June 23, 2013 - Tripanionship

Dear Mom, Dad, Ryan, and all my friends and family,

Life is so good right now…some problems with obedience had occurred in the house but they were resolved quickly and things have been great ever since. It is as if our area had completely turned around. Before, it was as if none of our investigators would progress and things felt at a standstill but now, all of our investigators are now progressing and they are all asking the right questions. We were even able to give out a baptismal date to an investigator who lives down the street.

There have been so many miracles this week I don't think I can type them all but I will try my best. On Wednesday we decided to go finding on our way to an appointment because we got punted. Well, I decided to talk to these two random guys sitting on the corner of the street. We talked to them about Jesus Christ and about forever families and they wanted to learn more. So we taught them about the Restoration on the side of the road. haha. It was loud sometimes but the Spirit was still there. We have a return appointment with Jun Aquino and Jayson next week. I feel we were really led by the Spirit to find them. Not that we felt any sort of specific prompting to talk to them but we just went about with our message in our hearts and our willingness to share it and we were led to those who would receive us.

The next day we got punted from a different appointment on the other side of town. It was around 4 or 5 pm so there were many people out in the street. So we decided to try to find new investigators. So we start walking down this street and this one man about 45 years old asked us where Elder Linder was, the elder I had replaced. We told him that he was reassigned to Pasig and that we wanted to share with him about Jesus Christ. He said, oh, I’m not interested but my friends are... so he points us inside his house where there are a group of 5 friends all over 35 years old around a table, kind of like a Filipino version of "Friends," but they invited us in and wondered what we were doing. One of them said that they are Mormons sharing their message. So they quickly bombarded us with questions like, who is Mormon? What are you sharing about? Do we have to pay to listen to you? And such like that. Elder Basalo and I professionally answered all of their questions but centered it all on Jesus Christ. Finally, the question came up, what makes your religion different from ours? That is when we shared about the Book of Mormon and the Spirit flooded the room. They were suddenly really interested since we asked them if they knew that Jesus Christ visited Ancient America. We tried to give them a Tagalog version but they said, "Do you have one in English, we understand that one better." It was a great experience and opportunity, especially since they are all middle/ upper class citizens. They have much potential and want us to come back next week with and English version of the Book of Mormon. ^_^

Yup yup and so many miracles have happened since then. Like yesterday, we went on splits so I was with a 16 year old young man named Jomel and we taught about the scriptures to Brother Bricks and Sister Mika. They have been taught by the missionaries for a long time but I decided that we needed to invite them to read the scriptures every day. We talked for a little bit and I saw that they had a guitar.  So I asked if I could play it. They said sure and so I opened up by playing A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.  And then I played "More Than Words" cause that's the only other song I had memorized. haha. It's been like a year and a half since I’ve been able to play guitar!  It was great because they loved the song and that just increased the love and charity I had for the family.  It also got their sister to be interested in what I had to share too.  I was able to teach most of the lesson and Jomel more his testimony but in it I shared my strong faith in the scriptures especially about 2 Nephi 32:3 about how the words of Christ will tell you all things that ye should do. That seemed to strike a chord in them and the Spirit entered the room. An hour had almost passed and they were asking more about the Book of Mormon. I told them that we had to continue it another time because we had another appointment but I was able to give a copy of the Book of Mormon to Brick's Ate who said she wanted to read it. It was a great lesson. Jomel loved and wants to serve a mission more now than before!

Of course, all of these great blessings and miracles took lots of hard work and sacrifice.  Certain trials and challenges had to be faced before these blessings were able to come.  But in all things, do it cheerfully and you'll see the hand of God in your life.  Of this I testify.

Doing you Proude,

Elder Froude ^_^

Taking investigators to the temple

The Javier Family

With Pres. and Sis. DelaMare and Ben

Hamming it up with Sis. Wilson and photobombers

Rainy season in the Phils.

June 9, 2013 - It's raining cats and dogs!!!

Well, all I can say is that the weather here is crazy!  In the afternoons, it's hot and humid like no other and then it rains super hard for hours!!!  Many of my kabahay (housemates) aren't taking the drastic and frequent changes in weather so well and they’ve been getting sick lately.  Btw, as a cultural note, when it rains here, it rains hard... like really hard!  I have a few videos of it.  Haha!

