Crazy Week in the Hospital - January 25, 2016 - Week 65

So this week started out pretty normal. We have been working with the members a lot lately. We taught a bunch of solid lessons. We tracted into a sister and she didn't want us to teach her but after a little cheesy jokes ad just talking she let us in ad totally opened up to us. Come to find out she is a member that wasn't on the records. So we plan on bringing her back to the church by February. 

On Thursday night we got an emergency call telling us to go to the hospital. One of the missionaries in our zone had a super high fever. So from Thursday night up until this morning I have been with him in the hospital. While Elder Ramos went back to his area with his companion. We found out that the Elder in the hospital had dengue fever. Which lead him to get typhoid fever and pneumonia. Yesterday we found out he was 50/50 and in critical condition. So he we got the whole mission to pray for him. As of this morning he is improving and doing much better. This week my testimony of hope, faith, and prayer have grown enormously. 

I know that God wants the best for us. I know that he will always be there to answer our prayers. We have a living Heavenly Father and he loves us more than we can imagine.

Love yall have a great week!  

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

Seeds I Planted, Now Harvested in Bucasong - January 17, 2016 - Week 64

These are a couple of people Jake was able to begin teaching while he was in Bucasong.  Just got word of their Baptisms

Brother Marcelo Macario

                                                                                Sister Fandagani

Ward Involvement - January 17, 2016 - Week 64

So this week was all about getting the ward and leaders involved in missionary work. And it has been a success! Friday we met with our ward mission leader for the first time since iv'e been here. It wasn't a very effective meeting. Because right now we don't have a ward mission leader, it is just the 1st councilor in the bishopic acting as one. So on Sunday morning we texted Bishop and set up a little correlation with him before church to discuss the needs of the ward. After the meeting we felt that the ward and leaders have kind of lost hope. But at the end of church much to our surprise Bishop came up to me and said by next Sunday we will have a new Ward Mission leader and a new Elders Quorum President. And after church I had the opportunity to go on splits with on of the RMs in our ward. I learned a lot and got a lot done! So this past week has been a huge success! 

We have tons of families on date for baptism for the next couple of months. We are super excited and continue to pray for them. 

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

Great Week - January 10, 2016 - Week 63

This week was full of great new investigators and awesome experiences. 

Elder Ramos and I took this week to go and try and tract somewhere we thought we wouldn't have any success. (the upper class people in the city) It turned out to be an absolute success. We found a couple of new investigators that are super smart and are very interested in the message of the restoration. 

This week was crazy busy for Elder Ramos and I. We started of by giving a Zone Training on Wednesday that turned out awesome. Then on Friday Elder Ramos, the AP's and I gave a training to the Stake President and the High Councilor over missionary work in our stake over how to work together more effectively members and missionaries. We are trying to reverse the roles of members and missionaries in missionary work here on Panay Island. Up until now the idea is that the members work with the missionaries. And that the missionaries are trying to hasten the members. But that is actually backwards. Every single ward is suppose to have a ward mission plan. As missionaries we are suppose to be able to go in to a ward or area and say "alright what can we do to help you, your goals are our goals." The missionaries in a sense are actually suppose to work with the members. So that is a little of what we talked about with the Stake President and High Councilor. 

Then on Saturday we went to the stake high council meeting where the High Councilor gave the same training that we gave to him to all the bishops and ward mission leaders. Because of course if we gave the training it might come across like we are trying to take over. So we just have to remember our place and only help where we are asked. 

But over all this week was a success. 

This morning we hiked to the top of a mountain with our district and at the top was a huge statue of Jesus. I will attach some pictures.

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

Transfers Again - January 4, 2016 - Week 62

Well...from what it sounds like yall had a crazy week. I don't think my week compares at all.

This week we had transfers on New years eve. Elder Elkington was transfered and I got a new companion Elder Ramos. He is from the Philippines. He is awesome. He just spent the last 6 transferes in the office as finacial secertary. So he was ready to get out. We also got 9 new polynesians in our zone. So earlier today the whole zone got together and had a sports activity where we played football and basketball. Then On new years day I traveled to the office for MLC. The MLC was sick! It was probably the most effective meeting ive gone to my whole mission. As zone leaders we sat there with two huge white boards and brainstormed ideas on how we can make the mission better and more effective. We came up with so much. So we hope to see more success then ever here in the mission. 

So thats pretty much all for this week. Happy New Year! Hope you all had an awesome week. Love and miss yall!    

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

Merry Christmas Ya'll - December 27, 2015 - Week 61

So this was officially my last Christmas in the mission. It was, in the words of Nacho, FANTASTIC! Elder Elkington and I baptized the Alejaga Family! It was one of the biggest highlights of 2015 for me.

