Same Town, New Area

Kumusta!

This last week was transfers. we (the Ramon Elders) were given a special invitation. we were told we had to be there. The area was split between me and Oliva. I'm opening a new Area on the other side of Ramon. its just Ramon 1st and 2nd now. I'm in Ramon 1st now but its still just one ward. My new companion is Elder Sarcauga (Sar-ka-ooga). He's from Davao and is about five months in the mission. I am follow-up training him after hes spent 3 cycles or 18 weeks with his first companion. The only thing harder than training is follow-up training someone who is set in their ways. Elder Oliva's new Compaion is Elder Amoi from Fiji. He's a 250 pound rugby player. We talk about rugby a lot. 

Elder Nay and his MTC batch

We spent most of the week tracting because we have no one to go to and found a nice 52 year-old woman who is not a member but one of her kids is a bishop in manila. She said she seen the temple and said it was the most beautiful thing she had every seen and is willing to do anything to get into it because thats how she imagines heaven. So we gave her a baptisimal goal date and invited her to church then she grabbed one of her grandchildren and said," We are going to church."  It was great.  Hopefully her faith is as strong as it sounds. That's an investigator we have here now. 

There is nothing more important in this life than happily loving and serving with all your heart, might, mind, and strength every soul that crosses your path and nothing should ever stop you from doing it.

Some pictures!

First is Elder Nays enitre batch singing at Transfers.

then my Batch (me, Nielsen, Procter, and James)

I Love you all very much.

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen

My MTC batch, one year into our missions.

A Perfect Brightness of Hope

Kumusta!

Our new apartment!  Finally!

Life can sometimes be viewed as "the long night." We wait for the promised blessings of a new day. Though life can sometimes be very dark and lonely, we must look forward with a perfect brightness of hope, that the sun will rise again. Though it may not rise tomorrow, and it may not rise the next day or for a very long time, if we do as the Lord commands, the sun will rise and it will be bright and glorious and "the long night" will end.

That's my spiritual thought of the day. 

We moved again this last week, and transfers are this coming week, so I may only get to live in this house for 4 or so days. But thats okay. Next week I'll give you the good news. I dont know what the good news will be, but it will be good news.

I love you all.

Take the good news to heart and share it with everyone that crosses your path.

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen
  

Balut, a fertilized, fermented duck egg.
One of the delicacies of the Philippines.

Lost Over 30 Pounds

Kumusta!

An interesting fact:  I had lost about 30-35 pounds out here, but I am gaining it back slowly through eating (important pala) and exercise.

We are continuing to try and move houses again.  And that’s about all the drama we’ve been dealing with this week, making things a little stressful.   We are also having a tough time trying to deal with the size of our area.

The sign says "its forbidden to fix cars here".
That doesnt stop them

 What we like to call 'the gathering of
Isreal.'  Those little lizards are 'butikis' or gekos.
They are everywhere and they poop on everything.

Typical interaction between
Elder Hamblin and I

That’s about all that’s happened this week.

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen

Me and Oliva. He was trying to look tough,
so naturally I had to give him bunny ears.

Editor's Note:  The weight loss not only explains why he looks so skinny, it also explains all the food in the last post.

Eating Large in Ramon

Elder Hamblin and me eating a pizza. A pizza like 
that is almost impossible to find here in Isabela. 

Kumusta!

About two weeks ago Hamblin and I split this pizza between us. It’s meant to feed an entire street of Filipinos, but we managed and everyone was impressed.  Then last week after District meeting Elder Griffin dared us to try the 'Godzilla Burger' challenge.  Four of us each bought a burger and we each finished it with only a few side effects.

Giant burger.  We've been taking on 

wierd food challenges lately.

I am trying to move again this cycle. It will be my 3rd move, 3rd cycle in a row, and 3rd house in one area. I have yet to live in any of these houses that I find and bargain for for an entire cycle.  The new house is kind of like a small mansion here. Hardwood floors; now tha’ts impressive. President wants to put another pair of missionaries in our area. So the house needed to be big enough for 4. The senior couple who looked at it thought it was big enough for 6. I am now recognized as the house hunting missionary. Fortunately, the houses I find aren’t bad. We are actually trying to move out of our apartment now without the landlord knowing because he’s not a very nice person. We are leaving him with 2 extra months pay in advance and no contract because he voided it by not being nice…so he has nothing to complain about.

