Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Well, we thought he was coming home...

So, Elder Faulkner was originally supposed to be home October 31st. He was extended to November 17th. Unfortunately for us, due to a paperwork issue - he was not able to board his plane, . 

We are still waiting patiently for him to come home. His mission president promised it would be before the American holiday, Thanksgiving - which is on November 22.

I will post pictures of him safely here as soon as we can.

Monday, November 12, 2018

The Very Last


Oy,

Di naman ito sobrang seryoso, mas lalo kasi kung igoogle-translate nyo ito bka wla kyung masyadong maiintindihan, ang layunin ko sa pagsusulat nito ay dahil may humingi sa akin, (ang tatay ko kasi.) Kaya masaya ako na ipakita sinyo na natuto ako ng wika ng Tagalog habang dito ako sa pilipinas.

Ang inis ng mga pulang linya! naka-underline ang lahat kasi akala ng kompyuter na di pwede ang mga ganitong salita.

Sa misyon ko napakarami ng natutunan ko dito. ang dami kong kilala na mababait na tao. Gusto ko talaga dito sa pilipinas. kinakabahan akong umuwi, kahit na dati pa alam na alam ko na darating ang araw na ito, ang daming pagbabago paguwi ko. 

Mahal ko ang mga tao d2 sa pilipinas at naiintindihan ko na sila, marami talaga clang mga pagsubok na di naiintindihan ng karaniwang dayuhang tao. Nagpapasalamat ako sa pagkakataon ko dito sa misyon, mahal ko ang pangulo ng misyong si president Hughes at marami siyang nagawa para sa akin, marami siyang naituro sakin. 

Mamimiss ko ang mission, nakakalungkot ang paguwi ko, pero masaya din kasi may pagkakataon na naman para magrow at para paunlarin ang aking sarili. daming suliranin at pagsubok na maencounter ko dyan ng'unit sa tingin ko handang handa ako eh at sana marami ding magaganda...ng pagasa... na pagkakataon... Diba?. 

Sa Wika na naman syempre nasabi ko naman sinyo lahat na may sinulat akong aklat tungkol sa kung paano matuto ng Tagalog, kaya wala naman akong kailangang ipatunay kahit kanino tungkol sa pagkatuto ko nayan eh. Masaya lang ako kasi gustong gusto ko ang wikang ito. Sana marami akong makikilalang pilipino para makapagTagalog ako ulit.

Sana Paguwi ko makita ko kayong lahat at magsaya tayo. Uwi na ako na may dangal (Edi wow Malalim)



Pasensya na medyo maikli lang ito di nyo ata maiintindihan kaya ayos lang un eh.

Sa totoo lang pagkatapos kong magsulat nito nagpasalin ako nito sa google translate at medyo magaling talaga yung google. 

Mahal ko kayo.
Elder Faulkner

Ang Pinakahuli


Someone asked me to write my last letter in Tagalog. I will do the best of both worlds (because I haven't written in so long) and I will do both: Tagalog and English.

This is my last letter. I thought about doing this two ways. I contemplated giving just a short finishing statement and being done, and I thought maybe I should make it long. Well, you will see which one I picked. These letters have been a great help in organizing my thoughts throughout the mission and I hope I will look back on them from time to time to contemplate what I have experienced here.

Coming to the close of my mission, it is hard to grasp that it is almost gone. I remember so many experiences so vividly that it is hard to think that a lot of those experiences were so long ago. Looking forward to the rest of my life, I don't want to look back and regret any of the choices that I have made.

Life here has been good. I love the Philippines, I love the people, and the food, and the whole culture. Doing missionary work here has been the best thing for my life that I have ever done. Especially to look back on this and know that I gave an effort and knowing that I was able to give all that I could. Many things will be big changes when I get back. I will have a lot of things to adjust to but I have been adjusting for the last two years and I am sure that I will figure it out.

I have learned a lot as a missionary here. I remember the time when I was so afraid of the future, I was so hesitant to push myself. I told Elder Nelson in the MTC: "If we can outlast President Bertin we can do anything." I hadn't even ever met the man, I had just heard stories. Looking back I feel like I wasted a lot of my time here, I should have been able to do so much more. On the other hand I have decided in my mission that I would never again look on the past and wish I could do it again. I will just look to the future with the knowledge that I can change. Repentance is a path filled with hope – because we can change. If we don't like the way that things are going, we can change – that is one of the most important things I have learned and taught on my mission.

This experience has changed me forever. I would catalog here all of the things that I have learned on the mission (If I was not already doing that somewhere else), but you don't need to read all that – no one does. I just have to live it; I just have to live according to the things that I have learned.  

Looking back on my mission is kind of how I imagine looking back on life will be. Thinking on my mission, I have had hard spots and easy spots – times that I learned a lot, times that I was not learning much at all, problems to solve, people to meet. I feel like in the end I accomplished my purpose; not as much as I could have, but I don't have any regrets. I imagine looking back on my life, I will think: "I could have done more, why didn't I figure it out sooner?" But I won't be discouraged, I won't regret anything. I will just be glad that I chose to follow Jesus Christ, give my best effort, and never stop improving. 

I have been in many positions to learn in my life and I realize now that I didn't make enough of any of those. I will do my best to make the most out of any experiences that I will have in the future that will change me as a person. A wise man once said "You can keep doing the old thing over and over and over again, and in about 5 years you'll be about where you are today." That is more the track that I was on, and I didn't even realize it. now I am on a new track (doesn't mean I am perfect, but I want to do more in my life), and that track will keep me on the path to personal excellency.

