HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

So this week was weird, we lived with no electricity for soooo long it was crazy but we finally got to get back to work so that was awesome. Man our work has been awesome, we don’t rest at all we are always teaching or finding or studying or something, but were always busy and its cool. My comp is a stud, I love the guys that get right out of the MTC, being in the field and always being denied and seeing it all a thousands time KILLS it for u i dont care how good of a missionary u are it kills that spark that u briong to the field with u, but I love being able to train, its so cool, soooooo hard lol but I love it. Plus he is a way cool guy. So anyways for some reason this week was all about the pastors lol, we taught so many pastors and people that just wanted to fight its nuts. But its all good experiances, man my testimony grows so much, knowing about other peoples faith makes ur testimony grow so much about ur own, I have not met ONE person, AND IVE TAUGHT A TON MORE PASTORS THEN THE NORMAL MISSIONARY< and they all come to the conclusion that were all going to be saved, of course I tell them, in a nice way, that there wrong that they cant be saved in there church but they are just always to prideful and set to even REALLY listen, so its always just to bad! But it was cool. Man I have been able to teach a grow a LOT pretty much having to do it all myself in the teaching, my comp just doesn’t know the tagalog, he knows his stuff real good he just cant speak tagalog of course, but he is getting better and I hope he can continue. Man I wish I could write half the funny things I see in a week to u but I just forget im just use to it, but there was this one time were we are walking and its mid day and this guy is waisted and we pass eachother in the middle of knowwhere and u could see that he had peed his pants, man it was funny, we just completely avoided that guy, Then there was this one place that we found that was in the middle of knowhere and everyone was just staring at us, then we sat outside and started teaching and by the end the 2 people we started talking to ended up at like 10, it was sooo cool and intimidating for me but it was cool too, man when we left it was like all eyes on us and I cant tell u how many girls there were just sitting there trying to talk with us, I swear it was everyone in the village, it was jkust we were the only white people to be there for a while. Trees and stuff are all jacked up because of the typhoon but that is it, everything is pretty much back to normal but this wendsday were suppose to have a another littttle one hit again but its tiny. My birthday was ok, man it was so weird, we just worked a TON and couldn’t celebrate but it was all good, just kinowing in the back of my mind I was now 20 was CRZY though, then all day on chelseas birthday that’s all the just poped in my mind, its crazy. But anywyas, that’s mostly my week, just a ton of teaching and stuff and it was just a BUSY full week, ive been SOOOOOO TIRED

Typhoon News Article

Typhoon Megi (report off the internet)

CAUAYAN, Philippines — Typhoon Megi inched away from the Philippines on Wednesday after killing 19 people, as relief workers scrambled to deliver aid to remote towns that were devastated by the storm.

The governor of the hardest-hit province of Isabela, Faustino Dy said that residents in three coastal towns had suffered massive damage to their homes and were left with limited food supplies after huge waves washed away roads.
"Their food supply is only up to Sunday. But going there is very difficult. There is no road to reach them," Dy told reporters in Cauayan, the closest city to the worst-hit towns.
Dy, who had flown by helicopter to the devastated areas, said that as many as 20,000 people were affected.
Many of them had survived by fleeing into the mountains before Megi hit, he and other officials said.
Regional social welfare chief Arnel Garcia said the government planned to send food and tents to the affected towns of Maconacon, Palanan and Divilacan but that both air and sea travel were dangerous.
"Helicopters have to pass through the mountains and the mountain ranges are often covered with clouds," Garcia said.
US ambassador Harry Thomas said in a statement that US military personnel and equipment that was already in the Philippines for a joint exercise would be diverted for typhoon relief.
"My embassy team is in constant contact with Philippine authorities and NGO (non-governmental organisation) representatives to determine how we can be of further assistance," Thomas said in a statement issued by the embassy.
Megi smashed mostly farming and fishing areas of northern Luzon with gusts of 260 kilometres (160 miles) an hour on Monday, making it the strongest typhoon in the world this year.
The three million residents of Isabela province and other areas of the Cagayan Valley farming region were the worst hit.
The government raised the death toll to 19 on Wednesday, up from 14 the previous day, after more detailed reports from around Luzon were compiled.
The civil defence bureau said it was still sheltering over 10,000 people in evacuation centres across northern Luzon while roads were being cleared.
Although the typhoon was already over the South China Sea, the government weather station said it had remained almost stationary on Wednesday, hovering over the western coast of the Philippines.
The typhoon, which is still packing maximum gusts of 210 kilometres (130 miles) per hour, is expected to continue hovering throughout the day before moving northeast towards southern China, the weather station said.
The first level of a four-step storm alert remained in effect over several provinces in the northern Philippines due to continuing rain from the typhoon.

