First week from the Pinas!

Wow! These last few days have been insane. We landed and the six of us from the Provo MTC walked outside to wait for our ride. We waited outside, in the blazing hot sun, for an hour..in our suits. I wanted to get right back on the plane and go home. Ha ha. Joke lang..but! It was hot. After the hour we were finally picked up and brought to the mission home. President Sperry and Sister Sperry are just so nice! We sat for awhile and talked, got to know each other, had an interview, ate lunch, it was just fantastic! After that they told us that we were a day earlier than any other group...and so they did not know what to do with us. They had a bunch of the missionaries that were leaving coming to the home to have their final interviews/"talk" before they left at three in the morning. So! They were not sure what to do with us. We ended up going out with the AP's and getting a tour of the place. That was nuts. The streets here are insane. Pretty much the lines on the road are just for decoration. And they just fill in the gasps. There is not a speed limit on any of the roads and the rule is the biggest vehicle is first. No one obeys the traffic signals, and iIm pretty sure it is the coolest thing I have ever experienced. 

We woke up the next morning, had breakfast, and had our welcome devotional with president. After the meeting we went to the transfer meeting. I was called to serve in the Caloocan area, and my new companion is Elder Millano. He is the coolest guy. He is from a province in the Baguio mission, and he has been here on the mission for 7 months now. He does not speak almost any English...as hard as that is, it is exactly what I had been praying for. He speaks enough that we can get along, but about 75 percent of the time I have absolutely no clue what is going on. He is a very humble, hard working guy. So far we get along really well. He said that I pick up on the language really quickly...lets hope that is true. I really need it! 

So on Sunday I got to speak in sacrament meeting, or really just share my testimony. I'm pretty sure it was a fail. Either way, it was cruel for the bishop to ask me to do that. Ha, joke lang, but it was napakamahirap! Or very hard..

This place is very different. There is trash everywhere, about a thousand wild dogs and cats on each block, and tons and tons of what they call squatters. Pretty much people will make houses out of everything. Out of trash, and it is very dirty and small. The people here live in very humble conditions, or pretty much in nothing at all. I really do not feel worthy to be their servant. But! I am very thankful for this opportunity. It is like nothing I have ever, or ever will again experience...I am just trying to live it up while I can!

Just to let you know, it is not a rumor...you really do wipe your butt with your hand, and a little bit of water. The worst part is, the left hand is not a bawal hand. They still use that hand in everything that they do. It is kinda hard to be OK with it. I am very glad Sister Sperry gave us all hand sanitizer. Oh! Mom, you should be happy, they have given us vitamins that we have to take everyday. So! You have nothing to worry about there.

Well! I love you all, thank you for the emails. I loved talking to you at the airport. And don't send off any packages or mail yet...I need to ask about that.

Mahal Kita! 

Elder Leonard

Just Six Days...

Wow! Are you sure it has been two months? I'm pretty sure this has all been a dream. There is no way that I have been here for two months. I'm with you dad, I am pretty sure that it was just this morning that I was dropped of here at the MTC. Last week was actually pretty cool. I had the opportunity to be a host. I was there at the curb, watched the elders and sisters say goodbye to their families, and helped them start the greatest journey of their lives. The best part is, I get to do it again tomorrow. It is so cool...it brings back a lot of memories, but they are all very beautiful memories. I miss you all, but there is no other place I could even dream of being. So!! talking about starting a journey, we got our travel plans last Thursday. Are you ready for this?! We will be leaving the MTC in 6 days...next Monday, at 4:30 in the afternoon I will be loading a bus and heading to the airport. We will be taking off at about 7 from the airport, and we will fly to LA. We will leave LA at 1:30 in the morning and our nest stop is Hong Kong!! So sick! We will be there for about 4 hours and from there we will fly to the Philippines. I am so excited..actually, it is a little bitter sweet. You are right Dad, I have gained life long friends. In fact, they are like family. Mom, you received a letter from a sister Walker the other day. We call her mamma, because she is the mother figure of our district. We have all grown close, and it will be hard to leave them, but I am so stoked to finally be out in the field.

 

So the 800 number, how does that work? You will need to send me a dear elder, hopefully today or tomorrow, explaining it so I know what I am doing before I leave here..

 

Yes, I do have my cyprus card. If you could put some money on that it would be fantastic. Maybe $150? I had to dry clean 2 suits...that is a story I do not have time to explain, but another unexpected cost..

 

It sounds like Elder Frosts farewell was beautiful, I really wish that I could have experienced it. It sounds like all of you had very spiritual, but very different insight into it. Can you send me an email in the next few hours telling me when Elder Frost comes into the MTC? If he comes in tomorrow, I will be looking out for him so that I can be his host. I am very proud of Zach for deciding to wear the white shirt. I have grown to appreciate how sharp you look while you are wearing white, even though at times I would rather be wearing a different color. People will take you more seriously, and you will look more like a priesthood holder, someone acting in Gods name, when you wear white. Atta boy!

 

Thank you for sharing those experiences with me Mom and Dad, it means a lot. Oh! Mom, I will be sending you something in the next day or two, if you could pass it on to the Kelleys that would be wonderful.

 

So! As for what my week has been like, nothing exceptional has happened this week, except the travel plans. And, the rainstorm last thursday was beautiful. I sat out in the rain and just watched for about twenty minutes, and to top it off there was a double rainbow over the temple. I did not think much of it, just that it was beautiful. Then sister Schuhmann turned to me with a big smile on her face and told me that that was Gods promise to us that he would not flood the world again. I had forgotten that, and it was a very spiritual reminder for me that Gods hand is in everything, and it was something I was needing that day. I was in an exceptionally fantastic mood that night.

Today was the temple again, it truly is a beautiful thing. I love sitting in the Celestial room, I'm pretty sure that I can sit there and never leave.

 

So, did you say that you were sending photos mom? When will those be here? It is crazy only having a few more days...it trips me out to think about. Well! Enough about that, I am running out of time. I love you all,Ii hope to hear from you soon, and if not, the next time will be on the phone. That will be so weird. Mahal ko kayo.

 

Elder Leonard signing out

Insert creative name here...

Woah!! We are down to two days until I get my travel plans! That means that I am only two weeks away from leaving the MTC! This is the craziest thing in the world! I am so excited, and so ready to leave though. These weeks have flown by, and I am not sure if I feel ready, but at the same time we are all ready. To answer the questions, yes, the language is coming much much better now. I think it is because I have found out how to rely on the Lord and let him take over. The gift of tongues, and the gift of interpretations of tongues are both absolutely incredible. Besides that the MTC is wonderful. The food is only ok, so it is a nice break to go get the temple food every week. Talking about the language, mom, mabuti I show you spell good, and o'o is how you spell yes.

 

I had a cool experience last night in our lesson with brother boyet. We learned in our last lesson that he smokes. So, last night we decided to focus on the word of wisdom. We brought it up, explained to him what it was, and why we have it, and then brought up smoking. He is a night guard and so he spends all night patrolling a facility, and it gets very boring, so he took up smoking. He said that he smokes about 14 sigarilyo a day. We asked him to give up smoking and he told us no, that it was too hard. So we spent the next little while telling him how God can help him, and about how he can ask the Lord for help. We expressed that we had faith in him, and if he had pananampalataya kay Jesucristo (faith in Christ) that he would be given the power to stop. We then asked him again if he would stop and he said yes. I got so excited! I felt so much love for him, and knew that God was happy that he said yes, so I told him that. The spirit was so strong, both kasama ko and I were crying. I just kept telling him that God was happy for him, and that he would be given help. I only wish I could meet the real brother Boyet, he was an investigator of our teacher, brother Nordstrom.

I have not felt love for my investigator that strong before, and he is not even a real investigator. I could not explain it, except I know that God was happy. I know that God hears each and everyone of our prayers, and through His help we can overcome any concern that we have. I am so excited to have real investigators now!! Only a few more weeks.

 

This morning was the temple again. Kasama ko and i decided to go do sealings. We were brought into a room that had been going for about twenty minutes, but they needed more men. We sealed about forty young girls and boys to their parents, and about thirty of them were Filipino names. It felt amazing to be able to serve ang mga tao sa philippines! the people of the Philippines. I have already grown such a great love for the Filipino people, I can not wait to meet them!

 

Dad! That is a nice car, I am so jealous of the kids right now...it sounds like you guys have had a few very exciting weeks, San Diego, the Tetons, what next? Mexico? ha just kidding. I am glad that you guys are having fun. Still can't beat the Philippines though ;)

 

Mom, I am so excited for you and the opportunity that you have to teach the Relief society how to take a picture.

 

Well! I love you all, I miss you, and I can not wait to hear from you. Two weeks!!

 

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!

Elder Leonard

 

Oh....so I have gotten really sick and had to go to the doctor and got an enhaler...that was another $20 total of a cost. So! just keep that in mind :)