25 June 2012

hello

Mom Nay,
Thanks for the package! It's really unexpected and I was surprised. Well, It is my very first package I ever got here on my mission so THANKS! We enjoyed the beef jerky and it was so good.The deodorant you gave me really helps me a lot and thanks for the cool blue tie!
Your son is doing great things here because he's great! It's really fun to have a companion like him and he really rocks.Right now, he's really good at speaking Tagalog and also in teaching and he's my very first friend here in mission.
Well uhm, one thing I realized about Elder Nay is he LOVES to eat except for veggies and sea foods!. hahaha.Well, that's okay, I really like him as my friend and my companion. He's really a GREAT person.
I think you're a really really nice Mom because you raised a really really nice son. haha.
Well, Thanks again for the package.

Elder Llorin 

Krishmar Tadiosa Llorin

25 June 2012

Magandang Hapon po!

Kamusta po sa inyong lahat!

We just got back from visiting Burubor with our fellow Zone mates, which is some water falls about an hour away from here. It was really cool and reminded me a lot of a hike through Zions and walking in and out of the little river several times to get to it. And yes, of course we climbed up to the side of it to see how far up we could get. It felt good to be able to walk through the water and cool off a bit.

Saturday was the baptism of Ermhel and it went really well. It was a quaint little service, and I think there were more missionaries there than members, but everyone in attendance could definitely feel the spirit. As a missionary, one of the most rewarding things to see is your convert cry during their testimony because they know its true. There is no doubt in our minds that she will be serving a mission of her own in just a few years. We are just happy that the Shaners are now full time here so that they can make sure she is well taken care of. They have already been making a big difference in whipping this place into shape and visiting homes that havn't been visited in way too long of a time. Yesterday, I'm glad they could have a great welcome into the branch with an experience none of us will forget. After about 4 minutes of the opening prayer during sacrament meeting, we couldn't think about how it was in competition for the longest prayers we have ever heard. To make it better, it was all in Ilocano, the local dialect here, so none of us could understand. Before we knew it, the old Tatay giving the prayer started singing a solo of How Great Thou Art for what seemed like a minute until someone on the front tapped him to wrap it up, after which he started praying for another minute or 2. Welcome to Mallig. :)

One of my new favorite fruits here is called Dragonfruit. It grows off of a spiny cactus thing and looks like a big weird flower, but it tastes and has the exact same texture as Kiwi, and its purple. It even makes the whole mouth purple which is fun for spitting out solid purple spit. The variety of fruits here continue to amaze me.

I also managed to try my hands at cooking a batch of chicken curry. It always tastes really good when Elder Llorin makes it, so I thought it would be worth figuring out how to cook. It turns out that I was quickly reminded that maybe I should just stick to boiling water instead of cooking anything.

I'm glad that my memory card successfully made it back without someone deciding to take it. I'll try to back up my card this week so I can send more recent pictures. Knowing how virus filled the computers are here, I'm a little hesitant to plug it in.

Transfers are this week so we'll see what happens. Elder Llorin and I are hoping for a 3rd cycle together, but it's not really up to us.He has been here for 6 months now so he is starting to turn into one of those Elders that just can't seem to leave an area, kind of like me and Cabagan! It's kind of weird to think that I'll be hitting my one year next week and have only been in 2 areas. Crazy how fast time goes.

Thats just about all that has happened this week. Until next time, keep on keeping on!

Mahal kita,

Elder Nay

18 June 2012

Magandang Hapon!