Things are going okay in my area of Bagong Bantay (New Guard).   Yeah, my area is Bagong Bantay, Project 6 and Pag-Asa (Hope).  Tandang Sora (Old Sora) is the name of the zone.  Being a Zone Leader is good.  There's a lot more paperwork than being a District Leader, but it's nothing compared to being an  office missionary so its smooth sailing for me.  This area is hard because we have to do a lot more finding than I am used to but we've been finding new ways to find people and we've been able to get into a few doors.  One thing that I’ve been doing here is speak English to people.  Most of the affluent people in the Philippines speak great English.  I used it one time to introduce our message to a man named Larry.  He asked if it would take long, so I told him we would only share for 10 minutes.  We ended up staying for an hour just talking and laughing with him and sharing the gospel.  It worked out pretty great.  We've been seeing small miracles happen here lately.

Like earlier this week, we got a real referral!  As in someone who was been prepared by a member to be taught by the missionaries.  There was a man from Canada named Tony who came to visit his Filipina girlfriend and found our number and called us up to teach his girlfriend, Joy.  Joy was very open minded and ready to listen to the Gospel because of its influence on her boyfriend.  So, we taught her about how families can be together forever since they are planning to get married. Tony left on Thursday back to Canada but she still even came to church yesterday.  I was surprised and so we are going to follow up with her and prepare her for baptism.

The work is tough; I'm not going to lie.  Most of the time it's filled with disappointments and appointments not going through and walking down hot roads or in the rain, but when you have one good experience or see one little miracle happen, all the disappointments and frustrations disappear.  I know there have been countless times that I’ve been punted and many people that did not want to be taught or tried to argue with us, but I honestly cannot remember too many of them because all of the good things that have happened trump the bad experiences.  Trust me!

Oh and best day ever!  After Mission Leadership Council, I went to the Distribution Center and guess who I saw?  I saw Tita Lennet!!!  She was with her past missionary companions from Baguio.  Anyway, we took a lot of pictures and she was speaking Tagalog to me.  I was kind of culture shocked because I’m not used to understanding her Tagalog back home.  So it was weird that we were speaking to each other in Tagalog and it was quite natural!  I was amazed just how much I have changed since the last time I saw her.  It was a sweet experience and a tender mercy from the Lord.  I deeply appreciated it.  It was indeed a great day! Too bad Lara Randall and Tito Monjun were not with her at the time.

By the way, I have good news and bad news.  Bad news first…

The bad news is I lost my camera... in a taxi last night.  It was dark, it was raining, Elder Vuna was sick and in the midst of the chaos I think my camera fell out of my bag.  My mind just wasn't thinking straight with everything going on and I felt that I left my camera inside but I ignored it to open the door for my sick kabahay Elder Vuna... >.<

The good news is that I have all of my pictures backed up into a USB.  Aand I got your package earlier today!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!  IT HAD THE NEW SD CARD SO I SPENT THE LAST WHILE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE PICTURES AND VIDEOS!  Haha!!! ^_^  Yeah, all the chocolates were surprisingly well intact!  The T shirts were great!  I loved the one from Bubba Gump Shrimp!  The nuts I love!  And the pictures were so funny!  Tita Lennet gave me chips ahoy and 1000 pesos and some other snacks along with a t-shirt with an American flag on it.

Anyway that is all for now!  I wish you all a good week and a special congratulations to Zach Stone for his upcoming marriage!

Love you all!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

Could you send something to Zach for me? Along with this message.

"My good friend, Zach!  Congrats on getting married!  I totally wish I could be there for your wedding but the Lord has other plans for me.  I'll make sure to see you and Mandy when I get back in 2014. You've been a great inspiration to me in high school and I've always respected you as a Scholar, as an Athlete, and as a Disciple of Jesus Christ.  Best of luck to you two!"

Always your friend,

Elder Julien Froude ^_^

P.S.  Let Coach Stone, Mrs. Stone, Kaitlyn, Marcus, and Jared know I say hi!

