Week 21

Hey everyone,

It was a really good week 1 out here in Bugallon. My companion is Elder Weaver from Colorado. We had a great week of work and I really like the area. I've been able to become pretty good friends with a lot of people in the ward and a lot of the people we're teaching and its been really fun. I'm really diving into the work out here in Bugallon and my Tagalog has gotten so much better in these past three weeks. 

I had a really cool experience being able to bear a powerful testimony in a lesson with a member who had been having some issues. I know that Heavenly Father Loves each of His children and calls us each to exactly the places we're needed exactly when we're needed there.

Its been another week, and I can now officially say I'm twenty instead of saying "mag-te-twenty" whenever people ask (that means  "I'm going to be twenty soon" in Tagalog).

Ingat,

Elder Collier

The first picture is an abandoned house full of bats

The second picture is me drinking out of a mug that my nephew sent me under a banner we put up for Elder Vallejo and my birthdays

The third picture is the back of some really cheap headphones I bought to be able to call my family that definitely didn't work

Week 20

Hey people,

Its been another very eventful week in the life of Elder Scott Collier. I am writing you from Aguilar because I got transferred again, but I'll get to that in a bit.

So, this last week was a great week of work in Alaminos Branch 2 and even though I left so soon. I was sad to leave. The work was great with Elder Liad and Elder Cajocson who got to the mission field on Thursday night. So from Monday to Wednesday, Elder Liad and I worked together as companions and we got to teach a lot of great people. We had a really fun Family Home Evening with some less active members and I had a lot of opportunities to speak and teach in Tagalog.

Thursday I got to go on exchanges with Elder Collins and Elder Terry which was a really fun day. It was cool getting to work with them and to be able to learn from them. We had a fun Valentines day together and then splurged on a fancy Valentines day dinner at Mcdonalds. Its a pretty fancy place here, and there were a lot of people there on dates.

Friday was Elder Cajocson's first day in the field and it was a really good day working. It was super cool getting to help him adjust to missionary work and to teach him stuff. Friday was also the day I got a call from President Espinosa telling me that he needed me to transfer on Monday (today) because one elder is getting reassigned to Sri Lanka and his companion needs a replacement companion. I was the only person in a trio in the mission, so it was me. 

This morning I got put on a bus and then made it to my area and just chilled at the bus station waiting for my companion and our mga kabahay (roommates) to come pick me up. It was fun but also slightly concerning because I was worried I got off at the wrong place. I didn't so its all good. I'm now in Bugallon with ELder Weaver

One cool experience from this last week. Elder Liad and I were out finding, which is when we don't have appointments and are just trying to find people to teach (bet none of you guessed that), and I felt like we should go up to a specific house. So we did and the lady told us to come back tomorrow because she was busy now, so we went back and she was really receptive. She even came to church on Sunday. I had a thought during sacrament meeting that I had been in Alaminos just to find her. I'm glad that the Lord is able to use me as his tool in the work.

So I'm here on day one of my 3rd transfer in the field. In my 3rd area. With my 7th companion. In my 4th zone (because I lived and worked in different zones). Good times.

-me

Picture one is me with my companions ELder Liad and ELder Cajocson

Picture two is Elder Terry, Elder Collins, and I out in a rice field

Picture three is me with a guy from Elder Lucas's (my MTC comp) home ward who lives out here now

Week 19

Hey everyone,

So, I'm back this week with a lot of news. I got a phone call on Tuesday telling me that I needed to go home and pack because I was getting picked up and transferred in three hours, so I went home and did that. The AP's came and picked me up, put me on a bus to Dagupan, told me to get off the bus at Dagupan and then find a bus from one of the 5 bus stations in Dagupan to Alaminos, and then get to Alaminos where my new companions would be waiting for me somewhere. I made it, but it was a little bit of a stressful trip. Good stuff.

So, I'm now here in the Alaminos 2nd branch and its been great so far. This past week I was in a trio with Elder Agudo (my old kabahay) and Elder Liad. Elder Liad is my new companion, and Elder Agudo was just with us until he goes to his new area today. Its been a good and crazy week and I'm excited for all the work to do out here.

This week I again found the story " The FIle Room" by Joshua Harris (maybe?) and I'd like to invite you all to read it. Its a beautiful allegory of what Christ did when He performed the Atonement for all of us. I want to just say that I know that Christ really did die for each of us, and He knows us and loves us perfectly.

Ingat

Elder Collier

Picture one is Elder Liad, Elder Agudi and I right before eating lunch (Elder Liad is a great cook)

Picture two is us getting lunch at what  was the most American like place I've seen in the Philippines. It was Filipinos found the Instagram of a trendy cafe in California and made a version of it. It was great just for how fun it was.

Picture three is me drinking a cookies and cream frappe (no coffee don't worry) and chilling on the hammock we have on our balcony.

Week 18

Well, this week was a pretty eventful one actually. Elder Agudo, one of our mga kabahay (roommates) got emergency transferred to replace an Elder who got sick out in Bolinao (way far away) so Elder Mower was in a trio with Elder Pangan and I for three days. We got to cover two areas in two different zones and had a lot to do. It was a busy few days and a lot of expensive travel back and forth. We had to go to two baptismal interviews in our zone (Bayambang), and then make it back in time for a 3 o'clock baptism in Alcala (Rosales zone where we live). It was a lot and a little bit stressful but we made it everywhere we needed to. Plus, I got to know Alcala just a little bit better and the members are way nice. 

Other fun stuff. I found an almost legit Monopoly game in the second floor of a store I originally didn't know had a second floor and is full of super cool stuff. It was a solid purchase and something else to do just every once in a while. Also, while walking out to one of our super far areas on Friday, we asked a man driving a tractor if we could just hop on the back and it was way nice and super fun. 

It's been a good week out here in Bautista/Alcala. A busy one but full of good work.

Peace out,

Elder Collier

Picture one is Elder Pangan while the three of us were catching a ride through the bukid

Picture two is a candid shot Elder Pangan took of me just talking to a little Filipino kid in Alcala

Week 17

Another week another email,

So this week we had zone conference on Wednesday. We got to go to Dagupan (not that any of you even a little bit know where that is but its another zone in the mission) and have a conference with 3 other zones in the mission. We have workshops where we learn how to improve our missionary work and also get free lunch (I was super sick and couldn't eat very much but it was still good). Anyway, when you get to zone conference, they hand out programs, and that's when you find out if you have to speak or not. There are missionaries randomly called to give a cool missionary experience of the week, lead the music, conduct, and give a Christlike Attribute Talk. I thought I was chilling, because my name wasn't on the program, but apparently the Elder assigned to give the CAT wasn't there, so as the program was about to start and people were called up to the stand President Espinosa decided I was going to give the CAT instead. So, instead of the usual 20 minutes you have to prepare, I had about 2. I decided to speak on diligence, which I felt prompted to speak on, and it tied in perfectly to President's workshop which was really cool.

We are teaching a lot of lessons and have people who are really progressing, and its amazing to see them change and grow closer to our Heavenly Father. I can honestly say that I know I'm exactly where the Lord needs me and that I'm doing his work out here in the Philippines. I love the work and I love His Gospel.

-Elder Collier

Picture one- I've managed to get a copy of the Book of Mormon in each of the major languages spoken out here. From the Left- Pangasinan, Ilocano, Tagalog (the one I'm learning first), and English

Picture two is Elder Pangan and I on our way out to one of our malayo (hecka far in English) areas, about an hour walk one way

Picture three is me doing a face mask out on our balcony the night after Zone Conference but also wearing my glasses so I could see what was going on below

Week 16

Hey everyone,

Honestly, if my week count gets messed up, I'm sorry. I never really know what week it is, but an Elder I met in the MTC has P-day on Thursday, so I just get the week number from his subject line. If I'm ever off then that's my bad.

This week was a pretty good one. We met a lot of people in the beginning of the week and taught a lot of lessons. 

Also, I've learned how to cook chicken curry, sweet and sour pork, caldereta, and aftritada all from this little Nanay who has a Carnideria near where we live. She's one of the nicest people ever. 

We got to watch the Urdaneta Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony on Facebook live and it was a super cool experience to realize that the people I'm teaching now will have a temple so close to them so that they can recieve the wonderful blessings of the temple.

Its been a week

-Elder Collier

Picture one is the new Temple Recommend Holder we got as a present

Picture two is a goat just chillin on top of a grave. That's it. Also, there are goats everywhere, but people don't really eat goat so I don't know whats up with that

Week 15

This week was a really great week honestly. I was able to see at least one thing each and every day where I know that the Lord was using me as his instrument in the work. Elder Pangan and I did a lot of work this week and we have had a lot of success finding and teaching. We were exploring one of our baranguays (kind of like neighborhoods but they have councils and officials and stuff) called "Sinabaan" (which we now refer to as Cinnabon just for the memes) which I had felt prompted that we should go to ans while we were there we ran into three girls ages 17-21. They were really interested and when we went back to teach one of them she was really interested and asked if she could be baptized. We said yes and extended an invitation.

