WEEK 10 : SURPRISE ! I'M GOING TO BE ON TV?

   You'll never believe what I'm doing right now. Later on Monday night President Koster called Elder Enari and I and said we were going to be on a news program that wants to do a documentary on foreigners learning Tagalog. They are going to follow us around and see what its like doing missionary work.  Its really crazy and its hard to speak Tagalog with all the cameras. We're going to be sikat (famous). Its really crazy and seems super random.  Its cool though. We got to go to the mission home again and see President and his wife. They're so cool and helping us out. Right now we're doing a tour of the MTC here in Manila and what happens at an MTC. They wanted us to simulate an email but President being the cool guy he is said that we could actually email you guys. Theres literally a camera right next to me right now filming my face as I email. Its weird, but we got to eat good food and I hope it will lead to referrals. I got to see some people from the Provo MTC that came 3 weeks after me. Its so weird. I'm going to be on T.V. here in the Philippines. I think it will be put on youtube too. 
   They're going to interview us and follow us to appointments which makes things hard because we have to make sure its ok and we don't want to overwhelm our investigators so maybe we will just visit less actives. Its all happening so fast and we haven't had much time to plan for anything because we found out last night and we didn't have all the info last night but we're doing it and I'm doing my best to speak Tagalog. I'm trying to blow their minds with my 3 weeks of Tagalog.  Tagalog is very hard to speak but I can do it with the Lord's help. I've already seen Him helping me today. I've said a few sentences with ease and understood some but I'm nowhere close to fluent but it will come with hard work and diligence. So like I said you will be able to see this and see me. It should be good and you can laugh at my Tagalog. I've been here 3 weeks and Elder Enari has been here 9 months and the other sisters they are interviewing have been here 15 months. I got to go now.  I'm happy to be here teaching and helping people come unto Christ.

Love,

Elder Snyder

Here is a picture of Balut, Yes that is a duck fetus

WEEK 10 : CHRISTMAS ALREADY?

     Its already Christmas here, its so funny. The people start putting up Christmas trees and playing Christmas songs on the radio. they love it here. Back in America people get annoyed if the songs are played before thanksgiving but here they start in September which is so funny.  
    We've been teaching a less active family and they know what they need to do but they're just not doing it. We're doing our best to motivate them and help them realize that the gospel blesses families. I've seen it here. The members that are poor are so much happier than others that have more, and there are some really poor members. They live in huts on the edge of the city. its dirty and full of bugs and stuff and the city is just straight concrete. they are so densely packed. its crazy. There was this one lady we taught whose whole house was smaller than my room at home, very humbling. The majority of people here are so poor and living so humbly. I'm thankful that I can buy some things but it really is different and not the same.  I had exchanges with elder Peihopa on Tuesday and we worked hard and I learned a lot but I really love working in my own area.  
    On Wednesday all of our first four appointments worked out and we taught great lessons. We first taught Rochelle. She's thirteen and lives with members while her mom lives in the province and is a member and wants her to be baptized. She's progressing towards baptism and is on track which makes me excited.  We then taught Jedd Laderas, who is so smart and remembers basically everything we teach. Its just important he gains that witness from the spirit even if he knows all the doctrine. He needs a testimony of the restoration.  We then taught leanoard, who is so cool. He is progessing so fast and I can see his testimony growing which is exciting. Our next appointment was with Roberto, he is a tailor. he works all day and can barely feed his kids. he has to take out a loan to feed them and then work to pay it off. I really want to help him but I'm only 18 and don't have the experience but I do have the gospel so I'm praying to know what he needs. 
     Our day had a rotten turn to things,  the san tiana family said to not teach them anymore. it was sad.  It got better because there were these kids in the street that passed me a basketball so I dribbled and passed with them a bit. I put them through the spin cycle and taught them how to do no look passes. It was so fun to bring out my skills with  the kids here, its nice to practice my Tagalog with them.  
    Thursday was trainer trainee meeting and I got to see my batch from the MTC again which was fun. We stayed after and did service and then there was a taco bell because we're in downtown Quezon for the meeting. It was a nice taste of the border which  was so good, tender mercy.  We then gave sister silvoza a blessing later that night. it was a cool experience.     
    Friday we taught jojo. We were finally able to get him. he feels so alone and needs this gospel so bad. We're gonna help him. He is really open with us and I think he is starting to see the importance of the gospel and how it can help him.  
    Saturday was so cool.  We taught Rochelle again with a member. It's so nice having members present and I invite everyone to try to work with the missionaries. It helps so much and provides another powerful testimony. Please everyone, be member missionaries.             We went to the Fernandez family and taught the tatay. His family is members but he isnt and he is gonna get baptized. I already know it. he was really receptive. Then later we found two people. One was an old tatay and he wants to hear more and another is a guy living alone. we walked past him and then like 10 steps later my companion and I both had this feeling that we should go back and so we did and he let us in and we taught him.  It was a cool experience. He's a prime candidate and the Lord guided us to him. So cool.  
   The crowning moment this week was I ate balut on Sunday. It was like a rite of passage to becoming a Filipino. It's weird but doesn't taste too bad. It made the members house we were at so happy, blew their mind. They thought, a white kid eating balut? ano ba iyan? we had a good amount of investigators at church and I can see the area changing before my eyes. Its so cool. I'm excited and getting more used to things. My advice is to always be diligent and do our best to come to know Jesus Christ. He can and will help us with everything and I've seen it happen to me and the people here. I love you all.

Elder Snyder

WEEK 9: COCKROACHES , DOGS, AND CHICKENS

Hello everyone. 
    This week was another good week with lots of hard work and craziness. We are still trying to find more investigators like always but are grateful for the ones we have to teach. We are teaching 3 people right now and they're progressing pretty good. Here in the Philippines they have to live the word of wisdom and go to church for four consecutive weeks to be baptized. That makes all baptisms at least one month out. The dates for our investigators are all in November. I'm excited and want to keep finding but I think teaching is more fun. 
   Even though Tagalog is hard I feel better now when teaching. I realize making mistakes is part of the process and so I just go for it and hope the Spirit will do the translating for them. Teaching is crazy because there's just chickens and cockroaches and dogs and all sorts of animals to distract.  Not every lesson has all of those but usually at least one type of  distraction. Even the traffic when we're in a house that's close to the road. Its either so loud here or quiet. lots of people say they're "busy" which is frustrating. I went on exchanges on Thursday and it was cool.  There's a lot of awesome members here. We're trying to work with them and then missionary work will take off. 
   Last Monday we had an FHE appointment with an investigator but ten minutes before we arrived there was a brownout and apparently our investigator had left to go somewhere that had electricity.  It stunk but we still had a good FHE and shared about the light of Christ seeing that there was no electricity.  Filipinos are so funny. They do the  funniest things.  They're happy.  some people have very little but are still happy. its humbling. On Sunday because of the storm, church was cancelled because we have to travel far because the chapel close is being renovated. We taught an investigator in the morning and then helped take the sacrament to a lot of members. It was so cool and I liked being able to serve the members. I don't have a lot of time but the church is true and Heavenly Father is aware of our individual problems and situations. We just need to pray to Him in Faith. Love you all.   
   A few pictures at the airport on our way to Manila , Philippines. 

Elder Snyder

Disney is everywhere

Enjoyed some Mickey D's in Hong Kong

Picture of all of us going to Manila

Gotta have my hammock

View from our apartment

WEEK 8: NOT IN AMERICA ANYMORE

   Holy cow its been crazy. Being in the field is so much different and way harder. It feels like everyday is so long but we are definitely working hard. Its just my companion and I in our area. Its so big and we have a ton of work to do.  We're working with members, less actives and finding and teaching investigators. We are basically rebuilding it from nothing. Its really hard but we're organized and have a good vision for the area and through faith we can do it! 
   So the Manila MTC wasn't much compared to actually going out. The Philippines roads are crazy. The roads seem like theres no rules but everything still runs smoothly. We ride jeepneys (like a medium size bus with lots of people on them, even on top) and trikes but mostly jeepneys because trikes are more expensive.  The food is weird and takes some getting used to but I think i'm slowly getting there. I still have to eat baloot though. I'm scared to eat it.(Fifteen or Sixteen-day fertilized chicken egg) Its creepy.  I had some intestine problems the first little bit but its starting to get better now. Not as bad. I was so tired and had a headache and have been trying to drink tons of water. I think I'm still adjusting to missionary life. Its hard here because its just us and its hot and I'm not used to it. Its a good area though. We're going to do great things! Our ward is awesome and I'm doing my best to remember all their names but theres so many.  We've taught a lot and are working hard to activate people and find. Its hard work.  I'm definitely not in America anymore. Its crazy. The people are poor here. In the city theres some really poor people and some better off people but its still humbling and I've only been here less than a week. Our apartment is nice though. Its in a nice safe part which is nice but we have to go without some luxuries.  Theres also cold showers and no A/C but we use fans. Its better than nothing. I'm serving in Taguig and my companion is elder Enari. We're both foreigners which is unusual. Hes from Australia. He's been out 9 months. His Tagalog is really good. He helps me out. Tagalog is ridiculous here. I understand some but its so different and spoken so fast and I do my best to follow along and teach. Its testing me mentally to stay focused all day and trying constantly to figure out what people are saying. Its rough but I'll get through.
     We've had cool experiences of finding. Yesterday we were walking and I just stopped and talked to this tatay and then after neither my companion or I could understand a word he said we looked to his daughter standing there and she talked to us and then pointed us to some guys standing across the street and we taught them and hopefully they'll be there when we get back. We also found another family that was interested and then he had us teach his brother right after who lived next door. It was cool.  Its a hard adjustment but its ok. Its where the Lord needs me. Conference was cool and I really enjoyed it. The members are always feeding us. Its crazy. Its not just the members though. We walk into a home and they offer us drinks and food, without fail.  When we're proselyting we're basically never hungry. Its rude to refuse so we have to judge the situtation and eat the food.  Everything is really cheap here compared to America.  Enjoy the pictures.

Pagmamahal
Elder Snyder

My second MTC experience

The Newbies / Greenies

This is the tunnel from the MTC to the Temple

Mr. Spider in the tunnel to the Temple

Manila Temple

My first missionary think / study station

My Trainer, Elder Enari