Kamusta na po kayo!?
Sounds like a pretty chill (literally) Lake Powell trip this time around. It will be interesting to see how weird I am with the temperature when I get home. I realized the other night how pathetic I was when I started calling a night cold when I had to turn the fan down from setting 3 to 2 and I actually had to use my other sheet over my feet. Pretty chilly!
This week the Shaners were officially transferred from instead of working with the Roxas District as a whole, they are in Mallig every day. That alone should tell you how special of an area Mallig is. :) They are still focusing on strengthening members, but they will probably work with us once a week and then we will see them in church every week. That also means I will have to do a lot more translating which will be an interesting experience. It's pretty much like having 4 missionaries here in Mallig, except now instead of the little young 20 year olds, President Carlos has brought the M1 Abrams tank to the battlefield (a reference I thought Dad could relate to haha). It will definitely be a good change for Mallig in order to help them get on their feet a little more. To help break the news to us, President took us out to a nice restaurant in Roxas for lunch which was very delicious and fun to be able to talk to him on a more casual basis. Except on our way back, I found myself sitting across from a gay stuck about 3 feet in front of my face on the 20 minute jeepney ride back. The gays here are very extreme and weird, so it was a case in which I decided to pretend like I didn't know how to speak or understand any Tagalog.
On Saturday we will baptize one of our smartest and devoted investigators. Her name is Ermhel and she is 17, and her doctrinal knowledge is mind blowing because she has such a great desire to learn. All we have to do is leave a pamphlet or chapter in the Book of Mormon to read, and on the next visit she summarizes every main point we want to teach and she is practically the one teaching us. Despite any weird thing she has heard or seen from people at church, she tells us she only goes to church because she knows she has to for herself and knows that whatever we teach her is true. 
This week Elder Llorin got sick for a couple days with a bad case of the stomach flu so it was interesting to finally be the one NOT sick. When it came to the point that he couldn't sleep because of stomach pain at 3 in the morning, he asked for a blessing. Not only was it weird giving a blessing by myself, but it was a good experience because it strengthened my testimony about the power of priesthood blessings because as soon as we were done and laid back down to bed, we could both feel a different feeling of comfort and he was finally able to rest in peace (and no, I don't mean that he died... hehe). 
Thats about all the news and experiences on this side of the world for this week. Thanks for all you do and have a great week!
Mahal Kita,
Elder Nay

11 June 2012

Magandang Hapon po!

Kamusta na po kayo!?
That is crazy that it is already time for another Lake Powell trip. It seems just like a few months ago I was hearing stories about how dad couldn't do anything because of his chopped off finger. It should be an interesting experience with just the few of you going but I'm sure it will be fun. It should be extra fun for Stuart being able to celebrate his birthday down there! Pretty weird that this will be the last Lake Powell trip I miss before I am back out there on the tubes. Hopefully I can remember how to swim because it's been a year of no getting in water! Haha. Hopefully dad will have a good time in his new hurl and twirl tube. That must be really weird and fun having a full house again-at least for a few weeks.
As expected, this was another crazy busy week which included having to wake up early in order to make it to Ilagan for Zone Conference on time-which is a trip that would probably only take about 30 minutes instead of over 2 hours if we had our own car instead of hopping from jeepneys and buses that go slow and stop every minute to drop and pick people up. But it is always nice to see Pres and Sis Carlos, especially when they bring really good carrot cake cupcakes. Elder Llorin received his package, and he was very surprised and happy to be able to say he has now received his first (and maybe his last) package on his mission. Every time he wears his deodorant now he comments about how good it smells and he doesn't have to have his pits hurt. And of course the jerky was a nice addition that we both benefited from. :) I can also say I've eaten dog for the first time. It was kind of weird to eat it and not think of Milo haha. It honestly didn't taste all that bad, but it is so bony its hard to pick off anything edible. I mostly just sucked on the bone for a minute and tried to clean off any meat. Welcome to the Philippines. :)
I customized me a new fanny pack so that I have one a little bigger. My other one was always just way too crammed. It looks really good and is made of surprisingly good quality-even the clips are real Kelty and it has a Camelbak logo on the back just for the effect. Apparently the guy used to work for Camelbak making bags so he knows what he is doing. It is pretty awesome to have a bag just as nice as my Mountainsmith for only 400 pesos.
Happy Fathers day to my favorite Dad this Sunday! It really is a privilege to come from a stable and awesome family. I didn't fully realize until out here on the mission how important a solid family really is, and compared to most of the world, there really aren't that many solid families. Needless to say, I am very lucky to be born into the Nay family and have all of you part of my life. Thanks again for everything you have done and have a great week in Lake Powell!
Mahal Kita,
Elder Nay

4 June 2012

Magandang Gabi po!

