30 April 2012

Hey Mum & Whanau,

Thanks for the emails and the words of encouragement.   It is blazing hot here in Mindoro... you guys are talking about frost in the mornings and I'm here with an electric fan on me all night.  Whew! Its hot!  I had a good week, busy and we had actual transfer day on Thursday and we had to help all the missionaries that were leaving get their stuff ready and go to the airport.  Then on Friday morning we had a very  early wake up and had to go get all the missionaries coming in from the airport.  So busy!   We had a meeting on Friday as well where we were to come up with ways and ideas to help strengthen the Branches here.   There is a lot of work to be done and it has been put into the hands of 19-21 year old missionaries. 

I don't remember if I told you last time but they have been having  Fiesta here in San Jose.   It's a yearly tradition and while it is a whole lot of fun like talent shows, street parades, food, and a big market set up with a whole lot of cool stuff, the downside is that our appointments are never at home when we go by because they're all at the Fiesta.  But its all good! 

Other than that, not much else has happened.  We have Zone Leader council coming up on Wednesday which means my companion and I are heading back to the mainland for a day.  We fly out on Wednesday morning, stay over night and then come back early Thursday morning.  It is going to be another busy week but thats sweet as. 

Mum, I think you are more excited than I am about coming home.  Haha!  Yes, I'll be hitting my one year mark in the mission this week and that is exciting stuff.   There is another Elder in my house thats batch with me so we're gonna hit the one year at the same time.  I think we might go out and have dinner just for a small celebration. 

I'm smoked az because of the heat.  I love you all heaps, take care and give my love to the Whanau.  Mum, about  Mother's day, I will Skype you on Sunday after our church which will probably be night time for you.  If I don't call don't worry as I will call on Monday.  Please send the info again for Colas Skype and yours so I can call you.  Salamat!

Elder Chadderton.

25 April 2012

Hi Mum & Whanau,

This week has been a blast and right now I am writing to you from MINDORO!  Elder Frost, the last Zone Leader here was just made AP and President has moved me over to Mindoro which is the island in our mission.  It was quite funny because on Sunday we had our District Conference in Teresa - my last area - and President DeLaMare came because he is the President over all the Districts and Branches here.  So, anyway, we were sitting in Elders Quorum and I was sitting next to President's son being his translator then President came and sat next to his son whose name is Ben.  They were talking and then President said to Ben, "Hey tell him!"  So, Ben leaned over to me and said, "Hey Elder Chadderton, you're going to Mindoro!" "WHAT! I freaked out.  This bombshell was dropped on me right in the middle of Elders Quorum.   I was sad and excited at the same time. Excited because I was going to Mindoro, but sad because I loved my last area. 

Anyway, on Sunday night I packed my bags and said my farewells and then on Monday I went by myself to the Mission Office - a two hour trip all by myself and it was fun.  I got there and then we went to go grab my drivers licence so I can drive in Mindoro.  However, there were a few things I had to do like these drug tests to make sure I wasn't smoking anything funny then we went to the drivers licence place.  When we got there we filed for my licence but we couldn't get it because my visa was about to expire and apparently you need a 5 month leeway before you can get a licence.   So, the AP's and I went back to my apartment in Teresa  to get my bags but we had no key,  so me being the size I am twisted the door handle nice and firmly and broke in. Oops!  We got my bags and were on our way back to the office.  I had the opportunity to go and work with my MTC companion Elder Tualetonu and his companion Elder Coe.   As you can imagine, we had a blast and it was awesome seeing the change from how useless we were in the MTC and now how we can both teach with power and confidence in a language that is not our own.  It was sweet.

We had dinner at Mang Inasal and then dessert at Jollibee's and then waited for the AP's to come and pick us up.  They came at about 9:30 p.m. and we headed back to their apartment where I showered and fixed my bags ready for my flight and then went to bed around 11:30 p.m.  At around 2:30 a.m., I woke up, had a shower and closed all my bags and then the AP's dropped me off at the airport with my eticket and my ID,(you don't need a passport here when you travel in the Philippines) and I was on my way.  Our plane left around 5:15 a.m. and the flight was about 50 minutes.  I watched the sunrise from the plane window and it was so angelic and amazing.   As we were flying over Mindoro I was looking at the green mountains and rice fields.  It was amazing!  We landed and I got picked up by the couple missionaries and my new companion Elder Bienvinuto, from Bicol (same as my kid). We went back to the apartment and I set myself up, went and got some food and then I slept.  When I woke up we went out and worked and had a blast. 