June 2, 2013 - Congratulations, Ryan!

Dear Mom, Dad, Ryan, everyone who comes to hear great true experiences and all Newcomers!

First off, congrats to Ryan for graduating seminary!!!  He's just one step closer to the Dominican Republic now!

Well, in celebration of so many of our young members going on missions, I’ve decided to try to write about how the mission field life is like in the Philippines as best I can and about the culture of the Philippines.

So, being in the city is a very hard and tough life.  I've been assigned in the City for the past 8 months and finding new investigators here is pretty tough.  Tracting is difficult because most of the people with a house have giant gates and fences around it so you can't really approach the door. You have to go and knock a few times and say “Tao po!” (anybody home?) and hope someone will come get the gate. For other people that live in the poorer areas (squatters), it's hard for them to go to church because many of them work on Sundays. Getting a job is a very hard thing to do in the City and most people in the city are not from the city.  They only live in their apartments to sleep and eat.  They go to work, some of them with no rest day, and any free time they have they spend back in the province with their family.  So, it's hard to get people to go to church a lot of the time.  Many of the active members in the wards are people who have good enough jobs to keep their families in the city.  Even many of the less active members are really great nice people but have to work on Sundays and that is why they are less active.  If they quit their job, it could be ages before they find anything else that will take them.

 One of the streets we go tracting in my area.  Notice the houses and their gates.

You wonder why it's so hard to get into these houses?  The gates!!!

Therefore the best way to get new investigators is through asking and receiving referrals.

It's been raining a lot this week.  Actually, it's raining right now.  There was a great experience I had when we were trying to find a less active member in our area.  There was thunder and lightning everywhere and so I was hoping that it wouldn't rain cause I left my umbrella so we kept walking and went to the house that had an awning, something that covers partially the garage from rain. When we knocked on the door, it started raining super hard!!!  No one answered the door for a long time so we thought we might have to go to our next appointment on the other side of town in the rain, but Brother Julius came out and invited us in and we taught him.  When we were done, the rain stopped and it didn't rain the rest of the day.  So, it worked out well :)

Hey Mom!  Hey Dad! I'm past time now and I got to go.  Thanks for all of your advice and staying up with me tonight.  I'll email you next week, okay?  I love you!  I'm sorry there is not much kwuento (stories) in this email but it's all I had time to write.  Next time I’ll start on the letter so I can get in everything I want to say.  Haha! Okay I'll talk to you next week okay?  Goodnight!!!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

Me and my companion with some of the youth.

Fruits from Mindanao.  I don't know what they're called but they were very good!

Another exotic looking fruit.

May 26, 2013 - New Adventure!

Well, I have just been called to serve as a Zone leader in Tandang Sora Zone in North Quezon City.  I'm going to be honest; this is one of the toughest areas I’ve ever had. I came into the area with no baptismal dates, no progressing investigators, just a long list of potential investigators to contact. The area book hasn't even been updated since April so I don't have much to work with. It was a really big shock to me in comparison with my last area. So, I think I was in depression for about 3 days trying to adjust. It was the hardest adjustment of my mission, I believe. But I’m doing well now. I'm finding ways to be happy and look on the bright side. We've set goals in the zone to help focus our efforts to referrals and OYMs to boost up the new investigators and help them progress.

My companion is Elder Basalo, he is from Davao. I appreciate him cause we speak Tagalog all of the time.  He is 23 yrs. old (my 4th 23 year old companion).  Anyway... my Tagalog is doing way better now. I spent most of last transfer trying to use it more every day and it's been working out well. You never really know how much you know until you are called to teach the gospel principles class. I taught it in all Tagalog and a little English for a full 30-40 minutes. It was good. I was impressed on how much I’ve improved. I'll definitely do more study though, cause I still sound like a “Joe” daw (they say).  Haha!!! 

