Maayong Gabii tanan! (Good night everyone)
 
I have indeed been transferred once again to a completely different zone. Since I've come to the mission I've been transferred to three different areas and have had to learn a total of four distinct dialects and languages. Waray Waray H, Waray Waray S, Tagalog, and now Cebuano. I don't know why I keep being sent around the mission, but it has definitely given me a lot of experience in terms of language learning. I haven't been able to learn a language super in depth yet, but I have gotten good at learning the basics fast. 
 
That being said, a lot of wonderful miracles have happened in the short time that I've been here! At one point a man stopped on the side of the road and told us to jump on his motorcycle because he wanted to be taught a lesson. We explained to him that Habal-Habal (motorcycle riding) was against the rules of our mission, but we waved down a small tricycle and told it to follow him. This was all very suspicious, and I told my companion to be ready to bail at any point. Thankfully, he wasn't trying to kill us, and it became a wonderful experience. Turns out he's a super inactive member that hasn't been able to come to church because of his work. His family aren't members so we taught them and said we would be back next Sunday. The spirit was super strong and I'm grateful that the Lord put that experience in my life. 
 
My spiritual thought comes from Gen 26:24 where it says,
 
" 24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake."
 
There have been a lot of times on the mission where I have been fearful of what others think. From being scared to talk to people because of my poor language skills to being scared to stand up for what I believe in, there is often moments when I am tempted to fear man more than God. There are times when I think I may feel a spiritual prompting but will dismiss the feeling out of fear of what others may think or say. And because of that I have often felt that I am the "wicked and slothful servant" that had buried his talent in the sand. Whenever I come across these moments when I am tempted to sin or shy away from my responsibility I try to remember and repeat my favorite part of Psalm 59,
 
"1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloody men.  
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord. 
4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me and behold."
 
This short plea for mercy and protection gives me the courage I need to follow spiritual promptings even though I'm scared. It gives me strength to resist temptation and follow the Savior's example. I know as we seek his guidance we will find the strength we need to move forward. To fear no man, do no evil, and live like Him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen. 
 
See you all next week!

​Elder Wilhelm 

​Preaching to everyone must include this ostrich

​Mahupay na Gabi everyone! 
 
I'm sorry this email will probably be short as I have very little time to write it. The past two weeks have been full of crazy experiences that are both terrific highs and unfathomable lows. I would like to include a couple examples to illustrate the tomfoolery of this week. 
 
One day we came back to our apartment, and we were distraught to find that we had locked ourselves out. The usual option would entail us calling the owner of the house and dealing with it from there. I, however, was very impatient and extremely thirsty for a glass of juice that I had saved for myself that morning. So, I decided I would try to climb our house to the second floor and break in through the balcony door. And I did exactly that! The juice I had saved tasted all the better as I proudly opened the door from the inside. 
 
I also completely lost my shoes for a solid 15 minutes in a flood but that is probably a story for a different time. 
 
My spiritual thought stems from a way to experience the spirit more strongly in your life. While important, sometimes studying the scriptures or listening to general conference talks is not the best way to study the gospel. There are many times when it comes much better through service. Remember in Lehi's dream when he partook of the fruit. 
 
"12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit."
 
Immediately after he partook of the fruit he was desirous that others should have it. If you have tasted of the fruits of the gospel, share it with others! This does not always have to be through a scripture verse or a spiritual thought. It can be a helping hand, a friendly smile, or reaching out to an old friend. Be Christlike, what can I say more? D&C50:22 states that
 
"22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together."
 
As you preach the gospel through your actions you will be edified. As we minister to the one, we will draw closer to Christ. Remember 
 
" Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."(Matthew 25:40)
 
Do these things because you love others or in other words, because you love Christ. 
 
Elder Wilhelm

Holding a fish

Sleepy Pete

​Mahupay na aga, na kulop, ngan na gabii tanan na mga tawo sa ini na Kalibutan! 

This week was pretty fun though I had a few misteps, literally. We spent a lot of this week finding and while it really helps me learn Waray Waray, it is most difficult. I think I can speak pretty well now but understanding is a whole other animal. They speak super fast in Calbayog and when I hear them I feel like a computer shutting down. Nevertheless my studies of Tagolog have helped a lot. We were able to hit some return appointments this week so hopefully we will have some progressing people soon.

