Monday, July 29, 2013

All's Quiet in the Santiago South Zone

Kumusta!

There will be no changes in our zone this cycle except my companion and an elder going home and a sister getting transferred.  Besides that it will be pretty much the same but better next cycle. Elder Needs and Elder Nay and a bunch more will be heading home tomorrow.  I have two cycles left in my mission and I want to make them count. I have been having a lot of fun lately helping elder Zhang learn english and figuring out the area. Not much is going to change except I'll have a new companion to do it with.  I love you all.

Mahal ko Kayo,

Elder Allen

Monday, July 22, 2013

Elder Nay Gets Hit by a Motorcycle

Kumusta!
Elder Nay in the hospital

We were half way through district meeting when we saw through the window that President Ralhf had come to check on us. That put everyone on edge, especially the district leader, Elder Marshall, who, despite not really planning, taught a great and very helpful lesson about companionship inventory.  Afterwards President told us that the real reason he came was to check on Elder Nay because he had been hit by a single motor (motorcycle) down in Lamut the night before and was rushed up to the hospital in Santiago.  As they left, I caught up with him to see if i could go check on Michael.  President Ralhf instructed me to check up on him every now and then to keep him company.  He was battered and bloody, but sustained no broken bones.  The accident happened just two weeks before he goes home.  So we spent some time and got to chat and learn a little about each other's missions. Michael's last two cycles have been the only time in our missions that we were even on the same side of the Cauayan mission, although we live just a couple of blocks apart in Utah.  That's how we ended up there.  It was good.  As you can see from the picture, he was in pretty good spirits for a guy in a Philippino hospital.


You can get all the details on the accident and see some great bloody pictures on Elder Nay's blog: http://eldernay.blogspot.com/


Mahal ko kayo,


Elder Allen

Monday, July 8, 2013

The Rules are Changing


Kumusta!

The Rahlfs were at the Worldwide Mission President’s Training in Provo last week, they said it was great.  Technically, we will be allowed to use Facebook pretty soon here.  I have never once opened my Facebook account on my mission. Very very few missionaries haven’t opened Facebook at least once.  I’m not going to until we get a definite “Go” sign from up high.

I’m glad Jonah made it to Timberline.  That’s hilarious that my scout uniforms were way too small for him.  I was tiny then, but I just kept growing slowly until I came on my mission. I tell people when they ask that I am 5' 9 1/2" just to make myself feel better. I don’t actually know, I haven’t been actually measured in two years.

The Carlos’ leaving is tough, but something I always expected. I love them like I love you, and I’m going to find them after my mission. I called Pres Carlos out on my challenging companions one time. He just smiled and said it wasn’t anything he thought I couldn’t handle. 

Now I am excited to see how President Rahlf works things.

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen
Elder Zhang, Me and Elder Phippen

Monday, July 1, 2013

Happy Birthday


Kumusta!

Sunrise in Baluarte
My new companion is elder Sulla (ryhms with julia). We live in a compound with Elder Phippen, from Salt lake, and he is training Elder Zhang who is from way-north-border-of-Mongolia-forgot-what-its-called China.

Fun facts about china;

1. Its communist.
2. Christian religions are forbidden.
3. Names are backwards. For example, elder Zhangs name is Zhang Jia Feng. the family name is first.
4. There are only about 100 family names in China. That’s why we always hear about Fa's or Chang's, or Li's. There about 3,699,999 people walking around with your same Chinese family name.
5. China is big.

Elder Zhang is the first Chinese missionary in the Philippines Cauayan Mission.

President and sister Carlos left today. But on birthdays, they call you and sing happy birthday and talk to you for a second in the morning. Before they got on a plane today, they somehow found time to call me up and sing happy birthday to me, them and the Rahlfs and the APs and whoever else may have been there. Elder iIagan told me afterwords that it was the saddest song of happy birthday he had ever seen. Sister Carlos told me she would never forget when my birthday was, and president said he would see me sometime in America. Everyone was in tears. You can imagine how the song sounded. It was wonderful.  It made my mission. I feel their love all the time. 

As of yesterday, we have had a new mission president. The Rahlfs from Ohio.  I’m so excited to meet them and get to know them. I wont get to meet them till next week though; we will be one of the last zones to be interviewed.  I love you all.

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen

My new companion Elder Sulla, Elder Zhang, me Elder Phippen