So this week we have some old and new house drama to worry about. And I’m going on Splits with Elder Griffin this Thursday in Ramon. Ramon was one of his old areas so he’s excited for that.

That’s all the news I’ve got.

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen

I found my icecream shop.
I knew I left one around here somewhere.

Same Area, New Companion

Typical small market.  Note the chicken.  
The eggs are really fresh.

My new companion is Elder Oliva. He is in Elgan’s batch for going home, so he doesn’t have much time left.  This last week I spent a bunch of time with Hamblin and was officially companions with him for one night.  I got to see all those people I like at transfers (like Elder Nay!) and the night before at the farewell. After Elder Sister left the area to me, we have been trying to visit all those places he didn’t like to go. So the work is picking up again as I lead the area. Elder Nielsen and Procter and are training new missionaries and Nielsen was made district leader without his knowledge, so he’s pretty stressed.  

Hey I marked the family scriptures, but I didn’ t write them down. Will you please send me a list of where to find all of our favorite family scriptures?   Thank you.

And you can tell Tanya to just email me if she wants, instead of printing off her family emails and mailing them to me. I would tell her, but I  just don’t have her email.

I also just got a check for fifty dollars from Nana and Grumps. Unfortunately, in the Philippines there’s nothing I can do with it.  What should i do with it?

The flooding in Manila has been very bad, but has not affected us up here.  I was wondering if you had heard about it.

So that’s about it.

Love you all very much. I hope to see you all maybe a year from October and no sooner.

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen

My last district/zone.

Elder Lasay and James two of my old
companions enjoy the back of the bus.

These are the tools you need to
read Talmadge's Jesus the Christ. 

On the Move

The news of this week is that Elder Teh, the Area President will be speaking to us tomorrow in Santiago.  It's a pretty big deal, so we are all getting pretty excited for it.   I was bitten by a small child this week during a dinner appointment.  He drew blood and I thought about calling Sister Carlos about Rabies, but I didn't.  Elder Quentin L. Cook is coming to the mission in August, as well.  This is apparently the first time an Apostle has come to this mission in a very long time, so it is very special.  Besides that, this last week was pretty normal. Oh, and I moved again.  I have had 3 areas and lived in 5 houses now.  I've moved twice in the last two cycles from houses that missionaries had lived in for decades before. Thats all the news from Ramon.

I love you all very much.

Elder Allen
"Mahal kita" means "I love you" or technically "you are my love."  "Kita" is a sub for 'ko ka' which just sounds funny.  But this means that "mahal kita" is saying "I love you (singular)," if you want to say "I love all of you" or "I love you guys" its "Mahal ko kayo." "mahal nila sa akin" means "they love me" and you can see how that gets complicated.  Just a small lesson in Tagalog.


Mahal ko kayo

Dragons

Elders Samar, me, Lasay, and Valdez. 

Kumusta!


Ramon is a nice place.  I'm slowly learning the area and relizing that I know a little Tagalog.  I just today got a package from Grandpa Fred. A whole box of Cromers popcorn and peanuts. You cant imagine how excited I was to get that. I dont know how im gunna eat it all, though.  Mosiah 20:11 ends with "...and like dragons did they fight."  I think we should all go to bed at the end of the day and ask ourselves, "Did i fight like a Dragon today?" Whatever it is you do, you need, you love, or you believe, fight for it like a dragon.

I love you all, and i know you can do it, whatever it is.

Dad, do you remember when you told be about the time you saw the "Church of God - Zillah" in Washinton?  I often think about that, as unimportant as it may seem, it reminds me that sometimes as a religion you just have to laugh at yourself.  I love you and mom for the things youve taught me and the knowledge you've given me.

Mahal kita,

Elder Tadena, after surgery to repair
his shattered leg when he was hit by
a motorcycle. Did I mention I got to
spend the night in the hospital?  

Elder Allen

Sorry I'm a little short on time today...

Me with a power line, safely hung out
of the reach of children under 3.

We met this guy dancing in the street,
so I joined in with my awesome moves.  

Me with Elder Hamblin, ZL.

Me with Elder Lasay...I miss him.