At the beginning of the last paragraph I said I had mistepped literally. I wish to expand somewhat upon that. In the Phillipines there are some neighborhoods where the houses are built on wooden stilts. They are all connected together with small fragile wooden pathways. These patheways are similarly built on stilts and so they not very stable. All of this rests over a swamp like mud that consists of the waste from each of the houses. While attempting to cross through this week, the wood beneath me broke not once, but twice. I was luckily able to catch myself before I fell into the mud but I'm either really bad at walking or getting fat. Honestly, it is probably a combination of the two. I'm just glad the Lord has been protecting me from all my fumbles and falls because I have a lot. 

This week I was thinking about something that was pointed out to me in 2 Nephi 2: 25. The scripture says that,

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

At first glance one would think that joy means a general happiness, but upon further inspection of the footnotes you will find that another definition exists. That is "mens ability to become like God". I thought this was a very curious way to describe joy and so I went through the scriptures and sought to plug in this definition. I found that it adds a quite a lot to some scriptures. For example take the following verse from John 14: 28:

"If ye loved me, ye would rejoice"

Now, if we are to believe that joy is the ability to become like God, then the action, rejoice, must mean coming unto the Lord. If we are to follow this logic further then everytime the scriptures tell us us to rejoice, they are not just telling us to just be happy, they are telling us to come unto God. They are telling us to pray in gratitude when there are good times in our life. If we so love Him, why are we not coming unto Him? Whenever we experience happiness in this life, share it with the Father. He wants to hear all the parts of our lives, not just when its hard. He wants us to share in the joy, to come unto to Him, and through Jesus Christ it is possible. What other evidence do you need of His love, but His Son. 

I encourage all of you to search the scriptures and send me your perspectives on different scriptures with joy in it. For example:

Ecclesiastes 2:10

Original: "my heart rejoiced in all of my Labour: 

New: "My heart came unto the Lord in all of my labour" 

Warning, its literally so fun I can't stop

Elder Wilhelm 

Mahupay na Adlaw kamo tanan na mga Tawo! 

This week has been pretty fun but difficult. We've been running all over our area trying to find new people to teach because we've been rejected by almost everyone from last week. We still have a few really strong families that we're working with but opening an area really makes everything much harder. I have also given up in a way and have started learning Tagalog in addition to Waray-Waray. A lot of people in the city only speak Tagalog so it is almost necessary to learn both. Its not too different so it should be easier to learn now, but learning two languages at once will really be a challange. I have faith, however, that the Lord will help me through it. 

I have also been lucky to have some funny experiences this week. One day while we taking our trash out, Elder Bosley discovered that his garbage was infested with ants. This caused us to run, quite fast, to the drop off point which was about two blocks away. I was needlessely laughing the whole time as my trash was perfectly ant-free. Sorry Elder Bosley, better luck next time. Last P-Day we also had a lot of people taking pictures of us. I don't know if it was just because it was valentines day but at one point someone pulled out a huge professional camera and started snapping shots. A member saw the photos on facebook and sent them into the ward groupchat so I'll include one down below. We also had an earthquake this week which was pretty cool. It woke us all up at around 2:00 am and we all immedietetly went back to bed. Needless to say the shenanigans have not stopped since I've left Tolosa, and the mission continues to be a super fun yet challenging experience 

Something that has been on my mind recently is the word remember. Throughout the scriptures we see the word remember a lot and I think this is for good reason. C.S Lewis describes in his book "The Screwtape Letters" that one of the most powerful tools the devil uses against us is making us forget the blessings that we have been given. When we're having a hard time or are doubting our faith it is most imperative to not only remember what God has done for you, but also what he has promised you. This weeks Come Follow Me was on the Beatitudes from the Sermant on the Mount. I've heard most people describe them as a list of things that we have to become but I also like to look at them as a list of promises. To illustrate my point I would look at the third and fourth verses from 3 Nephi 12. 

3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
4 And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

To me, these verses are only filled with hope. Hope for those that mourn and those with a poor spirit. Is that not all of us? Do we not all grieve because of trials? We need to remember these promises because Satan would have us forget them. He would have us curse the Lord for the situation we are in, rather than give thanks for the promises he made with us. He would have us forget our covenants rather than come unto Him. In these verses the Lord has given us hope. A promise that one day, we will be comforted. That one day, we can ascend to a better place. Hope for the future. I cannot think of a better gift than that. I have faith in the Lord and His promises, and I will do my best to come unto Him. I know that if we come ubto Him, we will attain the Kingdo of Heaven.  

