Best Week Of My Mission So Far

Hey Family hows it going?! well it sounds like your doing good so i'll get right into it! i'm completly honest when i say that this was the best week of my mission so far! oh man the experiances where amazing! And plus my comp is so legit it makes things way fun. ok so first off on tuesday i was kind of nervous cause i had to lead the area but i ended up having one of the best days ever! oh man let me tell you something... i've learned and seen first hand the spirit of the lord take over in our work and in peoples lives. i cant even put to words the way i've seen the spirit work here. So tuesday we went to this one house and i was expecting the mom but she wasn't there and it was her daughter who i had never met before anyways we started talking and my comp is way good and so we got her to open up and at the end of the lesson we gave her a blessing and before we left she said she really needed our help and was so grateful we came. i was like wow that was truly the spirit it was unreal i wish i could better describe it through words haha. so then we went to another girls house and she was having a rough week and was praying for help. i was like holy cow the spirit is guiding us to these people and they really need us. anyways at the end of that lesson we gave her a blessing as well. i was just in awe the whole day cause i couldn't believe how blessed we were. so then wednesday my comp and elder mansfield's comp had to go to urdenta for a leader training meeting so it was just us two who both don't speak good tagalog haha. anyways when we were in a taxi i tried talking to this guy and he was not having it. granted my tagalog isn't good but i was still asking good questions and i knew they were understandlable! but he just wouldn't have it haha. it was a long taxi ride and i was like fine he doesn't want to hear it. but then i had a strong feeling i needed to give him a book of mormon. at first i was like no way this guy won't even say two words to me but the feeling got stronger and stronger and i was getting nervous cause my tagalog but i trusted in the spirit and took a leap of faith. it was a big step for me cause before i could do it cause i know my companion can back me up if i can't speak but this time it was all me so i did it and he ended up really appreciating it and finally loosened up a bit haha. oh man i was just glad i listened to the promptings of the spirit! it was a amazing experience cause like it says in D&C oh man i can't remember exactly but when it says open your mouth and the words will be there... something like that and thats what happened it was really neat. so then on thursday oh man it was great we went and visited a less active and she married a non-member and she really opened up to us and really misses the church and has been having a rough time lately and how she was so grateful that we showed up! i just couldn't believe again and again the spirit led us to people that needed our help. we ended up giving another blessing to her as well. oh man it was just so good! day after day i saw the hand of the lord leading and guiding us! then on sunday she came to Church with her whole family! oh man it was amazing!!!!! greatest feeling ever! and the koreans came to church but they have to go to the earlier ward for now but thats ok cause were going to get them baptized! thats our goal and its going to happen! all in all it was just the greatest experiance i wish i could tell you every single one but that would take forever haha. just know this week was the best and i just love it! it really made me love the mission. and it flying by i swear everyday just flies by. i love you guys so much! Mahal kita Elder Machen

"Getting Pumped!"

Wow what a week haha. spent most of the week with the zone leaders and it was good. we met with a lot of good people and its always a good time with them. we had a good time! so im guessing your all waiting to hear about my new comp eh? haha oh man he's a stud. Elder Azores from the southern philippines i think like down by cebu so pretty far but he is great and has already taught me a ton. he's way good at teaching and helps me with the language. he speaks way good english and gets american humor haha so we've already been laughing a ton. i'm way pumped for this transfer and hope it doesn't go by to quick cause we're having tons of fun. one thing he taught me is that we can do the work and do it right and be obedient but still have fun while doing it. haha im way pumped!!! should be a great transfer. we had a area broadcast and the area presidency announced the new focus to all the philippines and i'm way excited cause our ward is on board and is willing to help us a ton. our bishop is fired up and so we just need to take advantage of the great opportunity and get some work done! i've truly been blessed by the lord this week cause i saw a improvement with my tagalog. it really helped me grow some confidence. i still have a long way to go with it but i know it's coming slowly but surely which is great! this week was so good! a spiritual experience that happened this week is we where teaching this less active and she used to be way in the church had a bunch of callings and was a strong member. anyways she married outside and started to fall away its been awhile since she's come to church and so we were trying to help her and figure out whats wrong. cause we've visited with her before and she hasn't really said anything to us. but this time she opened up and broke down. it's amazing to see the spirit work on these people. i've realized that one of the biggest thing us missionaries can do is bring back that spirit in there home and try to re-kindle that flame! it's great to see when people feel that spirit and it humbles them. the spirit was really strong in there and i know she was feeling it. we ended up giving her a blessing and she said she really needed one. hopefully we see some progress out of her and see her come back to church. so it was really neat. one thing kind of sad though is the koreans haven't been to church in 2 weeks now. we weren't able to visit them because they had exams this week. they've been being taught since like july so it's to the point where their not really progressing cause there not coming to church and we've taught them everything and some things over and over. we may have to drop them but were going to go visit them this week and see whats up. it broke my heart to see them not at church. but we'll do whatever it takes to help them. all in all its been a great week! can't complain one bit! things are really starting to get better and im getting pumped about being out here! i love you guys so much. Mahal Kita Elder Machen

