Indonesian and half Philipino.. He is the son of one of the recent converts in our ward. we teach him in english cuz he doesnt know how to speak waray or any other language.. its really weird teaching and speaking to people in english. Our other  investigator is progressing pretty well. he is still having a hard time with work.. he always has to watch over the construction site so it doesnt get stolen from. He is doing well in our lessons. We have asked for help from the ward to get ahold of his birth certificate. he cant get married without it. He said all his documents got lost or destroyed in a storm. sad really.. basically you have no legal proof that you exist. im glad that i have been blessed to be born into a country where the legal systems is "organized".. (i hear obama is doing some dumb stuff). so We also have been visiting a less active.. she is pretty great.. she is a fun person, with great faith, but just maybe lacks the motivation to come to church. She thought that she could just be baptized and say all is well, i donthave to go to church anymore. We told her that one of the most important parts of life is endurance. Something that i have come to find out in my mission. There are some things that have happened in my mission that have or are causing me to endure. Im greatfull for the mountains that i must climb. Without opposition, there would be no good, no progression, or no positive. Over the last.. However long i have been out here, ive also learned that the hardest things in life are not overcoming trials, but overcoming your self. (wow, wow...this stuff is amazing!!)  i am continually humbled, and brought to my knees in humble prayer asking for divine help and guidance. im happy with the progress ive made so far in my life. I hope that i will always be able to progress like this throughout the rest of my life. \

Im super excited for amanda to come here! i think she will love it.

I love you all 

Elder Smith

as far as your qs...

I will get some sundangs.... tell Brother Ostler that he is a bading. say Bading ka daw..

--
ELDER CHRISTIAN SMITH

(questions from last time, not answered)

Would you ask some sisters (from america) what they wished they knew, brought, didn't bring, etc to the mission.  They'd like a very detailed list or answer.  Maybe if you could ask a couple gals.

Yea.. i will ask..

I can't remember what you've said about drinking water...do you always buy bottled water?  boil it? I think you've said that you drink other people's water but what do you at your own apartment?

the mission provides purified drinking water to all the missonaries.

Are there always elders in the office never sisters? (don't laugh)

Nope.. just elders... in other missions, they have senior missionaries do our job..

Last time it seemed like maybe, perhaps you were having a better time in the office...I guess it depends on what you do for your pday?

umm yea.. im not in love with it.. but its ok.. im making it work..

Since you sent home your coat...will amanda need a sweater at least?  Does it ever get cold cold?  when I looked at the temp there...it's not been lower than 77 these last couple weeks.

nahh... she wont need one at all. just a really stable, small umbrella. i have had to buy soooo many umbrellas here.. 

262 days left

I'm not really sure what to post today.  Our contact was a day late again this week but we got to chat back and forth through email.  So I just got to ask a lot of questions and he got tired of answering them.  

Another special thing that happened yesterday was we went to dinner with Amanda S. (Christian's cousin..Brian's brothers daughter) Josh O.  It was so fun hearing all the neat things about the philippines from someone who was actually there and someone who knew, served, and worked with Christian.  Amanda got her call to the same exact mission as Christian so that was our big news to him this week.  Then he scoured the site where he gets to see all the new incoming missionaries.  He didn't mention yet if he could see her but will be fervently looking now.  But because of this meeting Josh brought a thumb drive with quite a few pictures of Christian on it.  That was such a treat.  So, I'll post some questions and pictures from Josh and some pictures that Christian sent as well this time.  

Did you get my email?

oh yes i did... but just wanted to see if you were on.. so i had no idea that Amanda was coming here! thats soo cool!! Elder Edwards freaked out too when he found out. or when he read that his sister commented on her post... wierd... Its gonna be so coool having her here!!!

A little peak into our conversation:

Me:  our date was sooo sooo fun!  He gave us a whole lot of pictures that I'm just going through right now.  It's so sweet.  Fav pic is one of you holding a cute little boy and you have the best smile! 

