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