We're in For a Spooky Transfer Day

This week hasn't quite been the best week of my mission but I'm sitting here at the end of it feeling really happy and content.  

This week I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders in the Manila/Mandaluyong Zone, helped in the office with planning for this upcoming transfer day, and ate lots of candy in preparation for this transfer day that will take place on October 31st!!

Pictures:  (Not sure if they are in order)

- Dinner at the Tablizo family residence.  The father of their family served as the best Bishop of the ward.

- The Giffords, our beloved office senior couple, saw the stress going around the office this week and decided to take us to the nicest restaurant in town, Vikings.  Here is a picture of me waiting at the counter with Elder Gifford :)

- Good ol' Elder Somosa @ Vikings

Learned a lot from this week and I'm always grateful to be a part of this marvelous work.

Love you guys!!  I'll talk to you next week!!

ELDER BURDEOS

2016 - 2018

PHILIPPINES MANILA MISSION

The Island Life 2 #WeMadeItAgain

This week had to have been one of the most memorable and amazing weeks of my whole mission!!  I can't even begin to summarize what went on so I'll just give you the day by day!

Tuesday: We flew out to Palawan and met up with all of the missionaries at a chapel in a place called Malvar.  They were having their interviews with President Fermanis.  I was able to catch up with some friends that I haven't been able to talk to in ages hahaha!  In the evening we held our follow up meeting with all the new missionaries on their trainers.

Wednesday: ZONE CONFERENCE ON PALAWAN!!  I was able to attend my first zone conference here on the island.  We taught with President about extending commitments and improving other teaching skills.  The main focus of what we've been trying to emphasize at our zone conferences has been teaching with plainness.  We did a lot of practicing with the missionaries and I believe we all came out of the conference having had a spiritual experience.  At night we took a shuttle to the missionary house in Roxas!

Thursday: We got on a boat first thing in the morning and headed to a place in the mission called Green Island which is near the port in Roxas.  Green Island is a pretty legendary place because it's one of the newest areas in the mission and within the span of the first 6 weeks of it being opened, the missionaries were able to baptize over 50 people!!  We were able to come down and work there and there is no doubt in my mind that the Lord has prepared the people on the Island to receive the gospel.   The area itself however is pretty extreme.  It has no source of clean water so they get their water delivered from a different island and the Elders here have to go to a well and to get water and use that to shower.  To make it even better, the water is saltier than I am sometimes hehe.

Friday: First thing in the morning we took another boat back to Roxas and we were able to work with the Elders down there!  Their area was basically a giant mountain and we just walked all over the place all day it was crazy haha.  We got some nice views though.

Saturday: We had the pleasure of having our preparation day on Palawan!!  President gave us permission to head to a place called Sabang to experience the "Underground River".  It's one of the most well known attractions in the Philippines and it was beautiful!  While getting on the boat to head back though I tore my 5th pair of pants and that's about all I want to say about that hahahaha!!  We rode bikes on the beach and that was one of my favorite experiences in my whole mission!  At night we took a shuttle to the Zone Leaders apartment in Santa Monica. 

Sunday: The Senior couple picked us up from the Zone Leaders apartment and took us to the airport where we caught our flight back to Manila.  We had a fun time attending church in Mandaluyong 4th Ward and we are grateful for them.

AAANNNNDDD that brings us to today haha!  WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK!

Here are some pictures for you guys, sorry I don't know what order they'll send in so I'll just give descriptions another time hahaha.  

Love you guys!!  Have a good week!

Elder Burdeos

ELDER BURDEOS

2016 - 2018

PHILIPPINES MANILA MISSION

Zone Conference in Manila!

Hello my friends!!  Thanks for tuning in this week.

This last weekend we had the opportunity to watch the rebroadcasts of General Conference and let me just tell you, it really blessed my life.  This General Conference I decided to put down my notebook and as opposed to trying to remember the doctrine and the informational aspect of what the speakers were saying, I tried to remember how I felt hearing those called of God to deliver their messages and it made a big change.  I can truly testify that God is at the helm of this church.

Wednesday we had our zone conference and I'll be honest it was a little bit intimidating teaching in front of half of the mission.   We provided instruction on how to teach with plainness and thanks to the spirit we were all able to learn together and receive revelation.  After the conference I felt a sense of relief from my nerves.  That relief will last up until we have to do it again on Wednesday for the Palawan zone conference hahaha!  I love it!

Pictures:

1) Elder Somosa and I providing instruction at the conference.

2) Post Zone Conference photos!

3) We celebrated the birthday of a Sister missionary!  She bought us all ice cream and brought it to the office for us :) 

4,5,6) Post General Conference with some of my favorite members/missionaries.  I'm so grateful for the friends I've been able to make here :))

I know that Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God.  I love and sustain him along with the other leaders of this church called to guide us in the path of following the Savior.  I will see you guys next week! Love you!

Elder Burdeos

ELDER BURDEOS

2016 - 2018

PHILIPPINES MANILA MISSION

The Island Life #WeMadeIt

HELLO ANG MINAMAHAL KONG MGA KAKILALA

This week simply put was just amazing.  Lots of stuff to keep us busy and I really enjoyed it.

Thursday we had our MLC and once again we were able to meet with the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders and counseled on what we can do to better minister to the needs of our stewardships.  It was enlightening and I'm looking forward to the next time we will have that opportunity.

Something that you should probably know is that the whole mission is aware that I am the only missionary this old in the mission who has never been assigned on Palawan which is our island here.  Well this week President Fermanis being the holy man that he is was prompted to take us down to Palawan with him to check up on the missionaries and build trust with the members and leaders in the southern part of the island.  SO HA HA take that h8ers hahaha.  

But in all seriousness it was an awesome experience and we were able to work with some missionaries in an area called Quezon which is the highest baptizing area in the mission.  After being able to work there for a couple of days I have no questions as to why that is.  The people there are ready to receive the missionaries and the wonderful message that they bring.  It's crazy how different it is from Manila!  I felt like I was in a completely different world.  It was a successful trip and we were able to get a lot done.  I had some pretty incredible conversations with President Fermanis during the drives to each area which were hours at a time.  He's really is the man.

Pictures:

1) Post MLC photo!  Elder Hernaez, my previous companion in the office, will be transferring out of the office this transfer to go be a Zone Leader in Puerto Princesa.

2) Another post MLC photo!

3) On the flight heading to Palawan! :)

4) Selfie with the missionaries assigned in Berong

5) Selfie with the missionaries assigned in Cabar in front of their meetinghouse

6) A quick shot of Palawan

7) Selfie with the missionaries assigned in Sandoval (feat. THE President Fermanis)

This week we will be having our Zone Conference here in the Mainland.  I'm pretty nervous with the fact that I'll be teaching and providing some individual instruction for the missionaries but I'm also very excited to be enlightened and learn what God would have us learn at this time as a mission.

Thanks for all the love and the support I love you guys tons!!  Talk to you next week!!

Elder Burdeos

ELDER BURDEOS

2016 - 2018

PHILIPPINES MANILA MISSION