Handmade Machetes

Hey everyone I don't have a whole lot to report this week. Work was super slow because we had to spend a lot of time working with the new sisters in our area. Two of the elders in my apartment got transferred to another zone, because the sister's area wasn't safe, so we got the sisters as their replacements. The don't know their area at all so we had to show them around everywhere. Besides that we had service projects, exchanges and all that fun stuff. One really great thing that did come out of the week is that one of our investigator families came to church yesterday! They are really great and told us they are really searching for the true church and seemed to enjoy meeting some of the members. They already have questions about baptism, so we plan on inviting them this week. 

One thing that isn't so great about the upcoming week is that...I'm getting a new companion. There was an emergency exchange in another area so one of them will be coming to be my new companion here in San Fernando. I know it's going to be kind of challenging, because I'm still pretty new to the area. But I'm up for the challenge and plan on doing what I'm supposed to do. Missionary work. We rarely get to chose what challenges come our way or when they come, we just have to know that the Lord trusts us to handle them and grow from them. I know whatever happens was meant to be and is just a part of the plan that was made for me before I even came to Earth. I can't choose what comes my way, but I can choose what to make of it. And I plan on making a struggling area into a successful one, no matter what setbacks come.

Love you all and hope you're doin great!

5/25/14

Getting the Work Moving!

Hey everyone!

We had kind of a rough week this week. What everyone told me about this area is turning out to be kinda true. The work here is pretty rough, but Elder Petero and I are determined to turn that around! We had a meeting with the Branch President and his Clerk yesterday to discuss ideas for getting the work moving here. We settled on doing an activity with all of the auxilliary leaders in the branch to work on getting them motivated to work with the missionaries. We are going to have some of the older members in the area come and tell about their conversion stories from back in the day when they had to walk super far to make it to church. There is one sister who was one of the first people baptized here in Naga back in the 80s. Now she and her husband have to stay home because they are super old and her husband can't walk anymore, but they are some of the sweetest old people I've met here. Super strong testimonies, so we are hoping to have them remind the other leaders here of their own conversions. The problem is, not all of the leadership positions are filled, and some that are, are filled by less active members. So we are hoping to fill all the open spots then really try to move forward with our work here and help San Fernando become a ward finally.

Besides that, the work here has been ok. We have one investigator, Stanley, who has really started progressing. He's already accepted a baptismal date and has started abstaining from alcohol and smoking and came to church yesterday! We just hope we don't run into any other problems with him.

Well, that's mostly my week! Like I said, it was rough so I don't have a ton to talk about. But I love you all!

Elder Van Boerum

5/19/14

San Fernando

Hey everyone! I'm running short on time again because of skyping earlier, but I just wanted to send something really quick.

I just got to my new area last week. It is San Fernando in Naga Zone and I have been called as the new District leader here! The last District Leader here was my second Companion, Elder Asbell and he just went home last week after his two years. From what I have heard so far, San Fernando is one of the toughest and most struggling districts in the mission right now, but there's been a good series of hard working missionaries starting to get things moving again out here, so I'm just hoping to keep moving forward with that! My new companion is Elder Petero from Fiji who just got out of his training and he is great. For being so new in the mission, his Tagalog is really good. One of the harder parts of the area right now is getting used to the new language here, Bikol. The granddaughter of one of our Less Active members always comes up to me and speaks straight Bikol and I can only get a couple of words out of it sometimes. I haven't heard Bikol since I left my first area and I never even learned any there. But I'm up for the challenge of learning that too to try and communicate more effectively here.

So far the work here has been ok. We have a couple of potential baptisms coming up so we are working really hard on that, but we also have to try and balance that out with our work for the Less Active members. That with trying to get used to being a District leader and the new area have made the last week super tiring, but we've started getting some good work in, and I already gave my first District meeting and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! We talked about asking questions and using the scriptures to teach more effectively. My District Leader's message at the end was just about D&C 122 and how trials help us grow, so I encouraged the members of my district to make a list of the trials they've had on their mission and with each trial, list how it has helped them to grow. So far I really like our district, and we will be adding two new sisters into the district this week as they open a new area in San Fernando! So far this transfer has been great and I'm excited to see what I can do here.

Love you all and hope you have another great week!

Elder Van Boerum
 5/12/14

Baptisms!

Ok everyone, I'm sorry to say this again, and you are probably sick of hearing it, but I really am short on time this week! I'm getting transferred tomorrow, so I have to spend some time packing all my stuff for 6 hours of travel tomorrow (at least). Anyway, we had a great week last week that ended with three baptisms that we were able to do in the ocean. The were Eman 8, Arman 9, and Leonard 11. All brothers and the sons of an inactive member we found about 6 weeks ago. They were really happy afterwards and it was a great time! Anyway, I love you all and I'll email you more next week from my new area!

 Elder Jakob Van Boerum

5/4/14

Who we are is not who we can become

Soooo. I'll try and take a little more time this week for my email. Too many complaints. The sad part is...nothing much really happened last week.

