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

November 12, 2012

Hey Y'all,
 

I am glad to hear that you are all doing well. Everything is going great here in the Philippines, It turns out that my Companion will be going home this December so that he can be there when his family gets sealed. I was kind of bummed at first because we get along so well and I wanted to have more then 6 weeks to work with him. but its all cool. Do you want to know something cool about my comp? so when I asked him what he did for fun before his mission he said "Drag Racing Motorcycles!" haha how neat is that? 

 

My new area is great, the ward is so organized which is refreshing, all the leaders are humble and hard working which is also great. I love the work, even when its hot and we are sweating from our eyelids! its still a blast talking to people about the truth of the restored gospel. I love the people here. Its all good

 

I love you all and wish you all the best.

 

Love,

Elder Proctor

PS about the election... lets not forget that as Americans its "In God We Trust"

love you all

November 5, 2012

Hello all,
 
So you are all doing well from what I hear. Especially Mom with her quilt retreat coming up, haha I cant imagine anything better than non-stop quilting!
 
So I got transferred! I am in a little town ,or Barangay as they call it here, named Baluarte near Santiago City for those of you that love google earth. My new companion is Elder Rocaberte, I will get a picture by next week. He is way cool and fun to be around. The Lord really knows me and he has shown it my putting me with another gear head haha he loves motorcycles too and its usually what we talk about while we eat.
Baluarte is a cool area, its out in the rice fields, its nice to be out of the city and get fresh air. But now I have to wash clothes by hand again... yay say goodbye to 4hrs of P-Day, but I am looking forward to the experiences that I will have here and the things that I will learn.

Hey Jake, do you remember a Aaron Cass? he says you used to be his ym leader in St. George. he just got here last Thursday.

I love this work so much, I love all of you I hope you know that and don't forget it. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth so what reason do we have to be sad? Eternal Life, Joy, Peace, and Love are all waiting for us if we just do what is right. SO LETS DO IT!
 
Love,
Elder Proctor

10-29-12

Have ACTIVITIES!!! With your FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!
Williams talk was awesome! way to go buddy.

So this was an exciting week with the baptism, completing the Quilang Family! It was so cool to see the gospel bless this family. I love them.
We also had our quarterly interviews with the Mission President, and he told me that I would be transferred, I am sure gonna miss this area, and the people here, but I know that the Lord has other plans for me, even though I would love to stay here the rest of my mission, its not my will, but his.

I know that this is his work, its done his way, and thats the only way!

President Carlos also told us about the jump in missionary applications, right now there are about 150 missionaries assigned here in the Cauayan Mission and in the next year its going to climb up to 250! Which means there is going to be many new areas opened up! Its really cool to be a part of it. who knows maybe I will have the chance to open a branch! how neat would that be!

what an awesome way to spend 2 years.
I know this work is true, nothing will stop it
I love it and I love all of you
Love Elder Proctor