Also, this week we went on exchanges with our Zone Leaders in San Carlos and it was really fun. I learned a lot about Tagalog and teaching. Plus, while sitting downstairs in their apartment with Elder Fox and Elder Lucas (my MTC companion lives there but isn't a ZL yet) I saw a rat run into their bathroom. So, I said nonchalantly, "by the way you guys have a rat in your bathroom." They both looked over confused and as they did we saw it run into the kitchen. After a really entertaining circus of attempts to kill it, broken brooms and dust pans, Elder Fox smashed it with a broom handle. I then took it outside in the dust pan and lacrosse-threw it across the street. It was way fun. 

Also, on Sunday we had a Philippines wide stake conference broadcast from President Holland. It was really good and if you can find it I'd invite you to watch his talk.

Its been a week,

-Elder Collier

#kapayapaanalisnaako (kapayapaan alis na ako - a joke translation from english)

Picture one I found another drug sign I missed because it was covered by trees

Picture two is Elder Fox and the rat who we named Remi because he his in the back of the fridge 

Picture three is a fun depiction of a saxophone in Bayambang even though most Filipinos don't know what they are

Week 14

Hey everyone,

Today is the first day of my second transfer out in the field. I started a new planner in weekly planning and I'm officially using a Tagalog one so that's fun (honestly there exactly the same except the Tagalog one has less room because Tagalog takes a lot more space to write).

For the record, I did beat almost all of you into 2019, with the exception of the other missionaries who are getting these emails out here in the isles of the sea. It was way fun because there was a concert in the park across the street from our apartment and the music was so loud it sounded like it was coming from inside the apartment. I ate a Twix at midnight because American candy is mahal (expensive) but I wanted to celebrate.

This week Elder Pangan and I did a lot of work. It was great. On Christmas, Elder Hilis and I had found the daughter of one of his recent converts (who had moved to Honk Kong for work my second week out here) out in this far area from where her mom lived. When we went to her grandmas house to see where the daughter actually lived, and it happened to be the day after her mom had gotten back from Hong Kong. We were able to teach Angela, the daughter, that day, and that night we got a text from Virgina, the mother, telling us that her husband decided he wanted to be baptized as well. It was really cool to see the Lord's timing at work.

Also, one of the highlights of the week, I saw a Filipino trike driver, in this tiny little obscure barangay Diaz, wearing a CSULB T shirt. He drove by too fast for me to get a picture, but it is not officially the most random shirt I've seen here, just ahead of the UCSB Soccer shirt I saw.

It was a good week. I'm getting better at the language and I love the work.

Happy New Year

-me

Picture one is a group of kids we taught along with this 16 year old investigator, and after the lesson they held me down so I couldn't leave

Picture two is a cow and a lot of corn because this week I realized the humor in being sent somewhere with a lot of those, because that's where I didn't really want to go back in the states (l love cows and corn now turns out)

Picture three is a drug sign The Tagalog one translates to "Manambong Parte doesn't like/want drugs" and doesn't really make sense with the English acronym "MAD"  

.Picture 4 is just a picture Elder Pangan took of me while I was tired right before going home from our last appointment of the day.

Week 13

Hey everyone, this week was fun. Christmas Eve we got to stay up until midnight because that's when Filipinos celebrate it. We had dinner in out apartment at 11pm. 

My Companion Elder Hilis left this morning, so I had to travel from Alcala (where I live) to San Carlos (where the Zone Leaders live) by myself in order to go pick up my new companion Elder Pangan. It was about an hour and a half of travel all together, and I had to take a trike and a Jeepney to get there. I managed to do it and could say and do everything I needed to in Tagalog. It was also the first time I haven't been with a companion in 3 months so it was a little weird.

I'm leading my area now because Elder Pangan is new to it, and apparently no one told him he was my follow up trainer, so he didn't know I was a rookie until he got here. So, I'm leading the area and he's teaching me Tagalog and how to teach. It's going to be fun.

I'm ready for the week.