Elder Wilhelm 

More and more cleaning

The past two weeks have been more than a handful to say the least. From moving 8 hours away to attending a funeral, it had it all. I got transferred halfway through my training to Calbayog in the Catbalogan Zone. The people in Calbayog speak Waray Waray S and my first six weeks were in a Waray Waray H area. I understand most of what people are saying but they replace all H sounds with S. The switch is a little strange, but it hasn't been as bad as I thought. I'm also going to the province of Samar which is known in the mission to be full of crazy stories and dangerous situations. We'll see if I wander into any witch doctoes while I'm up here. It's very sad to leave an area you have grown attatched to but I've already loved my short time in Calbayog.

I had the privelage last week to baptize Jello and Joylyn. They are two kids from a partmember family, and, excitingly, it was in the ocean. Tip for those wishing to baptize in the ocean, don't. It was really hard. Way harder than a baptisimal font,  especially with young children. I held very steadfastly to them so they wouldn't be crushed in the waves. You have to say the ordinance fast, submerge them, and get out there. Despite the rushed nature it was probably the most spiritual baptism I have had so far. They were the first baptism I had where I taught them almost all of the lessons. I have grown to truly love them and now it feels like they are being ripped out of my life. They're fantastic kids and I know they will grow up to be strong in the church. I will never forget how much I learned from them and I just hope, they have learned a thing or two from me. 

While going through these changes, I like to quote a wise wizard from one of my favorite novels.

"The world is not in your books and maps, its out there." 

The world truly is 'out there' so to speak, and that includes the gospel. Sometimes I tend to forget that the gospel is not just a comforting verse or a nice thought, but it is a way of life. Everyday we have a choice on whether kr not we're going to live it. Alma 32: 28 says 

"Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts;" 

Now consider the following, one buys a seed and a gardening manuel. Would the seed grow if they spent the whole day reading the book? If one left the seed on the top shelf and was perfectly content reading about all the wonderful gardening techniques contained within, would they ever be able to taste the fruit of that seed? The obvious answer is no. It is essential that we apply what we learn in the manual of the master gardner. In the midst of change and trials we have a choice. Are we going to be content with the books and maps that others have drawn from their experience? Or are we going to go on an adventure. Are we going to go into every day attempting to live the gospel. To attempy to try and fully understanding what it means. When I read the Book of Mormon I usually don't fully understand it. But when I apply its teachings, I gain a testimony. I know the gospel is true. Not just because I read it in a book, but because I am trying to live it, trying to understand it, and trying to become it. The more I try, the more I know that "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."(D&C 122: 7) I know my Redeemer lives, and that with his Eternal Atonment he stengthens me. I know he knows me and my trials. I have faith that I will see Him one day.

I hope you all have a fantastic week, Hinai ngan Kita Kites!

Elder Wilhelm

Epic ocean baptisms

Teaching the kids simple math

Peter's new trainer, Elder Aguilar, fanning him as he worked to clean the house

Peter made banana pancakes for everyone

The Branch President took them all out to dinner at Shakey's Pizza

​Mahupat Na Gabi!!!
 
Hey everyone! It’s been a crazy week full of so many good and bad moments. It’s been raining again, a lot, and so I've accepted the fact that I will spend most of the mission completely soaked. Even though the days are often hard, I have found so much joy here. The language is slowly getting better but it is still the most confusing thing ever created. 
 
An Elder brought up a very important point to me this week that I think is imperative that I share. He described how it’s hard to be a baby because when your back is itchy and you cry for help, everyone will just think you’re hungry. Can you imagine that you had an insatiable itch on your back and instead of helping you someone just shoved food down your throat? What a terrible thought. How awful it must be to exist as a baby.
 
Also, my area just got bikes but so far that has been a double-edged sword. Before getting bikes, we would spend a third to a half of our funds on travel alone. To say the least, we save a good amount of money now. It is, however, a little sketchy when riding the bikes through the jungle or on the roads. Most nights when we bike back to our apartment it is pouring rain and so we get absolutely soaked. It's pretty precarious because we're biking on a highway with very little visibility, but it's always fun, nonetheless. I'm wearing a helmet so I should be fine... hopefully. 
 
This week I had a thought when I was riding through the jungle at night. Elder Ramos, my trainer, always takes the lead because he has the light. It’s not a very bright and so only the path directly around his bike is illuminated. I have found that its essential that I focus on that small light. If I attempt to look right in front of my bike or too far ahead, I will probably fall or run into a tree. The jungle is nearly pitch black through most of the forest and so his light is the only way I am able to see. This is very alike to times in our life when the decisions we have make become hard. All around us is a pitch-black darkness and you can't even see where to turn. However, there is a light barely ahead of us. It leads us on through the darkness, guiding us in our choices no matter the terrain. We may not always understand why it’s turning, slowing down, or speeding up, but as we follow it, we will gain a testimony that it will not lead us astray. This leader is Jesus Christ and the light around him is his truth. Ether 4:12 says "I am the same that leadeth men to all good... I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world." As we follow Christ and his light, we will be led to make the right decisions. As I've strived to center my life on Christ, I've made so many better decisions, and when I make mistakes, I know I can always find my way back. I know he only leadeth men to do good and through him we will find the truth in all things. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen 
 
Again, thank you all for your emails I hope you have a great week. Hinay!!!!!
 
Elder Wilhelm

​Mahupay Nagabi everyone!

It’s been a crazy two weeks to say the least. We have spent most of our days indoors due to the intense rain we get here. It poured for basically two weeks straight and there was a lot of flooding and landslides, so we were required to stay indoors. There were a few days, however, that we were able to go out and proselyte and those were amazing! We've been preparing a lot of kids from part member families for baptism, and they are always so much fun to be around! They are so full of the spirit and have so many wonderful questions. They are truly examples to me on how to be a better student. 

The language is truly a beast to say the least. The waray spoken here really is not a full language and people mix Tagalog, Cebuano, or Bicol sentence structure or words into their speech which makes it very hard to understand. The kids are truly the best teachers because they speak in simple sentences and act out what they mean when you don’t understand. I have probably learned more from them than they have from me. I have 100% seen the gift of tongues in my life and I know with an assurity that I could not learn this language on my own and so I know every step I make to fluency is truly by the grace of God. 

This past week I was watching a chess game and one of the players talked about how each piece has a function and should be used to support the other pieces. I'm not very good at chess but from what he described, it is crucial that all of your pieces should be in positions where they are supported by other pieces. If you want to make a more advanced play it is crucial that you have a strong base and foundation rooted in your network of troops. If you don't, the enemy can easily take advantage of you and punish you for your overzealous behavior. I think this is a lot like our lives in the spiritual sense. We are to learn "line upon line, precept upon precept" even as the Lord, Jesus Christ, "continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness"(D&C 93). As we lay out these precepts that we have learned, it may prove difficult to create a connection between them in order to lay out a strong network. That is, without Christ. In chess, the queen is the best support piece because it can move in all directions and support pieces across the board. Similarly, Jesus Christ is the best way to find support in the gospel because through him, all principles across the board are connected and supported. In your scripture study I encourage all of you to ponder how the principles we learn are not tangentially, but directly related to Christ. If we center our tactic on any other piece or principle, the enemy will overtake us. Helaman 5:12 says "because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build, they cannot fall." There is a lot of complicated things in the gospel that I do not fully understand, but when I remember where my testimony should be centered, it powers me through my trials of faith. I know that the same principle applies to all of you. 

I really love getting all of your emails and I look forward to receiving them this week! Kita kites hinai kamp!!!

Love,

​Elder Wilhelm

​Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone! 

Sorry I didn't write last week I got very busy; a lot had happened in such a short time. The past two weeks have been pretty rough. I got fairly sick last week and adjusting to the Philippines has definitely been interesting, but by relying on the Savior and trying my best to improve I have found a lot of joy here.  

Most of the mission was able to attend a Christmas conference in Tacloban City and it was a blast! I was able to meet a ton of other missionaries, play basketball, and feel the spirit. Its always fun to go up to the big city because we get to buy things we usually can't get. 