 So when we found them it was kind of an interesting situation. The Mom and the kids were born and raised as Muslim and the Husband was Catholic and is in the military and only gets to come home like twice a year. But I happened to have a picture book of my family in my bag. The youngest kid Nene, went and stole it out of my bag and the Mom took it from him to give it back to me and then she saw it was a picture of my family. She kept talking about how beautiful and nice my family is. So I asked her if she wanted the same thing with her family. She said yes of course. Then I said okay that is why we are here. She then said but i'm Muslim. I said that is okay. We want to teach you something that will change your families lives forever. She smiled and said okay. So we ended up picking her up for church that Sunday. She brought all her kids. All of her kids are pretty young and crazy and loud. So you can imagine how that went. So after church Elder Elkington and I were talking and were like "she is never coming back" We were so wrong. She has come to church every week since with all her kids all by themselves. They are now some of the strongest members here in the ward.

So yeah we Baptized them on Christmas. There is no such thing as snow or cold here but we had the best White Christmas ever! 

And then the day after Christmas I got to skype and talk to my family! Even though I was getting kind of 

stressed because of the dumb computers here and the crappy internet connection it was great to see all their blurry little faces for a little bit. I miss and love yall so much. Hope you all had an awesome Christmas as well!  

--

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

Mission Christmas Conference - December 20, 2016 - Week 60

This Philippines Iloilo Mission had a 2 day Christmas conference in Iloilo.  Here are some of the pictures Jacob sent...

Checking In - December 14, 2015 - Week 59

Hey yall. So I don't have tons of time to write. However I did have a great week.I am here in Iloilo today and tomorrow for a huge Christmas Conference. The whole mission is going to come down and party for a couple days. It is going to be SICK!! Oh and also we will be baptizing a family on Christmas!!! We are like crazy excited for it! They are the Alejaga family! When we first found them we didn't think they were really going to progress because they are Muslim. But we were so wrong. They were more then prepared to recieve the gospel! The WHOLE family has continually been coming to church no matter the circumstances. Their faith is so strong. So I will offically have my first and last White Christmas here in the Philippines and I am beyond excited for this family. Missionary work is astig talaga! I'm not gonna lie being away from the family during Christmas is kinda hard but its so worth it when you are out here doing the best work on earth!! 

Love yall tons and have an AWESOME week!

--

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

A Letter to The Young Men of Justin Ward "Just Go" - December 6, 2015 - Week 58

My close brothers in the Justin ward. I haven't heard to much from yall since I left last October. I hope yall are all doing awesome. I just wanted to share to you all a little bit about my mission. So when everyone says a mission isn't easy, they are telling the truth! When I got here for my first three months I couldn't communicate with anyone. I couldn't teach. I couldn't fulfill my purpose as a missionary. As a lot of you know I was probably the second most cocky and prideful person in our ward. I would've been the first but if any of yall know Chase or Elder Bowler you know he was definitely first. Haha Just kidding. So anyways in my first area for the first few months of my mission I was a NOBODY. I had no friends no family and I was alone pretty much. So I did the only thing I knew and that was pray and ask my Heavenly Father for love and comfort. I have never prayed that hard in my entire life. So after that I picked up my Book of Mormon and started reading. I automatically felt comforted. I slowly began to learn the languages and culture. I learned how to really depend on the spirit and prayer. When we become humble and submissive that is when our Heavenly Father will make weak things strong.

Those of you that are getting ready to prepare for a mission or make the decision to go or not I want to share a little story to you that I can across the other day.

  

The following event took place in a ward in Salt Lake City in 1974. It occurred during a sacrament meeting and was told to me by a Regional Representative of the Twelve who was in the meeting. A young man, just before leaving on his mission stood in sacrament meeting and bore in essence the following testimony:

Brothers and Sisters, as you know, the past two weeks I've been waiting for my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream. I knew it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and awaiting my call to come to earth. I was filled with the same anticipation and excitement that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream I was talking to a friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I've never met him in this life. As we talked a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read it aloud. It said: "You've been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born to the true church and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will born into a land of plenty, in a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America."

My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call, and while we were rejoicing the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. His letter said: "You've been called to go to the earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social difficulties - which will hinder the work of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica."

We wept, my friend and I, as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said, "When we are down on earth, you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, please come and find me."

The this young missionary, with tears in his eyes, said, "Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call. I am going to Costa Rica."

There is a sequel to the story. About a year after the sacrament meeting, the bishop received a letter from the missionary in Costa Rica. The letter had one sheet of paper in it and on that sheet written in capital letters were four words:

I FOUND MY FRIEND
We all have friends that are waiting for us. It our job to just give ourselves up for two years. Missionary work is the most important work that anyone could ever do! Just think about if you don't go or if you delay your mission. You may not be able to find your friends. As young men in this church we are entrusted with this calling to go forth and serve our brothers and sisters using the priesthood. If anyone is having second thoughts on whether or not to go, STOP, PRAY, and JUST GO! 
Many of you guys supported and encouraged me to come out so now I want to do the same for yall. We are the chosen generation. So lets go out and become the BEST OF GODS ARMY ON EARTH! 
Yall are AWESOME! If anyone has any questions or wants to hit me up with an email go for it! Love you bros! 

--

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission