well dad you asked the golden question. how do they celebrate easter in the philippines..so prepare y ourselves for a wild ride. this whole past week was whats called holy week. because this is a mostly catholic place its population all celebrates all the catholic traditions that most countries in south america celebrate... but with some philipino twists. i dont know all the traditions... but i will talk about one that is especially.... well different... and sad. on the friday before easter sunday there is whats called byernes santo...on this day they celebrate or comemorate the crucifixion of the savior. only here in the philippines they do it in an especially gruesome way. in a place called pampanga (close to manila) and in other places around the philippines they have people who actually have themselves crucified. yes.. this is done by people that have committed especially heavy sins and their belief is that through their own suffering on the cross that they will be forgiven of their sins. so they re inact what is read in the bible... they are flogged... followed by carrying their cross and actually being nailed and hung on the cross. this is something only practiced here in the philippines. on this friday, it was virtually a ghost town. people closed their shops people arent to drive tricies or work, you cannot sell or buy or eat meat, and theres   specially masses held in comemoration of the crucifixion of the savior. 

now here in roxas i didnt see anyone nailed to the cross but we did see some crosses being carried. this is not practiced by everyone in the philippines but it is something that everyone knows about and that most people watch on tv. hard to believe that people actually do that isnt it?

other than that things on actual easter it didnt seem any different than any other sunday. people are more focused on the crucifixion than the ressurection i didnt notice any special traditions on the actual day of easter. 

it makes me very very grateful for doctrine and covenants section 19 where we learned "i god suffered these things for all that they might not suffer if they would repent." we dont have to nail ourselves to the cross to recieve a remission for our sins. we just need to change our lives. we just need to try harder and ask for forgiveness and improve each day.. its sad to think that thats really what people understand and believe about the sacrifice of the savior. thats really what they believe they need to do in order to recieve forgiveness. i remember a talk given in the mtc about repentance i dont remember who gave it but he said that he wants to be in the hall of fame for repenting. it was an interesting statement but i think he just meant that he plans on using the atonement fully in his life and repenting for all things unstead of the other option.. suffering like the savior did if we choose not to repent. 

i have a new companion by the way. his name is elder samer. hes from bicol (a province in the southern part of luzon...) this is gonna be an awesome cycle. noones counting but i only have 3 cycles left thats crazy. i cant believe that. anyways im greeat here very happy. i love you all... and i miss you.. elder landeen

before i start i have to say i feel a little self conscious writing these letters now that i know there are members in my area that read what im writing and have written. hello sherwin. she said it helped her understand me better as to why i am the way i am so i guess some good has come from all my preaching all the time ha ha. i honestly forgot i had a blog going on until she said she had read it ha ha.

anyways....

this week has been more than full of experiences that ill probably hopefully never forget. ill start off with my thoughts and feelings about a special family we have been working with. due to the fact that there are people reading this from here for the protection of this family i will name this family family R. ha ha joke lang. this is the revilla family. we have been working with this family for the whole time i have been here... and we have seen a lot of progression and change with them. before we ended up being punted a lot because they were drinking or gambeling... but now they have come to church a couple of times and are praying about joseph smith (when they dont forget ha ha) and starting on the road to being active. i love this family. they live in a small house made of bamboo cinderblocks and a tin roof, they collect glass bottles and metal and cardboard to sell to junkshops for a living (if you could call it a living) and work odd jobs when they are lucky enough to have people hire them to work in the bukid (rice fields) they are whats called squatters here, meaning their house is built on someone elses land and they are basically the poorest of the poor because of the hard life they are living. they are a very happy and faith filled family.. they dont always do the things they are supposed to do but when you live in those circumstances you HAVE to believe and trust in god. its hard to imagine struggling to just buy food, and really not knowing if your going to make enough to pay for 3 meals a day. anyways.. we went to their house on friday and we sensed immediately they had a problem.. we found out the owner of the land where they are living told them they have 15 days to find somewhere to move and they need to be off the property by that time. these people dont have any money to eat let alone find somewhere to live. they have little children and have lived there for a long time. you cant really blame the owner of the land but i mean these people have absolutely nothing. i cant imagine after struggling and struggling and finally feeling like youve stocked up a little rice you get told you have 15 days to pick up your life and family and find somewhere else to go. we ended up talking about doctrine and covenants section 121 and the suffering of the early members of the church and all the horrible things that they were forced to go through. and i will never forget the closing prayer of nanay katubig (also effected by this) pleading with god for help and hope. and seeing brother revilla obviously effected emotionally but not showing it, while his wife was crying and they were kinda rushing us to get out of there because they need to go and find out where they are going to go. its just the kind of things you dont see back home i was a little taken aback when my companion wasnt very effected by this but i realized that its just sort of a part of life here for some people. it makes you think about whats important in life right? of course family and the lord but sometimes you dont realize exactly how important those things are until you see someone without all other things clinging to the hope that the lord will provide and at least they have each other.