Last Saturday, we had a home teaching activity with the Ward Council which ended up being a huge success. I went and worked with the bishop and he told a great story about palm trees. He's always wondered why the Jews greeted Jesus in Jerusalem with palm tree leaves. He found out that palm trees were also used by Isaiah because palm trees can survive in the desert. When there is no moisture, they will bury their roots deeper into the soil to find more water. Also, palm trees when planted in a pot will always break through the pot. Palm trees also will not be blown down by however strong the wind is because their roots are buried so deep into the earth. And also (this may be because I didn't understand his Tagalog) I believe he said that palm trees do not burn.  So this is a great symbol of how we should be as Disciples of Christ. We need to be like palm trees with our roots buried deep in the church/gospel and when trials come, we need to stand tall, take it all, and overcome it. That's my spiritual thought for this week.

Special shout out to all of my family and friends who have been emailing me lately! I've definitely needed your moral support this week and will be praying for you as always! 

Hoping you are all doing well this week!  I love you!

 
Doing you Proude,

Elder Froude ^_^

P.S.

As a Zone Leader, I am responsible for reporting the numbers of all the missionaries in my zone to the President.  I am in the Missionary Leadership council where we meet with President and talk about how to improve the mission.  And just leading by example as well as going on exchanges where I need to help missionaries grow. And I have to deal with all of the pasaway (disobedient) missionaries. I don't foresee too many problems with the missionaries here so that's good. 

My new companion, Elder Basalo.

On my third day at this new area, the missionaries trapped this visitor in our apartment. Have you ever seen a huge rat???
Apparently, this is the second one they caught in a week!  

May 20, 2013 - Aaaahhhhh!!! I'm transferring!!!

Dear Mom, Dad, Ryan, and everyone else on this blog!

Well, it's happening, I'm transferring.  It's only been one transfer but I'm transferring.  I really can't believe it!  I don't know where yet.... I'll find out tomorrow morning.  I'll have to pack today... again!!! I just unpacked!!!   Anyway, I had a feeling I was leaving but so many people are progressing here I was just surprised to leave.  The sisters wanted me to baptize one of their investigators next week so I’m kind of upset about that cause I haven't been able to actually baptize someone on my mission.  But it's alright.  I’ve taught several to baptism and they had member friends baptize them which is better anyway.  I'm going to be missing a wedding on Saturday, a baptism right before that and a temple sealing in June.  We just set up having Family Home Evening at Mark's house every Monday w/ dinner! I've never felt closer to the ward before.  Or any ward for that matter.  We have Jeff, the most awesome 18 year old I’ve met getting baptized in 2 weeks and he wants to go on a mission too!  We have another family coming up in June and President is leaving July 1st.  Not to mention, like my favorite companion who I’ve been able to be the most open and honest with my whole mission!  I'll be leaving all of that to go to the next area the Lord has called for me.  I can stand tall and say I have put my best into this area. Although I wasn't able to harvest fruit this transfer, we've found so much potential and they are just ripe for the picking next transfer.  I guess I don't have much to worry about since the Lord's hand is in my life. Right?  I've got no regrets.

Other than that, I’ll spend most of the rest of P-day packing and just mentally preparing myself for whatever the Lord has in store for me.  So many things I need to do today before I leave.  It's really an adventure.  It's exciting and terrifying at the same time!  Until then, Good Luck, Ryan!  Good luck, Mariah!  Good Luck, Preston!  Good Luck, Steve!  And Good Luck to the Thomas’!!!

I'll let you know where I go next week!  Until then!  Take care!  I love you!!!  Thanks for emailing me! Bye!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

My leather bound scirptures!  Made in the Philippines!

Teaching at an investigator's house.

Trip to the Manila Temple

Teaching Jeff

Elder Lim, me, Jeff and Emil

Add caption

I love watching the Filipinos fly their big kites!

Yup...it's rainy season again!

I love these missionaries!

Goofing off at the mall

Heyy...how you doin'?

Barbecue chicken

Bye, Taguig City.  I will miss you...

May 14, 2013 - Congratulations to my brother, Ryan!

Dear Mom, Dad, and the newly called Elder Ryan Froude!

I'm doing well.  I'm really happy right now.  I am a really happy Elder right now!  My family is doing great; my niece looks well and healthy; my brother got his mission call earlier today to the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East mission!  I think it's great. I honestly never had Dominican Republic cross my mind as a place Ryan would serve, but I’m glad that he'll be going there because it's a call from the Lord. It will be a great mission for him.  He’ll do great!  I'm glad there is a temple there close to him.  It'll be a great help for him.  

