This Week in Pictures (Because I'm Too Lazy to Write an Email) September 27, 2015 - Week 48

We all have these weeks!  We got these pictures from Jake this week.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words so we'll just let them do the talking! :)

September 20, 2015 - Week 47

Awesome week! This week we went to Iloilo for our mission tour. Elder Bowen from the quorum of the 70 came and spoke to us. Here in the Iloilo mission there are quite a few missions that aren't the most obedient or hard working. And slowly as those missionaries train new missionaries, the new missionaries do what there trainers do which isn't the best. So a lot of what Elder Bowen talked to us about was WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE ARE,  and HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE. It was kind of a slap in the face to a lot of missionaries. There are so many missionaries around the world...don't get me wrong that is FANTASTIC! But so many of us don't know how important we really are. We all know our purpose which is to invite others to come unto Christ. That is the "PURPOSE" that all missionaries are familiar with. But for me if we really want to know our deeper purpose and how crazy important it is we can read it in Jacob chapt 5. Our purpose as members and missionaries alike is to gather Israel. Why do we need to gather Israel? Well just ask yourself what covenants you have made with our Heavenly Father in your life. Baptism, When we were baptized we take upon us the Abrahamic covenant. Now what promises come with that? His seed, or descendants, would receive the gospel and bear the PRIESTHOOD. Through the ministry of his seed (MISSIONARY WORK) “all the families of the earth would be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal”

So very simply, If there are no missionaries, how are Gods children going to receive His gospel and achieve Exhalation? They can't. It is our job, that our Heavenly Father has entrusted us with for two years to bring the message of the true gospel to our brothers and sisters. I don't know about anyone else but when I heard that training, I thought about it and I kicked it into gear. 

Missionary work is great! I know that this gospel is so true. I have seen the blessings and happiness that comes from it. That is why i'm here, because I want as many people as possible to have that same joy I have received. 

I love ya'll like crazy! Have an awesome week! Ya'll are the Bomb! ;)

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

September 14, 2015 - Week 46

Hey yall! So this week iv'e still been trying to get over the sickness. So we didn't work crazy hard like I wanted to but we got out and found a few new investigators and had a couple awesome lessons. This past Saturday I had the privilege to baptize a two of mine and Elder Francisco's investigators Kin Kin and Brent! The weather managed to stay okay for about an hour so we could have the baptism. It was an awesome experience for all. We hope to have a family and a couple more young men baptized in the month of October so we are excited for that. Its crazy how fast time goes by in an area! Iv'e already been here in Bugasong for almost three transfers. But there is so much that needs to be done here and I don't ever want to leave! Elder Puig is doing great! He is teaching me a lot. Its so fun to see what our Heavenly Father does to us to shape us into the best people we can be. We should be so grateful for every trial that we are given to overcome. Because as we over come those trials our testimonies grow so much stronger! I love this gospel and all the blessings I enjoy because of it. Love you all and keep being AWESOME!

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

My Sakit Gid Week 45 September 7, 2015

So this week was probably one of the worst weeks Iv'e had my whole mission so far. This week started off great Elder Puig and I got out and were doing so great missionary work. Then Wednesday came around and I got sick. Nothing crazy just the normal allergies and congestion. But when I have bad congestion it makes it really hard to breath. So yeah Sister Aquino told me to stay home and rest till tuesday of the following week! I was kinda blown away that she said that long. Because for me I am not the kind of person that can just stay home and chill or sleep or what not for a solid week. Especially here in the mission, with so much that needs to get done before our baptism on Saturday. But I stayed obedient and did what she said so we'll see how things go. When you get sick on the mission it is the worst thing EVER! Time is so limited and when you want to do your very best and you can't it kills. But its alright its a new week and time to get back to work! I love you and thank you for your support and prayers!

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

Baptism Sa Bucasong! - August 31, 2015 - Week 44

First of all I want to testify that when there's a will there's is a WAY!! In my last email I said we rescheduled the baptism for Monday night. But we still weren't sure if it was going to happen. But all day on Monday the weather was pretty good so we went forward with it. When we started the service the waves weren't to big so we just kept moving forward. It came time for the baptism and we all looked at the ocean and the waves had gotten bigger. So we asked Jousha and Romeo what they thought. There reply was "Lets do this, I don't want to wait any longer." So we didn't argue. We started out with Romeo. Elder Francisco baptized him. It was crazy difficult! We all got knocked down like three times before all four of us missionaries were in the water and had to help, but we got it done. Then it was time for me to baptize Jousha. The waves were getting bigger every minute. So I asked her again if she wanted to do it another day. She said "No" again. So all four of us missionaries got back in the water and no more then 5 seconds later a HUGE wave came and knocked all of us the the ground super hard. So we all got out of the water and said a prayer on the beach to figure out how we were going to do this. So what we did was went out and after I finished the prayer I told the three other Elders to make sure she goes all the way under. So an other wave came and she fell right back into the wave and was fully immersed. It was a success. Afterwards they both bore there testimonies and brought the spirit so strongly. Even though it wasn't the ideal baptism. They felt the spirit.

On Tuesday night I got a call from the AP's. I was told to go to Iloilo on Wednesday and be at the mission home no later then 5:00. I'M TRAINING!!! On Wednesday I got to the mission office and found out that there is only one new Elder that came in this batch and I have the privilege of working with him. So my new companion is Elder Puig from Mindanao Philippines. He is super soft spoken which is like the complete opposite of me. But yeah so that's that. I hope to learn a lot from him and teach him a few things along the way.

We have two more baptisms planned for Sept 12. They are both on schedule! Two young men, Brent Nair and Kin kin. They will be awesome priesthood holders! Right now Bugasong Branch needs strong priesthood holders. 

Well that's pretty much it for this week. Thank you everyone for your support and prayers. Feel free to send me a quick email or whatever. Love you all and have another awesome week!

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

Baptism thawarted by Typhoon INENG - August 24, 2015 - Week 43

This week wasn't the best, but we all have not so good weeks here and there. So this week we had Romeo Nietes and Jousha's baptism scheduled for Saturday. Everything was going as planned. They both past the interviews and everything was on track. They were super excited. And then INENG happened. We had another typhoon come in and destroy our plans. Here in Bugasong there is one place we can baptize and that is the ocean. But when a typhoon comes in the waves in the ocean become huge and not safe. So we rescheduled the baptism for today so we'll see how it goes. 

I just want to say how much I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! MISSIONARY WORK IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST!! I know this church is true. I know that if we strive everyday to follow our Savior, he will help us get through whatever obstacles that may come our way. The gospel is true. I love you guys so much and hope you all have an awesome week!

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission

August 17, 2015 - It's My Birthday - Week 42

Alright so this week was AMAZING!! So here in the Iloilo Mission there is a lot of focus on numbers. Making sure you work a certain amount of hours everyday, teach a certain amount of lessons, have a baptism every week, and so on and so forth. This week everything clicked for me. I don't have anything against President and what we is trying to do but I am not out here to get a certain amount of something every week. I am out here for one reason and that is to teach and serve and bring as many people as I possible can closer to our savior Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean i'm going to stop setting goals and stop doing my best to reach them. But what it does mean is my goals are going to be focused 100% on sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father! Here in Bugasong we have close to 200 members. But for one reason or an other 150 of them are either less active or in active. Right now in this mission the less active work takes a back seat. There isn't any focus on less actives. If all of the members in Bugasong were active we could build a chapel in Bugasong. 

This week Brother Waggoner (my teacher from the MTC) came here and worked with me on Saturday. This was his area 3 years ago when he was a missionary. So we went around and did some less active work. He taught me so much as we were working. One of the things that I learned is how powerful testimonies are. As missionaries, we bear our testimony over and over all day everyday. Missionaries have been bearing their testimonies to less actives for a super long time. Don't get me wrong that is great and awesome and everything, but we are also here to help others strengthen their testimonies. So how do we do that? One of the ways I learned is through asking inspired questions. As we ask questions to those people we teach and as they answer, they are bearing their testimony to us. We all know that as we bear our testimony we feel the spirit. So its just a matter of helping them remember the feeling of the spirit and the things they already know.

Right now Bugasong Branch is like a bucket with a crack in the bottom. As we are trying to fill the bucket by baptizing people. For some reason or another they don't stay active or the water keeps leaking out. So right now Elder Francisco and I are trying to fix the crack at the bottom so that the bucket will stay filled.

Yesterday at church Bugasong Branch had the highest church attendance its had in over a year. We had 80 people at church. That is still less than half so there is so much more work that needs to be done.

This week we had a family home evening every single night with less actives and investigators. I had an awesome birthday as well. Thank you everyone for your love and support! Love and miss you all!  

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission