A Strong Testimony from a Strong Member!

Dear family,

That is awesome to hear about Nicolas but my question.. WHO IS BRIANNA THOMAS:)!!! hahaha. That shows you how much I know about our ward/stake. I am supper happy for him. Mormon Prom is really fun and he will have a good time.

Grandma emailed me about Meaghen's interest in sports and I am super excited to hear she wants basketball and golf.. but sorry to break it to you all.... I think I am still the best hahaha. We will find out in 9 months:):)

The funny thing is your weather is the exact opposite of my weather... 100 degrees and humid... BLAH

An amazing member of the ward

This week Ryian Suyo got baptized and Jing is getting baptized next week and I FINALLY have weekly baptisms:) It took me 13 months but I finally got there:) Ryian Suyo had little interest in our message but as he came to church that next Sunday he grew interest. He went to the YSA (young single adult) devotional with Elder Nelson and then he had "no doubt to be baptized!" His mom said, "Is this really what you wanna do..." Ryian replied," I have made up my mind!" He wants to serve a mission and I can see him being a branch president in 5-6 years:)

SO I have an amazing story about a member that has taught me to not take things for granted!!! This member has the exact face as Grandpa Rimington and he has been a member a long time. He is endowed and really active! He had a stroke a while back and his whole left side is non functional that's why when he walks his leg is little hard to move. He wakes up at 4:30am to get ready for church on Sunday.  He leaves his house at 5:30am! He arrives at 6:30am and church does not start till 8:30am! He has been my motivation in this area. And I think to myself when I have been too casual or take things for granted I remember this awesome member and his testimony of our Savior!

Love,

Elder Evans

Testimony of Fasting and Prayer

Philippine Foliage :)

Dear family,

This past week was a huge testimony building week. So I lost something on Tuesday and I had prayed and retraced my steps and asking everyone we went to and visited... They all said that they hadn't seen it.... I was running out of places to look and I was loosing faith and hope... and just as I was about to give up, Sunday came around and I fasted for help in finding it..... We went to a family we went to 3 times since Tuesday and she said, " Der... sa imo ni" (is this it) and with a huge smile on my face I said, "YES!" After that experience I have such a strong testimony of FASTING and also of Prayers. I know God answers our prayers but it always happens in his time. He waits till the lowest point sometimes to see if we will stay true! I am so thankful of that sister helping Heavenly Father answer my prayer. 

Cute little photo bomber on the right

I know God watches out for us but we need to keep the commandments before he helps us:) Me and Elder Barrera are doing really well.. we had a break from baptisms this week but the next 3 weeks of march we have baptisms:)

The Baptism of Nanay Vicky did go through:)!! ( If you remember she was the miracle story!!!) I love this area of Masville because the whole branch is pretty much RMs (returned missionaries) so we have a lot of member help:) and in return we have a lot of baptisms<3

I love all the water here!

We have been getting rain but it is still extremely hot... to give you an idea of how hot at 7pm here when the sun is down it is the hottest point of the day in California... so our hottest point here is 3X that amount... HAHAHAH. What a joy:)

 I am thinking of sending a package home so that I don't have too much stuff and I have room for all of my things:) BUT I don't know how much it costs :(

SO how is the ward...I bet when I get back it will feel like just another area transfer because there are a ton of families that left or moved in right??!

That's it as of now... I really need to learn to write the questions I have for you down..... Because when we go to lunch I will remember the questions I forgot to ask.. hahah

I love you all and hope everything is going well.

Love,

Elder EVans

A Growing Area

"The Church is True"

Dear Family,

This past week we had a good week and it ended in a baptism. We have a progressing area and we have a baptism scheduled and will go through every week this upcoming week. So i am super excited!!!! I have had a better week and I wasn't as stressed!!!! 

I hope everything there is going great..... you all are in my prayers and i cant believe I am only 9 months away from coming home.

I have really applied my studies this week of Christ-like attributes and it really helps... I encourage all of our family to study chp.6 of PMG (preach my gospel) it is very inspirational!!! 

Baptism of Sister Vicky

Plz send a huge thank you to Grandpa R. for his insights. The scriptures that he suggested will be a big help. :)

Nothing new is going on here.... we have mission tour in a couple of weeks so we will see who else comes to visit. :)  Tell Nicolas that prom is the best experience so choose someone and go.. like senior year I took Sophia from the Solament Ward... I had a blast!!!!

And also tell Nicolas to study the scriptures.... 1 chapter a day and read PMG for his preparation for his mission. :) Sorry about all the lower case letters the shift button is broken:)

LOVE y'all and you are always in my prayers:)

Love,

The little girl wanted to take lots of pictures!

Elder Evans

ps. i am teaching the youth in my branch how to do family history work and i forgot how to search for ansestors. can you help me in reminding me hahaha

AWE-Mazing!!!

Bacolod Philippines Mission 187 Missionaries

Dear Family,

This past week was so spiritual of course! Elder Nelson was so amazing to meet. He is so much shorter than I thought. They had a professional photographer so I will try to attach a copy and you can try and find me in 187 missionaries..heehee!