"To Be Offended is a Choice"

kamusta family! hows everything back in ole idaho? that sucks there's still no snow! man i can't believe it! i'm glad i'm not there haha. well not much happened this week. it was kind of slow. my comps going home tomorrow and so i'll be spending the week with the zone leaders i think. haha should be fun but im kind of nervous for wednesday because i have to give a workshop at zone meeting. our ZL asked me to help him give one haha guess what it's on?... learning and studying the language haha. i was like are you kidding me? how can i give a workshop on the language when i can't even speak it. he just said i notice you study it the most so your going to do it. haha alright here we go. i've been trying to prepare it this week so hopefully it goes well! i get a new comp on friday and so that will be exciting and i'm guarenteed to be here in baguio for at least another transfer. can't complain about that. but yeah not much happened this week. the language was tough but one of the members that was gone for a couple weeks was a members house last night and i had to share a scriptual thought for family home evening and she said my tagalog is improving so hopefully all this hard work is paying off. haha i asked my comp if my tagalog has gotten any better since i've been here and he said yeah and then i asked if he thinks i'm studying hard enough and he said i was studying it too much haha. he said just relax and you'll learn it in time. haha well thats not the way i see it...i need to learn it as fast as possible cause im sick of being quiet and everybody thinks im shy! it ticks me off and just motivates me to study harder. cause you all know i'm not shy haha i just can't understand what their saying so i just sit there haha kinda frusturating. but all is well. something kinda.....well i dont know what you call it but a experiance i had the other day is we were teaching this less active and my comp was sharing a scripture about being more humble. then it was my turn to talk and i was planning out what i was going to say i had something in mind but didn't know if i should say it cause i didn't want to offend him even more then he is. so i start talking haha (in broken tagalog) something about being more humble and then i looked straight at him and i said "brother to be offended is a choice." before i could say anything else he looked up at me quickly and said "Come again Elder" oh man was i nervous or what! i was thinking of freak i just ticked this guy off and now he's never coming back haha. then i looked right at him again and said "brother to be offended is a choice." he just stared at me for what felt like forever but really like 5 seconds then looked at the ground and nodded in agreement. wooooo oh man i was realived at the end of the lesson that he wasn't ticked! cause i was thinking about saying that but had decided against it but it just came out! i couldn't believe how bold it was but i know it was directed from the spirit cause i was prompted to say it. haha i never thought as a 19 year old kid from idaho would ever be doing anything like this! this is amazing work and i've learned the spirit really works through us. it was a testimony builder for me for sure. before we left his house i got up and shook his hand and he looked me dead in the eyes and said "thank you Elder". this is a great work and a wonder out here and i'm glad to be a part of it. its the gnarliest roller coaster i've ever ridden but i wouldnt change it for anything. so yeah sorry i dont have much else to share but i love you guys and im glad everthing is going well back home! mom goodluck with your class this week! you'll do fine don't worry just know it will pay off in the long run. Dad keep reaching and going after the goals you set! Karter keep working hard and have fun skiing! well family i love ya a ton and im sure ill have a ton to talk about next week haha. Mahal Kita Elder Machen


p.s. i just herd that Elder Tapusoa is training this transfer! haha hes the youngest one in the mission. Its crazy but hes a great leader and i know he will do a great job!

Another Good Week in the Mission! 2012!

Kamusta pamilya! well this week was another good week in the mission can't complain. it was way good to talk to you this last week! it helped me alot haha. this transfer has gone by so fast! holy cow it's already week 5! my comp goes home next tuesday and i get a new one on friday i'm kinda nervous but it will be a good challenge cause i will have to lead the area for a the first couple weeks! it's alright though. we went on exchanges this week and i usually go to another elders area but this time elder frandsen made us go to my area and i had to lead it! i was way nervous and kinda stressing but i knew all the places and everybodys house so it worked out. it was tough though cause i think we got punted at almost everyones house haha. kinda frusturating but oh well i guess that happens once in a while. it gave me some confidence that i can do it though. i know im really going to have to rely on the spirit for help though! that's one big thing i've learned is how much i have to rely on the spirit everyday! but i know that when we're doing what were supposed to he will always be there for us and help us through any trail we may have. we thought we were going to have a baptism this week with the koreans but that doesn't look like it's going to happen. i'm way bummed but they didn't come to church so we went and visited them and they thought it started at 9 but they changed it to 1 so i guess that was our fault but the one girl she went with a friend but the 4 other boys didn't go and so it doesn't look so good. were just going to have to keep working with them! it's alright though it will happen someday for them i know that. we also had zone interviews with president and it was good to talk to him for a little bit he's a great mission president and has done a lot of good for this mission. the language oh boy... haha that's tested my patience more then anything. somedays i feel like im speaking well and others i just draw a complete blank. like this week we were teaching our recent convert the follow up lessons and i honestly could barely say anything i was struggling way bad, it's way frusturating but i know if i keep working hard and studying hard it will happen. thats one thing i've learned when we have trials or struggles we will always recieve help, it may just not be in our time frame. Heavenly Father knows whats best for us so he will help when he knows whats best. thats been really comforting to know that and taught me a lot of patience and i constantly have to be reminded of that haha. so yeah but holy cow New Years here, its nuts! holy cow now i understand why we have a curfew at 6! they have these things that our like huge bombs and they go off all night for like 4 days straight. then news years eve at about 11:30 i was awoken by what i thought was world war 3! those bomb things and fireworks and car horns people hoopy and hoolorin holy cow it was nuts! haha i couldn't believe it and everybody is drunk haha. so it was quite interesting but a good experiance haha. its already 2012 crazy! well yeah that was this week lots of ups and downs but its all good! i love you guys so much and thanks for all the support! this is a great work and a wonder what missionaries do all over the world! have a good new year and reach those goals you have set! Mahal Kita Elder Machen