Today is P-Day and transfers is tomorrow.  We have 6 missionaries moving from here and they will be leaving tomorrow morning and their replacements will come in on Friday morning.  Cool beans! 

We have Zone Leader Conference next week and President said that I can get my licence sorted out then, and then I can drive.  Woohoo!  Life is good and I'm doing fine.  It's way hotter here in Mindoro and I've been told that I apparently am going to lose a lot of weight here.   There was one  Elder that dropped 27 kilos in the 4 transfers that he has been here. Eeeeeeh! Thumbs up to that and I also have a huge responsibility here.

Thanks for all the letters and emails and pics.  Mum you're awesome and thanks for your very lengthy emails.  Dad, thanks so much for the birthday money as it was a huge help/blessing in disguise with all the traveling and different fees I've had to pay this week.  I also got the hot water cologne for my birthday and it is an imitation version because they didn't have the real one at the stores but its smells good. 

Thanks for being there for me always and pray for me and wish me the best while I'm here in Mindoro.  They said my work is going to be cut out for me and that I need to help establish the church here.  The Branches are new and the leaders are still learning their responsibilities in their various callings.  I am so excited to be here and look forward to every experience with my head held high as this is a great opportunity for me to grow more.

I love you all heaps and thanks again for everything.   Here are a few pictures from Mindoro!  Look for our Survivor theme!

Elder Chadderton  

18 April 2012

Hi Whanau,

Sorry, I don't have much time to email and fill you in on the details but we had a super long day. We got to go to the Temple and I loved it.   I'm sorry if I come home sounding like an American.  Everyone is saying that I am losing my New Zealand accent.   My birthday was fun and I had a great day. I'm 20 now, one year older and wiser too.  I was gutted (kanina) though when I went to get out the money for the cologne I had some problems.  Gutted!  But thats okay as something may have happened.  I love you all and miss you heaps and I'm soooooo grateful for all that you do for me. The mission isn't easy but I'm seeing the blessings and the changes that are happening to me from being on my Mission.

Can you please tell Candice Marsh and family a huge, "Thank you" for the letter and pictures and also the Grandparents for their cards.  And thank you Mum, Dad, sisters and Joe for all that you do for me.  I love you all.   Once again, sorry its short and there are no pictures but hopefully next week I'll be able to fill you in on everything. 

Ang buhay bilang isang tagapaglingkod ng diyos ay napakasaya kahit mahirap. sa pamamagitan ng bawat pagsubok, nararamdaman ko and pagmamahal ng diyos. ang mission ay mahirap pero hindi ko po papalitin ung karanasan na ito sa buong mundo. mahal ko ang buhay dito, mahal ko din ang pilipinas. pero higit sa lahat mahal ko ang aki diyos, ama sa langit at ang akin tagapagligtas at manunumbos ng daigdig. ito talaga ang tunay na kasiyahan at mahal ko dito. 

    (Translation - "Life as a servant of God is very happy, even harder but by each test, I feel the love of God.  The mission is hard but I cannot change it for anything in the world.  I love living here, I also love the Philippines.  But mainly, I love aki God, Heavenly Father and my Savior for his salvation to the world."  Something along these lines!).

mahal ko po ang bawat isa sa inyo at mamimiss ko kayo lahat. ingat at manalangin kayo palagi.

(Translation - "I miss you all and love you all.  Watch and pray always").

Elder Chadderton

p.s. sinulat ko po ang inyong mga pangalan sa prayer roll sa templo. mahal ko kayo.

(Translation - I wrote your names on the Temple prayer roll).

9 April 2012

Hey family,

This week has been a beauty and I can really feel the love and prayers on my behalf.  I am doing fine and I'm healthy and having fun in this great work.  One of the sayings here in the mission is, "It's more fun in the Philippines" and it's true!  The more comfortable I become with the language, the more easier it is to talk and get to know the people here and then truly fulfill my duty to the fullest as I serve them and bring them closer to the Lord.

We had our Zone Leader council this week which was sweet and as I looked around the room at all the Zone Leaders, I noticed that all my companions, except for Elder Cortezano (the Kid) are now Zone Leaders.   That is so cool.  At our council we discussed about changes that could be made in the Mission to improve the work and help bring back the less actives and priesthood holders into full activity. 