I am so happy for dad! That new calling is perfect for him. Did he replace BJ Hunter:) Its good that he got another Mr. Incredible car. Hopefully I will be able to see him squeeze into it in 10 short months. :)  Hopefully he gets a "blue" cruz.. hahaha I jut had to throw some Jeff Dunham in there haha.

So you are still in the Primary huh. I would expect you and sister nguyen to be a tag team in RS!!!! But that's OK Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone! 

The weather here is the same. One day just hot and humid, then over night we get typhoon weather but no typhoon:) thank goodness. I like the typhoon weather  because its not hot and the rain feels so good when we walk to appointments.

How are the siblings doing in school?  The extra curricular activities are great and I am so happy and excited for them:) Tell them to focus in school. I wish I would have paid more attention to get better grades:)!

My new area is great and I think I am starting to see the fruits of my labor:) We had Nicolas, (the baptism in January) get confirmed and we have 1 baptism each week for the next month:) I am so excited and hope they go well.  My new area is Masville in the La Carlota zone. I am still in the South the only area that wasn't in the south was Sagay.. (My first area)! Elder Candilasa and I were in Tuyom in the southern most zone of the mission! I dont have that many pictures this week but I will send you the pic of Russell M. Nelson:)

Elder Nelson taught us more about Jesus Christ and his titles so that we could have a better knowledge of who we serve! He was accompanied by his secretary and 1 body guard that was like the size of a WWE wrestle.r I was scared. His secretary was a twig.. I was like," HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!" Elder Hayne of the area presidency accompanied him too and he said something that I hold really close to me, " The world will attack the prophet Joseph with NO SUCCESS." I thought that was the coolest thing bc he gave proof of Joseph Smith from the Bible.(Isaiah 29). I learned so much but I have it all writen in my study journal.

I hope all is well and if you could send me a picture of Pj. I ask this becasue Elder Cagampang who is in the same house says he knows Pj.  He was in his ward apparently because he is from Quezon city. So if you can send that that would be AWE-Mazing!!!

Love,

ELder Evans
****Mommy note:  In the picture, Spencer is third row in from the front and third missionary in from the left.  Hopefully you will be able to find him :) ***

Blessing of Work!

Alahado Family FHE

Dear Family,

I am super excited for Elder Nelson's visit this Thursday. I got the dates mixed up so its this Thursday not last...:)

We have 2 baptisms scheduled for the 27th and I can start to see the results of my entire mission start to shape in this area. I say that because we got a referral and we gave him a blessing, shared about the priesthood (last Sunday) we didn't teach him the whole week and he still came to church this Sunday:D I totally see that as a blessing:)

Local fishing (snake skin)   :)

So what part of the temple does Grandpa Rimington work in!! That is so cool that he works in the temple that is the first thing I am doing when I get home is become a temple worker because Christie said it is the greatest feeling. Its totally on the top of my to do list.

If you haven't heard, Christie leaves March 1 for Tacoma, Washington for her mission:) I am super excited for her!

Anyway.. Thats all for me. I will have stuff next week because of Elder Nelson's visit:)

Love Always,

Elder Evans

I love the water spots in the Philippines

What a Great Week!

Beauty of the Philippines

Dear Family,

This week has been great becasue I learned more of the area and I built more relationships with the members:) We had member splits on sunday and it was the first member splits I had as a missionary..PRETTY AWESOME!!!

Anyway.. thats awesome news about Grandpa Rimington.  What part of the temple does he work in?

Splits with members and goofy!

President Nelson is coming to the mission to speak to the missionaries on Feb.18th. I am super excited to meet him and that will be another Apostle marked off my list hahaha:)

Nothing crazy happened this week. I have some AWE-Mazing photos that I am downloading for you. Did you hear about Christie? She was called to the Tacoma Washington mission. :)

On top of the Jeepny

Happy for the whole family and all their accomplishments thus far!!! Not mush to report....I love you and will have a lot to say next week about President Nelson!!!

Love,

Elder Evans  

Family Home Evening

Loving It!

Dear family,

After a lesson w/Julia Jabagat & Sister

I glad to hear that you week went well:) Its always fun to get a visit from the Utah gang even though they are never at the house...LOL!!! I am amazed to hear about the new young mens presidency and I know they will do amazing things to that program:) I'm glad the ward asks about me..hhehe tell them I said hi back and tell Sister Nguyen that I appreciate her sending me Micheal's emails.I love reading about his mission:) So give her a huge thank you for me:) 

A Philippine Sunset

Transfers this past week were emergency transfers but they were not because of me. hehe I have a feeling I will either be training or DL (district leader) so they are just giving me 2 weeks to learn the area:) I don't know for sure:) 

We get revelation during personal study

I love my new area and my companion, although quiet, has a really powerful testimony:) Nothing probably will be able to replace the freindships I made in Tuyom but nothing is impossible:) 

Baptism of Nicolas Pineda

I downloaded more pictures so if you want to check them out go ahead:) We had a baptism on Saturday and he is a very strong RC (recent convert) because before, Elder Barrera (my new companion) said he had a lot of personal things to work out.

Philippine scenery

Not much all is going on but I will let you know next week all my adventures:)

Love you all and I hope all is well

Love,

Elder Evans

I love the view