Hello from the Philippines!

It is soooo HOT and humid haha. There are bugs everywhere so i think you may die of being scared if you came here mom! We have daddy long legs all over our small apartment along with gekos and ants. My comp is great. His name is Elder Labetoria. He is from here in the Philippines. He can speak some english but most of the time i just have to guess what he's saying.

Our schedule is: wake up at 6:30 and shower then eat some breakfast. Then we have personal study, companionship study, and then language study till 11. That is sooo boring. Then we have lunch and go out proceliting or to our appointments and are just out teaching all day till dinner. Oh and we are opening a new area so a lot of our time has been getting to know the members and asking for referrals. I have already been able to baptize someone tho! Her name is Marry Ann and she's 12. The branch president adopted her and she was being taught before we got here so we taught her a few times then i got to baptize her! Then after were done teaching we either have a dinner appointment or make it ourselves. We have had 2 of those so far. Thats pretty much my day. The language is horrible.Everyone speaks illicano where i am. So I have to try and learn 2 languages. I am pretty much is the middle of nowhere. We have to take a jeepney for about 20 min to get to town to buy groceries. I hate jeepneys already. Its so full, shoulder to shoulder, people hanging out the back and sitting on top, and im hunched over because im too big! Everyone says i have the 2nd to worst area so i guess its good i got it first because it can only get better from here haha.

As for food i have eaten several things. The worst was this chickens blood cube. It was like a jello thing of cooked chickes blood. I also had some pig and fish. And LOTS of rice! Every meal we have rice. We have been fed twice so far. I have yet to have anything lola cooks so i couldnt tell you if they are alike or not. My apartment has a washing machine so i just throw my clothes in there:) My apartment is very small. It is just cement with a tin roof. I will send pictures next week. We have 4 missionaries in the apartment. They are all pretty cool.

Things are supper cheap here! I was thirsty so i bought this soda called "sparkle" its kinda like MT DEW but it was a litter and it cost 20 pisos which is like 40 cents. Oh and all soda comes in bottles so they pour it into a plastic bag and give you a straw. I also am having a small backpack made for me and it cost about $9. I still have personal money. The internet is kinda slow but i think i will be able to skype.

Im not sure what i could use. Money is always good. They pretty much have everything i can buy here. I will think about it tho and let you know.

Mahal ko kayo!

-Elder St. Gelais

Oh haha im in Burgos.  I have as much time as i need. I use the computer at like a computer place where you just buy time. Emails will usually come at the same time. And i think the city is called mabini.

Dear Missionary Families,

Greetings from the Philippines Cauayan Mission.  Your missionaries have arrived safely after a long day.  A delayed flight set back the entire schedule for their arrival. They have had their orientation and are now in their areas with their new companions. Pictures to come tomorrow.


President and Sister Rahlf

Philippines Cauayan Mission



Dear Family of Elder St. Gelais,
This morning we welcomed Elder St. Gelais with open arms and grateful hearts to the beautiful Philippines Cauayan Mission.  We wanted to let you know as soon as possible that he is safely here and already busy at the mission office and home preparing to enter the field with his new companion.  We will send you additional information about his first area and companion quickly and you can expect your first email from him on Monday (or your Sunday, depending on time zone).

We hope your day is a wonderful one.  Ours has been.

Love,
President and Sister Rahlf
“It’s a great day to be a missionary!”

This week has been pretty good! It has feels like it has been long though because i am so ready to get out of the MTC. Most everyone is excited and nervous at the same time. Its a crazy feeling. I did get the package, thank you. My flight from seattle leaves at 2:30 so i dont think i will be able to talk to the little kids...I will can call your phone and leave a message for them though.

  I already took the money out to trade for the Filipino peso at the airport. So all i have left is to pay for the baggage.

  This week we had to move back to main campus on tuesday so that day the canceled all of our classes. They brought us a huge bus and a moving truck. We loaded everything up around 11 and then went to main campus. We got to our dorms and just got to hangout out all day except for lunch, dinner and the devotional that night so we played 1 in the chamber. We have the nerf guns and had teams of 3. We had one dart each and if you got hit your out so we played that and then just talked. The devotional that night was given by Dallin H. Oaks and his wife. It was really good. When he came into the gym everyone stood up and he brought such an amazing spirit into the room.

  The next few day were all pretty normal. Just being in class and the eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. Friday we had our in-field orientation though. That was all day. It was from 8 to 5:20 at night. It was super boring and felt like forever. We just went over things like our planner and how to work with members, things like that.

  Thank andre and teri for me. They sent some candy and 2 ties. It was great getting a package from them.

  I am going to try and send a package home today of things that i dont need fro the Philippines. Hopefully i have time for that because we are going to the Temple this afternoon. I always love going there.

  Someone told me of a package thing in california. Its a boat that takes them to the Philippines. It takes like 5 weeks but its only $50 and there is no weight limit. Maybe that would be a good way to send things?

  I love you all and thank you for the support.

-Elder St. Gelais

My teacher told me to make sure and put "gift" on the customs thing so i dont have to pay for it. I have no idea of what i would want for christmas! Maybe i can send some cool things home for you guys though. And let ana know about the package thing casue she didnt know how to send one. Ya i think it will change but im not sure to what yet. I think getting a package for Christmas would be more fun too. I would love to speak some Tagalog for you haha

Can you add dcohen0102@gmail.com to the list of people you forward my emails to? He is one of my teachers. Thanks! 

Mahal kita!

Elder St. Gelais

This week was much better then the last. I also got your cinnamon rolls and they were delicious. Sunday and Saturday last week were great. For conference we just watched it in the big gym where we have devotionals. I stayed awake for all 5 sessions and took notes on every talk. It was awesome because i could really feel the spirit telling me what to write down. On a normal sunday though we have Priesthood and Sacrament meeting. Then we have lots of study time. We also get to walk to the Temple and hangout over there. Then at night we have a devotional and watch a church film.

This week went by really fast. I think i forgot to tell you the first time i got to give a blessing but i got to do another on Monday. It is sooo amazing. One of the sisters in my district was kinda homesick and didnt have a very good night so she asked me for a blessing. Its so cool how i can just talk and not really be sure what im saying but how the spirit just puts things into my head and they come out.

On Wednesday night something super scary happened. I woke up in the middle of the night and one of the Elders in my room wasnt doing good. I asked him what was wrong and he said he thought he saw like an evil spirit. The feeling i got when he said that was crazy. It felt like something evil was in there. So i asked him if he wanted to say a prayer so i said one with him and everything was better and he could get to sleep. Something similar happened to another friend except he actually saw what looked like the image of a guy but he had red eyes. Then next night his companion saw the exact same thing so they went and talked to their branch president.

Everything is going good though! One of our teachers said we gave him the best leasson he has ever had in the MTC. He started to cry and said he felt the spirit so strong. And the lesson was in fact, in Tagalog. It was so amazing to be able to have the spirit with us and helping us teach him and teach to his needs. So yesterday we got FLIGHT PLANS! Well everyone did but me...I had to go to the Travel office to get mine. But I leave Salt lake at 11 and fly to seattle. Then fly from seattle at 2:30 to Japan! And then to Manila. So i have about 5 hours were i can call people. Do you think i could have an extra 60 min?

Oh and were moving back to Main campus on Tuesday....The new address is *Elder Jaden Dan St. Gelais Oct 21 PHI-CAU 2011 N. 900 E unit 235 Provo, Ut 84602*.

Mahal po kayo!
-Elder St. Gelais

Tell Payton to make sure and be reading the Scriptures everyday and saying her prayers.

I do fun stuff all the time. Today we are going to supreme burger for lunch and then playing some ping pong before we go to the Temple and do a session. And yes we talk in Tagalog for the most part in class. I am kind of nervous to leave but at the same time i am SOOO excited!

Hi landon!
I love you you to buddy. And i miss you! Do the halloween decorations look good? Do you like Ana taking you places? I love you.

Kamust pare! (hi bro) Hi Dallin.
I miss you too buddy. Im glad youre doing good in soccer and having a fun time. Love you!

Hi lauren!
I miss you too Lauren! That food sounds gross! I miss you and love you!

Kamusta tatay!
That does sound like a rough call. Im sorry. I have seen how the Priesthood can bless others. I have had the opportunity to give 2 blessings and be in about 5. Its so amazing. I think asking Ana to take the discussions would be a good idea. Thank you. And thanks for the phone. I miss you and love you.

Mahal po kayo! (I love you all)
-Elder St. Gelais

We will get our visa and passport the day we leave. I do leave the 21st. and will call you guys in the morning. and yes i know your phone number haha

I did get the coat, thank you! And the zip code was the same. Did i tell you i was moving back to main campus on monday? Oh and i get 50% off the bookstore here! 

Thats ok! I love you! Do you know how much i have in my bank account? My teacher suggested taking $100 dollars and when i get to manila to switch it out for the Filipino peso. 

Oh and tell dad to maybe not ask ana to do the discussions just yet. Ana just told me she is having kind of a hard time at home.  Well i guess her uncle told her, If any of my daughters became mormon i wouldnt talk to them again. I dont know all the details though. Just talk to her about things. I know she likes talking to you. That pretty cool about the van though. 

Can you also send a scripture case please?

Im starting to not like the MTC so much. The classes just feel so long and all this Tagalog is driving me crazy haha. Im doing ok though. I am really looking forward to General Conference tomorrow. We just sit in the big gym and watch it though so its not as cool as being there but I still think it will be something to remember. Hopefully i dont fall asleep.

One of my favorite things here is doing the roleplay. Thats were we get to practice teaching. Our teacher is the investigator and they act like one of the people from the Philippines that they taught. Its really hard but so rewarding at the same time. I have already felt the gift of tongues work. Today in the lesson i just starting talking and put together sentences like it was nothing. Its amazing how God really does prepare those that are willing to do His work.

Its starting to get so cold here! It started to snow during gym and gym is outside...ITS FREEZING and all i have is the one sweatshirt and i cant wear that with my shirt and tie. Could you send like a sweater or a black jacket?

Did you get the letter and shirt i sent? And tell Andre and Teri thanks for the package of candy. Its delicious.  

Mahal po kayo!
-Elder St.Gelais

I think i wil starting bringing my journal when i email so i can tell more because siting here trying to think about it is hard. It feels like the same thing happens day after day here.  Oh and invite ana to watch General Conference:)

And can you buy hi-chews for me? they are a jappanese candy. I love them. You can get them online. THANKS

So i just found out you cant have silk ties because the bleach your white shirts. all of mine but 3 are silk so can you send some microfiber and polyester? thanks