next is the anghel family. here i got a testimony of what president packer said and is quoted in preach my gospel " a study of tru doctrine will change behavior faster than a study of behavior will change behavior " weve also been working with this family since ive been here i talked about them before. they were deeply offended in the 1980's and since then inactive, nanay had since been attending different churches and lately for the past few months(i donot know exactly for how long) has been taking lessons from and going to church at jehovas witnesses. its been amazing to slowly see changes come to them as we taught them the "plain and precious truths' lost in the apostasy. for the first few weeks we couldnt get nanay to stay in lessons she was good at finding reasons excuses to leave ha. we even had a few uncomfortable run ins with jehovas witnesses at their house.. once while we were teaching and a few times while they were teaching. in the end i can remember so many times just feeling and seeing the spirit working on them. in the words of tatay "when you taught me about the apostasy and why theres so many churches now, and that god called joseph smith so be a prophet,, it was light something clicked in my head and things started working again, and after that i have decided that i want to be active at church every sunday " and nanay this past sunday was the first time shes been to church in who knows how long. it was like ... really feeling like you are an instrument in the hand of god. i really felt and saw how true what im teaching is. after a mountain of doubt hurt feelings and misunderstandings... the savior came into their lives, the spirit taught them the truths of the gospel and their behavior has been and slowly is changing as the holy ghost brings all things to their rememberance. 

lastly i just want to talk a little about myself if thats okay. i remember when i was new here in roxas the first day i met the members i felt very lonely. everyone loved my companion and i felt like it was going to be another cabagan where i was going to  be the over strict american thats no fun to be around. its not that it matters all that much because in the end the only relationship one needs is a relationship witht he savior and thats one im not willing to risk for the acceptance of others. but it is lonely sometimes. from them until now i have been very impressed not only with my companion but with the members. noones perfect but ive felt at peace that theyve tried to understand me and tried to accept how "stricto" i am. of all the things ive learned (ive learned a lot) one good lesson ive really tried to live is its not enough to just be obedient. or strict. you need to be faithful to what you believe. theres a natural man intention in all of us  especially me to feel that because you are obedient you therefore are more highly favored and important than others that havent quite understhood how they need to act. this is not so however. gods love for all is equal no matter what they are doing. if you can set aside your pride to the point where you can be obedient because of the love for your god and savior and all they have done for you, and you do all you can to helo others around you be obedient too because you are trying to love your neighbor as yourself.. thats where the promised blessings come in." nephi was never popular" was something president carlos told me once that helped me understand. and as i studied how nephi was obedient there was always that extra aspect of love. he always seemed to be praying for his brothers and counciling them and encouraging them. they chose to harden their hearts but nephi did things for the right reason and he did not loose his reward. im very happy i love my area i love the members here i love my companion even though they dont always understand me... i pray for them and for all of you. and i know that im doing the right thing with my life because i feel it every day. that primised peace that even though you are doing a very HARD thing... its not so hard when you have the peace of the holy ghost in your heart. 

times fast. elder wooden one of the last of my good friends in the mission goes home tomorrow. the next will be elder coleman and then i will be (with my batch) the oldest ones in the field. hard to imagine right? right in time for a new mission president. 

