Our Mission

Friday, April 13, 2012

Zone leaders Council April 12-13, 2012

This is a special sight to see these Zone Leaders come to counsel

with each other about concerns, reporting and teaching with their

President. It is uplifting and inspiring to me!

Here we are in Zone Leader Council during a break.

Elders De Young, Yance, Eyre, Dela Cruz, Visoria, Bactad, Glenn,

Shepherdson, Naeata, Eldridge, Navarro, Pascua, and Palavi.

This is the other side of the room where Sister Packer is seen

counseling with some elders during the break about the CLS

(Companionship Language Study) program. We see around

the room, starting from the left, Elders Naeata, Navarro,

Eldridge, Pascua, Palavi, Sanchez, Butler, Surio and Basco.

Just a fun picture as some were leaving the mission home to

go out to the office for reimbursements and pouch...Elders Surio,

Sanchez, Visoria and Bactad.

Getting ready for the group picture, Elder Butler's in the back on

the left, with Elder Yance giving his funny pose, with Elders

De Young, Palavi (peaking between) Surio, Basco, Pascua and

Navarro.

Here's the group!! Front row is Elders Palavi, Visoria, Sanchez,

Bactad, Cortez (AP), Surio, Eldridge, Brown, Dela Cruz, Villnueva,

and Shepherdson. Back row is Elders Butler, Yance, De Young,

Nance, President, Elder Glenn, Me, Elders Diaz, Basco, Pascua,

Navarro, Eyre and Naeata.

Elders Glenn, Naeata, Palavi, Brown, Nance, Diaz & De Young

...getting ready to go back to their areas.

Happily taking supplies and pouch to their areas, Elders

Butler, Pascua, Basco, Navarro & De Young (side view).

Elders Eldridge and Villanueva are two good friends wanting

one last picture together. Elder Villanueva is going home next

month, so this is there last time together. They are Zone Leaders

of different Zones...Siniloan and Lipa respectively.

The Council

Thursday all the Zone Leaders came in for a delicious dinner of

Pork Caldereta (Sp?), rice and cut up fresh fruit and Texas sheet

cake around 5:30 p.m., after which we spent 1 1/2 hours forming

our PSPM Training Plan. The elders were then free to play

basketball, badminton, or ping-pong for about an hour.

President gave them an article to read about Missionary Work

and the Atonement by Jeffrey R.Holland that they were to read

and ponder before bed. The next morning, some got up and

exercised before breakfast at 7:30a.m. The Council Meeting

started at about 8:15 and went until 12:15 p.m. After the opening

song and prayer, we had reporting from each zone, where any

questions or concerns can be discussed along with all the good

things that are happening there. Next, was a wonderful talk by

Elder Villanueva about the Atonement and applying it to our

work. My "Words of Wisdom" was next on the agenda where

I talked about Self Mastery. In it's simplest terms, self-mastery

is doing those things we should do and not doing those things

we should not do. It requires strength, willpower, and honesty.

Every human soul has the challenge of controlling his or her

thoughts, appetites, speech, temper and desires. The Assistants

to the President (AP's) taught from chapter 10 in PMG about

Teaching skills...they did a demonstration of teaching the

first lesson in chapter 3 on the Restoration. President gave

a lot of advice for the Zone Leaders to help and teach

their District leaders how to do there job. He ended with an

outline of the Vision of San Pablo Mission. Also, the White

Handbook pages 56-62 has all the instructions for Zone

leader's responsibilities. Example,example, example!!

1Corinthians 14:8...Leadership should never be taken lightly.

It was a really good meeting!

PSPM Training Plan

April - May 2012

Doctrine:

The Restoration:

1. Acts 17:29

2. Heleman 10:7; 2 Nephi 5:11-12, 27

3. Amos 3:7; Mosiah 3:13; D&C 1:38

4. Ephesians 2:20; Luke 9:1-2

5. Matt:24:9-11; 2 Nephi 28:3-4, 12; 4 Nephi 1

6. Matt. 21:42-43; Acts 3:19-26; 2 Nephi 9:1-3; D&C 1:14-17

7. 1 Nephi 13; 2 Nephi 29:7-8; Moroni 10:3-5

The Plan of Salvation:

1. John 17:5; Abraham 3:22-23;

2. 1 Nephi 17:36; Genesis 1:26-27

3. 2 Nephi 2:16-27; Heleman 14:30

4. Alma 42; Alma 5:15

5. 2 Nephi 2:6-8; 2 Nephi 9:21-23; D&C 18:10-16

6. Alma 40:11-14, 21; Ecclesiastics 12:7

7. Alma 40:21-23; Alma 5:17-19; Alma 11:42-44

8. Matt. 7:21; D&C 76:5-10; D&C137:7-10

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

3 Nephi 27; 3 Nephi 11; 2 Nephi 31

Alma 11:40; Alma 34:14-16;

Preach My Gospel:

Chapter 3 & Chapter 10

Talks:

All talks will be on the above doctrine and teaching skills.

