Mission Home Pictures

Mom said:  The time difference between us now is 14 hours. We just changed our clocks this morning. President and Sister Carlos mailed us a letter with contact info and also telling us how happy they were to have you in the Mission. They enclosed a picture of the two of them and you. It brings a smile to my face.

Sister Carlos, Elder Lundy, and President Carlos

Thanks for the time difference notice mom :) I was wondering about that actually. I'm glad the Carlos' sent you that letter with the pictures. They gave me a copy of them too. As per the size difference...yes. It’s always like that. I haven't met a single person here my size. I met one man who was my height two Sundays ago. Plenty of people are as big around as me, but they are always like a half foot or a full foot shorter. The average person here only comes up to my neck/chin area.

That is awesome about Scott! :) tell him congrats for me! And good luck with the language ;)

Scott received his Mission call!!!

Mom’s questions:

1. How is the Nanay's family doing this week? (The family with 2 inactive sons and Nanay not a member?)

The Nanay's family is doing well yah. Her son is doing well. We worked a lot with him this past week. We taught about 10 lessons with him. His family is still accepting lessons, but only nanay is getting much out of the lessons.

2. How is it going with the Pebenito family?

The Pebenito family is coming along. We had to take a step back and reteach some lessons, but I think they are starting to get it. They can definitely feel the spirit when we are there. Sadly, it’s rained the past 2 Sundays and rain is an automatic excuse for Filipinos to do nothing and just sit at home. So they didn't come to church either Sunday.

3.   Did Tatay Delfin's wife come to church this week?  Do they have any children?

Nanay Delfin hasn't attended a lesson since she promised to come to church and didn't. Tatay's family pretty much told him that they are all catholic and should stay that way. So he has stopped taking lessons for now so as not to break his family apart. He says he still knows it is true and wants to be baptized but he has to work things out with his family first. They have 2-3 kids. I’m not sure, they never come to lessons.

4. How often do you need to ride a tricey?

We tricey at least every other day. We do it when we have to get somewhere specific fast. But they are more expensive so we try to stay away from them. Also, they are the only transportation running at night. All the jeepneys shut down by 7 or so. So if we are far away from home at night we have to take one to get back home on time.

5. What are you eating besides rice? What do you put on your rice?

Well, everyone says I’m not eating enough, and I guess they are right. The belts I came out with are now all 2 inches too big on me, and my abs are starting to show (only the top ones). But we only eat rice when we want. It’s a nice area and we can get most of what we want here. I made a fried rice dish with a sweet chicken longisa, egg, and rice. It was pretty good. Other times I usually just put some creamy soups over rice.

Side note: we ate dinner at a member’s house last night. I ate a truly Filipino meal for the first time! :) They made tilapia baked in a potato and vegetable mixture. The tilapia was left whole so it was a fun experience eating it. I’m glad I worked with fish with you before though. It helped dissecting it much easier. They had a soup and fried eggs to go on the rice too. It was great. Down side...everybody here, unless they are rich, have us eat with our hands. Do you know how hard that is to eat rice and other stuff, that doesn't stick together, with your fingers!?!?! Not easy! But fun none the less :)

 6. Is it true that you can't get milk there?

We can get weird types of milk, but not milk like you can buy back home. They have powdered milk you can get though. I don't bother with it.

7. Will you have Elder Schmidt as your companion at the conference at the mission home in December? In other words when are transfers I figure Schmidt will leave the area since he arrived in June or was that July?

Since elder Schmidt is on the new training schedule with me. We will be together for twelve weeks in this exact area. So until partway through January.

8. Your apartment looks pretty nice and clean...that is all except your bed room. Hummmm ; )

What happened? 

About our apartment, we had just finished cleaning it on p-day and we were doing laundry at that moment. ;) but I am told that we have pretty much the nicest apartment in the mission with running water, 2 showers and toilets, and a microwave.

 P.S. Does it help to get the weather report for your area?

The weather reports help a lot. Thank you! I will do my best to remember to let you know how long it takes to get mail. I have a saying that I use with people here in the Philippines...."if you do your best, god will do the rest." it’s as true as I am a missionary. I love you! Have a good week!

The 3 Birthday Elders and their Companions.

Littuko or Rattan Fruit

The fruit, locally known as littuko in the Philippines, it’s from the rattan tree. The snakelike fruit is small, about 1.5 inch in diameter.The skin is beige, not smooth but of a soft woody texture, and with overlapping layers. You press, the skin breaks open and inside is the fruit — stoned like the rambutan and the soft watery texture of the flesh is not too dissimilar either.

Pictures from Elder Lundy's Life in the Philippines:

This is our kitchen area

Dinning room and living room

Study area

bedroom

We share our apartment.