oh yeah this week 7 missionaries are going home.. and 24 are coming to the field.thats definately what i call the lord hastening his work. 

i love you all! elder landeen

i got some great news the other day.. its about a husband and wife that were baptised and taught during my time in santiago... they were actually the first ones baptised in my mission. ricardo and thelma laneta. i was priveledged at that time to baptise and confirm sister thelma a member of the church, and confir upon her the gift of the holy ghost. they are now a forever family. cealed for time and all eternity in the philippines manilla temple. 

ya cant really explain how that feels to have taken a part in this process.. since my stay in santiago i have continued to write and recieve letters from this couple. theres been trials, times where they were offended and lost their way, and times where they shared their joy in recieving callings in the ward. and now,, ah! i think that puts it best. AH!. 

as for my area right now.. things just keep on truckin ha. we have a man who is going to be baptised this saturday tatay demetrio soriano. this is the husband of remydios, (the one who is a stroke victim and cant walk) theyre so cute he carries her everywhere she needs to go.,. and when we go into sacrament meeting, we lift her chair up the stairs into the chapel. ( our church is 2 stories the classes downstairs and the chapel upstairs ) im pretty excited for has baptism ha.

next we have great less active we are working with, one is tatay aureliano anghel, hes been inactive for around 15 years he was offended very badly.... but through teaching him doctrine and sharing testimony of the saviors love, he came to church yesterday. we were so happy about that.. next sunday hopefull his wife will come with him. shes been attending jehovas witness for a long time now but again,, a correct understanding of the doctrine will change behavior. before she was hiding from us, and not willing to listen... now shes reading our reading assignments and praying for answers of what church is true, and shes comitted to come next week. 

the verdadero family is also a very special family to me. we have been working with them for a long time but they still havent come to church. all sorts of hinderances.,. offended, tithing, word of wisdom, children,.. but things are still moving forward. i love this family so much. 

were working with other people too but in the interest of not being too boring ill leave it at that. just know im very happy and lost in the work,

o time, nasaan kayo?   

anyways i love you all take care! elder landeen

i got some great news the other day.. its about a husband and wife that were baptised and taught during my time in santiago... they were actually the first ones baptised in my mission. ricardo and thelma laneta. i was priveledged at that time to baptise and confirm sister thelma a member of the church, and confir upon her the gift of the holy ghost. they are now a forever family. cealed for time and all eternity in the philippines manilla temple. 

ya cant really explain how that feels to have taken a part in this process.. since my stay in santiago i have continued to write and recieve letters from this couple. theres been trials, times where they were offended and lost their way, and times where they shared their joy in recieving callings in the ward. and now,, ah! i think that puts it best. AH!. 

as for my area right now.. things just keep on truckin ha. we have a man who is going to be baptised this saturday tatay demetrio soriano. this is the husband of remydios, (the one who is a stroke victim and cant walk) theyre so cute he carries her everywhere she needs to go.,. and when we go into sacrament meeting, we lift her chair up the stairs into the chapel. ( our church is 2 stories the classes downstairs and the chapel upstairs ) im pretty excited for has baptism ha.

next we have great less active we are working with, one is tatay aureliano anghel, hes been inactive for around 15 years he was offended very badly.... but through teaching him doctrine and sharing testimony of the saviors love, he came to church yesterday. we were so happy about that.. next sunday hopefull his wife will come with him. shes been attending jehovas witness for a long time now but again,, a correct understanding of the doctrine will change behavior. before she was hiding from us, and not willing to listen... now shes reading our reading assignments and praying for answers of what church is true, and shes comitted to come next week. 

the verdadero family is also a very special family to me. we have been working with them for a long time but they still havent come to church. all sorts of hinderances.,. offended, tithing, word of wisdom, children,.. but things are still moving forward. i love this family so much. 

were working with other people too but in the interest of not being too boring ill leave it at that. just know im very happy and lost in the work,

o time, nasaan kayo?   

anyways i love you all take care! elder landeen