Friend request from the Philippines....

Nothing better than missionary pics that arrive during
the middle of the week!

Got a friend request on Facebook from the Philippines from
a young girl named Aira Joves. And then look what I got!
Pictures..... She said your son is a good missionary!

Week 9 - First Baptism...

Binyag (Baptism)

Hello Hello Hello! My family and dear friends! Kamusta Po Kayo?! Mahal ko kayo! I just want to say something brief and subtle "I BAPTIZED SOMEBODY!!!" One soul saved millions more to go!"I will not boast of myself but i will boast of my God" (Somewhere in Alma) Hands down the best experience of my life. We baptized two beautiful souls on the same day Jordin Ganapin 9 years old super shy super awesome. The little girl that i baptized Katrina Joy Kalantok Ringor 9 years old and the strongest little girl i have ever met in my life. I don't know what it is about these little girls but they all have a way of pinching the softest part of my heart. Did i cry while baptizing her? Of course i cried! Do i want to put her in a box and ship her home? Yes i do! 

The Baptism itself was beautiful, it is a little different than baptisms i have attended before but it still was so great! Lots of great talks given that i couldn't understand, my companion and i sang "I Feel My Saviors Love" Jordan and Katrina bore their sweet testimonies. Perfection would be a good word to place on that day.

Perfection is what it is all about. (3 Nephi 12: 48) That is god's plan for us. To become like him. The only way for that to become even close to possible is throughFaith,Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. Or in other words The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Ang Ebanghelio Ni Jesucristo) 

Baptism is the gate which we all enter to begin our journey on the straight and narrow path to Perfection.

I am so thankful for the opportunity that i have had to be apart of guiding thesetwo children of God to the gate of this gospel. My joy is exceedingly great! 

I love you all so much, please take care of yourself. Always hold fast to the iron rod so that we all can one day together partake of eternal life.

Ade asked which bed is his? Those aren't the sheets I sent I said,
but I do see the hand towel I sent on the flower bed...

His desk...

week 8 ( 2 months) Day after Valentines...

Whoa...

Hello everyone, what a "Love" filled week it has been! OH MY GULAY!! (Vegetables)

I don't even know where to being, I want you thank my mother for the very special Valentine's Day package! did i cry? Is that a question? Of course i cried! i cried like a new born baby! Thank you all that were involved in that, seriously the best Valentine's Day i have ever had. I Felt The Love!

So Tomorrow I am turning 2 months old. that's kind of crazy right? feels like yesterday i was standing at that airport thinking that i should just turn around, get in the car, and ride home with my family. 

These have been the best two months of my life. How cliche does that sound? It really has though, i can't explain why but whoa.. The mission is truly amazing. It's also been the hardest thing i have ever done. Somehow i can still manage to make it through the day with an eternal smile on my face. 

(1 Nephi 3:7)

My testimony of this scripture boosted to lvl 1000 this week. I may have mentioned in past letters about the Valdez family. I know i sent a picture with them. Eddie Valdez, (The Father) is the perfect investigator. This man is literally one of the elect spirits. I can feel it every time i'm around him. He listens to our message and then he acts on it. His testimony of this gospel is most likely bigger than mine! and i love it! He has an issue though, he has a second family, he lives with this second family, and he isn't married to the woman (Gina) he is living with, they have a 14 year old daughter (Kila). He wants to be baptized so badly, but obviously there is an issue. Getting a divorce in the Philippines is almost impossible especially when you have a crazy ex-wife who doesn't want a divorce. So he is willing to get married to Gina, but conditions just don't make it possible. 

So we brought this concern to our mission President, our prayers as missionaries and the prayers of Brother Valdez had been answered! Since Philippine law is really difficult about divorce, he said "If he has been faithful to the girl he is living with for five years, and has lived with her for 5 years, and is faithful to any obligations he has to the other family. The church has made an exception for the philippines that he can be BAPTIZED!!!!"

Baptism is a commandment from our father in heaven and i know that he prepared a way for this man and his family to be baptized.  

"I love being a missionary" i write this every night in my journal. and i firmly believe it. I love and miss you all.

Love

--

-Elder Naylor

Week 7 Missionary work begins....

Broken Bows of Adversity

Hello po, kumusta po ang araw niyo?

Well hello! haha Words cannot describe the joy i feel in my heart right this instant. I have a new baby brother! When i saw the pictures my eyes instantly filled with tears i couldn't believe it! I want to so badly hold him. The name Eli Brett Naylor will work i guess.. haha Danielle well done you never cease to impress.

The days are hard but still so worth it. I will say it over and over again.. I love being a missionary. Yes, i still don't know any tagalog, yes, people still point and laugh at the white kid, yes this is hard.