I asked Elder Lundy a few questions his answers follow…

1.     How are you (health, emotionally, socially)?

 I am doing pretty good health wise. I’ve been feeling rather tired come 8 pm lately, but I think it’s mostly my eating habits which I am fixing. I’m shopping better and getting better things. All the food groups. Part of it is that we eat breakfast in the morning by 8, eat lunch between 12-2 and then don't eat again till we get back to the apartment at 9.

Emotionally I’m doing far better than most elders, especially the new ones. I actually want to be here. Sometimes the work makes me sad, and maybe a little discouraged, but I usually just end up feeling sorry for the people that won't listen to us. But the Lord always knows what you need and lifts your spirit. :) I’ll say more about that later.

Socially, fairly decent! :) Sometimes I have a hard time keeping myself from zoning out because of how hard it is to understand some people here. But I’m getting the language. People around here are funny. I can't go anywhere without someone calling me malaki, guapo, americano, or laughing at my name. malaki is big, guapo is handsome...they think all americans are handsome and rich, I’ve had several daughters offered to me already, lol, you understand what americano means I hope ;) , and Lundy is pronounced like the Tagalog word "landi" which means flirtatious and has a female reference to it. lol. :)

 2.     What new things have you noticed about the area?

Fitting two grown men in a tricey is a very difficult feat. If the people give you a miryenda ( just means snack) they expect you to finish it unless it’s huge and for everyone. Usually it’s just for you though, they won't eat. Hmmm, you can make at least one ward out of all the inactive people in just one of the barangays in my area...we have at least 4-5 barangays in my area. A little more specific about my location...I live in purok 4 in baligatan (barangay) in IIagan. Ilagan is a "big city" kinda like a county, a barangay is a city or village like Hartland or Delafield, and a purok is a neighborhood within a barangay.

Ummm, I just spent 900 piso on my groceries for probably a week and a half. We get our funds twice a month (funds are available for withdrawal from a bank on the 1st and 15th of every month.), and we get 2800 pisos each time. So basically we live off of 1400 piso a week, which is about $32. What we don't use on food, we spend on transportation to our different areas and appointments. Sadly we have to buy a ride to church every Sunday because it’s so far. It’s in Centro. I don't know how detailed your map is... though it’s probably better than any map we have. The map of our area in our area book is hand drawn by a previous elder. lol :)

 3.     How are your skills coming? I.e. Conversational, teaching? Tell me about your tracking/investigators?

My conversational skills are still lacking a bit. I have a hard time understanding the people here because they mumble, take shortcuts in their speech kinda like conjunctions I think i.e. can't, won't, shouldn't, and are really quiet speakers. I can usually come up with something close to what I want to say though once I understand what they are asking. My teaching skills are improving rapidly as I teach more and learn how to teach the lessons in Tagalog. I’ve taught word of wisdom, part of the restoration, faith, and born my testimony many times. Though when I teach it’s different from when I’m just trying to talk to somebody. The spirit is definitely there. Everything always goes all quiet and still and everyone pays really close attention to what I have to say. I know it’s partly because I don't speak too well yet, and they are trying to understand, but they have understood everything I’ve taught and it’s touched them.

After one lesson last night, the nanay of an inactive member we are teaching walked us out to the road. She isn't a member of the church. Two of her sons who are in their late 30's who are elders are inactive. we got one of them to go to church with us earlier that day. His mother came to church with him cause she was worried about what he would do. We watched over him and made sure he had a good time at church. (It was the first time she had  ever attended church). The rest of the family isn’t members. We talked some more with her and the last thing she told us before we left, was that she loved us. "mahal ko kayo" in her words. She isn't a member but she feels the love we have for her family. She was very receptive when I taught about families and how they can be together forever. It was very cool.

Another family we are working with is the Pebenito family. They are a family of 8 with children ranging from 1 to 15 years old. They really lifted our spirits! Do your best and the Lord will make up the rest. That’s kinda been my motto on my mission, and it is soooo true.

The last investigator we are teaching was handed down through 3 other sets of missionaries and is almost ready to be baptized. He’s had a trip to get here though. He recently had a word of wisdom relapse. He is a really awesome individual though. He looks all tough and rough on the outside, but on the inside he is just one big softy! :) He really wants to do this for the right reasons. The first testimony I bore in the Philippines was to him and his wife. His wife had never before committed to go to church, but after I bore my testimony, they asked her if she would, and with tears in her eyes said yes. Sadly, she didn't make it, but that’s the most she has ever done with the missionaries. I know that when you honestly try and put all your effort into the work the spirit will accompany you. For me, at that time meant bearing my testimony since that was almost all I could do at that time. For other more experienced elders, that means doing much much more. That’s something I just learned/realized as I was typing.

 4.     Our Elders tell us you spend most of the morning studying and that you don’t get out doing proselyting until almost lunchtime because you are over- seas – is this True?

 I spend all morning and early afternoon studying. I eat; prepare myself for the day till 8. 8-9 personal study time, 9-11 companion study/new elder training, 11-12 language study. usually we spend a little more time in all the study times and take a couple breaks so we don't finish that and finish lunch till 1-1:30

5.     What are the rain storms like? Are they long, light, heavy, muggy?

 The rainstorms are wet. Well, it’s always wet here. A lot of puddles don't usually ever dry. lol it comes heavy, light, just like home so far. Nothing different except for the never drying puddles cuz it’s so humid there isn't room for the water in the air.

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week! Share the gospel with someone new and let me know about it. I have a special request from dad though. I would like you to write your conversion story for me. Most everyone here is catholic, like you were. So it’s of super interest to me. Besides that I’ve been meaning to ask for it since I got to the MTC but I kept forgetting. I couldn't remember it, and it’s something that I am really interested in.

I love how the mission is changing me. Several months ago I would have never picked up a book of Mormon to read it for fun, or even because I wanted to learn something. Now I just open it up and ask the lord what he wants me to learn today. It’s one of the best experiences I get on my mission. Well, I’m really out of time now. I gotta go give a FHE for a less active family now. I love you all! Remember, the lord makes up the difference only after you have done all you can do!

-Elder Lundy

First email from the Philippines

Questions we asked and Elder Lundy’s answers

1. What can you tell us about the Filipino people so far?
Answer: The Filipino people...they are pretty awesome! They are usually really kind. When they aren't I don't know the language well enough to catch it so I just smile at them anyway. They love calling out to the elders, especially if they are American. Everyone knows who we are, or at least that we are called elders. They absolutely love Americans. They treat us well, especially if they are members. Filipinos run on Mormon standard time, then add another half hour then they'll show up. They are late for everything. As a result, we just show up late for absolutely everything in order to be on time. That’s enough of this one for now.

2. What have you tried of local food?
Answer: I haven't tried much local food yet. We’ve eaten at a couple side shops that I forgot what they were called. Most everything they make goes with rice. Sister Carlos made us a breakfast mix of rice, eggs, bacon...something like that. I had a beef steak dish on top of rice. That was really good. We’re in one of the richer areas right now, and I’ve been told we have one of the nicest apartments in the mission, though my view on "nice" has changed a lot since I got here. I can't believe how we live in America, it almost disgusts me now. Cool fact. I live about a motorcycle shop. They sell them starting at 10000 piso which is like $225 or so. Everything here is cheap.

3. Who was the other Elder that traveled with you to the mission home? Was he from the Philippines? Was he a new Elder? Or just an Elder that needed to return to Cauayan city?

Answer: I traveled to the mission home with Elder Daluman. He is a native Filipino. He is a new missionary that was the only elder going to Cauayan mission from the Philippine mtc. He ended going was up north to tuegegaro or something like that, it doesn't sound anything like its spelled.

4.  Where is your first assignment located? (Zone, district, village/town/city)? Tell us about Elder Schmidt - besides that he is tall and blond.

Answer: my first area is in the city of Ilagan. Elder Justin James Schmidt is my companion and today is his birthday!!! He is from Californian. We had a great time. Like 15 elders from our surrounding elders, namely all the Americans went to one of our churches that had a field and we played football all morning. I got my first red neck/face/arms of my mission. Then President Carlos made some of us lunch, namely all the birthday boys (there were three of them. Elders Schmidt, Hardman (lives in my apartment. there are four of us in It. Elder Jackson is his companion), and elder.....I forgot his name. :/) and their companions and the AP's. It was great!

5. What was your first Sunday like?
Answer: my first Sunday was, well, hectic! :) We got there on time and spent the first two hours ushering everybody to their classes. Lagan wards 1 and 2 meet at the same time. I am ward 2. We have classes first then we go to sacrament. We had a family we have been teaching come to church for the first time! :) It was soo cool! The Pebenito family. Larry and Launnie, and 5/6 kids. The oldest was working but is sincerely interested so I think we'll be good with her. In sacrament I was supposed to give a 1-2 minute introduction about myself....lol. I ended up giving a 15 minute talk I made up on the spot because a speaker didn't show up. But it’s ok. I like bishop and was happy to do it for him. I gave it in Taglish (same as Spanglish but with Tagalog, not Spanish. :) it’s fun!) I did it on faith and used Ether chapter 12 a lot. Read it. It’s my favorite chapter in the BoM (Book of Mormon) and is very motivational and very special to me.

6. Are you finding the Tagalog language to be what you learned?

Answer: the Tagalog language is exactly what I learned at the MTC. I swear I’ve heard my teacher’s voices all over the place. lol. I’m in one of their previous areas. Brother Itrey, I’m not sure how you spell it. A lot of the people here remember his name. He did work. My biggest problem is the vocabulary and all of the shortcuts. I can understand what they are all saying. I can hear that it is Tagalog and I can understand what they are saying. I just don't know what it all means cuz I lack the vocab still. My speaking is really bad though. Well, Elder Schmidt says it’s better than his old companion and he was here for like 3 months. So maybe I’m better than I thought.