Health and Safety:

Commandment # 4, Eat a balanced diet:

Protein 2-3 servings, Fruits and Veggies 5-9, Grains 6-8, liquids 8 glasses.

Take your multi-vitamin. Sisters - 2 Calcium.

Don’t use any energy drinks, or other supplements.

Accountability:

-Report numbers to District Leader by 9:30pm on Sunday night.

-Budget your load and support wisely.

-Keep Preach My Gospel time schedule. Get out and work on time.

1pm for trainers/trainees. Everyone else 12pm.

-Strive for the mission standard of 25 lessons.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Transfer Week...New Missionaries April 4-6, 2012

We are on our way to the bus stop, Thursday morning, to pick up

the new Philippine missionaries. We picked up the foreign

missionaries in Manila on Wednesday.

Here are some of the foreign missionaries walking to the bus stop

to help welcome the new local missionaries coming from the

Manila MTC...Sister Folau, Sister Carmichael, Elder Jones,

Elder Shepherd, and Elder Salisbury. Elder Leavitt must be

behind them and walking with Elder Diaz who we see on the right.

Still waiting...Elder Diaz, Elder Packer, Elder Salisbury,

Elder Cortez & me!

Yea! They finally made it. The traffic was really slow because

of it being the Thursday before Easter. There was major traffic.

They usually get in about 7:30 a.m. and this time it was 10:30

a.m. Then, on Good Friday, "Wala"...no traffic.

(wala is "none" in Tagalog)

Always a warm welcome for all from President Peterson!!

This is just a little break during orientation for our new

missionaries.We have pictured; Sisters Lamosa,

Macariola, Marino, Pacampara, Carmichael, and Folau,

with Elder Salisbury looking on.

Here are the new missionaries! In the front, Sisters Macariola,

Lamosa, Folau, Carmichael, Pacampara and Marino. In the back,

Elders Shepherd, Salisbury, Perez, President, Elders Calisaan,

Jones, Me, Elders Ebuen and Leavitt.

President always likes to teach the missionaries something at each

transfer meeting. This time, he talked to them about Joseph

Smith’s terrible experience in Liberty Jail and how he came out

of that experience a greater prophet than he was before. That

experience, Jeffrey R. Holland refers to as the Prophet’s Temple

Prison experience, where revelation was received...D&C 121,

122, &123. President expressed to the missionaries,

“Whenever you feel like you are having a really hard time go to

those sections in Doctrine & Covenants or Abinadi’s experience

found in Mosiah 11-17. Can you make it your temple prison

experience?” It was a powerful lesson President

taught to us that day.

After the Transfer Meeting, the missionaries take turns taking care

of business in the office...Reimbursements, getting supplies

needed, getting any mail or "pouch" that has come, or signing

off for things as a companion moves out...such as payment for

utilities, 72 hr. emergency kits, etc. Here we have Elder Diaz,

Sister Buton, Elder Manzon, Elder Cortez and Sister Agustin

in the office, taking care of business! :-)You can see several

others waiting outside. Sister Packer has them very organized.

They enter the office only when it's their turn.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Transfer Week...Those Departing April 1-3, 2012

Here is some of the missionaries going home this week...along with

the office and AP's. Starting from the left, Sister Gabuyo, Sister

Pascual, Elder Dioso (office elder), Sister Tacbobo, Elder Sambile,

Elder Dela Cruz, Elder Quimsing, Elder Cortez (AP),

Elder Diaz (AP), down in front with Elder Cook (office elder),

Elder Roxas, Elder Fracisquite, Elder Judd and Elder Ramos.

Elder Cortez and Elder Roxas looking sad...Elder Roxas has been

an Assistant to the President along with Elder Cortez, but is going

home. They worked so well together and became very close

friends. We are all going to miss Elder Roxas. He was a great

missionary and a really good teacher...very helpful to President.

Here are Elder and Sister Packer having a meal with us and the

missionaries going home. They stayed for Family Home Evening,

also, where the missionaries bore their final testimonies in the mission.

Elder Blanco...Kind of blurry, but too cute not to post!

Elder Castor, Elder Dela Cruz, Elder Dioso, Sister Tacbobo,

President, Elder Diaz, Elder Quimsing, Elder Cortez (Pinching

Elder Diaz's cheek), Elder Cook, Elder Roxas. Elder Fracisquete,

Elder Judd and Elder Ramos.

Our wonderful house-help, Rubi, with Sister Pascual.

Elder Blanco and Elder Roxas looking as though they are consoling

each other...mixed feelings about going home.

Sister Pascual and Sister Gabuyo helping clear the table

after breakfast...Getting ready to go to ERC!

Elders Sambile, Quimsing, Francisquete, Diaz, Dioso, Roxas,

Ramos and Cortez.

Elders Dioso, Cortez and Judd.

Elders Dela Cruz, Francisquete, Quimsing, and Blanco

getting ready to walk to the bus to Manila.

Elder Francisquete, Elder Quimsing, Elder Dela Cruz, Elder Judd,

Sister Pascual, Elder Roxas, Sister Gabuyo, Me, Sister Tacbobo,

Sister Paul Raj, President, Elder Castor, Elder Sambile,

Elder Ramos and Elder Blanco...So sad to see them go!!

Walking the pathway to the bus going to Manila.

Here we are waiting for the bus! It is a hot day...the sun is out and

we can feel that summer is in the Philippines!

The bus is here! It's time for the real good-byes! We love you!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Specialized Training for Trainers & Trainees March, 2012

This is the batch of missionaries that came to the mission home on

March 29th with their trainers. I felt so bad, because I didn't get

a picture taken that day so I put this picture of when they first got

to the mission.

It was a great day of Teaching from President and the AP's. Here are some of my notes: From the AP's...

The Lord wants to teach you many things...not just to invite others unto Christ, but to learn to work with others. 1 Nephi 10:17, 19 Study diligently...for promptings and for being prepared for our investigator.

Why companionship study? PMG ix Purpose:

1. Build unity (the right kind of unity) in order to teach by the Spirit.

2. To focus on the progress of those you are teaching. Alma 43:19-21...Study will "arm" us when we go out among the vast amount of people. Be humble and teachable yet confident. Hymn # 130, "Be Thou Humble" We are instruments in His hands...1 Nephi 15:8...Have ye inquired of the Lord?

Powerful Lesson Plans comes down to two things:

1. Treasure up (D&C 84:85) gather your ingredients from the scriptures and PMG

2. Organize and summarize (PMG pg. 20) Scriptures & questions...Seek the Lord's help. PMG Lesson plan Pg. 42

President's remarks: Trust the Leaders of the Church...Through experience (182 yrs.), they know what you need. You can train your mind to be strong...what's needed to be a missionary.

Teaching is central to everything.

D&C 1:4,14,15,38; D&C 21:5-7

We do the 12 week course because that is the Lord's way.

Purpose: 1. Learn the doctrine/Chapter 3 & scriptures. 2. Teaching skills, Chapter 10 3. How to prepare

4. Obedience...D&C 56:3,15 Mosiah 3..The natural man is an enemy to God.Alma 5 & 7 Talks about bringing our natures close to the Savior.

Teaching the lessons in chapter 3 (5 lessons) They are laid out by principles. *Teach them in the order they are written. Don't skip anything. Isaiah 58:13-14; Alma 22:9, 10, 12-15. Expound and give it all...explaining the need for a Savior. Teach the need for the Atonement. It changes them to become like God. Subdue pride for your companion.

WONDERFUL TEACHING!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Balayan District Conference March, 2012

This is a picture of Sister Reyes, (the wife of new 2nd Counselor to

George), myself, and Sister Pajaro, (the wife of our visiting

Authority, Elder Abenir V. Pajaro of the Seventy) after our

Balayan District Conference. I am wearing a suit that was

made for me by Sister Asia, a member from the Balayan District.

She did a wonderful job, but it doesn't fit me very well...especially

in the shoulders.

