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

April 28, 2013 - Guess who I saw this week!

This week was so amazing!  So many things happened!

First, I want to talk about the National Day of Service.  It was at the Pasig stake center and it was an emergency preparation workshop done with the help of the city.  Anyway, we were assigned to hand out fliers to people outside but guess who I saw there?  It’s Alice!  My first baptism!  She’s back in the Philippines and she was helping the stake youth with the choreography.  They flash mobbed the palengke (outdoor market) and then at the church parking lot to “We’re All in This Together” by High School Musical.  I’ve got a video for it that I’ll send sometime.  Last I heard she was in Australia but I guess she’s back now until she can go back to Australia with her husband, Jared.  Anyway, she’s doing great and it was good to see her again after almost a year. 

Me and my companion, Elder Lim

With the zone leaders

Area missionaries

Sister Alice and her son, Mateo

Elder Lim and I decided to do a little bit more tracting and happened to get in to a really nice house of middle class investigators.  Don-Don and his family were willing to listen to us and are really nice and friendly.   We’ll be going back to their house this week and hopefully help them progress more.  Jeffrey Collo is the friend and kabahay (housemate) of Emil, a young man in our ward.  The family has been wanting missionaries to teach Jeffrey the gospel.  So we went over there last week and he accepted the Restoration.  He prefers English too so I was able to speak more powerfully.  We then went back on Friday and finished up the Restoration lesson and I felt impressed to invite him to baptism.  Before I could even finish the invitation, he accepted with a resounding yes.  He’s been waiting for the opportunity to get baptized because he sees Emil’s family and he wants to model his family after the same standards.  It was such a great spiritual lesson that Elder Lim was speechless because he said yes so fast!  So we’re going to try to get him baptized by the end of next month.  We’re going to work hard on this one.  He’s 18 and ripe to be a missionary as well!

Elder Lim and I decided to do a little bit more tracting and happened to get in to a really nice house of middle class investigators.  Don-Don and his family were willing to listen to us and are really nice and friendly.   We’ll be going back to their house this week and hopefully help them progress more.  Jeffrey Collo is the friend and kabahay (housemate) of Emil, a young man in our ward.  The family has been wanting missionaries to teach Jeffrey the gospel.  So we went over there last week and he accepted the Restoration.  He prefers English too so I was able to speak more powerfully.  We then went back on Friday and finished up the Restoration lesson and I felt impressed to invite him to baptism.  Before I could even finish the invitation, he accepted with a resounding yes.  He’s been waiting for the opportunity to get baptized because he sees Emil’s family and he wants to model his family after the same standards.  It was such a great spiritual lesson that Elder Lim was speechless because he said yes so fast!  So we’re going to try to get him baptized by the end of next month.  We’re going to work hard on this one.  He’s 18 and ripe to be a missionary as well!

Elder Ian S. Ardern of the Area presidency spoke to us on Thursday this week.  It was a great devotional about our duty as missionaries and how we are entitled to the Gift of Discernment and Gift of Teaching as missionaries.  It was very spiritually uplifting especially since he was very loving the whole time.  We have to work for it was what he said, there is a price to pay for the gift, and you will not gain it if you want it just for yourself.  You have to have the desire to use it to glorify God and it will be granted unto you.  So, that’s my goal for this week.  To be worthy of these gifts.  

But it was also a sad day because it was the Whiting’s last day in the Philippines.  President Whiting has been having some heart problems lately… so sad.  I told them to email me on my mission and keep in touch with me.  They were so great…they were like the Mormon grandparents I've never had.  Sister Whiting would always know when I had a problem and would always talk to me about it.  And President Whiting had so much wisdom on how to be a man and how to honor my Priesthood.  They’ve been so great especially when Lola passed away.  I’m going to miss them so bad! 

Well, that’s all of my news for the week.  It was so busy and so rewarding.  The fruits are ripening and just ready to pick. We’re going to keep working hard here!!!  I'll talk to you next week, but we'll be having a zone activity so I'm not sure if I'll be online while you're awake at that time.  I love you and all that you do!