I love you all, and most of all of you I will see pretty soon, if I do not – I will find you and I will make plans to visit, and then we can talk about life. Thank you all for the support.

Nagmamahal,

Elder Faulkner

PS.
I hope that one day I will live a life that has the Savior's name written on it. He lives. He lived for me, and that I know. The Atonement, the Reconciliation, the Second Chances that He offers to each one of us have the power to change everything. I wish I had the words to describe Christ's power, but words are not enough to convey such a thing. I wish I had the power unto the convincing of men. It is like personal revelation: sometimes you feel like you have it, other times you don't – but it is something that you practice at. I have to go home and get a couple people on a better track. I believe that this mission was, in a way, a chance for me to prepare to do that. God has all power to change people's lives; and I stand as a living testimony of His power.

God the Father lives and loves us. His begotten son, Jesus Christ, lives and is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Joseph Smith was a called, chosen seer and revelator in this time. Through Him, the church of Jesus Christ was restored. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ is one major evidence of such a restoration – therein lies the word of God and the Fullness of the Gospel. Russell M. Nelson is the true, living prophet on the earth at this time. He holds all the keys necessary for the restoration up to this point. This is the true and living church and Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know this because of personal experience. 

In Jesus Christ's name,

Amen.


Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Typhoon Rosita/Yutu


Currently, the Philippines is getting pummeled with the strongest Typhoon to hit the area since 1950. The island of Guam and the Mariana Islands were devastated last week by the destruction this Super Typhoon has caused. The people are still recovering from Ompong/Manghut that blew through in six weeks ago.

The Philippines is taking a huge hit with these storms right during harvest time. The ramification of these typhoons will last for longer than it takes to get the power back on. They will likely be short food for the people come next year.

The path of this Typhoon will pass over the area Elder Faulkner is in. Although the mountain range in between will certainly lessen its power, the rainfall will cause mudslides and floods.
Please pray for the people of the Philippines. They are suffering horribly right now.

https://google.org/crisismap/google.com/2018-yutu

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/typhoon-yutu-to-slam-luzon-before-taking-turn-toward-china-taiwan-at-midweek/70006487


Monday, October 22, 2018

Kapag may oras


So the title here means "When there is time." It is a phrase that I have come to loathe over the last howevermanymonths, but at this time it protects me. It is the phrase people use when they don't really want to do something and so they just say, "When I have time" – but what they really mean is "I will not do that thing" (I have found most people in the world use their time to watch tv anyways, so they never end up having time.) .

At this point, we are pretty busy. I basically have no time, but my time is not used watching tv (Don’t worry ‘bout that). It has just come to the point that I never seem to have the time to sit down and think about home (might be a good thing). I have not avoided writing the weekly email; but I have not really sought out the time to do it. 

Zone conference is over. It went well. We taught about how to learn how to teach. I hope it helps the mission because I can't really do much more for them in the coming months. We focused on the process of evaluation (For when you don't do something well) and Application (So you can actually change it.)

These last few weeks, we have had around 7 Emergency transfers – which is a lot; especially because most of the time we end up doing the driving to make sure everyone gets there safely and quickly. (We had a couple nights of getting home around 1 A.M.!)

Other than that, we have a new missionary in the companionship – Elder Cantillo. He is going around with Elder Hopoate to work in the area, while Elder Nelson and I deal with all of the administrative duties of being an AP. It is good and bad; we lose our friend Elder Hopoate, but we gain more time for the area. We have been seeing a lot of miracles lately. Some of the people we are teaching are showing a lot of faith and I will have lots of stories – when I have time to write them down. 

Mission is good, life is good, life back home is going to be a lot different. For now, we are just pressing on. My batch goes home in 9 days. I will still be in the Philippines.

Sorry no pics

Love
Elder Faulkner

Saturday, October 6, 2018

They took my P-Day


This last week I did not become a zone leader in Camarin. Instead, president called me the next day and told me I was going to be his next assistant. I have two companions, Elder Hopoate and Elder Nelson. This is a great experience and I am learning lots of stuff. I don’t have a normal p-day anymore, so I just email when I have time. Now we have a car and an iPad – so things are a little different. We just got finished with a crazy-busy week and I forgot that I even write these mass emails. If you ever want to talk to me, just email me; if you don’t, you might not hear much from me until the end of my mission. Which, ¡surprise! I am extending. I will be here until November 17.

Other than that, there is a bunch of stuff to say – but no time. we gotta go out and baptize people. Love you all 

Elder Faulkner

Monday, September 24, 2018

Transfers Again


Looks like in 2 days I will be transferring. I didn’t know until just now, while I was emailing. President gave me a call and informed me that I will be transferring this Wednesday. I will be with Elder Cacayuran, a really solid missionary. I have worked with him once on exchanges, back when I was assigned in Bagong Silang. I will be in Camarin zone again. I have great hopes for the ward and for the area I will be in. As for Batasan Hills, I will be sad to leave everyone here behind. It really is a great ward and I really enjoyed my time here, but I won’t resent leaving.

We had a baptism on Saturday, John Jay Espina was baptized. Elder Pajarin and I found him about 2 months ago. He has a lot of faith and he will be the only member in his family. I trust that he will make it through tho. He has shown amazing changes in his life and I trust him to do what he knows to be right.

Well because of the call from President I am pretty much out of time, I love you all and I will be updating you all next week about my new area and companion. I might even have some super special secrets for you next week.

Love

Elder Faulkner