In this group picture I am not able to name them all! The first one

on the left is Elder Pajaro then the 2nd Counselor in District

Presidency, President Ambao. Next to me is Sister Pajaro

with her little girl next to her. On the other side of president

Peterson, President Cananea and his family in front of him...

their son, Sister Cananea and their daughter out front in the

white dress. The young man on the far right is

Elder & Sister Pajaro' son.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Zone Conference March 2012

Sister Francis (from Pakistan) and Sister Mathangi

(from India) are companions and have turned into best friends!

This is a happy three-some! They all came in at the same time.

Elder Alvaro, Elder De Leon, & Elder Torculas. They are not

companions, but are all serving in Lopez Zone right now.

Sister Salon, Sister Sagaysay, Sister Escalona, Elder Culaban,

Elder Perez, Elder Nalesoni, Elder Delos Santos, Elder Palavi,

Elder Nerza, Elder Sheperdson, Elder Lucila,

Elder Blanco and Elder Quimsing.

Getting ready for the Group shot, Elder Clark and Elder Kleinlein

think they are getting to sit in the chairs! The others...

Elders De Leon, Torculas and Elder Delos Santos are trying to get in it!

I got invited in on this one! Front row...Elder Quimsing, Elder

Clark, Me, Elder Kleinlein and Elder Delos Santos.

Back row...Elder Blanco, Elder Sheperdson, Elder Palavi,

Elder De Leon, Elder Alvaro, Elder Nalesoni's beautiful smile,

and Elder Torculas.

This was our first day of Zone Conferences.

We had four Zones...San Pablo, Cabuyao, Santa Cruz and Siniloan.

We have the following couples in attendance that day,

the Howells (PEF), the Packers (office) and the Wagners (Lipa)

This is our second day of Zone Conference with Lucena Zone,

Lopez Zone and Marinduque. The couples with us are

Elder & Sister Douglas (Lucena) & Elder & Sister Packer (office)

This was our last day of Zone Conference with the Lipa, Bantangas

and Mindoro Zones. The couples with us are the

Campbells (Mindoro), the Packers (office) and the Wagners (Lipa)

Sister Grow is training Sister Snow. They get along so well. They

are definitely eye-single missionaries...It is just their nature. We

love their happiness countenances!

Sister Buton and Sister Agustin is another happy companionship!

Don't you love their smiles?!

Here posing is Elder Monzon, Elder Yost and Elder Knight.

Elders Yost & Monzon are companions doing great things in

their area! Elder Knight is friends with everyone...he has a

wonderful positive attitude!

This was such a good Zone Conference where so much learning has taken place and the Spirit was especially strong. As we walked into the Stake Centers each day, the missionaries were sitting with their companions, reading their scriptures. It really help set the tone. Each meeting was conducted by a Zone leader of one of the Zones attending that day. After the welcome we had an opening hymn chosen by the one conducting, an opening prayer and a recitation of "My Purpose". We then had a missionary give a talk. President had assigned a different missionary for each session to give a talk concerning companionship unity. The first day Elder Sembrano gave the talk, the second day was Elder Burton and the third day, Sister Pajarin. President told them to use John 17 as basis to their talk. They each did a great job! After the talk, we showed a mission slide show, which was a variety of slides from different missionaries involved in missionary activities. It's always fun to view the missionaries up on the big screen!

Sister Packer has been given the assignment to be the "Pie Queen" of the mission. At each Zone Conference she brings a pie and has all the missionaries stand up and she rattles off different questions of which they must answer to the affirmative, so they can remain standing. If their answer is "no", they have to sit down. For example: "If there are no dirty dishes in your apartment right now, you can remain standing" or..."If you follow the mission schedule and are up at 6:30 a.m. and to bed by 10:30 p.m., you can remain standing.." The last one standing at the end of her questions wins the yummy, homemade pie! They love it and it's good incentive too! After Sister Packer, Sister Wagner or Elder & Sister Douglas gave encouraging words concerning apartment maintenance. We then had "Words of Wisdom" from Sister Peterson. :-) My emphasis this conference had to do with the "precious & rare" attribute of Patience. I used four areas of emphasis that patience can produce in us. I got these four areas from a statement by President Uchtdorf. Patience...1. Refines our understanding (D&C 121:41, 45) 2. Focuses action--Patience is far more than simply waiting for something to happen--it means actively working towards worthwhile goal and not getting dicouraged when result don't appear instantly or without effort. (Mosiah 28:1-9, Alma 17:10-11, 26:27-31) 3. Deepens happiness--(Alma 26:35-37) 4. Offers hope for peace--(Mosiah 24:9-16) I talked about many examples of patience, such as...Christ, the perfect example, the apostle Paul, and Joseph Smith.

*Patience for us as missionaries, we need to: 1. Be patient with ourselves. Recognize our strengths & weaknesses. Make good use of every opportunity and do our best always. Do not let ourselves be unduly discouraged when we are doing our best. Be satisfied with our progress even though it may come slowly sometimes.2. Be patient in developing and strengthening our testimonies. (Alma 32:41-43) Pray, study, be diligent in our missionary duties and follow the counsel of our prophet and mission president. 3. Be patient with our companion. Don't expect perfection, find agreeable ways to work out differences, keep the mission schedule and be "one". 4. Patience with our Heavenly Father and His plan. "How incredibly foolish it is to be impatient with him..." Neil A. Maxwell said, "Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best--better than does God..." Quoting from Marvin J. Ashton, "We do not have to worry about the patience of God, because he is the personification of patience, not matter where we have been, what we have done, or what we, to this moment, have allowed ourselves to think of ourselves...God will not forsake us."

Next was the Assistants' to the President remarks. (Elder Roxas & Elder Cortez) They did a wonderful teaching the missionaries how to better employ the scriptures in teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "Teaching is central to everything you do." (PMG pg. 175) They started out with D&C 68:1-8, concerning Orson Hyde's ordination and likened these verses to us. They read from Alma 12:1, 7 and asked, "Do you see what we are envisioning for us?...for this mission? "In a spirit of unity, expounding scriptures they were powerful teachers."(Helaman 5:10, 41) Theses are 3 ways to help those we teach to better understand the scriptures and how they apply to what we are teaching...1. Introduce the scripture 2. Read the passage aloud with them. 3. Apply or "liken" the scriptures to yourself and to the investigators. Make sure they understand the passage, then testify of the principle. As they taught, Elder Roxas expressed the importance of Sanctifying ourselves through the scriptures. In John 17:14-19 the Savior is praying for his apostles (but also for all who believed on their words) to keep them from evil, and "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.". Elder Roxas asked, "Is the act of preparing to use the scriptures an act of sanctification?" He turned us all to Preach My Gospel pg.182 to the Companion Study activity. We did this activity with our companions right then. It was good to practice those steps in using the scriptures in our teaching. We then broke away for lunch.

After lunch, President did his teaching. He first talked about numbers and the New Indicators and how we can see how good we are teaching and how many we are reaching. He talked about our Completed Families bulletin board in the Mission office and about sending letters with the pictures. His counsel was to "Stop the confusion"...keep record of lessons for new & returning members up to date and accurate. He hopes that the chart showing eye single obedience will go straight up, showing wonderful improvement. Great counsel is found in Jacob 4:10, D&C 56:14-15 & 1 Nephi 19:7 As you drift from obedience your are setting Him (Savior) "at naught and (hearkening) not to the voice of his counsels." Then, he expounded on what he calls the 2nd most important thing you can learn on you mission. That is, "How to recognize & understand the Spirit. (D&C 4:5) He asked, "How can we enter into the presence of God on our mission?" He read on a power point the story of a missionary who figured how to change himself to do just that. It was a 40 day experiment. President expounded on these three ways that with help us. 1. We must Qualify Moroni 8:26, D&C 50:13-24 2. We must Treasure up in our minds D&C 84:85 -Study (Personal & Companionship) -District Meeting -Zone Conference -Stake & General Conferences -Always D&C 100:5-8 ...Pause & listen to be directed. 3. Speak the thoughts given you! John 7:45-46, John 3:1-2. We then had the opportunity to hear testimonies of missionaries that were going home before the next Zone Conference. That is always a wonderful experience.

At this time, President had 2 or 3 different companionships come up and teach some of the hard things. Such as, Sabbath Day, Being Offended, or "I have God in my heart" ("I don't need anything else"). Each companionship was to be prepared, just in case they were chosen to come up and demonstrate. It was very enlightening. He then had 3 videos on hand that he would show. Christ in Ancient America, Pure & Simple Faith, (A wonderful story of a young girl who lives in the Philippines and how her simple faith blessed her and her family...Look it up on the internet) and Thomas S. Monson talking about "Finishers Wanted." He only had time for one or two of them at each session. Each made a beautiful ending to a wonderful conference.