Christmas in Cauayan

From Alayna:  Below is Frasier's email from 12/26.  He has had weird p-days this holiday season.  We got to video talk with him on our Christmas Eve (his Christmas day) - it was AWESOME!  I should have taken more pictures of the people who joined him.  He was at the church and toward the end of the call, the branch started showing up for a Christmas party.  It was so sweet, a couple families came in to say hi, including Sister Abad who got baptized today!  Also, a bunch of little Filipino boys came in and were crawling all over Frasier!  They were sitting on his lap, looking over his shoulder, giving him hugs...it was so sweet!  Made my momma heart very happy because I know he is making such a difference and they love him!  It was snowing on Christmas Eve, so we took the computer outside and showed his companion and the little boys snow.  They were amazed!  They've never seen snow before!

He also was able to send a small package home with a returning sister missionary just before Christmas.  So, Sloane received a handmade dress (Fras said he bought himself a tie that matched), and he sent the boys some hand woven hammocks!  He also sent two bottles of Mogu Mogu (his favorite drink of Lychee fruit with big coconut chunks in it).  We opened the presents and drank the drink on the call.  He is doing great - still working on the language, but that will come!

CHRISTMAS IN CAUAYAN

Christmas is kind of a weird time as a missionary. For me being here in the Philippines the weather is definitely not the same. Which makes it for me not even seem like it is Christmastime. It is also weird because they tell us that we should be working and doing as much as we can on Christmas, so my expectations were that I was going to talk to a hundred people or something. But, it was actually kind of hard to talk to people on Christmas. People were busy or not home. 

There were a lot of good things that happened this Christmas though. First of all, I got to talk to my family and that was awesome! Another rule I'm breaking though...the video calls are supposed to be 30 to 40 minutes and I was probably an hour and a half or more. I don't even know. It didn't matter though cause I could have been talking on the computer all day and still not been talking to my family enough. For me, it is kind of tough to not be able to talk to my family very much at all on a mission, so the Christmas call was very special. I got to see them open the presents I sent them so that was really cool as well.  (Added by Alayna: He did NOT tell us there was a time limit! ha ha)

It was weird after the call because it felt like I was in some virtual world actually talking to them, but then after the call, I'm back in the middle of the Philippines being a missionary, so it is kind of weird. It was like did that really just happen? It doesn't even seem real. 

It was good though because our branch Christmas party was going on right after my video call. So, first of all, I actually got to introduce some of my investigators to my family, and also I was pretty quickly distracted after my call, so I didn't have to much time to worry or cry about how much I miss Brad Anderson. The branch party was fun. We left early, but we got to watch them as they did a bunch of dances and stuff. I sent some videos in a different email. Hopefully they will work. 

(Added by Alayna: Sadly, the videos didn't work, but he was able to send a bunch of pictures from the church, so that was awesome!  It is hard for him to send pictures from the internet cafe.  Here are a couple random pictures including the most recent rat kill!  Heaven help me!)  

I also got to take pictures with the whole branch and with some of the little kids. I love all the people. They are all so happy, loving, and nice. 

The Abad family had their baptismal interview on Sunday. All 4 of them passed (for lack of better word). They are getting baptized on Saturday. I am so excited. They are a really special family and it is going to be a very cool experience to participate in their baptism. As well as the fact that I have been here to see them through their whole conversion process. 

We had a Christmas zone conference on Saturday. That was really awesome! It was a perfect combination of spiritual, inspiring, and really fun. The Hiatts and the senior couples did a performance which was really funny. Then President Hiatt did a solo. We played some games. Watched "The Forgotten Carols" and also got a stocking from the Hiatts, their family, and the senior couples. 

I opened my Christmas package. That was so awesome!!! There were lots of awesome goodies and treats in it. There was too much to say thank you to everyone, but thanks to everyone who put something in there for me. That was really special! That package will keep me going for a while. 

I'm kind of short on time. Mahal kita!

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Forever and a day, Love Elder Williamson!

