MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

matching Elf jammies from his momma!

Hello po nanay! 

it was a very merry christmas! and here is why: skype to the crew :) 4 eating appointments X0 (one with like lasgana! and an indian man). good laughs and some christmas motab video stuff at a members :) so we woke up, opened the 2 remaining gifts from GMA K :) and Edwin (the Recent Convert) picked us up to go to the Quibuyen family headquarters. we made it and Jing Jing (his younger sister, married to a persian man living in america) prepared the best foods ever! im talking cheetos, tostitos, doritoes, guac, cereal (almost like she knew the kearl classic). shes got some money so we didnt feel bad at all. she was exicted to feed foreigners and there was also an indian guy from hong kong who had nothing to do apparently so he flew over for a couple days. yeah we asked him every question ever about india and hinduism. we got to skype :) ate a big lunch :):) and met almost all 9 of the quiboyen siblings and they all live on like the same street! good people. the nanay said "too bad the delaga's (young unmarried woman) are not here!" good to see Nay is looking out for us. than we went to some  Baluarte legends bc they told us we had no choice :/ the Pulido Family (Shane Lethabys buddy), Abogado adn Rouque. we were going to work and teach but at every appointment a member would text us and say: "hey come and eat here. we cooked you food and are waiting for you..." the spirit was weak but the flesh was willing. destroyed my self but this skinny filipino boy could handle the carbs. felt really bad we didnt teach any one..... but this not a "no" culture. came home bc of an early curfew. Called a zone mate bc he was a little sad being away from his family. read about Jesus Christs ministry in America and hit the hay. very merry.

about the skype: i am just full of gratitude like never before for my family. i reallly love you all alot. your all doing incredibly well and really inspiring me. i truly am a lucky boy and am happy to see you all again! afterwards i just felt very content. thank you. im also incredibly grateful for Dad for looking out for my post secondary education. i have no worries about it now! thank you :)

We also had a baptism of Rina and Julie! Julie was the one we sang the song with we sent home! amazing woman and cool to see they progressed in their commitment to Follow Jesus Christ :) wish i could say more but no time :/

had a christmas zone confrence which was great. i loved it bc we did the same thing as last year. really noticed how nice traditions are it was nice to have one here. 

Maligayong Pasko,

Elder Kearl 

snoop dogg is being played so loud right outside the computer shop. this place tho :):):)

Hello po nay! 

snoop dogg is being played so loud right outside the computer shop. this place tho :):):) 

funniest thing, so right now while emailing the owner of the little net shop is throwing a sweet bday party and serving us food as we email! super amazing fancy food too. i love this country. also explains the loud snoop dogg music hahaha

pretty awesome week with lots of throwbacks! lots of walks down memory lane but not all were sunny, let me explain. but first an Elder Brockbank quote:

"If I could only listen to one Babylonian (non hymn) song right now it would be Mistletoe by Justin Beiber. idk its just a good song" 

So we went on exchanges with the Assistants and i was able to work with Elder Uy again!! my companion back in june. one of my all time favorites as well. really missed that guy. it was great talking about the good ol days with him and i even got to go down some similar roads in their area bc i worked there quite a bit while in cauayan and saw some familar faces! really fun! also learned alot form them but pretty happy to see we are on a very similar page to them :) 

something that surprised me on memory lane although was going back to my old apartment. i thought it would be really sunny and while it was i had some very uncomfortable feelings there. its smaller than i remembered but it felt like so much was missing. really weird not seeing Elder Pulley there. that guy meant alot to me while i was there. i got really sentimental and a little sad. hard to sleep that night and i just wanted to go back to santiago and see Elder Sacil and Domasing (my roomates) and sleep in my own apartment. 

other than that saw President Capitulo of the mission presidency who is a legend. 200 pounds, 6"1', farmer who is the best. he intereviewed my first baptism, Sister Ergy. Great seeing him some more and he even remembered me! 

thats all 

Elder Kearl

works going good here. life can't get much better

hello po nay,

Light the World - Magingilaw Ng Sanglibutan

not much to update here except a huge thank you for the epic package!! helps me feel closer to you guys! the shirts are super nice it kinda blew me away but its great timing! i also got a "team Jesus" shirt from heather and some great letters. thanks again.

i like the name david for dan's baby.  it is a good name!  i support it!  why david tho?

yesterday we whatched the Christmas first presidency devotional which threw me back so hard so lets take a walk down memory lane. one year ago dec 08 my trainer (the beloved Elder Briones) left me after 3 cycles or 145+ days and that had to be one of the hardest weeks of my life just the adjustment was tough. I really loved that Elder. but we watched that devotional on a cold rainy night in Bambang and everything just melted away..... hard to tell you how much that christmas devotional did for me. also feeling cold weather makes me so much more comfortable so i'm grateful i'm not in the southern hemisphere. anyway last years christmas season was actually super great and happy but was awful. i felt good but after Elder Briones, so did all the nanays, so no one loved us. all we did on christmas was tao po (filipino equivalent to knocking doors) until 7, no luck, go home, i accounted my district, ate some rice with canned tuna and went to bed. felt good tho. but in every other area complete stragers would just give so much food to any walking human around (missionaries) as is the culture here on holidays so i'm curious to see what happens this year. 

