Danao

•Danao 2nd Ward!‏ 2/20/2013

Kamusta tanan!
Things are definitely looking bright (not just the weather) Danao - another city area!  It's not what Americans would think of as a city, but in the Philippines, it definitely counts as a city.  So this is my third area, and sixth companion, sixth transfer, and seventh month in the mission field - time definitely flies when you're a servant of the lord! Here in Danao 2nd Ward, the auxiliaries seem to be functioning like they should - unlike Naga where everyone wants to go home right after church, here we had to get the auxiliary presidents from their meetings to have ward council meeting.  And we started church at 11am!  It is so good to see so much commitment and cooperation in a ward.  There are things to improve, of course, but it's good to see that it will most likely be taken care of right away whenever there's any problems. 
Sorry, this might have been a little choppy, I was helping my companion with his English as he was writing to our mission president :P
Looks like I'm out of time!  Hope all's well with you and yours!
A servant of the Lord,
(Og sulugoon sa Ginoo,)
Si Elder Dallin Carlson

Important Announcement

2/19/2013

My Dear Elders and Sisters,

We have been given exciting news from the Church Missionary Department. On July 1, 2013, the Church is going to divide the Cebu Mission and organize a new mission. The new mission will be called the Philippines Cebu East Mission. A new mission president will be called and will begin his service on July 1, 2013. The new mission home will be in Lilo-an Cebu. We are waiting for details to come about the exact boundaries of the new mission, and the old Cebu Mission. I will continue to preside over the Phils. Cebu Mission and will remain in our Mission Home in the temple complex.

I know this announcement will cause much excitement among the missionaries. There will be a lot of talk about what it means. Obviously, on July 1, 2013 about half of you will become part of the new Phils. Cebu East Mission and will have a new president and many new opportunities and experiences ahead of you. But we will all still be close by each other and we will labor together in the vineyard of the Lord. As we learn more about what will happen, and details are given, I will give you more information.

Stand firm in the faith and be believing. The work will go on, and the Lord's miracles will be performed in his way. My wife and I are excited to be part of this work. It is a historic time in the Church. The new Phils. Cebu Mission is only one of many new missions being created both in the Philippines and throughout the world because of the many thousands of new missionaries coming into the field. We are indeed and truly hastening the work of the gathering.

We love you all, and always will, no matter what happens in the creation of this new mission.

•Transfers na!‏ 02/13/2013

Well, it's another beautiful day in Naga, and today happens to be transfer day.  it's hard after 3 transfers to leave Naga but I'll trust the next missionary to help take care of the area - I'm going to a place called Danao, apparently it's city as well.  I've only seen a small part of the mission area, only city areas and only areas within 1-2 hour travel from the mission home, including my next area, a ways north of Cebu City.

I'm going to miss this area and all the people here, but I am going to have another area which will not replace, but add to my experiences and acquaintances here.  The mission has it's hardships, especially in the Philippines with all the Catholicism and poor people who have trouble paying plete to go to church and everything else, but I'm also learning and growing more on my mission than at any other time - I would like to tell anyone who is wondering whether or not to serve a mission, this is what the Lord wants for "every worthy young man" - countless of his representatives have said so, and this is one more saying the same thing.  Anyone who serves and puts all of themselves in, will get that much more out - blessings and growth, both themselves and their families.

And now I'm out of time  - Love you all and hope you're all doing well!

Og missionary sa Ginoo, 

Elder Dallin Carlson

Pictures

 He got the package we sent over with a lady from the Philippines!  

Shirts and ties for his new investigators, with a few prizes and vitamins for him that we squished in.

 Dunking a coconut....

 Grapes of awesomeness (his title)

•Naga Elders!‏ 02/06/2013

Hey Everyone!

Yet another week in Naga!  I love the weather here right now - there's this awesome breeze right now, so I don't even need my panyo right now!  However, It just feels like later it's just going to get hotter and hotter so that'll make it interesting :)

Anyways, the work's going well here in Naga - it's hard to find all the people on our ward list! there's 560 of them and so we're going by households, finding out where people live and who died years and years ago, who moved to Manilla, and who's not interested - we've been going back in the history of our bishops, going to each of them and asking who they know - we've done a lot of asking, but they only know a tiny portion and there's so many people on there, and only the general  town they're in(if they're still even there)!

So right now we're using a lot of time just to try and gather what little information we can and it takes awhile for them to go through 21 pages and that's just the households - the bishops don't even know all of them- it looks like we may just have to have all the less actives go through it and tell us about those who were there when they were active :P It's not going to show up in our stats immediately, but eventually it's going to turn into less actives visited for the first time and then maybe eventually a few returning! we just need help with this and eventually this will help us and all the other elders later here. We're also trying to get the leadership in the ward running like it should because I've learned here that it doesn't matter where you are in the world, in the Philippines or the USA, there's a certain way that everything is supposed to run and it's even outlined in the red handbook - I just wish they had that in Visayan/Cebuano!

Looks like that's it - I'm out of time! hope everything's going well!
Og misyonaryo sa Ginoo,
Elder Carlson