General Conference was awesome and I was glad that I was able to attend all the sessions and learn from the living prophets and apostles.  President Monson is awesome and it was humbling to hear the testimonies of each general authority that President Monson truly is the living Prophet.   One of the things that plays over in my mind is a Filipino saying, "Huwag ka masungit" which simply means, "Don't be grouchy, chillax" or something kinda like that.   I liked all the talks and I especially enjoyed Elder Bednar's talk in the priesthood session about honoring the priesthood and fulfilling your priesthood callings.  I just think it was a great talk for so many of our less active priesthood holders here as they really don't understand the privilege, blessing and responsibility that it is to be a priesthood holder.   Overall, the whole conference was awesome and I really enjoyed it.

I got sick az during the week for one day and I don't know what it was that I ate but I felt like a train wreck.   We still went out and worked and I pushed on even though it wasn't the greatest idea but I'm still alive and it went away the next day so I'm back to normal.   Woohoo!

Hey, thanks for the pics of Steven-John, Nuku and their families.  Next time you see them can you give them a hug and a big thanks from me.  They may not realize it, but their examples helped me a lot in preparing for my mission.   It's going to be sweet seeing them again when I come home.  Good ole, "Post Haste!"

Basta!  The works doing great, my companion is still the man and our area is doing good.   Thanks for everything and please tell the Grandparents thanks for their emails and the pictures. 

I love you all heaps.  Take care.

Elder Chadderton

P.s.  I  won't be emailing on my birthday as we don't have P-Day until Wednesday 18 April 2012 because of our Temple trip.  But thanks heaps for everything! 

H A P P Y  B I R T H D A Y  T O  M E  2 0!!!

2 April 2012

Hey, hey,

Happy Easter!  I got my birthday package. WOOHOO!  It's awesome.  I've listened to the songs, eaten the coconut rough chocolate and worn the t/shirt from Samoa.  Thanks heaps. I won't be able to get to the mall to buy the cologne for a while because of how far away it is, but in about two weeks just after my birthday I should be able to do that.  We've got a temple trip coming up around that time and I'm excited because we didn't get to go last transfer.  They were doing construction... its awesome and im looking forward to being back in the House of the Lord.  

We had a sweet day today.  We had our zone activity first and our zone lunch at Mang Inasal then went to the waterfalls.  The same ones as last time but different zone now and it was sobrang mainit.  Then we climbed this staircase to the top of this hill.  It had over 340 steps.  I was dying by the time I got to the top. It was cool and now I'm writing to you. It was an awesome day and it's so cool having such a good zone.

We've got General Conference on Saturday and Sunday, so I am looking forward to that.  It's my second time in the Philippines to listen to conference and I'm excited to hear from the Prophet again. 

Thanks for the update about the family and Lincoln.    It is good to see that he isn't bed ridden and I'm pretty sure Uncle Rana's gotta be dropping a bit of weight.  Cool as. 

The pictures of the corn are from a small service project we did.  We were going to the ladies house and we saw her at the bottom of the hill buying corn.  So I picked up the bag and walked it to her house.  They said it was over 50 kgs.  Sweet aye... We helped chop wood and clean up her yard a bit then she fed us corn and Indian mangoes.   Masarap! FYI the food that the Ramirez family gave to you, the carameled kumara is called kamote que, and the banana wrap thing is turon.  Those are yum and the fish in dads pics is so masarap.  They have a fish here called Bangus. or milk fish its good... as in GOOD!  And the bones are really soft so you can just eat it. Mmm...

My comp is still the man and he's the taga-luto or cook sa amin bahay and he's the man. I'm still learning heaps from him. 

Hey, I'm doing great and I'm safe, not sick and am enjoying my time here. 

Take care and give my love to Baby Joe on his birthday and give my love to the rest of the family.  Thanks for your love and constant support.  Tell Cola thanks and good luck for her endowment.  She is an awesome sister and she will be a fabulous missionary.  Cola, make sure you ask if anyone knows a Sister Kinikini. Her brother is the AP in my mission and he said that his sister is just about to finish her mission there. 

Elder Chadderton

i hope you enjoy the pictures.

The staircase of death... haha and me and Elder Dariagan just at the top resting... over 340 steps ahhhh

The last pics are of me and Elder Dariagan out on the jeepney we rented. hehe.  It is a beautiful place and a privilege to be here.

Love you....