January 14, 2013

Hello Everyone,

So you all saw that comment about me on the Carlos' mission blog eh? I thought that was pretty funny too. 

Laura and Tyler got hitched how exciting, It looks like everything went well. I guess ya'all backed out on printing a life size picture of me. Oh well I will cry about that one later.

So things are going really well out here in the Philippines, I am proud to say that we have seen some incredible growth in our Zone and in our own area, Its been great to see. This week me and my companion were able to find a new investigator! She is married to an RM that went less-active, so we are excited to teach her and reactivate the RM. There is nothing more frustrating to me then teaching less-active RMs. So moral of the story is once you have served the Lord on a mission DON'T STOP! haha

Have I ever told you how beautiful it is here? I wish I could send you pictures but the camera just doesn't do it justice, just yesterday as we were walking down a muddy path on one side there was an irrigation ditch and on the other was the beautiful green rice fields that I love so much. As we were walking I could just feel how wonderful the creations of Heavenly Father really are, I know he loves me and I know that he loves all of us. I hope you all can feel that same feeling from time to time.

I love the work, and I love the people. I have learned so much from them, they are so humble and yet so happy for the blessings that they have. Yesterday we were teaching a family about tithing in there mud floor house while chickens were running around. We shared with them a quote From Gordon B. Hinckley, that he said on one of his trips to the Philippines, he said " Furthermore, I believe with all my heart that if they will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads." As we shared this the spirit filled the room of this humble family and testified to me that it was true. I love this quote, I love the Prophets and Apostles that are inspired men of God that are lead and directed by our Heavenly Father.

This week I borrowed a book from my companion, "Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell" it was great I finished it in 2 days.  Speaking of books are you going to send me "The Miracle of Forgiveness?" I sure would love to have it.

Thank you all for your love and support. I hope that you have a great week. 

I love you all 

Elder Proctor 

PS. I almost didn't write an email this week, but then I remembered how worried Mom would get when I would get home late and didnt know where I was. So you are welcome. 

PPS. Can I request a little more effort on the emails you all send? I love the emails but sometimes it almost sounds like its a chore for you to write me. Thank You

January 6, 2013

Hello Everybody,

Well Mom has told me that since Martha is home I have to step up my letters... hehe fat chance!
This week has been a good one, oh yeah Happy New Year everybody!
The best thing that happened to me this week was that 3 recent converts from my last area wrote me! It was so good to hear from them, 2 of them invited me to their temple sealing this october! so I might be able to go with them when I come home. and the Little Quilang girl wrote me telling me how she got up to bear her testimony about Thomas Monson. It was one of the happiest days of my mission.
I love all of you, if you want longer letters then write me and tell me more than your grocery list :)

Love,
Elder Proctor

December 31, 2012

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all had a great Christmas! I sure did! Most of the people we are teaching made it out to the ward Christmas Party, so that was pretty neat.
But then after Christmas I got a Cold then the next day a Cough and then the day after that it was raining while we were out and I slipped and fell on my right leg kind of funny and sprained my knee haha but its all good I just had to rest a day keeping ice on it. Its all good now.
What else can I tell you, oh yeah just before I sprained my knee we found a past investigator that wants to be taught now. that was the highlight of that particular day.
I am in one of those moods where I don't want to write a lot.
It was great to Skype to you all, next time though I would rather talk to you guys one at a time instead of all at once. if that is okay.
I love all you!

Love,

Elder Proctor

December 17, 2012

Hello y'all,
Well since you guys didn't decide when we are going to Skype I guess that I will, So i will be online 8:00am(my time)  Dec 25th. if this is a bad time then you need to let me know when by next monday okay. Thank you
Yes its okay for me to email back and forth with if you are online, we have an unlimited time for our email time.
This week has been great! my comp went home and I got a new one! Elder Armoreda, he is awesome, and I think that he is more American than I am, last night I asked him if he wanted rice and he said no haha I am more Filipino than I thought. And our investigator was baptized it was great! I will send a picture to dad.
So tomorrow is our mission Christmas Party and its going to be a blast, Its going to be a last Christmas in the field.
Sorry this is short, but I am tired from playing rugby haha
I love all of you
Love Elder Proctor
Merry Christmas

December 10, 2012

Hello Family,

How is the Christmas season going back home?  With Skyping for Christmas, I can skype on the 24th 25th or 26th, y'all just pick a day that works. Who is going to be home for Christmas? 

Anyway things are going great here, we have a baptism coming up this Saturday, my companion goes home on Wednesday, and a Zone Meeting on Tuesday. So its going to be a busy week,

So this week we attended a baptism in the sisters area and after we went to Mcdonalds and the new couple missionaries, Elder and Sister Kiholm from Huricane Utah, were there and they offered to buy us dinner, actually they kind of insisted it haha but  as we were talking to them they told us that this is there 2nd mission that they have served. They say they are making up for lost time because they were less active for most of their lives and they said that 7 out of 8 of their kids are less active, and Elder Kiholm told me that when I become a father and if I want to be a good one, I have to set an example. That made me think of my Dad, and the amazing example that he has been to me all my life and that reminds me of a great country song called "Ive Been Watching You" it is a great song, I love you dad, and you too mom. And I love all of you! 

Sorry this is short we are short on time 

Merry Christmas 

Love Elder Proctor

December 3, 2012

Hello Everybody,

So Mom I will be able to Skype on Christmas you just tell me the time. Speaking of Christmas, the Filipinos have a tradition that is like caroling mixed with trick or treating only when they come to your house and sing, they don't leave until you give them money! How neat is that.

Oh and do you know that book I am always asking for? the Book of Missionary Inspirational Stories, I finally got to read it and it was great! There was one story in there that I wanted to share, So its low tide on a beach and there are tons of star fish that are going to die unless they get back in the water, and there is a young man on the beach just chucking them into the water one at a time, saving them one at a time, an older man sees this guy on the beach and says to him "quit wasting your time! there are miles of beach and there are millions of starfish, how will you ever make a difference?" and then the younger man picks up another starfish and says "I made a difference for that one." How cool is that! I realize that I may not be able to teach the whole city about the gospel but I can make a difference for a few of them.

So this week I have been thinking about my emails home and I realized that I need to write better so this week I have been praying that I would be able to write you guys more and that I could bring you to the Cauayan Mission. So I was thinking last nights about what I could write and I thought of the Philippines and that got me thinking about the things that I dont have here, but that also made me realize what I do have.
For example, here in the Philippines its crazy hot and would be awesome to have air conditioning, but I have an electric fan that works as long as there is electricity and there is electricity 80% of the time, there are others that have less. I also thought about the food here and even though its not the food I am used to and sometimes its not very good, but I am never hungry. Or the running water that we have and the water filter! Clean and drinkable water! Some people dont have that. Or my worn out shoes that have holes in them and are falling apart, well at least I have shoes. Or my feet and knees that are always sore from walking, well at least I can walk! Or my shirts that are getting holes from hand washing them, at least I have clothes to wear. Our apartment maybe small and hot but at least I have a safe place to sleep every night. My Family back home that loves and supports me, and understands why I am out here, The Gospel and its endless blessing. There are so many things that I have to be grateful for and I know that I have these things because of a Heavenly Father that loves me.

I love all of you! Cant wait to talk to you this Christmas!
Love Elder Proctor

November 26, 2012

Hey Y'all,

I see that there is a bit of an uproar going on back home because of my short letters haha you guys have to forgive me, I didn't play Mavis Beacon typing games like Martha, and I barely passed in all my computer skills classes. And My English is degrading everyday! I have been living with native companions for and entire year, and we don't use English. But today I am going to make an effort to tell you a little more about my mission and how I am doing, it might not make sense but that's okay :) 

 

So I am doing well, I am still recovering from a cold, which is kind of annoying because I have a stuffy nose and Tagalog is a language that needs clear nasal passages haha the language is going pretty good I am still learning but I can have a conversation with anyone and say just about anything I want. The Gift of tongues is real! A week ago, this 10 year old girl we are teaching kept asking me questions like, "Why is your nose so long?" Why are you white?" Why is your hair golden?" and I told her because I am an American, and she said "Really! I thought you were a Filipino!" I got a good laugh out of it.

 

Oh I found this setting on my camera that I can use to just do a voice recording, I am going to try that out and see if I can send you guys a tape through the email.

 

I am also going to start a video journal, I will do one video every month till I go home, I thought that it would be cool to have after the mission.

Isaac asked if we go tracting, we do but not a whole lot. We do eat at members homes and share with them and that's also were we get new investigators, friends of the members or relatives.

Missionary work here is different then I ever imagined it to be, we dont get doors slamed in our face, preachers don't fight with us, or any of that good stuff. Which is good but at the same time kind of annoying because we will talk to people and then set up a time where we can share a message with them and they will agree to it even if they aren't interested so that's why we don't to a whole lot of tracting. We work a lot with recent converts and less active members to get/keep them active. And in the process we find new investigators.

What else, do you guys want to know?

our apartment is tiny, it could probably fit in the wood shop back home, our bathroom is about 4ft by 3ft with a toilet and a faucet and a bucket, oh this might gross you guys out but oh well, we don't use toilet paper here! its water and your hand, its like the wet and wild out here haha but don't you worry about me I am an expert at washing my hands haha.

Doing our laundry by hand is no fun but I can normally get it all done in an hourish, we do our laundry twice a week so its not to bad, but I wouldnt mind a washer and dryer, even just a dryer would be great, because most of the time its raining here so we have to hang our clothes inside and that attracts the skeeters and they have denge which is not good haha

Is this a satisfactory letter for all of you? I don't think that I can do this every week haha we will see.

I love it out here and I love all of you

I will try to send a recording with my next email.

This work is true.

Elder Proctor