well lets just write a little bit about my week. im going to start before the storm even though thats probably all u care to hear about. But i had my first District metting this week and that was really cool. it was kinda weird but man what a awesome oppurtunity to learn and grow and stuff wow, it was cool getting to talk to all of them with just there comps and stuff. then teaching the whole district was really cool too. but the whole things was just a good e xperiance. then the next day i had a split with elder hardman, and that was fun, we had soooo many oyms and i have noticed that whenever u just look for people something funny always happens just cause the people here are so funny.
Then later that same night we went to someone we just find and were returning to and everyone was druck except the mom and she told us to come in and i was just talking to her and they were appaligizing and stuff it was funny and then while im talkin to mom one of the guys gets up and leaves and i didnt even think anything of it but i knew he was way druck, then we left and i was lik WHERE ARE MY SHOES, and i was looking and looking but they werent there then i was like, "UM mom i think he took my shoes" cause thats what u do here u call everyone mom dad or brother and sister ol, but then she ran after the guy and she comes back with my shoes in her hand, it was so funny. but then anyways the next day i get my comp back and i felt bad cause i sent him off with a full blown philipino that didnt know any English but they did ok. then we saw a sweet cock fight that day, it was SICK i was so jacked and i cant wait to send the vedio home, man i cant to get into at home but i cant :(. but then like friday night i got a text that we had this huge super typhoon coming so saturday we just bought stuff to prepair then we went to the zone leaders and spent a few days, it was aweome to just talk with them but i hated just sitting in there. Finally the storm hit and it was cool, it was
way strong winds lol the trees are ALLL jacked up and then it lasted like one day and we woke up and then just started cleaning stuff up and helping people then we got a text and they said we could go home and work. so thats what we did, but the things is where we live we stll dont have any electricity its been forever now but we should get it soon, right now im in the city so i can emial, but we had to come here to get fresh water cause we are out at home, and then we take showers with like a 2 gallon jug lol its so horrrible haha but i just keep telling myself its all apart of the experioance. I love the mission, we are tearing it up, me and my comp and we are working so hard. but u guys dont have to worry about me, im not going to get hurt out here, i was not ever even kind of worried for some reason. Love the mission, hope everything is ok at home. And mom dont get me anything huge for Christmas PLZ< all i need is a little package with like pics of something, then like put money in my account so i can buy stuff and snd it home for christmas. Thats what i want, just money so i can buy u guys stuff im just in the mission i dnt need anything here....

WHAT A TYPHOON!

WOW! What a TYPHOON

So now we are officially residents of the PHilippines Islands. We've gone through our first Typhoon. This one hit at a level 4 in Ilagan and Cauyan areas--the highest level is a 5. Most of our zones south of here just experienced some winds and heavy rains. But here in Cauayan we had winds at 150 mph. I've never seen anything like it and the winds were even stronger in Ilagan.
All missionaries are doing well. Some are currently without power. The past two days we've been helping our missionaries move to suitable housing as a number of their apts flooded or the windows/roofs were blown out. All of these elders or sisters are happy and have plenty of food and water. They are busy rendering service to those in need under the direction of their branch leaders.

I always felt safe and so it was kind of exciting to watch from our vantage point here at the mission home. But today I went to an area that used to be lush and green and in every direction I looked there was not one leaf remaining on any plant. Just huge trees without leaves. It was quite eerie. I saw home after home completly devestated. Yet, I saw people out trying to saw off broken limbs to use as new support beams and all with smiles on their faces. These people are so amazing. WE've been without power and Internet for 2 days but it all just turned back on!

I will try to post some photos and video in the next day or two. THank you for your prayers. We could FEEL them here. We have so much to be thankful for at this time.
THIS WAS POSTED BY SISTER CARLOS THE MISSION PRESIDENT"S WIFE

TYPHOON UPDATE

Typhoon Update

The Typhoon is now scheduled to touch down at 8 am this morning (Monday). It is currently 6:45 am and we are experiencing lots of rain. Our mission is currently in it's path but we are still praying for its path to change before it hits.

In the meantime, we have moved many of our missionaries to other missionary apartments. They have all been instructed to stay indoors and wait out the storm. All have food and water on hand. They will report back as soon as possible after the storm hits so that we can get an accounting of how everyone is doing.

We feel a certain peace about this all and believe that Heavenly Father is watching over our precious flock of missionaries. We feel your prayers. Thanks so much!

SUPER TYPHOON

Super Typhoon

The church has alerted us that a Super Typhoon (now called Megi, but will be renamed Juan once it touches ground) is headed to first touch down in Cagayan Isabella. That is the heart of our mission. We are busy asking that every set of missionaries has sufficient food and water for the next few days. Any of the missionaries in low land or mud slide areas are being moved in with other missionaries in safer apartments. Parents, please be assured that we are doing everything in our power to make sure all of our missionaries are safe. All know that if it hits they are to notify the mission office of their safety at the earliest possible moment.

In the meantime, we are praying that it will bypass Luzon. The estimated arrival is sometime Sunday afternoon or evening. We will update this blog as we receive more information. If we lose power we will update it as soon as it is restored. Please join in our efforts to call down the windows of heaven and help to divert the path of this possibly catastropic typhoon.

A Newbie

On Thursday Oct, 7 i gave birth to a 155 pound 6 ounce, Elder Jackson
. It was cool, this week was freakin hecktic! First me and my old
comp went everywhere before he left, and it was raining and everything
and it was just miserable but we walked SOOO much it was crazy, and I
ate so much cocanut and drank so much of the stuff inside I could have
puked but it was so good and I loved it, but then thurday, right when
I got there it was so awesome, u just start talking to EVERYONE its so
cool to see everyone and stuff I loved it so much but then like right
away the office elders got me and told me that Pres wanted me, so I
was kinda neveouse. But It was cool he just showed me everything again
and told me everything and gave me this little note telling me I was
going to be distric leader and it was cool, then in the thing I was
the last one out of everyone to get called and everyone was pretty
shocked lol cause I got a kid and became DL but it was cool. Then I we
ate and everything and went home and I showed him around, then it
started raining and stuff so we got soaked, on his first day. But its
just been a really cool week, then Friday we had this one distric
leader training and thy just gave me stuff and taught me how to do
everythjing it was weird and really boring but I needed it and I
learned a ton about being a leader and stuff so it was cool. Then
Saturday and Sunday of course where absaultly awesome we watched the
confrince which was sooo cool and I loved it and learned a ton. Oh ya
and everyone in my distric is really cool, one is elder goobie, he
just got done with being the office elder and he is a really cool
missionary I thought he would go straight to being a leader but I
guess not, then I got hardman, my batch, so I was way excited about
that cuase our birthdays are on the same day so I am really excited to
celebrate with him, plus I love him, then there is elder Elis, those
are all the leaders anyways all there comps are philipinos. But there
all cool and im really excited for my distric. But having someone knew
brings back so many memorize, now it seems like ive been here my whole
life and I am teaching him everything lol. He is the coolest kid
though and im so excited for our cycle or 2 here. He is from
California L.A. and he is just really cool. But that is pretty much
the just of my week, it was pretty hecktic and we hardly got any time
to work but it was all a good experience.

oh and we had a baptism this week i forgot to say that lol

This week was pretty cool. It started off with district meeting which was ok, but after we had a interview for a baptism, which passed, but we kinds went on splits for 2 sec so we werent just waisting time and me and Lien went and taught, we got back home with a note on the table that said we were having splits, it wasn’t cool. So then we finally ended splits and then the next day we had fingure printing, so every foriener in our mission met at the mission office, it was so cool to see all my batch and naylor and everything I lived it. And then pres called me in and he showed me his transfer board, I was like WHAT but it was just to show me how is in my knew district, I love our knew pres and how he does things, he showed me that and then showed me that im going to be TRAINING I was so shocked, so if he didn’t make any changes that’s what im going to be doing next cycle, I am excited and scared and then really shocked that god trusts me this much, I all the sudden have a ton of responsibilty and I know im going to be way accountable for it all but im really excited at the same time and I know I will grow and learn sooo much from it. So then we went home and then it was Friday, I got to baptise ERICKSON it was so awesome, I cant explain it, dad knows but man its such a different feeling when ur doin it MAN I love the mission. And the Saturday we just worked a ton, and Sunday was the same, we didn’t get to work as much this week cause of all the dumb things but its ok, I loved the baptism and everything. Man yesterday I relised that EVERYONE here has lice, im glad I just noticed but I wonder if I have it, GROSS, but whatever. Dude living here is seriously like camping, everyone showers in the middle of there house on rocks man its weird, yesterday we walked up to 2 houses and the grandma was either waching and had no top on or cleaning with no top on but I was like WHAT the heck. But the mission is going good, we tried to bowl this morning but it was shut down now and there going to go to a cave, I think my comp wants to go but its disobidient, I don’t want to do that. But I got to read my patriaritcal blessing again this week, for like the 20 times and man I love it sooo much. ALL of it. But that is pretty much my week, I have grown a ton this week and my testimony is growing so much ever day, last night was cool, we went to a mebers house just to stop by and then my comp was like elder will u share something, and I was like what, and he was like just pick something so I was like ok, so I shared about the sacrement and then at the end she was like ok, And then she was like well I havnt been takin it because im shy but I guess ill take it now, I was like J I knew I got the lesson from the Holy Ghost!