Doing you Proud,

 Elder Froude ^_^

Yummy sizzling Sisig with egg!

The volleyball poles were stolen so we had to improvise

April 22, 2013 - Summer's here!

Dear Mom, Dad, and Ryan,

It’s hot…really hot!  It’s so hot that the Filipinos here are complaining about how hot it is!  I got sunburned on my first day back to the field and got a really nice watch tan.  Haha!  I’ve gotten so dark and it’s only been like a week.  But the work is good.  I love being able to be out finding and teaching again.

I’m back to the cold bucket showers and washing my laundry by hand.  Yup, spending a lot of P-day washing clothes and other such things.  I was so spoiled in the office.  A labandera (washerwoman) and hot showers for 6 months has made me soft.  Haha!  It’s okay, I’m learning fast how to wash clothes again.  It’s about as annoying as I last remember it.  Haha!

My companion, Elder Lim, and I are doing great.  We’re like best friends cause we’re both pretty crazy. He knows how to sing all of the oldies songs that we use to listen to on road trips all of the time.  Listening to him sing is like listening to Dad’s iPod.  Haha!  He’s a lot of fun.  We sing all of the time. There is one road we walk down where there is like absolutely no one around and we sing our hearts out.  Haha!  We basically laugh about everything.  He’s Cebuano too so he’s really good in English.

We’ve been working really hard this week.  We had district leader training so I was gone for an entire day while Elder Lim worked in another area, but we were still able to teach a lot of good lessons and gained 2 more baptismal dates.  I’m really glad that we’ve been able to work really hard in this area. Taguig Zone has been one of the zones that has been struggling the most in the mission since it’s so small and mainly squatters, so they transferred half of the zone and put a bunch of new missionaries in. I'm hoping that my enthusiasm will be able to help everyone change their attitude about Taguig City.  We've also been really trying to become more unified as a zone.  Like for General Conference, I texted everyone to bring ulam (a dish) for a potluck and today after district meeting, we had volleyball set up for the zone.  So it's been fun.  It’s a different feel from when I would visit as an office elder dropping off mail and such.  I've been working close with the zone leaders (my kabahay- housemates) to help them get everyone excited to work here. It’s been going well. Everyone is loving life.

This week’s spiritual experience comes from last night.  Elder Lim and I were going home and it was like 8:20, we thought, hey! we have 40 more minutes, let’s do some tracting and see if we can find a new investigator.  So we tried walking down this street and Elder Lim wanted to ring the doorbell of a really rich house and I said, “Get back here! What are you doing! They’re not going to let us in!”  Then we started walking and then we looked at each other and said, why not?  So we went back and Elder Lim rang the doorbell then hid behind me.  Suddenly, the door opens and I was face to face with this really rich looking man.  The only thing that popped into my mind was to try the English approach.  So I said, “Hi, we are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we want to share a message with you about how families can be together forever.”  Now after I had said that I was like, What am I doing! We don’t usually tract in this mission and I’ve never tried the English approach before, or haven’t had much chance to in the last 6 months.  But he replied, “Is this going to be long?” and I said, “No, no, no, only 10 minutes of your time.”  So he let us in kaagad (right away)!  I was so shocked! I’ve never been let in that fast before.  So, we taught a good 10 minute lesson on who we are and we’re going to try to go back.  The guy’s mom wanted us to leave cause it was late.  Haha!  But it’s all good.  It still worked and we declared the word!  I love the work!  I’m glad to be back in the field!

It's been great but I’ve got to go now.  Elder Lim has been done emailing for a while and we need to go shopping.  Thanks for everything!  I love you all!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

Full moon in the Philippines

Farming side of Taguig

This little body of water leads to Laguna Bay

Where we ride boats to go from place to place

Found some wandering goats

Some of the places in my area 

Interesting, huh?

I can fit in here, I swear!