One fun part of our week was heading into a different area here in Paracale to do a Service Project. We had to take a boat to get to part of their area and took a tricey out into the middle of nowhere, then walked forever, asking directions on the way trying to find the house. We finally found it, and it really was out in the mountains way far away from anything. We had planned to help her build a new house (her old one fell down). But the best part was....she wasn't there haha. So after waiting for about 3 hours and eating her some of her coconuts, we had to start our walk back, which took nearly 3 hours, this time no tricey. But it turned out to be ok, because we met a member in their area who used to be the Patriarch for Daet Stake here. He had a stroke, so he is mostly confined to his house. He can walk around some, but is really slow, so he can't make it to church. The other elders go and visit him on Sundays to give him the sacrament and also teach other investigators out there. He is probably the nicest guy I have ever met here, and we stayed and talked to him for a while. He joined the church back in '73 and left to work in Saudi Arabia, but s soon as the temple was built here, he moved back to the Philippines to work there and be close to a temple. It's sad that he has to stay home, because he really is so great.

For church on Sunday, we also had one of the biggest attendances we had in a while. It was branch conference so everyone wanted to show up for the Stake Presidency. It was a pretty good day and we had some investigators come which is really great because now...they are qualified for baptism! So this Saturday we should be holding a baptism for these three kids that we have been teaching for the past couple weeks, Eman, Armand, and Leonard. On Saturday they were all feeling pretty sick, so we gave blessings to those three and three other kids in the home that were sick, and they were all better the next day and ready for church. As long as they pass the interview, they will be all set for this Saturday. And then the week after will be transfers so I may be heading out of here. Just make sure you pray for all of them this week! 

Anyway, like I said last week, I wanted to send a little something about that quote "Who we are is not who we can become". I've realized this a lot in my mission, especially as I've seen some people really change their lives as they accept the Gospel. I myself have for sure changed a ton from when I entered the MTC last July 17. I've grown so much more in my testimony and Gospel knowledge, and I believe it is because I had to be given some "traction" like Elder Bednar talked about. In life, if we want to progress and become "who we can become", we need trials and hardship to help us to move forward. Nothing in life comes easy, and that is especially true for good things in the next life. We always need that traction to push us forward just a bit, push our faith a little more, make us just a little better than we were before. A surgery, though painful, ultimately can save or improve a life. Yes there is always risk to it, but there is risk to this life as well. We took the risk by choosing to come to earth. We don't know if we will for sure make it back to God, but we can do all that we can and trust in Christ for the rest. And even death is simply a little traction that we need to move onto something bigger and better than we could ever dream of. Like Lehi said, there must be opposition in all things, but that opposition is exactly what we need to move ahead. Who we are is not who we can become, and we need that traction to help us achieve our potential and follow Christ and eventually become like him.

Love you all and hope you all have a great week. Hopefully next week I'll have a baptismal picture to send to you, but here's all I have for now.

Elder Van Boerum
4/27/14

Easter in the Philippines

Sorry everyone, but I ran really short on time again this week! Had to
travel a lot, so it took up a big chunk of my P Day! Holy Week here
was pretty good, but things also got kinda crazy so we had a curfew on
a couple of days because there were so many drunks and people were out
in the streets whipping themselves for Christ. Not exactly the safest
environment, although most drunks here are super friendly.
Anyway I know I wanted to talk a little more about conference, (I know
that was a while ago for all of you) so I will for sure do it next
week! Sorry! I think next week I will try to focus on Elder Bednar's
and Elder Hallstrom's talks, with a little bit about patience.

Hallstrom's quote that stood out to me was "Who you are is not who you
can be come" and Bednar's was about traction. Next week I want to talk
about how that traction (our trials, hardships) help us to become who
we can be. I saw two Mormon Message videos about patience that really
stood out to me, especially one that said blessings don't always come
when we want them most, but they always come when we need them most.
But we don't always know when that is. Even then, some blessings we
won't receive until the next life. Which is what I'm going to talk
about next week, so I'm sorry if this is confusing. It will make more
sense next time.
This week was really slow, so I don't have a lot to talk about, but I
love you all and I'm excited to hear from you next week!
Elder Van Boerum

3/21/14

Conference Thoughts

Sorry everyone I ran short on time this week because of problems at
this computer shop so I don't have a lot of time! But I did finally
get to chance to see conference and it was so great! I loved all the
talks, but did have a couple favorites. I don't have a lot of time to
talk about them, so I will try next week, but I'll just leave you with
a couple of points that I really liked.
"Who we are is not who we can become"-Donald L Hallstrom, Priesthood Session
Ucthdorf asking in Priesthood if we are Sleeping through the Restoration
Elder Bednar's talk on needing traction to move forward
Uchtdorf's talk on Gratitude
Sorry but I will try to discuss these more next week. I had some stuff
I wanted to say, but ran out of time! I love you all and hope you have
another great week!
Elder Van Boerum

4/13/14