HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ME!!

I am officially 19!  Kind of a weird birthday, but it was good anyway.  Thank you to everyone that sent me birthday wishes.  I really liked them and helped my day to be a good one.  This was my first birthday without cake.  I miss cake. Haa! Haa!

Not much of excitement has happened the last few weeks.  I did learn that even tho you don't pay yoir bills on time God protects you so that you can live. LOL My companion seems to forget that he puts the bills in his bag and then we end up paying them late. Thank goodness God is on our side and not the other way around!

Our family that is working on getting married is still working and being strong in the church. It costs a lot of money here to get married so that is why people just live together. But our family is being faithful and working on saving the money to get married. They are a really good family.

Also I have found what it means to truely have the love of god for other people. Some of the Philippine people think it is funny to whistle at American's like they are dogs. It gets me really mad but I try really hard to ignore them. It has really helped me to see how just little thing like a whistle can make someone feel bad and hurt.

My toe is finally getting better and it doesn't hurt much anymore so that was a really good thing this week. Elder Cancel has 5 more weeks left in his mission and is getting really "trunky". It is kind of hard to work with, but I will probably be the same way. :)

Well, that is about it. I love all of you a lot and miss you guys. Talk to you next week.

Love,
Elder Evans

ps- no pictures this time. Sorry. :(

Mom forgot to Post!!

Neighborhood pet

Just helping you see the size of the spider.

*Note from mom* So I do need to apologize for not posting sooner. It's back-to-school time for his siblings!


Hello Family,
Mom, I got your birthday package this week.  I promise not to open it until my birthday . . . . maybe!!

This week was a little tuff.  I haven't been feeling well so it hurt our work a little.  I think I just have a stomach bug or something.  But the mission nurse and I are keeping an on it.  My toe is feeling and doing better so that is good.

Zone district lunch

 Elder Cancel is really great.  He helps out a lot since I am not feeling well.  Plus, I think he loves the extra sleep!  We still do our personal studies and prayers so don't worry mom.  I am not slacking off! ha!ha!ha!

We got more rain this week but I didn't get to enjoy it because I was inside the house.  But I am sure there will be more.

We may have another wedding soon.  One of our investigator families are planning their wedding so that they can be baptized.

Zone group picture before transfers

I am excited to see them baptized.  They are a loving and fun family.

Well, that is all for now.  I love all of you very much.

Love,

Elder Evans

Short and Sweet!

Farmland from Sagay

Hey mom,

I had a great week. We still have alot of struggling inactive's but with the Lords help we can reactivate them:) I love you guys so much and hope you're having fun:) It feels weird to email you knowing you won't read this until Friday. But its ok because you are with family that is what's important. 

This week went by so fast and it only gets faster... I guess thats a good thing...LOL I dont have any new pictures...:) It's hard in the city because I have taken pics of everything in Hinigaran.:)  Some bad news I think I have an ingrown toenail and it hurts but I am talking to the mission nurse about it:)

Nothing new is really going on here except for the less-active's:)  Anyway I finally got G&G Evans' package so if I were you I would send my birthday package now if you haven't already:)** I cant wait to hear from you guys soon:) It's hard to talk but I am on everyday for online prosyliting and that is more successful then actual prosyliting lol. 

Picture from last area, Sagay

This area is fun but I really miss Sagay because I miss the members and my recently baptized members I was close with them and I will keep that friendship forever.:) I was able to Facebook chat with Meaghen and Nicolas since you are out of town and that was pretty cool.:)  Anyway enjoy the cruise and I hope to see some pictures soon:)

LOve,

ELder EVans


***Mom note:  Always the little boy at heart!!  Wants to make sure he gets his birthday present! :)  And, yes, we have sent his birthday box already.  We just hope that it gets delivered in time.  The mail service in the Philippines is VERY slow! :)

All is Well!

The beautiful view in the area.

Things are going great this week!  We got some progress in some of our less actives this week.  They haven't been to church yet, but little by little they are seeing the importance of the gospel in their lives.  We are working with 10 families and love seeing the progress.

They have farms in the Philippines, too!

So, I know you will be on vaca next week, so hope you and Dad have a fun time.  Tell everybody hello for me and that I love them all so much!!

Things have been getting harder with the "gay rights" issue here.  The other missionaries in my zone have experienced a lot of different situations and are doing their best to share the love that they have for all of the Philippine people and to share the love that our Heavenly Father has for them also.  It does open up your eyes, though, when it is front and center in everyday life.

More fun at Zone Meeting

Elder Cancel is still a great companion.  We are doing really well with the Zone goals and it is great to have such a good friendship when serving.  I struggle now with the food. Having rice for all meals is starting to get tough.  Mom says it is my new challenge to work through since my companion issues from my last area are gone.  HaHaHa! You might be right mom. But I think I will run to a buffet when I come home!

Well, it is time to go play basketball with the members.  I LOVE MONDAYS!!!!  I love you all very much!

Love, 
Elder Evans

I Have a Lot of Pics this Week!!

Last baptism in Sagay

So Mom said she wanted pics, so here they are!!  The first one is from my last area, Sagay.  This is the couple that married and baptized within a week.  Crazy but fun.  I also decided to take a picture of my place so you all can see the lush life that I live in! hahaha  I share a place with 2 elders and me and my companion.  So four guys in one place.  Pretty clean, considering!!

Our "family" room

I am still trying to learn the area so I am considered the newbie in this area.  I really love my area! Things are going well with me and Elder Cancel and we are trying our best to bring our less active brothers and sisters back to church.  They pretty much feel that as long as they are fine and praying that that is all they need to do.  So we pray with them and for them.  Your prayers are great too!

Home, Sweet Home!!

I really don't have much else going on.  We did have zone conference, which is a meeting with all the missionaries in  our "zone", which is my area, Hinigan, and two others, Binilbagan and Isabela.  It was a lot of learning but we had some fun afterwards.

All the misionaries in my "Zone".

Well, I love you all and miss you, but I know that I am where I need to be and that you will be blessed too!

Love,

Elder Evans

Me, Elder Cancel, and another Elder on our way home from Zone Conf.

Thought this was good.  Where will you spend your eternity??

I LOVE MY AREA!

I am doing great!  I love my new area.  On a sad note, I heard that President Packer passed away.  With him and Elder Perry gone that means Elder Nelson becomes president of the Quorum of the 12, right?  I wonder who will be the next two apostles called?  I guess we'll have to wait until October.

I said that there wasn't a lot of inactives in this area.  Mostly investigators.  Well, I was wrong.  This area is much harder because there isnt as many investigators.   I am still learning the area and we are teaching mostly less actives.  We have a lot more members working with us then in sagay. 

Sorry I dont have pictures this week.   This area doesn't have anything picture worthy.  It is a city.... sorta so I don't have anything to take a picture of.

My new place DOES have a washing machine so it makes laundry so much easier.  YAY!!!

I have more choices in food now.  Elder Cancel can cook!! :) So I have had chicken and rice too. :)  He is great!

Our new mission president arrived last week and he seems really nice.  The hard part is he doesnt speak very much english, but at least it will help me with ilongo.

The weather is cooling down... and to be honest i love it...:)   There is a ton of rain. It rains like tornados here and its great....:)

I got Meaghen's picture.  Tell her the cupcakes look delicious.

Mom wanted to know what my ward was since they have a Facebook page.  It is the Hinigaran 1st ward and it is great because I dont have to teach.  :) hahaha They are so kind and loving.  As elders we get to post church talks on the page and the ward posts whatever else. 

Talk with you next week
Love you all,
Elder Evans

Down South!

So my new area is down south of Bacolod.  It is called Hinigaran.   I love my new area and my new companion. His name is Elder Cancel.  He is from manilla.  Hinigaran is a city area unlike Sagay which was more farmland and lots of space.  The only bummer is that it is really close to the beach.  I just want to run into the water and swim!! LOL.

Sundays are different here, too.  We, as missionaries, dont have to teach sunday school like we did in Sagay. The members are amazing and much stronger in this area, too.  However, the are much poorer here than in my last area.  So that is hard. 

Elder Cancel and I don't have as much "less active" visits as I did before. We just find invetigators and teach them.  Oh and my new mission president arrives on Wednsday.   His name is President Barredo and I will let you know more about him next week.

The cool thing is that I get to go on the computer everyday because we have a ward facebook.:)  We go to the computer shop everyday and share messages and other missionary stuff.:)  It is pretty awesome.

Talk to ya next week!  Same time, same place.
Love Elder Evans


****Some information about the new President and his wife:  

       Christopher Alameda Barredo, 44, and Ana Quillo Ongsingco Barredo, three children, Sumulong 2nd Ward, Marikina Philippines Stake: Philippines Bacolod Mission, succeeding President Marlo O. Lopez and Sister Memnet P. Lopez. Brother Barredo serves as a stake high councilor and is a former stake presidency counselor, bishop, institute teacher, Gospel Doctrine teacher, and missionary in the Philippines San Pablo Mission. Area facilities manager, Corporation of the Presiding Bishop. Born in Bacolod City, Philippines, to Carlos Flores Barredo and Rosario Caper Alameda Barredo.

       Sister Barredo serves as a ward Relief Society president and is a former stake Primary president, Gospel Doctrine teacher, institute teacher, and missionary in the Philippines Ilagan Mission. Born in Bacolod City, Philippines, to Robert Daipal Ongsingco and Leonisa Malunes Quillo Ongsingco.