After the conference I went on exchange with Elder Andrada down to Abuyog! It’s a beautiful area and was a nice change of pace. It's a biking area and is made up of around 76 Borangay which is a whole lot (Borangay loosely translates to developments... kinda).  To put it in perspective, the area I'm in only has two. Elder Andrada taught me to cook a whole bunch of food, we fought off a scorpion, went running on the beach, but the best part was the people there. They were so forgiving with my terrible Waray, and I learned so much from them in such a short amount of time.

Life is definitely different and challenging over here. Sometimes with the environment but also sometimes with my companion and other missionaries. I love what Paul wrote in Corinthians 13. It says that it is not just about being long suffering in your trials but enduring them well. It is necessary that you endure all things with charity in your heart lest they profiteth you nothing. The mission is definitely teaching me how to not only endure hard things but endure them happily and cheerfully. Jesus Christ is the perfect example of such an act. He submitted to the Father's will and drank from the cup of bitterness with a heart full of love for those he was about to save. By relying on His example and His atonement we too can find joy in our trials and the people around us. I know this to be true because I have experienced it here.

Thank you all for the emails, it really means a lot to me! I'll see you all next week. Hinay, ngan kita kites! 

Elder Wilhelm

Mahupay Naaga! 

This is week has been a wild ride to say the least. I finally got into the field and its definitely difficult but also sprinkled with the tender mercies of the Lord. My first zone is in Tolosa which is just south of the main city of Tacloban. There's not much on the main street and most of the town lives in the jungle. It’s been very interesting proselyting under coconut trees and banana leaves, but I think I'm getting used to it. 

My trainer is Elder Ramos, and he is super nice! He's helping me learn the language and get adjusted to missionary life. It’s definitely been difficult but anyone whose gone on a foreign mission, especially Asia, knows that your body needs a few weeks to... adjust. Other than a few hiccups though, I have been trucking along trying to learn the language. Waray Waray is truly a different language than Cebuano, so it has taken a lot of effort to try and get off the ground in the language. 

Living out in the jungle is definitely a different experience than I'm used to. We don't have AC, but we have a couple fans which are really nice to come back to after a long day. We often come across oddities in the bush though. Like today for example we woke up to find a severed gecko head on our doormat. Very strange but I guess that’s just the Philippines. 

This week I also got the opportunity to baptize someone! Brother Charles has been taking lessons from the missionaries for about a month and decided to get baptized last week. My trainer asked if I could do it and he agreed! During the baptism he couldn't stop smiling, although he was nervous. He's a bright soul who has a love for the gospel. Even though we don't speak the same language, his attitude, and the composition of his character shine through. I'm excited to keep meeting with him as the weeks continue. I'm sorry if this email is a little all over the place but I'll talk to you all next week! Kita kites! 

Elder Wilhelm 
 

​Hey Guys!

The last week in the Provo MTC was good. We spent one day learning Waray. I wish we would've spent more time learning that language. I got a package from my mom with several mini loaves of poppyseed bread. Everyone loved the poppy seed bread. Maybe a little too much. There were some Elders close to tears (not joking). I also got a haircut from one of the other Elders which was awesome because there were no openings at the MTC barber. Everyone in our district was excited to finally be leaving for the Philippines.

I finally made it to Manilla. 30 of us missionaries arrived at around 1:00am to the Manila MTC after lots of shenanigans. The customs line in Seoul was really long and then we had to grab our bags and go through security again. That line was even longer. Our district was mostly together and after the last of us made it through security we realized that the sisters were nowhere to be found. We searched the airport but then had to haul over to our gate, so we didn't miss our flight. I was the last one on the plane. There were 10 Elders and Sisters that didn't make it on the flight because they had standby tickets. They were put on a different flight but missed that flight since it was on the other side of the airport. Almost everyone lost their bags by the time they made it to Manilla. However, the two Cebuano Districts (including my district) have been blessed with everyone making it and with all our luggage (for now). It was a super long flight, but I don't really have jetlag at all. I guess my body has adapted from all the traveling as a kid
 
The week in the Manilla MTC was pretty crazy. There was lots of language learning and some more shenanigans. The food was pretty great. Everyone loved the waffles. On our first full day we got paired up with a missionary already serving in Manilla and we got to go out tracking in the town. That was awesome. We didn't get a change to go and do a session in the Manilla temple, but we did get to go and tour the grounds one of the last nights we were there. The next time I write I will be in Tacloban!
 
Elder Wilhelm 
P.S. The food slaps here