My address is:

Philippines Cauayan Mission
78 Burgos Street

3305 Cauayan City

Philippines

It’s funny though. Nothing out here has an address. No mailboxes. If you want mail, or want to send mail, you have to go to the post office to take care of it. I can't use the pouch here anymore. I think you can by sending it to salt lake or something. I’m not sure though. The Carlos’ say not to FedEx anything to me. They make you pay ridiculous amounts to get your package. Just use regular US mail. It’s the best. The above address should be used for absolutely anything you need to send me. I get my mail when I get to the mission home or someone else nearby picks it up.

FUN FACTS: I’ve ridden in and standing on the back of a jeepney, and a tricey. Elder Schmidt and I avoid the trieys when we can though, we don't fit well. They are really small.

One of many jeepney

Tricey are a little small for Elder Lundy

On the way to the mission home, the bus attendant told us that we boarded a half hour early. We owed another 90 pisos together. If the coordinating brother that drove us to the bus station hadn't swapped my $20 bill for some Filipino money, we might not have made it there...even though he didn't get the full worth of my 20, I’m still glad he did it. :)



Happy Birthday Elder Schmidt

Me and Elder Schmidt

at turkey dinner from a member for his and Elder Hardman's birthday.

This is the group I hung with at the Manila MTC.

Oh yah, I forgot to close the letter.

I love you all so much! :)
Till next week! :)

Elder Lundy

He Has Arrived!

Just wanted to let you know that we just got off the phone with Elder Lundy.
He called at round 9:15pm.

Elder Lundy stayed at the Manila MTC until evening and listened to Elder Holland.

Elder Holland gave a devotional and afterward he was able to meet Elder Holland and shake his hand.

Elder Lundy then met up with a single lone Elder from the Manila MTC and drove all night on a bus to the Cauayan Mission Home.
He got to the Home at 5am Philippine time. That would be 4pm today Our time.




Elder Schmidt is on the right

He has a Companion now his name is Elder Schmidt.

He's almost there!

Elder Lundy landed at the Hong Kong airport 29 minutes later than scheduled. Not bad - Now his jump to Manila and a 5hour35 minute ride to Cauayan and he will be there.

Elder Lundy Departs for the Philippines TODAY!

Please say a prayer for the Missionaries safe travel.

This is Elder Lundy’s Itinerary

Travel from Provo Utah to Cauayan Philippines.

(Then to his assigned area)

Travel starts as a Departure from SLC Utah USA 8:19pm 10-17-11.

This will be 9:19pm Wisconsin time.

Elder Lundy will gain 1 hour here.

Arrival LAX California USA at 9:19pm 10-17-11.

This will be 11:19pm Wisconsin time.

Departure LAX airport at 1:35am 10/18/11.

This will be 3:35am 10/18/11 Wisconsin time.

Elder Lundy will lose 15 hours here.

Arrival at Hong Kong (A city-state of China) 7:15 am 10-19-11.

Our time will be 6:15pm 10-18-11.

Departure Hong Kong 9:10am 10/19/11.

This is 8:10pm 10-18-11 Wisconsin time and day.

Elder Lundy’s Arrival in Manila Philippines 11:15am 10/19 (Wednesday)/11.

Our time and day will be 10:15pm 10-18 (Tuesday)/11.

From here he will travel to his Mission Home in Cauayan.

Estimated Additional travel time 5 hours and 35 minutes.

Elder Lundy’s trip is not over yet.

Then he will be assigned a companion and will travel to his assigned area.

Over all loss of time 14 hours from start to finish. He needs to get busy to make up all that lost time.

 I feel like I have learned so much in these past 8 weeks. More than I have the rest of my life in fact. Not only that, but before I came on my mission, I believed in the church. Now, its more than that. There is a desire to follow what the lord wants me to do. I feel like I have to act on all that I am learning for it is the only way for me to be happy. I learned so much during general conference. It kinda makes me feel like I have wasted every other time I listened to general conference. I love all the study time I have here. The love that I feel for the scriptures and my Savior has just exploded over the past week. I'm not the same person I was before, nor will I ever be again. I know the Savior lives and he loves me. His atonement is real. Through faith in Him, anything is possible.
I got to teach a native Filipino yesterday, and she complimented both mine, and elder machen's tagalog. She said we spoke very well. We'll be able to get along in the philippines just fine. :) All of our teachers say that we can speak more and understand the language better than they could when they left.
I am the only cauayan missionary in my zone. There are others flying there with me though. My departure date is the 17th of October at 4pm. Arrive on the 20th at 11am.
Elder Lundy