I want to express with you all what i have learned this week and i will continue to learn throughout my mission and my life. Remember in 1 Nephi 16 Where Lehi and his family were traveling through the wilderness and Nephi and his brothers were hunting and providing plenty of food for their family? Great story right? The next part is where i want to focus on. Nephi and his brothers were hunting and Nephi's bow had broken. Laman and Lemuel's bows stopped working properly. (haha yes i miss my bow and arrow back at home) When this happened the brothers of Nephi were so angry and cursed God, When they went back to their families with no food their families hardened their hearts and murmured as well, even the prophet Lehi! There was one among them that did not, Nephi. Nephi realized there was a problem but he didn't hang his head, he didn't murmur, he simply looked for a solution to his problem with faith in God. He made a bow out of wood and arrows out of straight sticks, hunted again, and provided food for his family. 

You can take this story many ways but it has touched my heart as a missionary. I know that all of us experience so many trials in this life that we think there is no way we are going to pull out of this. As we journey through this wilderness of life, our bows are going to break over and over again. We must never hang our head, we must always search for a solution with faith. 

I want to be this kind of missionary and kind of person. A solution finder, not a complainer. Life is hard, but i know that through adversity we are made strong. It's with that great gift that God has given us (Agency) that we decide the product of adversity. 

I love you all, i think of you always, it is my prayer every morning and night that my family and friends are staying strong through adversity. If possible, everyone give my new brother a kiss for me. Until next time.

Week 6.... In Victoria February 1, 2015

My companion is next to me an other two are housemates

Adrian leaving the MTC - moms thoughts

So last night I went to bed and fell to sleep pretty quick.  But then found myself awake half the night wondering why I can't sleep when I was so tired.  So I think I was thinking about you and realizing you were leaving the MTC and moving into the unknown.  I know you are a nester and change isn't the easiest thing for you so I'm sure a big step out of your comfort zone. I prayed for you in the middle the night hoping all would be well. Your mom would sure like to be by your side helping you along the way, we all miss you very much!


My dear family and friends. I have landed and am hard at work. I am currently in an internet cafe sweating my face off! I am with my new companion Elder Choresca! He is awesome! Filipino and has an amazing story! HE's 25!! haha yeah i'm just a little boy who doesn't know how to take care of himself. 

I just want to tell you guys how incredible this is. My first area is Victoria, part of the Tarlac zone. My first day here we were hard at it. Walking and walking, trike ride after trike ride, teaching and teaching. I offer as much input as possible but it still is very slim. my second day here I actually went on an exchange with the zone leader because one of our investigators had to get interviewed for baptism!! We have 6 investigators with baptismal dates! how awesome is that! i'm so excited!! I want to tell you all so much but i don't think i have a lot of time, i don't know exactly how anything works here. but i am here and i am doing what my trainer commands. 

We are working with this little girl, i don't know what it is but i get super emotional about these little girls. her name is Katrina she is 9 years old and she is just so cute! we visit here daily and she just smiles and giggles. We are baptizing her in the middle of febuary i believe, as long as she doesn't drink any ice tea! They are strick about ice tea i probably drank ice tea right before i became a missionary and didn't think anything of it. During our lessons i always sneak an icebreaker to her she loves them! thank you mother for that package! the lifetime supply of icebreakers will be extremely useful out here! It gives me leverage, "if you get baptized, there are more icebreakers to be had" haha

This screams me doesn't it!

Everyone points and laughs at me because i am white. "HEY JOE" is what they say. I just look at who said it and I just say HEY!! as loud as i can. 

We went grocery shopping earlier today and i really need my mom! i had no idea what to get! but i think i did ok for my first time. 

Well everyone i am here and i am here to stay! I love you all and yeah

sa pangalan ni jesucristo, amen

This is the Valdez family non members but they came to church with us.
I really hope to see them baptized before I get transferred.

I asked while we 
were emailing about 
his apartment.....

apartment is good! there are definitely going to be some changes made by me but it is good! I think i am going to become the maid. it

's a good thing my mom taught me how to clean! there are lots of mosquitos, water pressure is like nothing, no toilet paper, you shower with a pale of water like you just dump it on your head, it's all cold water, no microwave, there are many cockroaches, and tones of big spiders but they eat the mosquitos! but i love it!! 

Leaving The MTC....Jaunuary 28, 2015

Its never goodbye... Just see you soon!

Dear Parents….

President Clark and I wanted to make certain you knew your missionary has safely landed in the Philippines Angeles Mission.  They are in good hands.  We met them yesterday, had them over for dinner last night, trained them today and sent them to their new areas with their companions.  There was a wonderful feeling as they each met their companions.  They are a great group of missionaries! 

You will hear from them on Monday and they can tell you all about their adventures!

Thank you for your love and support. 

President and Sister Clark

MTC pictures thanks to Raymond Caling Adrian's teacher...

This is a message I got from Brother Caling about Adrian