I imagine it will be a lot like the Philippines, hot, and focusing on priesthood and establishing the church.  Being in the temple today, I had realized that I will be missing my brother by 3 months so when I go home in December he won't be there to greet me.  And I won't be there to see him go to the Missionary Training Center.  I wished I could spend a few days with him before he goes.  Then the Lord gave me this overwhelming peace that came from knowing that the Lord and his mission can do more for Ryan than I ever can.  But that doesn't mean I still can't send him my love and my help for him.  Sure I'll be sad I won't see him, but the Lord will be watching him for me.  I would rather he be serving the Lord and learning about his Gospel than anything else really.  More than anything, I'm proud to serve alongside him in September even though we'll be in different parts of the world.  Prepare well, Brody (corduroy)!!!

Things in the Philippines have been crazy since election month started.  The actual voting ended yesterday but the result was much traffic and posters and fliers basically everywhere.  It was fun though to walk down the street and hear a truck drive by playing a Filipino remix of "Don't Stop Believing” with the mayor's name repeated over and over again.  And by fun, I mean, the first 2 times I heard it, then it got annoying.   Haha!!!  But it's okay.

I had a great time at the temple like I said earlier and I feel refreshed with my batteries charged and I'm ready to go out and work.

The Mother's day call was great even though it was kind of loud in the computer shop.  But it's okay.  It was a fun hangout session and everyone looks well and healthy and for that I am grateful.  My Tagalog is getting loads better but my accent is still a dead giveaway daw (they say).  People keep asking where I’m from because I speak "slang."  Haha!  I just don't sound like the natives yet.  I'll have Elder Lim help me with the accent.  Anyway, life is good.  I just spent the last 20 minutes trying to delete all of the viruses I got on my USB and camera memory card so I’m a little bit stressed at the moment, but don't worry, all the files are still alive!  Yes!  Anyway, it's been a good Pday.  Temple, Bannaple, I got new white shirts, and now I’m going to end the day with laundry and teaching Jeff about the Word of Wisdom.  He's so close to Baptism.  June 1st!  Start counting down the days!

I love you all and congratulations, Ryan!!!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

P.S. my P-day is on Tuesday next week too because of transfer announcements.  We'll see if I transfer or not.  It's been so fast!  Time has just flown right by!  Anyway, I'll email again next week same time!

Mother's Day call

My little brother's mission call to The Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission!!!

May 5, 2013 - It's HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

Dear Mom, Dad, Ryan, and everyone who enjoys good nachos!

It’s been a really hot week.  The sun has been relentless.  But the work is still good.  Elder Lim and I have been working hard to achieve our goals and find new investigators by talking to people and asking for referrals.  Many miracles have been happening in the area.  We’ve had people come up and talk to us several times and ask about us.  It’s been a great week for missionary work.  A lot of people are referring us to their friends to be taught.  The best referrals come from close friends of members who have been prepared by the members before they were referred to the missionaries.  Like Jeff.  He’s a great referral and his baptism is on May 18^th…lapit na (very soon)!!!

Other than that, nothing much has happened.  Just small personal miracles happening every now and then, prayers being answered, investigators coming out of the woodwork and such.  My brother will be getting his mission call any day now!  I’m so stoked!  I don’t even want to guess cause I’m almost always wrong when it comes to this stuff anyway.  Haha!  But I wish him the best of luck and assure him that he is being called by God to serve where the Lord knows he will serve the best.

This is sooo weird; I don’t have anything else to right about.  This week just went by so quickly.  I don’t have much qwento.  Oh well, I guess that is a good thing for now.  Elder Lim and are just working hard and having fun.  I guess that is the best miracle that I’m with a companion that I can have fun in the mission work with.  WE just love life!  I am very happy to serve and I serve happily!

Can’t wait to call next week on Mother’s Day!  I hope I get to see Laney!  Haha!  Have a great week everybody!  I love you!!!

*2 Nephi 26:3*

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude