NOT ABLE TO EMAIL EVERYONE

Jake hasn’t been able to write a mass email to everyone the last two weeks but wanted me to send his love to all of you. I thought I would share some excerpts from what he sent to me.

Mom!!
We were walking home the other night, and I was thinking about putting up the Christmas stuff with you. I got a little teary eyed, but I looked up at the stars and I just felt peaceful and happy. But it’s all good. Things are great here. I am so happy that Isaac’s baptism went well, and that makes me happy. We had a baptism last Saturday as well so in a way I felt like I didn’t miss Isaac’s special day.

But yeah so I will be able to Skype for Christmas. My companion and I are thinking Monday morning here like early. We don’t know what time exactly yet but I will let you know next week. So the mail gets to me from when the zone leaders or whoever goes to Cebu or when president comes here to our island. I got your package!!!! Thank you so much the food is so yummy. Oh and my companion loves you!!

So we eat some sort of fish pretty much every day here with rice. And sometimes we eat baboy (pig) that can be cooked tons of different ways. People here do whatever they can to buy food for their families. Fishing, driving pot-pots(little tricycle things that you can ride around town), sell or fix motorcycles, there are tons of bakery places too. There are some good treats, these things called quakes. kind of like a type of little debbies that we get every week. And we get bread a lot. It is so good here. The market here is called a chungy and it smells. I don’t really like walking through it because it reeks of fish, but yeah sometimes we walk through if we need eggs or oil or something. But every p-day we come to Dumaguete to do our grocery shopping at a grocery store called Robinson's. It’s cool.

Sometimes I drink the water, but mostly it is just from our house. We have a filter for our sink which is good. I never really got diarrhea or anything too bad. There are a lot of mosquitoes and cockroaches and little lizards everywhere, but not too bad.

I am in a branch, and we had like 55 people at church last Sunday. We are really working hard to reactivate less and inactive members but it is hard work. It is good though.

Everything is so great here!! My comp and I are working hard even though our branch is struggling. There is no budget for any activities... even a Christmas party. So we don’t get to really do anything like that with our branch members. It’s so sad because our branch is probably one of the poorest in the mission. And we might not have a very merry Christmas in Siaton.

I’m working hard to help the branch progress. So the training in Cebu was good. We learned more about how to progress as missionaries after the adjustment. To become real effective missionaries. That is my goal. My mission president is so awesome. We had a Christmas program/devotional/party for Negros Island and elder Pasikala and I performed a musical number, away in a manger. He played on a little guitar thing and we both sang. Then pres Schmutz gave us fist bumps when we sat down. He is just like a father/bro/greatest mission president ever. I love him! But yeah things are good.

Because here I realize how much I took for granted back home. Just be happy we have shoes r clothes or underwear or soap and food. It is so different here. But the gospel is true and I know it will help those who listen to the call of their father in heaven. I love being here and being able to be the instrument in the lords hands in which his children may attain life eternal. It is so great.

Thanks for being such a cool family, and being active in the lord's church. It is so great. Well I love you all so much and am so excited to Skype on Christmas!!

gugma gikan ang akong kasingkasing, Elder DeSchepper

New Focus

Hello all!! well here is my status report from the Philippines... clear skies and one paved road in my whole area (Siaton, Negros). i love it here. it is getting easier and easier being here, and being able to understand more and more Visayan each day. my comp and i have two baptisms on Saturday (same day as Isaac & Shelby) which is awesome. We had a zone conference with President Schmutz last friday, and there is new revelation that there is to be no more tracting in the entire Philippines... NO MORE TRACTING. It's crazy!! We are now focusing on reactivating members and getting families to the temple. this is so we can have a firm base to which we can bring more children into the fold and them stay in, instead of "baptizing into inactivity". So i am going to cebu tomorrow for a update training just for one day. it will be a long journey just to be in cebu for like 4 hours. (1 1/2 hour bus ride, 1 hour barge ride, 8 hour bus. and back again) butttttttt things are going really well. well a lot of good things happened this week, and i am just so happy to be a missionary. i eat a lot of fish and rice every day, but it is all good- part of the experience and most of the time it is really yummy. well yeah no much else going on besides the work. I'm loving it. I love not having to worry about anything else except for preaching the gospel. It's the life. Well i gotta go. Much love, kinamanguangan DeSchepper.

Photos from the MTC

First Full Week in the Philippines :)

All family and friends those whom I love so dearly,

This week was crazy. Technically my first full week as a missionary here in Siaton, and wow a lot has occurred. First of all, Visayan is way hard, but I know that if I am patient and work and seek the lord's guidance,i will eventually be able to speak all that is needed. As a missionary, there are certain standards set by the mission president to track the progress of missionaries throughout the mission. The standards are 20+ lessons a week, 140 i2l's(invite to learn), 7y7(7 days comp study, weekly planning, 7 daily planning), and our zone leaders have just instituted a new standard which is 5 copies of the book of Mormon a week. I have already seen some good missionaries, and some bugoy(disobedient) missionaries here in the mission, and the success of missionaries definitely is reflected by effort, and diligence. My companion, Elder Taylor and I, rocked the standards last week with 26 lessons, 144 i2l's and 7y7. I can already feel the success and the blessings that will come to us by our diligence. we have 8 investigators with baptismal dates, and this past week found 22 new investigators. i know that even though my Visayan is not the best, these people understand and feel the urgency of our message through the holy ghost.

so there were some funny/crazy experiences i had this week. first of all, on Friday while we were studying a man came and called to us saying he had just come from the Garcia's house, and that he knew the missionaries could help him. his name is Oliver and just by looking at him i could tell that he had not eaten for at least two days. very sad. he was really pleading and asking for help, and we decided that we would pay him some pisos to clean and trim up the weeds in our yard. he was super pumped, and started going to town on those weeds, which was cool. about and hour and a half later he asked for some water so my comp and i decided to take a break, and eat some pan with him. he asked us for 600 pisos so he could find a place for his homeless kids to sleep so we prayed and talked to pres and then decided that it was okay. so after that he left, and said he would come back tomorrow (Saturday) to keep working. he didn't show up until like 10 with one of his kids. he had bought him some briefs and thought it was necessary to show us. Filipinos are pretty open, but he was like super pumped to go to church and he said that he wanted to be baptized which was sick. so of course brother Oliver doesn't show up to church, we see him last night (Tuesday) riding his pot-pot around and when he sees us he pulls his shirt up over his face so we couldn't see him, we knew it was him though. funny stuff. BUT, the moral of the story is we gave a hungry man 12 bucks for him and his kids not to die. and maybe one day he will realize, once he runs out of money again, that the things of this world do not matter and will hopefully turn to the lord.

another funny thing happened yesterday ( Tuesday) when we went to Cabangahaw, another place in our area. we were going to teach two ladies and a tatay a lesson, but there was a drunk nanay, tatay, and some sister. they were SUUUUPER wasted so it was very distracting. we ended up not sharing with them, but while we were sitting there talking this old nanay, straight up 88 years old, was sitting in her hammock with her super long Marlboro cigarrio, and flipped out of her hammock. just fell... TWICE!! it was the funniest thing ever because of what she said(direct translation from Visayan) oh no i just fell from there to the earth. it is hilarious trying to talk to people in Visayan while they are drunk because they freak out when Americans can understand it.

oh so we get called guapo (handsome) like 5 times a day because elder Taylor is just super guapo. they all laugh, especially the girls, when we smile and wave. they try to hide behind each other because they are shocked that me guapo comp is smiling at them. it is fun stuff.

so yeah umm we are the only two elders in Siaton and our area is like a 30 minute bus ride from the next area closest to us. so its pretty big. we have a cool house with two bathrooms with shower heads that work, but the water is freezing. a cool kitchen, a little couch, a room for just our beds and fans, another room for our clothes and where we can hang our wet stuff. it is a pretty sweet set up, but there is no aircon but since it is so spacey and there are only two of us it is pretty cool, not too hot. so its cool.

from Cebu to Siaton it was a 6 hour bus ride, then an hour barge(boat) ride, and another 1 1/2 hour bus ride. so not too far... haha. but yeah it is pretty cool here on the mission. hard at times, but i know i need to be here doing work. it feels good coming home at night exhausted from a hard day of missionary work, and yeah i like this opportunity i have to serve the lord. stay strong and don't worry about me. i'm doing fine.

lots of gugma, Elder DeSchepper

SIATON, NEGROS-PHILIPPINES

Companion: Elder Taylor, Highland UT

Hey,

So i am pretty much here in the Philippines and everything is crazy. I have seen security guards walk around with guns, women breastfeeding just out in the open, Some people welding a metal gate in shorts and sandals, and just the most random things. So here in the pinnes all of the missionaries get called "Joe". Its pretty funny because they will just yell hey Joe! so onto more important things... My trainer/ companion is American. His name is Elder Taylor from Highland Utah and is way cool!! at first i wasn't sure if i wanted an American companion, but it is way awesome. if i have a question about the language it is easy for him to explain instead of there being a language barrier. My area is on the island of Negros, and it is called Siaton. There is a nice church building here, and on Sunday we had 53 people attend sacrament with 3 investigators. Oh dang i totally forgot but i didn't get to my area until Saturday. we had a baptism like 2 hours after we got there, and i was able to perform the baptism. Her name is shane villagantol potente, and she is 9 years old. Super cute little pinay. It was so spiritual being able to help her come closer to Jesus Christ and go through the gate of baptism.
But it is so beautiful here on Negros. I am falling in love with the food, and more so the people. There is a family in our branch who feeds us dinner almost every night. They are the Garcia's, and just love the gospel so much. tatay garcia was talking to me about himself, and said he is happy to be poor because at least he is rich spiritually. these people really understand how important Christ is. So yeah they are just so amazing, and nanay garcia cooks some bomb grilled isda (fish). I love it.
So we have been tracting up in the bukid(mountain) area, and in the past 2 days have found 7 new investigators. Our area is about to blow up with baptisms and church attendance. It is so awesome feeling how much the spirit really does touch peoples lives. It is the most important thing in my entire life, and i am starting to realize it more and more as i study and teach. I love being here. My companion couldn't count how many times through the day i say "This is crazy!!" because i am still in shock that i am really here in the Philippines. I'm so grateful for this experience.
My mission president is way cool, and i can feel his love whenever he teaches or anything. But yeah he has given me comfort that the language will come in time, and that through these experiences i will grow to be a better disciple of Christ. So if anyone has any questions about anything shoot me an email back!!! i would just love to tell all about the culture and people even though i am still learning about it.

WELL, I love you all with everything i can possess.

-Elder DeSchepper

p.s. the streets here are crazy!! no rules!!

November 10, 2011

CEBU-PHILIPPINES

Hey family!

I just want you all to know that I have arrived here in Cebu safe and sound. My mission president is great and his wife is fantastic as well!!! I will email next Wednesday all of my info and whats going on. like my comp and area and stuff. well got to go!!

lots of love!! -Elder DeSchepper

WEEK 9 MTC

Hey!!

so i am leaving today! i have had so much fun here in the mtc doing all of the mtc stuff, but i feel like i am ready to get out to the philippines. i am so excited for this opportunity in my life, and i really hope that i can do some work and change some lives out in the philippines. thanks for all of the support, and for the many prayers which carry me through each day. i know that this is what i need to be doing right now, and i love my family for helping and supporting me while i am helping to push forward the kingdom of god. so yeah i will make sure to travel safely, and when i arrive to the field i will let you all know where i am and whats going on with my companion situation, and all of that jazz. well i dont have much else to say, and i just pray that i will be a useful tool in the lord's hands. i dont want to waste his time. stay sweet and keep it down in the states while i'm gone.

love your new filipino, Elder DeSchepper

Week 8 MTC

MTC
Companion: Elders Seumanutafa, Parkinson

Hello all!

This is my last week here in the MTC. I fly out to the Philippines in one week exactly, and i am so excited. I do not have much time to write, but i know that this work and this gospel is true. I have been so blessed to know of the rich blessing the gospel is. There is a word in cebuano (lamit) which means delicious, and that is how i feel about my opportunity to serve a mission. I really am trying to savor this tasty experience and i know that the work i do during these next two years will bless the life of me and my family, and also the lives of those who are touched by the gospel for eternity. I love being here on my mission, and will do my best to represent my family, my sacred authority, and the name of my savior. I love all of you, and i hope you all taste the (lamit)-ness of the fulness of the gospel. Kalinaw, gugma, ug mga pag-ampo, -Elder Jake William DeSchepper

WEEK 7-MTC

hey mom and dad,

i am not going to write a mass email today so if you would could you just send a nice little email and update them saying i am doing great. i feel so horrible that i forgot your birthday mom. i think about you every day and i hope you can feel my hugs even when i am not there. you know that i love you, and i am trying so hard to focus on the little time i have to serve a mission. i have realized that this will be the only time i have with just me and the lord so i need to make the most of it. there are times where i struggle and feel the pressure of being a missionary, but i feel like the more i focus and strive to be the best servant i can be, our family will be blessed in abundance. i just hope that you know that i am not wasting my time here like some other missionaries, and i really appreciate the love and support. i am ready to go to the Philippines with this message of love and forever families. our family will be forever and i am looking forward so much to the day when our whole family in standing in the presence of our father saying that we had done the best we could. i am constantly striving to improve myself as a son, a brother, and a missionary through applying the love that Christ shows for me, unto other people. my job here is to focus on the people i am serving, and there will be times that i forget about the family, and forget birthdays. but i feel like that is truly when i am focused the most on my purpose. my purpose as a missionary is on page 1 of preach my gospel, and i think for one family home evening you should teach about what missionaries really do. the whole first chapter is exactly what i will be doing for the next 2 years. so if there is ever a time when you are sad that i am gone, remember what i am doing. i feel so lucky and blessed to be part of our family, and i love you all with my entire heart. it is sad that i will miss some key events in the boys lives like Isaac's baptism, Adam receiving the Aaronic priesthood, and Sam graduating high school. along with Joyce's new baby, and just everybody growing up in general. i hope that you know and feel the prayers that i offer for you all. mom i am trying so hard to be an example for my younger brothers, and to show them that what i am doing is required for our salvation, because before we came to this earth i covenanted with heavenly father that i would serve a mission. all of your sons did. inspire love and care into their hearts. read the scriptures, pray, and feel the spirit together. i know that i have felt an extreme amount of blessings through such. keep our home wholesome, and make sure that it is a sanctuary from the world. i love you with all of my heart. i wish you and Isaac a happy birthday, and i just really want the best for our family. i feel your love daily, and i know without a doubt in my mind that i am here because of my parents. you helped me figure it out on my own. you didn't try to shove the gospel down my throat, and i was able to gain my own testimony because of that. be strong through all of the trials throughout this life because there is always a way. Jesus Christ is the way, and i promise if we look towards his example, our lives will be so much happier, and in turn, easier. i love you all and hope everything is well. i will represent our families name with dignity and respect, and will not let you down.

your son, Elder Jake William DeSchepper

Very First Letter from Elder DeSchepper sent September 7, 2011

I'm just getting around to posting Jake's very first written letter to us. Enjoy!

Familia!
Greetings from the Provo Missionary Training Center! I am writing a letter so soon because in our "get to know the presidency" meeting, the MTC President asked all of us to write a short letter to our families. Well today started off super great because while waiting for my shuttle in the SLC airport I met pro-skater Bucky Lasek. It was pretty legit. But now to the more important stuff. I have felt the spirit so strong here especially when we sang the "Army of Helaman" song and the part that says "We are NOW the Lord's missionaries." I have 2 companions, Elder Parkinson from good old Rexburg and Elder Seumanutafa from Brisbane, Australia. They are both super cool and we are all going to Cebu. There are only 5 Elders and 1 sister in our District, which is very small compared to the other Cebuano district which has 17. Anyways, I am so happy (ma'ayo ka'ayo in Cebuano) to be here on my mission preparing to serve the Lord in any way that I possibly can. I love and miss all of you but know this sacrifice is so small compared to the great sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. I have a testimony of this Gospel and am thrilled to share it with the Filipino people. I would challenge the family to read at least one verse of the Book of Mormon everyday because it has changed my life, and I know our family will be blessed because of it. I need some pictures to put up here, so boys draw me some sweet drawings. Miss you and see you soon.

Much love,
Elder DeSchepper

WEEK 6 Email

MTC
COMPANIONS: Seumanutafa, Parkinson

Hello all who read this,
Well this has been a very good week for Elder DeSchepper. I have become very comfortable with speaking Cebuano only for long periods of time. I imagine that the sooner i forget all of my English the better. I am preparing the best that i possible can so upon my arrival in the Philippines there will not be any reason for me to not be able to teach. It will definitely take some time getting used to the culture, and being fluent in the language, but i have full confidence in my ability to speak through the Holy Ghost. This week has been very eye-opening for me, and i have received answers to prayers through diligence in seeking the spirit. It is true that all missionaries should have the Holy Ghost always, but recently i have had some experiences with some certain Elders where that has not been the case. I feel so honored and proud to wear the name of the savior of the world over my heart all day every day for two years. There was a story one man told in a devotional a while back where a man from Ecuador was baptized into the church, along with his family. Over the years this man and his wife were finally able to serve a mission, and that day when he pinned that tag onto his lapel, he never felt closer to Jesus Christ. It is amazing how this statement is only true if all of the missionaries heart, might, mind, and strength, is put into this work. I am happy to say that I feel worthy to wear this name tag and there is not a day where I take it for granted. It is really true how missionary work blesses the lives of missionaries along with all of those around. There was one day this week where my companions and I taught our teacher, Brother Morrey, a lesson about repentance. The spirit of the Holy Ghost was definitely apparent throughout the lesson, and it turned out to be a very emotional time for me. I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ in my life where I am able to repent and forsake all of my wrong-doings. Our Savior Jesus Christ has already suffered for the sins of the world, so there is no reason why repentance should not take place in each of our individual lives. I know that throughout all of our lives we will all make mistakes, and feel the sorrow that comes from sinning. Our father in heaven knows and loves each one of us so much that we have this wonderful opportunity to live our lives here on this earth. To learn and to grow in the ways that the Lord has asked of us. I testify that through all of the trials and the burdens we each face, there is a way. Jesus Christ is the light and the way for us to return to live in the presence of our father in heaven once again. I know this to be true for I have felt the love of God in my own life. I pray that we all find this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

with all of my love, Elder Jake William DeSchepper

WEEK 5 Email

MTC
Companion: Elders Laxton, Seumanutafa, Parkinson

Kamusta pamilya ug mga amigo!!

So this week has been very good. Elder Laxton and I worked very hard, and our lessons were all very good. Throughout this week, we went to many meetings and doctor appointments for him to finally get cleared to leave. It was not looking to good, but just yesterday he was called to a district presidents office and was told to go get cleared by the doctor so he could leave. He is leaving today at 4:30. It has been good working with him and getting to know him, but i am so happy that he is finally getting to Cebu!! so I'll be back with Elder Seumanutafa and elder Parkinson until i leave which is good. well being a missionary is so hard, even here in the MTC. I cannot imagine how much harder it will get in the field, but i believe that is why lives are blessed so much by those serving missions. I am so proud of every single one of my friends who are serving missions, and setting an example for those around them. It is crazy how this is it. During the mission is when life changes and will never be the same. I'm scared and excited at the same time, but for now i know what i need to do, and what my purpose is. So one of my good friends from school was called to Brazil, but his visa didn't come, so he was reassigned to Long Beach!! I was super pumped to hear this from him, and so i hope he loves it there. There is also another Elder who was supposed to go to manila, but he has back problems so he was reassigned to San Diego, Tagalog speaking!! It is so exciting being here at the MTC meeting missionaries from all places, and all walks of life. Yesterday i met an Elder who is from Mexico city and is serving in japan!! It is so cool because in the span of talking to him for 5 minutes he was speaking 3 different languages. I miss you all, and I am struggling at times, but i feel the extra strength come from your prayers. I am so grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity i have to forget my whole life, and just go to work. I am already surprised with how much i have grown since being here, and i cannot imagine how i am going to be in 2 years. it is going to be weird, but a good kind of weird. I really don't have much more to say so i am just going to share my testimony in Cebuano.

Missyonaryo ako, nga ang simbahan ni jesukristo sa mga santos sa ulahing mga adlaw. Nasayud ko nga, mao kini sa buhat ug sa himaya sa Dios. Ang pagpahinabo sa pagka-imortal ug sa kinabuhi nga dayon sa mga tawo. Ug akong katuyuan mao ang sa pagdapit sa mga tawo ni pilipinas sa pagpangutana sa Dios kon tinuod sa niining simbahan pinaagi pag-ampo, ug kanusa mobasa Ang Basahon ni Mormon. Nasayud ko nga manluluwas ug manunubos si Jesukristo. Siya nahigugma tanan sa mga katawhan, ug nasayud ko nga ako anak sa Dios. Mga anak kita niya. Makabalik kita sa iyang atubangan pinaagi mga pakigsaad, ug kon magpuyo atong mga kinabuhi mas maayo. Ecsited ko sa pagtudlo mga gamay pilipinos. Mao kini ang tinuod nga ebanghelyo. Naghubad si Joseph Smith ang basahon ni mormon. ug salamat ko para niana. Nagpasalamat para tanan sa inyong mga ehemplo kanako. sa ngalan ni Jesukristo, Amen.

WEEK 4 Email

What is up family!!!

I am having such a great time here at the MTC learning and growing exponentially every day. It is just so awesome thinking that just about a month ago i had no idea what Cebuano sounded like and now i am teaching 40 minute lessons in just Cebuano. that is the spirit right there. i am so happy because i get to see my homie Elder Carpenter all the time when we have devotionals and i run into him at the bookstore from time to time. He is just great in speaking his Spanish and it is awesome seeing him and i go through this awesome experience. This morning my companion Elder Laxton had a dentist appointment, and we shuttled there with two other companionships of elders. Through talking I found out that one of the elders was from star valley and was on Elder McDonell's soccer team!!! it was so crazy and special to tell this Elder about Ian and his mission. I am grateful for Ian's example in my life, and this morning, my testimony was strengthened exponentially of examples.

Well General Conference was amazing this weekend, and it was crazy how much they talked about missionary work, and how there is a need for many more missionaries. I support the General Authorities, and I am so grateful to be fulfilling a wenderful thing in which my father in heaven will be so pleased. Elder Laxton and I have a method of teaching that really works, and in just this past week of being his companion i have learned heaps from him. We taught about Jesus Christ and his life/atonement yesterday using pictures, and it just went so well. I was asked such a difficult question during the lesson by our investigator(teacher) which was, "So you say Jesus suffered for all of our sins... how do you know that. i don't believe that he suffered for my sins..." At this point i was freaking out on the inside like ummm what do i say. I said a prayer in my heart that the spirit would guide my words, and through the spirit (and in Cebuano) i told him that i was not there that night in the garden to see Christ suffer for my sins, but i know in my heart that he did this for you and for me. The room went quiet for a bit, and i knew the spirit was working in this man's heart. (even though he is not a real investigator, the spirit will still do its part while we are training here at the MTC, and maybe even strengthen this specific individual.) we then challenged him to read the book of Mormon, and promised him of the blessings that will come of it. With Elder Laxton, we have started to read the book of Mormon and basahon ni mormon side by side in order to learn more Cebuano. i know this is helping so much, and through our efforts we will be blessed with sa gasa sa pinalongan (the gift of tongues). Doing this has helped us learn more vocabulary, and also speak with a better Filipino accent.

I just want to say thanks for all of the love and support i have received, and for the many prayers. I feel like I am part of the army of Helaman serving my god and bringing others unto Christ. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. i know i am where the lord wants me to be at this time in my life and I have been promised blessings if i put forth all of my efforts. I would exhort my younger brothers and all family and friends to remember what Elder Holland said and remember that "In this family, we serve missions." well i am just so happy and tired and am feeling all of the emotions of being a missionary. I miss and love you all, and will see you soon! Kini mao ang akong kinabuhi. Ang kinabuhi sa usa misyonaryo.

much love, Elder DeSchepper

WEEK 3 email

MTC
Companion: Elder Laxton

Kamusta ged mo!!!!!

Hey everyone. Everything is great here at the MTC. I am just doing some laundry right now and it is already such a great p day. The older Cebuano elders are leaving today for the Philippines and so it is fairly sad. The missionaries who are going to the Tacloban Mission left yesterday and that was very sad. not going to lie i cried a bit. Anyways I am learning Cebuano like a boss through the spirit. It is so amazing what happens here at the MTC. On Sunday i was kind of having a down day at the start, but we had mission conference in the morning for two hours. The holy ghost was definitely in that meeting. Later on our branch had a fast and testimony meeting where many of the departing missionaries bore their testimonies, and it was crazy. For the first time in my life i felt overtaken, my whole being, by just warmth and comfort and now i just know for a fact how important this work is, and how grand the effects will be for my own family, and other little Filipino people. I have had some crazy things happen with my companions this week like we were teaching our teacher/investigator wink wink* yesterday and my companions were not prepared at all to teach the lesson. I was furious, and ended the lesson telling the investigator we were not prepared. My companions and I then had a very heartfelt conversation, and I realized personally how crucial it is to be focused here and doing what is right. Well it is such weird timing, but last night there was a missionary who went home due to severe anxiety and it is so sad because he was here for 9 weeks getting ready to peace out to the field. But his companion, Elder Laxton, injured himself the other day in gym so he is having to stay here until he fully heals... SOOO he is my new companion! I am super pumped because he is just so spiritual and a hard worker. He is from Orem and went to high school at Mountain View. He played football in high school and is such a beast, that he will play at BYU after the mission. Before he came out here he was training with them every day, and it is just super cool. He is so set on being the most prepared he can be for the pilipinas, so we are going to study, speak Cebuano, and know the gospel with all of our hearts and being. I am so happy to be here on my mission, and it is just perfect looking into someones eyes, and bearing testimony of what i know to be true.

Nasayud ko nga tinuod, ug hingpit ang kining simbahan. Pinaagi sa katungod sa Dios, Nagpahiuli si Joseph Smith tanan sa mga butang, ug nasayud ko nga manluluwas si JesuKristo. Salamat kaayo para and pag-ula ni JesuKristo ug para sa oportunidad sa pagtudlo iyang gugma ug iyang mensahe. Salamat kaayo para akong pamilya, ug pwede kami mopuyo para mahangturon. Kining ebanghelyo sa mas maayo sa tanan mga butang sa kalibutan. Misyonaryo ako, ug ako si usa represante ni JesuKristo. Ako si Kalipay kaayo. Salamat para tanan sa mga pag-ampo. Sa ngalan ni JesuKritso, Amen.

I love you all, (nahigugma ko kanamo)

Week 2 Email

Area: MTC
Companion: Elder Seumanuafa, Elder Parkinson

Hello everyone,
Well it has been almost two weeks since i have arrived at the MTC, and this whole experience so far has been so amazing. It is so difficult dealing with all of the adjustments to mission life, but with effort and obedience, the Lord provides the rest. I have been learning Cebuano, and it is probably the toughest thing i have ever tried to do. i would like to say that i am starting to understand it, but you never know what to expect when you roll up to the Philippines and you cannot understand a word anyone is saying. i hope that by that time i will be as ready as i possibly could be with a firm grasp on the language and most importantly having the spirit as my companion. The food here at the MTC is terrible and the only thing keeping me sane here is the 4 glasses of chocolate milk i drink every meal. Its awesome there is an elder in one of the older districts that has a scholarship to BYU after his mission and he has generously started helping me work out (he is murdering me slowly) but i have already gained some weight! it is fairly grueling, but pretty soon i will be a little bigger. well on Sunday we went on our temple walk, and when we were just chilling on the temple grounds a man with his three children came up to us and asked us to sing some songs. there were probably around 20 of us elders there and his little boy asked us to sing the army of Helaman song. we said sure why not and before we finished the song the man had tears in his eyes. we then sang a few more songs, but i cannot help but think that we really helped that man with something in his life. it was truly a great missionary experience, and the spirit was so strong. it is so powerful when we have so many missionaries in our Sunday and Tuesday devotionals singing anthems of our purpose as missionaries. it is crazy to think that my time is now to leave my mark and help other people to their eternity of happiness. i feel like it is such a privilege to be here on a mission and to be able to serve others. Something that i had not known about missionary work is that we are to show the love of Jesus Christ for his children on the earth today, because he is not here able to do it himself. I still marvel at the fact that the Lord trusts 19 year old young men and 21 year old young women to bring about his most important work. I am just so grateful to be here on my mission and try to bring at least one soul unto Christ.

Nahigugma ko kanamo ug nasayud ako nga tinuod sa niining simbahan. Manluluwas ug manunubos si Jesukristo. Nasayud ako nga mahingtuoran mga pamilyas. Sa ngalan ni Jesukristo, Amen.

much love, Elder DeSchepper

Week 1 Email

Area: MTC

Companion: Elder Seumanuafa, Elder Parkinson

Kamusta Pamilya ug Amigos!!! (that's Cebuano for hello family and friends)

Well being here at the Missionary Training Center is quite interesting but still so much fun at the same time. I love my companions and my district. it is so much fun being here and learning so much about the kind of missionary i want to be and also about the gospel. The language is very tough, but i find comfort in the promise that if i first seek to obtain the word, my tongue shall be loosed. Therefore, I am trying my hardest to study the gospel, and then i will be able to speak Cebuano no problem. It is so crazy that I have only been here for 6 days... it feels like forever. But i'm so happy to be here on my mission serving the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength. So I have 2 different companions here, the first is from Brisbane, Australia and his name is Elder Seumanutafa. He is Samoan and Tongan and is the coolest guy. My other companion is from Rexburg, Idaho and his name is Elder Parkinson. He is struggling with the language but he is an example to me of patience and also of trusting in the Lord. There are so many great people here and I know that there is no other place where I should be. I love this gospel with all of my heart, and I am so excited to teach the people of the Philippines. I love you all and I know this life here on earth is though. Stay true to the faith and find solace and peace through the gospel.

Nasayud ako nga
Manluluwas ug manunubos si Jesukristo.

Elder DeSchepper