April 15, 2013 – Another Chapter of my Mission Adventures!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry, it's so late for me getting this week’s letter out.  I've been running around with my new companion and a few zone mates at the mall trying to figure out where to get everything.  The worst thing is transportation!  I have to wait now to get to where I need to go and pay money!  I miss the truck T_T  Haha!!!  Anyway, transfering is so hard.  And by that I mean packing.  In my 6 months in the office I’ve collected a lot of stuff.  I think I am now sobra on shirts and I’ve put my giant bed cover in the attic of the mission home to collect later.  Don’t let me forget it.  Anyway, I had to leave a lot of things behind that I’ll have Elder Peralta send me at mail run.  Haha!  Anyway, other than that, people still text me about support even though I’m not in the office anymore. 

Anyway I'm doing great!  I'm loving the field!  I've transferred to Taguig City.  We've been out working really well and getting things done here.  I even got sunburned from being out in the sun too much on my first day, and I’m tanning pretty fast.  Haha!  So, that's what sun feels like!  Gosh, it's so hot here!  I'm glad our apartment is on the 3rd floor and is windy at night.  Anyway, I was really surprised to go to Taguig, of all places. To be honest, Taguig was probably, at least, in the bottom 3 of zones I wanted to transfer to because of the endless hours I’ve spent in traffic over there.  Haha!  But I’ve come to love the area; I feel like I am a lot more patient with people and with getting punted and schedules not working out since I came from the office.  Because really in comparison to what I had to do before, regular missionary problems feel like nothing to worry about.  I just shrug them off and move to the next thing I need to do, and taking time to appreciate the good things in the area.  Like how, when the sun starts going down, the people fly kites everywhere and it looks wonderful!  Or, when there is a nice breeze coming down the street.  I have definitely learned to appreciate things more and not worry so much on the bad things.

My companion is really good, Elder Lim; he’s from Cebu and he's a hard worker and wants to do much good for the area.  We communicate well and are both willing to do what it takes for the Lord.  I've come to love him and we've had some good times already.  It's still going to take me a while longer to get the area down, so I’ll do what I can with the knowledge that I have.  Public transportation is so hard to get used to again!  I know how to get places while having a car, but now taking trikes and jeepneys…it's killing me!  I don't know how to get to places that way anymore.  Haha!  I’ll just have to adjust then.  Oh, by the way, I am a District Leader here.

I can't believe how much I’ve missed being a missionary; talking to people and teaching people and meeting new people all of the time.  It’s so much fun!  My Tagalog is slowly coming back, thanks to Elder Peralta, and I feel like I’m still communicating well with the natives.

General conference was awesome as always, I really like President Monson's talk about obedience and his experience as a boy!  Haha!  But it's true that you learn so much from mistakes.  I feel like I’ve learned the most on my mission when I’ve made the biggest mistakes.  And it's totally true with the language too.  Anyway, the obedience is such a powerful thing as a missionary and is the difference between success and getting a full day of getting punted.  Haha!  I also enjoyed Enrique Falabela's talk, as well.  I'll bring my notes next week so I can share with you some of my impressions that I’ve gotten. But one really good one was from the Priesthood Session about Ministering by David L. Beck. "To minister means to love and care for others. It means to attend to their physical and spiritual needs. Put simply, it means to do what the Savior would do if He were here."  As a missionary I am called to minister unto these people in the Philippines.  As Christ’s representative, I need to show people his love for them by loving them.  It is the most fulfilling joy I have ever experienced, to minister unto others. 

Other than that I am so proud of my brother Ryan for being able to finish up his mission papers this week and I am waiting anxiously to hear that he'll be serving in a mission especially prepared for him. Ryan, don't let anything stop you from doing what's right, YOU GOT THAT?!?!  Haha!!!  I'm not worried about him.  He knows how to make the right choices and knows how to give more to the Lord. He'll be a great missionary and I’m excited to serve with him in the field.

Yes, I got President Thomas' letter… it was really nice.  Anton also wrote me. ^_^  I need to write him back.   Haha!   Have a great week!  I love you all!!!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^