Friday, December 15th

(Here is Frasier's email from December 15th.  With the holidays, his p-days are a bit different.  The next time we hear from him will be our Christmas video call!  We cannot wait!!!)

This week has been good. It seems like just yesterday I was sending my last email. It is crazy how fast time flies by. It seems like I am just constantly waking up and then laying back down to go to bed. There isn't too much to report I don't feel like. 

Reynante is doing good! We saw him when we went shopping on Monday and he was doing good. He and his girlfriend were on a date. We are teaching his cousin now and he comes to teach with us almost every time we teach her. Her name is Mary Grace. She is becoming a progressing investigator as well. One time we went to her house and she wasn't there, but her parents made us come in anyway. Her dad just started talking to us about life. The cool thing for me is he listens to classic rock music, so even though I shouldn't be, I was singing along to the music in the back of my mind. Then as we were sitting there Mary Grace's mom brought us over a tray of food. She made us sandwiches and had run to the tindahan and bought us a soda. That is one awesome thing about the Filipinos is that they all want to talk to us and give us food and snacks.  

We also have an investigator who is newer. I can't remember if I told you about her or not. Her name is Judy Ann. She was referred to us by other missionaries because the missionaries met her at church. She went to church because her boyfriend is a member. She started taking lessons from us and from the very beginning she has just been on fire. She already had a Book of Mormon that her boyfriend gave to her and she was already reading it. She stopped drinking coffee weeks ago when her boyfriend told her that it is bawal. Every time we go and teach her she tells us all about what she learned from the assignments we gave her. There have been a few times where she printed off scripture verses from her work printer and shares those scriptures with us. She also came to church the very first week we met her. 

The Abad family is doing awesome as well. We are almost done with all the lessons for them. They are all progressing and all have super strong testimonies. They all read the Book of Mormon every day. The two kids even take their books to school and read it when they have free time. I am so happy for them and excited for their baptism coming up on the 30th. They have their interviews a week from today. Pray that they all pass (even though I'm pretty sure they will).

Other than that work is going as normal. Not too much else to talk about. 

We had zone interviews on Wednesday. It really is just a quick little meeting to get blasted about how your area book is not up to par and that you need to do better at it. The good thing is that Sister Hiatt makes cookies that we get to have at the end of our interviews. 

We caught another Jerry and hurt another Tom last night. It is kind of funny how brutal the assistants are with animals. haha

Just in case any of you were wondering I still can't speak Tagalog. I am trying my hardest but it is definitely coming slowly. The good thing about it, I guess, is that I have a lot of time to think throughout the day because that is mostly all that I can do. I remember lots of things about home.

Love you!

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Forever and a day, Love Elder Williamson!

Reynante's Baptism

[Hi everyone.  This is Alayna.  The next few weeks are going to be a bit different with the holidays.  Frasier's P-days will be a bit different, plus WE GET TO TALK TO HIM for Christmas!!!  Today, I'm posting our conversation from 12/3 and his email from 12/10.  He sent us a bunch of pictures, which takes a ton of internet time, and we emailed back and forth the past two weeks, so he didn't have as much time to write a long letter.  (These first pictures are of the Thanksgiving leftovers from the mission home.  He was so excited to get them!)
He seems to be doing well and had a really great Saturday this past week!]

12/3/17
Here is Frasier's reply to my email asking him some questions:

I didn't reply to this last week. It is awesome that people are reading my emails and interested in what I am saying. 

Still no Christmas package, but no stress. The office will let me know when they get it. 

At least Utah is going to a bowl game! That was a crappy season, but better than nothing.

Those pictures are crazy. Its crazy it is still that warm there. Maybe snow by Christmastime.

On Sun, Dec 3, 2017 at 7:35 PM, Alayna Williamson wrote:

Ya, Utah is playing West Virginia in the Heart of Texas Bowl in Dallas on Dec. 26^th

It is crazy warm.  Dad was raking leaves yesterday in shorts!  But, it might snow tonight.  We are all crossing our fingers!

E is driving all over the place!

That's cool about the bowl game. Hopefully it will be a good game! 

How is running going? Are there any races and stuff on the schedule? Anything you're planning on in the future? 

Hopefully it snows! I can guarantee you it is not going to snow here. There was a Mormon message about a bishop that skis. My companion was asking me all sorts of questions about skiing and that. I don't know if he has ever even worn a coat before, let alone seen snow. 

Dad is doing the Boulder Ironman next June.  I’m not signed up for anything right now.

You need to tell your companion to come visit Utah sometime in the winter.  I know that may not be something he could ever afford, but who knows…maybe sometime we could help him come visit.

I felt like there was a race that I was missing. I just got the feeling. That's exciting. 

The sad thing is that I am probably never going to see any of these Filipinos or any or these missionaries again.

I heard there was some girl from Kaysville that just got her call to my mission. Sister Taylor?

Not necessarily, YOU could always go back.  We are very blessed that way.  And, you’re going to be fluent in Tagalog…there may be reasons for you to do business in the Philippines, or help bring people from the Philippines to the US in the future.  You never know…

[Before I post his letter from 12/10, I should tell you that a couple of weeks ago Troy and I got Facebook friend requests from someone in Cauayan Phillipines.  It turned out it was a 17-year-old boy, named Reynante, who Frasier had been teaching.  He has messaged Troy several times and sent pictures.  He told him that he loves Elder Williamson and can tell he is working really hard to learn Tagalog.  He also told Troy last week that "Elder Williamson baptist me next Saturday"!  Here are some pictures Reynante sent.]

[Here is Frasier's letter from 12/10/17 and some additional pictures he sent.  He's doing great and I cannot wait until Christmas!]

This has been a pretty awesome week! I had my first baptism! His name is Brother Reynante. He is a stud! He is 17 and got referred to us through the assistants who were teaching his girlfriend. She got baptized a little while ago and now he is baptized as well. I have been so blessed because I have been with him throughout his whole conversion process. He started out and he was just kind of testing the waters, but now he is all on track. He has referred his cousin to us, and he has even asked if he could come teaching with us a few times. 

He told us a story about how he bore his testimony to a bunch of Saksi's Jehovah's Witnesses) at school. His testimony after his baptism was awesome also. We have this joke as a kabahay where if something good, cool, awesome, etc. happens we give a salute to each other. When Brother Reynante bore his testimony, I looked across the chapel to where Elder Temple was sitting and we gave each other a subtle little salute because his testimony was on point! 

He has told us that he knows President Monson is a true prophet, and he has never actually heard him speak before. I am sure Reynante will be a missionary someday, and he has already shown that he will be a great pillar in the church throughout his life. He just needs to not get lost in the crowd. I think a mission will be very good for him. 

Reynante's nephew had a birthday yesterday. So they invited us all to the party at his house. When Filipinos have parties they cook lots of food. Usually egg rolls, spaghetti (it kind of has like a bbq flavor here), pancit, and then some sort of random Filipino meat. It was really cool. We went there and met his family. They had a bunch of food for us and wouldn't let us leave "even though we were out past curfew".  Elder Temple has a bunch of action figures to give to little kids for Christmas, so we gave Reyanante's nephew a Spiderman and he was so excited!

The Abad family is doing well! They are scheduled to have their baptism on the 30th and they are all on track and ready. Brother Abad has broken down a few times and told us about how he knows our church is true and all this stuff. I don't know exactly what he is saying, but I know he is ready to be baptized. Their family participates in every class on Sundays as well.Thee past 2 weeks they have shown up half an hour early to Sacrament Meeting. All 4 of them in their family have a Book of Mormon and they read it every day. Their two little kids get so excited to see us every time we visit. They are always playing with my hair and trying to play games with me while we are teaching the lesson.

Elder Nolasco and I are having a good time together. We are really getting along. We had a really good talk last week about how we could become friends and enjoy being around each other. The main thing is that we were both afraid to open up to each other because of our different cultures and languages. We promised each other that we would be more open with each other and talk about everything, that way we will enjoy the work more, and get to know each other, and the different cultures better.

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Forever and a day, Love Elder Williamson!