Kamusta!
I said Magandang Gabi because we are a little late getting to email because we went to Tabuk for an activity in the mountains by this big river with all the missionaries in the Roxas zone (12 of us). It was absolutely gorgeous up there and I think its the closest thing to mountains I've seen since being home! It reminded me of Guatemala with the steep mountains and of course the terrible windy roads but everything is so green and beautiful. I think the funnest part was the 2 hour jeepney ride just to get there because we rode on top so it was nice and breezy and had a good view. Needlees to say, our butts were pretty sore and we got to catch just a little bit of sun. :) Once we got there it started raining and we were all sufficiently soaked while we ate fried tillapia on a big rock slightly in the river. There is also a fun footbridge that goes high across the river so of course we had to go stand in the middle and get it rocking sufficiently while hoping the nails holding the 2x4's beneath our feet wouldn't come out. Mom would have loved it. :) Don't worry though, I'm SURE it met American standards.... haha
This week was fun to have the Shaners come with us for a couple of teaching appointments. We invited them to come along because we felt like they would be able to relate well with the investigators (husband and wife) and being the same age and the Shaners are converts themselves. Luckily they understand English so I didn't have to worry about peeing my pants with the job of translating. We think it was a good help and should be ready for baptism next month. It is always fun being able to work with the couples missionaries and it really is like bringing out the heavy weapon to get investigators over a hump.
Well it is definitely a nice surprise to hear how much I am richer thanks to Grandpa! Would it be reasonable to try to throw it into a 1 year CD or something so I can hopefully gain some interest out of it? I think I could survive after I got home even if it was a year and a half or so CD... I'll give you permission to forge my signatures or ID's or anything you need to make it happen if it works out.
Congrats to Mom on passing yet another EMT test! I think your life mission is to be an EMT for Mapleton haha.
The summer months sound like they are coming in nicely for you with your trips and all of Dad's horseback rides! Dad might even officially be a cowboy by the time I get home!
I can't help but laugh at the latest condition of the Riv. Sounds like the profound advice given to dad about selling it to a Mexican is sounding pretty good! Haha. But then again, where would the adventure be if it wasn't there when I am home?
I can't believe how fast time has flown by. Next month will officially be my 1 year, and yet it still feels like just a couple months ago we were doing our last hoorahs. I can't help but look back just on my 11 months and realize how much I have learned and changed and developed.
Thanks for everything you do and have another great week!
Mahal Kita,
Elder Nay

28 May 2012

Magandang Hapon po!

Kamusta na po kayo!?

Happy Memorial day to you! Definitely no such thing as Memorial Day here, so shoot a few guns and have a few barbecues on my behalf. 

There isn't anything too exciting that happened this week other than we got to go to Tuguegarao for a couple hours because that is the closest patriarch for Elder Llorin to get his patriarchal blessing. It was kind of fun to go back to some of my old stomping grounds and be in a few buildings that actually have air conditioning. We even got to celebrate the occasion by going out to eat at McDonald's, just because we could! It's kind of funny that eating at McDonald's here is considered a nice treat. Even though I wasn't actually with him while he got his blessing, it still caused me to reflect on my blessing a little more. I realized how much more I have been able to learn and experience from when I first got it over 4 years ago. I also realized how much I miss having private transportation to get places rather than having to squish 20 people in a van only meant for 12 for 2 hours, or in a chicken bus sitting next to someone puffing a cancer stick for 2 hours, or how nice it is to have roads that don't have gigantic potholes to swerve around. 

Other than going to Tuguegarao, it was just a normal week of sweating and not being able to teach because of rain. Except this week, we learned our lesson about lightning and decided to take a tricy back to our apartment so we didn't get fried. This is definitely the worst lightning and rain storms I have ever been in. Sometimes there is literally flashes of lightning every second or 2, all very close by. 

Tomorrow I will be sending my virus infected memory card home in an envelope, so hopefully it will get there in 2-3 weeks. If not, some Fillipino postal worker will enjoy a free card. 

Mom-I think I sent Sister Shaners email a few weeks ago, but it's .... 

Sometimes it continues to surprise me how intelligent some people are about the Gospel doctrine. We have several investigators that are abnormally intelligent and interested when it comes to learning about the Church. Sometimes we ask them questions about stuff we havn't talked about yet, and they still give a textbook answer straight out of the Book of Mormon. We are really fortunate here to have a good set of investigators and we are finally starting to see some less actives coming back. 

