...sometimes you just got to jump into deep water and pray you find a floaty close to you :)!!

Dear Family of AMAZINGNESS,

So this last week had a lot of weird and great things happen! First we had training as I am 100% sure you have seen on Facebook because there were about 100 pictures of just the Elders in my apartment! It was really good I really enjoyed it! There was a lot of things that I learned that was really great! Answers don't come through faith alone... You have to act upon those things, even if you have doubts about it sometimes you just got to jump into deep water and pray you find a floaty close to you :)!! 

After that we came home and we taught the D. Family. I just want you to know that this is my family that I love with all my heart! They are the best Recent Converts in the whole entire world! They are fellow-shipping and giving referrals for like 5 different families! She tells me all the time when go over there that she was starting to get hungry for the Word of God! HAHA So she goes and teaches with us and pretty much converts people through her testimony alone! She read in 3rd Nephi and that converted her so fast! About the apostles in the Book of Mormon she loved it and totally talks about it all the time! :) Sadly her daughter A just moved back with her dad in Angeles... But she has our number and always texts us! HAHA They are amazing people and I love them so much! :) 

Well lots of investigators that are slowly progressing! Some faster then others, some really slow! I love them all though! :) We have a baptism this week! Sister M.O.! She is really awesome and she really is smart! We also had a 8 year old boy come to church! He is a nephew of a once really active member that is now LA! We have not taught this boy, I have seen him once and waved to him while he was on a Caribaw(water buffalo)... Sister A. D. talked to him about church. He came by himself with his little brother! It was amazing! We are praying he keeps it up! I love it we will be teaching him tomorrow! :D 

Well I went on exchanges with Elder Howell this week and it was pretty good! Considering it was thrusday... My year mark!! We got some lessons in then went home and celebrated with Lechon(slow roasted)  Chicken and Coke.... It was really awesome! Elder Howell has pushed me to work out a lot harder to and I am starting to get a little toned! So Brody you better be working out a lot harder or I will be tougher then you ;) 

Well Family I got nothing else to say, but I love you! I love your comments and all your amazing things that you do for me! Please keep strong and always keep your shoes on! I know that if we keep the gospel close in our lives we can do anything and know anything that we want to! :) 

Love,

Elder Minson

Questions for Brock

1. What is the exchange rate from american to Pesos 

Usually 44 pesos to 1$

2. What can you get cost wise like 10 pounds of rice = $XX 

Well we do kilos here... 440 pesos for 10 kilos or 10$

3. How do most people make a living?

Well here in my mission it is either they drive a trike or a jeepney or some form of transportation, or they work in the sugar cane fields. Both make little to no money... Trikes make a decent living, jeepneys make a better living, ceres/bus drives make a very good living, sugar cane workers make little to nothing for some of the hardest work in the world.

4. What is the average monthly income for a family in dollars

There is no average... all I know the sugar cane workers make 100 to 200 pesos a day of super hard labor. That is all I know the others are up in the air depending on the day because most are free lance.

5. What is the format or agenda of your district meetings

Well hymn, Opening prayer, spiritual thought, white hand book thought, announcements (about the mission business), accounting (which is talking about 1 investigator family and 1 Less active family and their needs), training by the district leader, closing hymn, closing prayer

6. How do you great people (in Japan it was different depending on if it is morning Afternoon and Night time)

Good morning(1 am to 11:30 am)- Maayong Aga

Good Noon (11:30am to 1pm)- Maayong Ukto

Good Afternoon(1pm to 6pm)- Maayong Hapon

Good Night(6pm to 1 am)- Maayong Gabi 

7. What are most of the homes like, What are the made of How many rooms bedrooms kitchen dinning room living room etc.?

They are huts, 1 room usually with no bathroom with no kitchen they jsut have pots and a place for a fire to cook. The higher class have cement houses with usually 3 rooms and still no for sure kitchen(maybe a dish washing area).

8. Are there public restrooms and do they have toilet paper

All of nature is a bathroom here and unless you like leaves there is no toilet paper. If you do find a CR(comfort room) usually you wipe with water and your hand.

9. Are the church meeting set up just like here in america\

They are nice and big, but htey are a lot smaller then american churches and they are more locked up then a jail! 

10. How is a branch different than a ward

Branches are more humble here. THey have a real desire to become a ward. 

11. You mentioned not knowing about districts and zones, what do I need to explain? 

Everything... how they work, leadership roles, how they differ, and what they cover! 

1. What is it like having a companion hanging around all the time?

It is all good! You just get use to it! It is nice having someone to talk to. and you have to learn to love all your companions! If you don't life will suck in the mission! You just need to love them and just do what you can to make the best of it.

2. What have you found to be an effective approach when you meet someone and do OYM? Is there a message that makes people stop and talk to you? Or is being an american enough?

Well usually being American is all I need. Usually I just like to blend in with the culture do things that, for Filipinos, Americans would never do. Like go to a inasal/bbq and just sit and make some bbq. Then when someone notices you, you talk to them and then you use F.O.R.M: 

Family

Occupation

Recreation

Message

This is the best way to get to know someone and really just show them you care! Then always for the message I share is usually found in chapter 10 of preach my gospel "How to Begin Teaching," but you must show you care for them and you don't need to do it like a robot. Apply what you learned during FORM and figure out their week point! :) 

3. Strange things you have eaten? Have you had dog yet?

I have not had dog, but Elder Howell has. I havn't been in an area that poor yet. This one is averagely poor. I have had bbq chicken intestines and adoboed chicken organs and cows skin and stuff! It is really good! for the most part! 

 

June Mission Presidents Training