I love Edwin. theres a neighbour boy whos like 10 who is kinda getting ditched by his parents so Edwin now feeds him. houses him, takes him to church and just loves him like a son. Edwin is a great guy. the kids name si CJ and is the best. im slowly meeting all of Edwins 6 siblings which is fulfilling all my dreams. love the Quibuyens so much. 

works going good here. life cant get much better.

5 The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.

Elder Kearl

the church may not be perfect but how can you hate on a church after hearing the song, 'i feel my saviours love'?

hello po nay,

SO edwin, our recent convert, baptized his daughter! and blessed the sacrament! we are also teaching so many of his siblings and it is soo exciting. that area by his house is like exploding! feels good. stay posted. 

one thing i'll quickly mention is last night we watched the YSA face to face broadcast and it was so important.  it was fast sunday so we were like dead. i remember sitting on the back of a tricy trying to tell a brother about the restoration of the gospel but like almost falling off into traffic because of the struggle, but i made it. some pretty negative thoughts were running through my head bc satan loves attacking missionaries pala but i sat down, in air con, and it started up. this musical number was played were "I feel my savoirs love" was sung and all my concerns just melted away. the thought popped into my head: the church may not be perfect but how can you hate on a church after hearing this song? it talks about being filled with peace and stuff. the rest of the devotional was gold and i left feeling sooo good. in our lives we need peace. the gospel of Jesus Christ has more than enough for anyone, you just gotta be humble enough to get some. 

they also mentioned some cool things about having holy habits and righteous routines, never tell anybody why their wrong, avoid preaching to people but just share why you believe, and ENJOY THE CHURCH! its divinely set up. just get into it, take it easy and enjoy your membership. need I say more? 

Proverbs 25:25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

i got 1 of the packages you sent me and the advent calendars. I'M SO HYPED FOR MAIL!!! it's my favorite thing here.

I love you all! 

Elder Kearl

mom, i'm so sorry for being such a slob in the past

hello po nay,

not much to say bc they area is doing soo well! we taught edwins people and one can't wait to be baptized.  hahaha! problem is she's not from this ward so we will see how that goes. we have a chance to get around 4 more baptisms in the next like 4 weeks. feels way good! things are really moving here in Baluarte. 

A LA guy gets sealed in the temple on Dec 1 and a different member is going to get his endownments, my man Ernesto. feels good. Edwin will be baptizing his daughter on Saturday.  President will probably be interviewing an investigator whose been to prison for us the following saturday and we can finish the lessons for a recent converts mom (named julie :) ) she's so funny and we crack each other up. and lastly, in 4 weeks, a wife of a LA man with some crzy ADD kids can be baptized after 3 more weeks of church. life is good.

I'm also getting some pretty big mom vibes in the house. mom, i'm so sorry for being such a slob in the past.  I've gotten way too anal about cleanliness out here and my roommates aren't really on the same level. feels a little 3 vs 1 at times but they are my best friends, so i get over it instantly.  I'm converted now tho to scrubbing.

Alma 37:45  And now I say, is there not a type in this thing?  For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.  

Love,

Elder Kearl

not a mean bone in this country

all of edwins friends and family he invited

Hello po nay, 

it has been a stellar week!! we were able to score 16 new investigators and get 30 minute lessons down! we're bagging like 8 lessons a day which is also good. since wednesday we have literally been timing our lessons to see whats been going on because performance measured improves (Thomas S. Monson) so it takes 4 minutes from when we sit down to chat a bit, sing a hymn and say the opening prayer, 3 minutes to tell them what we are and why, 12 minutes to teach the first lesson about the restoration and then 7 minutes to leave them with a commitment, ask for referrals, teach them to pray and then close with prayer. feels good. all my comps idea. hes a thinker.

another highlight was Edwins Baptism! so we got to our chapel to get it ready and we prepare everything and mop and everything then bishop says theres no water even tho the font was filling up so we run over to the stake center and start preparing that one but because the water was crazy weak (don't know why tho bc this place rains like everyday but it never has water) so we start cleaning and the facilitates guys don't know what to do so for 3 hours we haul water from so many inconvenient locations in the building to dump into the font. things were getting muddy, the baptism was about to start, we gave some desperate sweaty prayers and than last minute after i have changed and Edwins crew shows up then someone like breaks a pipe and the font doubles in volume just in the knick of time. President and Sister Hiatt arrive to attend but things were still hectic. i was not too hyped. anyway, the fonts ready to go with a really browinsh and yellow colour we take some pictures and start the program. it was an amazing experience baptizing this man. He showed up with a crazy smile on his face in the midst of chaos and goes: "how can i help?!?!?!" he gets baptized and i will never forget the feelings which filled that room. tears were shed and he bore a powerful testimony. i would've never thought he would've been baptized. He is one of the most special people in my life. 

a separate paragraph to explain this last point bc its not over yet! so he brought 13 friends and family to his baptism! 4 were some who have hidden from us telling us they are not interested and then he brought 10 to church! incredible! also his wife in hong kong went to church over there! in 2 weeks he will baptize his daughter. Guys.... Be like Edwin Quibuyen.

also a nanay cut us off one lesson to tell us in good english that she couldn't listen to us bc she needs to help her busy husband. we asked her to close with a prayer which she then asked Jesus to understand us and make sure we knew nanay loves them. she than told us again while we were leaving that she loves us.... not a mean bone in this country.

Love,

Elder Kearl

my pulido boys :):):) 

the kid himself 

the grind