I also had an interesting experience in church yesterday.  During Sunday school, just after Elder Llorin and I finished teaching Gospel Principles, I immediately noticed an absence of spirit in the meetinghouse due to several people yelling at each other about who was right and wrong during their lesson. Over time, voices got louder and more people got involved to where it soon got out of control. It was an obvious moment of awkwardness and discomfort, especially because we had several investigators with us listening to what was happening. The situation kept spiraling downward and before I could even think about it, I found myself in front of all of them getting all their attention. When I started to speak to them, I felt my heart pounding and voice shaking from the spirit and the entire meetinghouse went silent. I told them that I didn't know what they were arguing about, nor did it really matter, but I had noticed an absence of spirit because of what was happening and that they needed to stop. A few last words were said by people seeking a victory and wanting me to pick a side, then I told the Sunday school president to close up the meeting. Immediately afterwards was Sacrament meeting and it was honestly the first sacrament meeting in Mallig that I have felt the Spirit. The talks were fitting and delivered well, and the Branch President gave a powerful testimony at the end of the meeting. I still can't figure out how it was my worst and best day at church in Mallig and how the mood changed so quickly, but it was a memorable experience. 

Well, that is it for this week. Salamat po sa inyong suportahan sa akin. 

Mahal Kita, 

Elder Nay

21 May 2012

Magandang Hapon po!

Kamusta na po kayo!? Pareng last week lang na nakita tayo! Haha

It was transfer week this week but just like we were hoping for, no transfers for us! Elder Llorin and I have really clicked well together and I have gotten a lot better in my Tagalog because of him. He is even starting to get better at his English! His goal is to be as fluent as possible in English before the next 6 weeks are up. We'll see how that goes. That means I will most likely be here in Mallig for another 3 months because Elder Llorin has been here for 5 months now. We still went to Cauayan though for the meeting and it was fun to see all of my batch and Elder Allen again. President changed the way leadership is done in the mission and instead of 7 zones, there is now 11 zones. This means that every zone is more centralized to each different stake or district here in Cauayan mission. It is interesting to see the growth of the church here that makes it necessary for such changes. 

This week there were an annoyingly amount of brown outs. I think everyday there was a brownout for some period of time. One started in morning and lasted until night. It was really fun to eat lunch while dripping in sweat and fanning ourselves with cardboard. During study time we splash ice water on ourselves to stay awake and so our skin doesn't melt off. There were several more really cool lightning and rain storms too. One night we decided to head home a little early because it was impossible to teach because of how loud it was on people's tin roofs and it was brownout. On our way back the roads and pathways had little rivers running through them and we were absolutely soaked. It was also kind of cool to say I've been so close to lightning too. While fast walking back lightning hit very close by and the flash lit up everywhere around us and the thunder was so loud it almost hurt our ears. It couldn't have been any farther than 50 yards away. Elder Llorin and I couldn't help but laugh when we got back and we were still alive. I'm sure mom is just laughing her guts out too. :) 

I have turned into a fresh fruit junky. I've eaten so many fresh pineapples and mangoes that my mouth can't handle it anymore. They are very yummy! We make really good fruit shakes about everyday. 

Last monday night the Shaners came to an FHE we planned with a bunch of members way out in the middle of the rice fields. They taught a great lesson about the foundations we need for a strong testimony and then enjoyed good food and games. There were probably about 20 people there and everyone had a great time. On the Shaners way out they texted us and told us they were stuck in a hole. Luckily by the time we hopped on a scooter and got to them a bunch of locals had already lifted the front end of their truck out of it. The great thing about being here in such a rural area is that everybody is super nice because they are all so humble. We rarely go home at the end of the day without somebody giving us fresh fruits or vegetables or feeding us, even though it is obvious they don't have much themselves. I wish everybody (including me) could be as humble as the people here.

Mom-instead of me having to tell the Shaners thank you for you, you should skype or email them yourself and tell them! Haha they are super nice and they said it was good to meet you for a few seconds. It is a great help to have them here in the mission, and especially here in the Roxas district. Elder Shaner was a Lieutenant on a nuclear submarine during the Cold War days so he has told me some cool stories. I'm sure they would get a kick out of hearing from you. 

It looks like a good time was had by all at Yellowstone. I'll take a reservation for the trip next year.

Thanks for all you do! 

Mahal Kita,

Elder Nay