Elder Smith:  who are you talking about? im confused...

Me:  did you read my email yet? I thought I told you that we went out with amanda and josh tonight to olive garden to have him talk about the philppines with her.  she and we had tons of questions.

Elder Smith:  josh?? who is that?

OHHHH.. Elder Ostler!!!!! i dont know him by his first name... hahahaha sorry..

HEY GUESS WHAT!!!! i got the package today!!!!!!!!

what do you think happened to it?  was it ransacked?  did you get everything in it? all the rings ?

Yeah! everything was in it!!! it is the best!! a whole bunch of elders were in the office when it came and they all flipped out when i opened it and saw all the amazing contents!!!! holy cow mom, YOu ROCK!

......ah.. ok.. so we are getting recommendations for new missionaries right this second.. i wouldnt be surprised to see amandas profile come in... its gonna be wierd... hhahahaha ...as soon as the assignments have been made by the church they start coming in... if they dont accept, they get cancelled.

so is she in there?

not yet, but we are getting newbies like no ones business!!!

These pictures below are pictures that we got from Josh.

 This fellow is Sonny.  Christian worked and worked to get him ready to serve a mission.  He will turn in his papers some time in May.  

 This is the amoeba experience.

 This is one of the kidney stone episodes.

Not sure how I feel about this picture...it brings back not fun times.

 The below pictures are the ones that Christian sent most recently

 well the first one is a bug i found one day walking into the office.. he was cool.. 

 then the next one is brother jonathan.. he is our best investigator. 

 then the next one is our mission conference.. the whole mission is there. In case you can't find Christian, he's in the front row dead center.

 then the last one is one of the members invited us for a lunch apointment. im wearing the hat of the little boy. his name is levi. his father is american. but he died in a car crash a few months ago..

270 days left

Hey Folks.
We weren't able to email yesterday, so today na lang. so this week was again a very busy week. Work in the office just never stops. So we were able to visit some people last week. it was great!! You know, last week i found out that i cant work in an office when i get home.. i have to move.. just one day last week, we started work in the office and i just started bouncing my legs.. like when you are sitting and they just start jiggling... well anyways, i just all of a sudden had a weird feeling in my chest.. i had no idea what it was. i just couldn't sit still anymore. maybe a sudden onset of ADHD or what, but i just had to move! so luckily i had my soccer ball here in the office so i just started juggling and doing stuff and kicking the ball against the wall. then i sat back down and tried finishing some more work. but then i just felt the same way again. i don't know why, but i just got mad and started saying everything really loudly.. and getting annoyed really easy..it was just bad.. i didn't do anything stupid, but it sucked. so then we finally got out and went to teach. that was it! we took off to one of our investigators house and we all walked so fast and just were so excited to teach him. we taught him the law of chastity. 

When we teach that lesson we cover 7 basic principles that you need to follow to live the law of chastity.1 No Tattoos..2 Earrings.3thoughts and words 4. BOLD movies or pictures. that's what they use for pornography.5. Modesty (clothes and stuff) 6.Live in. Here people have a problem co-inhabiting. where a man and woman live together with no marriage. that is one of the hardest things here. you will find a guy who is converted and his girlfriend is also, but then you find out that they are not married. so they either have to separate houses, or get married before they get Baptized. 7. its illegal to be gay. so we taught him this and then told him that he needs to correct himself. After we told him this, he was almost to the point of tears. then we told him that we could help him gather all the necessary paper work and help them get married in the church. the dumb thing is, his girlfriend is a member, and she is part of one of the most active families in the ward... So hopefully he will be able to get started and get married so he can get baptized.

so there you have it! that's pretty much all my week. I also got the contact package!!!! whoohoo! but not anything else.

Well pip pip cherio
Love you
Elder Smith

did anymore packages arrive? contacts should've arrived sometime soon.  

Contacts baby!!

did you get the christmas card yet?

Not yet..

Tell me about the picture of you walking down the road with your companion and some chicas behind you.

