Week 31..... Be Men....

I love the advice that Lehi gives his sons right before he is about to die in 2 nephi! "Arise from the dust my sons, and BE MEN. I read this and i realized that i am very much still a little boy! and little boy in thought and in action! When i read this i thought hey, maybe it's time to be a man. Within missionary work I find myself really scared sometimes, with the language, within a lot of it's aspects. Even with all the promises that God gives to us as misionaries i still find myself doubting every now and again. So yeah I think it's just time to face missionary work like a man! I really don't have much more to say about that anyway...

umm i love my new area! Lupao is a fantastic place! I can finally see mountains! they are beautiful! my companion might be one of the greatest men i have ever met in my life! one of the strongest spiritual men i have ever met! We had a crazy crazy storm last night that left us stranded in a waiting shed for about an hour and half! Every time the lightning would strike it felt like an earthquake! I love STORMS!!!!! The storm knockd out the power all night for us and we had no fans!! ah it was a very sweaty gross night of sleep but all is well!! 

The work is good! God is good! I love life!! I love you all! have a great week

P.S. Yeah i'm still weird

--

-Elder Naylor

Week 30... 1st transfer

Magandang Buhay!

Whoa.. What a week it has been. I survived my first transfer.. I think i can now survive anything that God throws at me. Never have my emotions been so stretched and so pushed in my entire life. Leaving was the hardest thing I have ever done. Please don't be offended, I love my family and all of you but leaving home was a cake walk compared to leaving my family in Victoria. 

I loved everyone there, I will forever and always have place in my heart for them. Probably the hardest goodbye was to the little girl that I have tried and tried to put in a package and send home but it just never worked out.

Little Katrina Ringor! that girl has me wrapped around her finger! I would do anything for her. When saying goodbye to her I had held myself together ok but then she started to cry and my heart just had a mini heart attack and cracked a little bit. I've never been so heart broken in my life, I told her to be a good girl, kissed her on the forehead and  we left. It's awkward when people say hey Joe in the first place, but when they say it and then they realize that your crying haha that's really awkard! I love that little girl with my heart and I'm so happy i had the opportunity to be a part of a small portion of her life. 

I am now in Lupau, Nueva Ecija! it is beautiful over here! We have mountains near by! the people are nice! my companion, oh geez my companion! he is absolutely awesome! Elder Ordejan! haha he is so addicted to pokemon! right before we go to bed he always brings it up and i have to really reach back into my childhood and try to remember the pokemon games i was addicted too! I love that guy! The ward is nice! So nice that they let me give a 20 minute talk yesterday! it was fantastic! 

We were able to have a three baptisms too! what a blessing! gosh i just love this work! I love life out here! and i'm

super thankful for the opportunity to be a missionary! I love all of you and I hope and pray all is well! take care

Week 29... Giving ice-cream to jesus...

As my time most likely is coming to an end here in Victoria my heart is troubled! But my faith is still strong! I've grown a love for the people and I know they will be fine without me but i just don't know if i will be without them! 

We had an exciting week lots of good things happen every day! We had the opportunity to be apart of the baptism of two of our Investigators Presila Salamera and Rodell Ramos! two incredible people! Presila actually didn't show up to her confirmation yesterday but that's just because she has a rebellious soul! haha she is so funny! Reminds me of my Granny Naylor she is 73 years old and still kicking it! 

You will have to excuse the really short email! some of the most exciting news of the week was that instead of having 2 hours on the computer on P days we only get 1 hour on the computer! So yeah.. I pretty much should just say my goodbyes until i come home. haha just kidding i will do my best to send out good emails! 

I had a powerful personal study this week about The Good Samaritan. One of my favorite teachings of Jesus Christ. While studying this Parable in my mind i kept on thinking about this scripture in Matthew 25 Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. So after reading this i thought sweet! I'm going to do something good for someone today! So I have a little crew of 10 year old boys that follow us around when we come into town I always talk with them and joke around and just have fun with them! They have no home, I'm not really sure if they have parents! they are always diggin in trash cans for something to eat! So I believe it was saturday Elder Obligaction and I were in 7/11 getting some water. I looked out the window and I saw the kids and I think they saw me the same time i saw them. The all tapped each others shoulders and pointed at me and Yelled ELDER NAYLOR!!! and started running towards 7/11 haha it was so funny i wish i could have gotten it on tape! Anyway I bought them all ice cream (hence the title) I gave Jesus Ice Cream. I'm not boasting in anyway but it was really cool just to see those kid's faces light up! 

I love my mission. I love the Lord, I love all of you.

Love, Elder Naylor

Week 28... We can truly be free!

Happy 4th of July!! late sorry i know but it's the best i can do! The Holiday that i normally really do not care at all for, I really cared for this go around! I celebrated like you wouldn't believe! i had American pins, American Bracelets, American Socks, an American Tie. I'm really surprised i didn't get robbed! I set an appointment with some members a couple days in advance and i let them know that we were celebrating my country's freedom! they went all out! when we got to their house they had on their board in their house "Happy Indepence Day Elder Naylor!" haha it was so awesome! She cooked all of my favorite food! we had cake! ahhh it was glorious!

I'm super thankful for the Calma family for celebrating with me one of the best 4th of julys ever! I also sang them our National Anthem! haha they loved it, i love it! I think i could do it at the SuperBowl... hahah that is if they life voices that crack like a 12 year old boy!

With the celebration I got to thinking about our country. The Land of the Free! It's true, we have quite the freedom in America. So free that Men can get married to men and Women can get married to Women. How great! (Sarcasm) But i am very thankful for the U.S.A and the beautiful country that it is!

When i got thinking about the freedoms of the states! i got thinking of the freedoms of the gospel. We as Latter day saints are the Freest of all people! I came across Mosiah 2: 22 and i love that verse of scripture i use it at least once a day! All we have to do is keep the commandments! So do it! or at least try and we will prosper! 

It's raining blessings here in Victoria! Fantastic people are just falling into our laps and hungering to be taught the restored gospel! It's also raining water I rarely come back to the apartment without being soaking wet! i love it! 

All is well! 

Celebrating Elder Mitchells 1 year mark and the 4th of July with Pizza!