-Elder Collier 

 Picture one is our Christmas dinner with fancy grape juice (not wine) for the "ambiance"

Picture two is me and Elder Hilis being gwapo his last Sunday in the mission (that's how its spelled in Tagalog and also what doing that sign means)

Picture three is this super rusty suspension bridge we cross to get to an area I'm going to open this week, and there are for sure broken parts with bamboo covering holes where the metal has rusted through. Its fun

 Picture four it has a nice view though

Week 12

Merry Christmas everyone!

It's Christmas Eve here already, and that's when everyone really celebrates here. We are going to celebrate with spaghetti (I think) and I'm going to make some cookie dough if we can find the rest of the ingredients we need.

This last week was a weird one. My kasama was sick so we would go out and work for as long as he could, but we were home early every day and couldn't go out at all on Thursday. On the plus side, we taught a few really good lessons and had some investigators come to church yesterday. I also got 23 hours of personal study in, because there is not that much to do when you're stuck home in your missionary apartment. I had a lot of really cool insights though and I'd invite all of you to study the vision of the tree of life in 1 Nephi chapters 8-15.

Also, next week my kasama leaves and I don't really know where I'm going to be put for the last week until transfers, so sorry if I don't have time to email.

These last few days its actually been "cold" and cloudy and it actually kind of feels like Christmas in California weather.

Merry Christmas everyone

-Elder Collier

The only picture I have this week is of me and some random people at a stake party who said they were part Californian so they wanted to take a picture with me ft. Sister Harries

Week 11

Hey everyone, this week was a fun one. We had Christmas conference on Tuesday and, in order to travel as a zone, Elder Hilis and I had to spend the night at the ZL's apartment. I slept on the tile floor on a towel, it was a party. 

Christmas conference was way fun, we had cool workshops where I learned a lot, played games, watched The Greatest Showman, and had a gift exchange. I got to see about half my batch from Provo which was way fun. Also, we all got food poisoning (the food was delicious though, budal fights are the best (a budal fight is when all the food is layed out on banana leaves on the table, and you eat everything with your hands)) and were out of commission on Wednesday.

We're teaching a lot, and the work is great. We're working on finding a new apartment in our area, but I'm going to miss Alcala (where we live) and the Alcala Elders.

Another week in this pretty cool place.

-

Elder Collier

Picture 1 is my batch that was at Christmas conference

Picture 2 is a group of teenage girls who gave us dessert and then each took at least 5 selfies with me kasi (that means because but I never use the word because anymore kasi "kasi" is easier)

Picture 3 is our room, now with desks (mine is the blue bed and corner desk)

Week 10

How's it going?

It's great out here in Bautista. This week was a good one. I went on exchanges with the Elders in Bastista, and I learned a lot and also saw some more great drug signs which are my only pictures this week. I really hope you all enjoy them as much as I do. There are occasionally some in Tagalog, but they're just not as funny. Not much has changed since last week. We're finding a lot and teaching a lot too. It's great out here. Saturday though, we legit spent 2 hours walking to get to and from an interested person's house to teach them and make sure they came to church on Sunday. Then we talked an extra hour from the edge of our area home because we live so far away, but we should be moving in January. 

The members of the ward out here are so nice and helpful even though I really don't speak Tagalog very well at all, but its coming slowly and surely. I've really come to love the people of the Philippines and the place itself. I also realized how much I took washing machines and dryers for granted back home, so next time you're doing laundry think of me (we actually have a washer but its small and you have to rinse all the soap out by hand but I still appreciate even it so much).

So yeah, not much this week. We have zone Christmas conference tomorrow so that should be fun. We have to travel as a zone too, and because we live so far outside our zone, we get to be missionaries numbers 5 and 6 in an already full apartment (not that it'll actually be that different from our usual place) so that we can spend the night there and actually be able to make it to the conference. I love it out here.

love

-your favorite missionary in the Philippines

Please enjoy the signs, and note the bad grammar and typo in that long one

Week 9

So it was my first full week out in the field and it was great. We taught a lot of good lessons and on Saturday I had the opportunity to baptize Ina, who I was a part of teaching three lessons to. It was a really cool experience and my kasama said that when I said the baptismal prayer in Tagalog I didn't even have an American accent (which I for sure do the rest of the time I do anything). I'm really starting to learn the area and get to know the people and they're all so sweet and generous. It's been great!

-Elder Collier

These Anti-drug ads are everywhere and this is one of my favorites

Ina's baptism

My district at our first district counsel