2017-10-29 – Caloocan Seals

2017-10-29 – Caloocan Seals

Hey there!

These past weeks have been exhilarating, easily the busiest and happiest time of my mission to date! We have a project called the Caloocan Seals. It's taking missionary work to a higher level. In Utah, where there are many wards in a small concentration geographically, they have 13-19 units of wards of 350+ people each and only onecompanionship of missionaries working on the referrals. Full time teachers, not finders. What we noticed in Caloocan is all the wards are right next to each other as well, just a few minutes and you're at another chapel, so we have been employing this type of missionary work for the past 2 weeks. There are 5 companionships to meet the referrals of 8 wards. And these are the best Elders and Sisters I know, they are all solid, fantastic teachers, great with members. And we are all very enthusiastic. It's tough with travel but already so much has happened! We have put all 10 of us in one small area for a day, we have gone home teaching with over 30 members, we are getting excitement for the work! When I was with Elder Y- we promised a room full of Bishops and the Stake Presidency that they wouldn't be disappointed even though the missionaries technically decreased in number, and they haven't. President Leon expressed thanks that the Bishops and the missionaries all have an aura, an excitement for missionary work. So much more to do though!

We had a baptism 2 weeks ago, and then another 4 this week in the stake/zone.

Cris Ann was so fun to teach, we really focused on the Book of Mormon with her. She managed to read every day even though she has high school and friends and live is hectic, and that was the biggest testimony builder for her. After teaching about most of the commandments, we started the Caloocan Seals Project and transplanted her to the Sister missionaries, since we don't have area boundaries as we used to. Perfect move. Her conversion then become complete because she was able to share more with the sisters than she could with us. 

M P-.. if you have read my letters from the start until now, good for you for enduring it! If you did, you'll recognize the P- family, who were baptized in September of last year. It was so sad to tell M a year ago that she needs to wait a year to be baptized, she was so excited to be a part of the rest of her family. I told her a year ago it wouldn't be too long before she too would be baptized... and here we are! I'm so lucky to still be in the Caloocan Stake and to have the privilege of witnessing Bro P- baptize his youngest child. They have plans to be sealed as a family this upcoming April, and I'll still be here by then! The gospel path is the only happy one, sometimes we don't walk it perfectly because it's narrow, but it is the truth.

We have 10 missionaries, and in December we have a vision of 30 baptisms. It seemed a little high at first to us, but we fave faith, and it's going to happen, mark my words! We believe, and we will stand still for the arm of the Lord to be revealed here in Caloocan. Thanks for reading, I love you all!

Elder Fish

2017-10-17 Transfers & Matching Ties

2017-10-17 Transfers & Matching Ties

Hey there!

Check out our matching ties for the mission tour. Kabahay unity. 

failed attempt to get a picture of the zone, the flashes of 9 other cameras made this one a classic #celestial

I am loving the work, now even more than ever. Every time we ride a jeep we start conversions with fantastic people and give them something to read and a number and website they can contact. Feels like casting a net out far and wide for those that are meant to run into us. 

We have some great people progressing towards baptism right now, it's a privilege to teach them

My companion Elder Y- will be transferring! I'll have a new comp here named Elder P-, who is another amazing Elder. I'm looking forward to making another great friend and learning a ton.

We had a unique experience the other day, we taught the sweetest Chinese couple. They speak basic, very slow english, so we taught about the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ. It is harder than it seems to explain it without using words like intangible. Also, Brother Lu's mind is very logical, so he remembers what other missionaries have taught him in the past and has a lot of great questions. Hopefully I'll have another update on them in a few weeks! Finally tried a Moon Cake, I've been wanting to taste that ever since I read about it in Elementary School! Tastes like the ube root we have here... which is also a unique taste.

Thanks for reading! The work is true, I love you all :)

Elder Fish

2017-10-9 General Conference

2017-10-9 General Conference

Hey all!

This is tatay G-, when I was in my first month of the mission we were teaching him and in the process baptized his son J-. Cool kid. Tatay G- though had been smoking since 14 years old, and he just couldn't drop that vice. He contributed to a tithing fund for almost a full year that couldn't be submitted and blessings received until after repentance, faith unto the commandments, and baptism. In the end, he managed to quit smoking, and had a beautiful conversion experience, being born again through Christ last July. It was amazing to see him at a conference gathering last Sunday, he is got such a powerful testimony and conversion that it strengthens my own. 

Here's my best pal O'n-, he has put his papers in to serve a mission and now spends a considerable amount of time working with us. He is a great, genuine person with a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.... best of all, he's a soccer player! Finally found one :)

We gathered for sports and home-made ulam or dishes

General Conference was fantastic. I heard the Spirit whisper to me that the words and promptings I felt were real. It brings so much peace to my heart to listen to the Lord's anointed servants share messages of faith, trust, optimism. No matter how bad things may get, there's always a perfect hope of the promise of eternal life and exaltation. I love the message of Jesus Christ. Thanks for reading I love you all!

Elder Fish ><>

2017-10-2 Family Day Parade

2017-10-2 Family Day Parade

Whooo! 

Another week down the drain... but we are making progress! I enjoy most teaching souls who are searching, and people with faith willing to act for themselves. There is nothing sweeter than feeling through the Holy Ghost what you should share with someone, especially when they are struggling. In the beginning of my mission if someone brought up a concern, I got worried about what I would say... but now it's so simple. It's never the same, but the words are always there.

Our ward had a Family Day parade, which ended with a Boodle Fight, which is where everyone eats with their hands off of banana leaves, and it's delicious. It was fun to have a bunch of little kids giving out the Family, a Proclamation to the World to people in front of their homes.

We are working with a member named O'neal who just put his own papers in to serve, and he's one of the only Filipinos I know who knows soccer stuff. Just this morning we played futsal at the church, which is the first time I've been able to play my sport in over a year, not since the MTC. That was a blast. Work hard, play hard!

My assignment to serve in Caloocan right now is great. The wards and chapels here are very densely concentrated because it's all city, so we are going to start a cool project. In Utah they have 2 missionaries for 9+ units because they work purely from referrals. What we are doing right now here in Caloocan is Seal Team 8, 8 missionaries for 8 units. The very best teachers are going to be assigned here, and work purely off of member referrals. Finding can be done, I've seen miracles happen from knocking on doors, but it's very very tough. The Palangoy family was baptized last September 2016, and we had a family of 4 come to church yesterday that we met by knocking on their house, so finding works in the Philippines because so many are prepared, but we will become more efficient with our time and commodities as we apply this new program in the stake and coordinate with members. In my meager experience of not even a full mission, I know that member missionary work is the most important, valuable work.

The way it works is one companionship has a very broad area, which is not workable by the normal standards. But Elder Yates and I tried it the other day. We had a referral of a couple that has come to church 4 times now in a ward that hasn't had missionaries for about month. We got their address, checked out a map, and found their house in under 30 minutes (if we're late, the lesson is free! But the only other alternative is a free lesson anyways) We got to a maze of houses and alleys and asked some kids to show us the way. It was a great use of time, we were in and out and had a great lesson and now they know more about coming closer to Christ and what it means to be baptized and have eternal families! 

Thanks for reading, Iove you all! I know the work is true!

Elder Fish