OK.. so we were walking along the highway, when a thought came to my head. this would be a cool picture of me walking. so i gave my camera to Elder Edwards, and then i told the girls behind us to look at the camera. but E. Edwards took the picture too soon. so there is the story of the picture.

Tell me about the bridge picture?

Well, that very same outing, we were walking home and on our way home we passed this bridge. so i then thought to myself... HMMM.... bridges make for good pictures. so i stopped and took the picture. haha thats it..

Love ya! 

278 days left

oh.. ok cool.. so last week i booked all the tickets for the leaving missionaries this feb. then i also fixed the transfer board. its a giant bullitin board with all the missionaries on it. seperated into areas and zones and such, so i made some pictures and pasted them on the board.. ha.. weak..on monday morning, yesterday, we had an almost awesome pday. we played calle! it was super duper fun. but i am so sore.. my left hammy is hammered.. hahah  so we (some of the missonaries from the provo area are planning on making an indoor team.. there are some good players here... its gonna be fun.. im excited! especially cuz we could freak people out by speaking a different language.. also if all goes well, we are going golfing!!! there is a golf course here in tacloban.. yea im excited haha.  so thats about all i can remember.. sorry my memory is weak.. 

Oh.. that sister that got called to my mission, her name is camille. i went to school with her. i recieved her application maybe a month ago.. haha it was wierd to see her coming here. so i will go pick her up from the airport and take her to the mission home. its gonna be weird... hmmm... i think thats all the new news that i can remember. haha

 i got the book! its awesome! i love it. i havent gotten any other package.. the post office has not yet called, so hopefully it will..

Love you

did you laugh at all the wrong wordage? (some people I gave the wrong words to until I asked him how to say it (Merry Christmas) correctly...I wanted it to be a complete surprise without having to ask him)

ha.. not really, it was to great! i was so happy with all the effort you put into it! the only wrong thing wrong was an omitted nga in malipayon pasko.. other than that, it was perfect!!

How come you didn't email at the normal time?  Are you ok? (Last time he didn't email on his regular day he was hospitalized)
Yea.. we had to drive to Maasin yesterday to pick up a sickly elder. we left at 4 and got home at 12.. ha soooo yea..

The only package that he's received is the Christmas book that so many people helped to put together.  Thanks so much.  No Christmas presents, or contacts yet....and yes I've launched an investigation with usps.

 His name is Elder Carling. he is from montana. he says hi.. he is here too.

286 days left

Hello mom.

 

This week was transfer week. it was crazy.. i did so much stuff and prepared lots of stuff. i prepared every form for the departing missionaries and copied laminated and scanned just about everything... maybe i should get a job at a crap store when i get back..

 

So today was pday. this morning we played soccer.. and then ran 40 yrd dashes...my best time was 4.8.. which in my opinion is not to bad for not been able to run for the last ___ amount of  time... then all the zone leaders came and we played capture the flag in the middle of a swamp.. i forgot to take pictures.. it was a blast. holy cow.. my hammys are tired!!

 

So Elder Dayrit transferred  so i thought that our companionship would only be us two, but then elder Edwards is also transferring out next time so he is training his replacement. so we have a three some now..Again.. so He is going to be my new official comp.. his name is Elder Rivera.. he is a really cool guy. i like him a lot. he if from aklan philippines.. not to far from here. still in the visayan region.. he isnt very far into his mission. maybe like 4 months lang.. but yea.. so thats pretty much all thats happened in my neck of the woods..

 

Till next time.

Love Christian

Did you get to celebrate all night?  Were you allowed?

We went to a FHE then to one of the couple missionaries houses and had some popcorn till nine.. then we went home and slept.. we werent allowed to stay out past 6 so we had to get special permission from president

What did you do special this week?  

hmm...im not really sure.. we had transfers this week so it was super busy and stressful... holy cow..preparing all the transfer stuff will give ya some grey hair... or make it fall out..

What service did you do?

umm im not sure... i dont really remember... ha it was a crazy week.