August 20, 2014 - Ayungon, Negros Oriental

Hello.

This is the view across the street outside our house every day as we wait for a tricycle (called pedicabs here, because they're basically a full-sized can built on a motorcycle) to Ayungon.

We had a baby tuko get inside our house the other day. If I haven't told you about tukos, just look them up on youtube. There's pretty much everywhere, even if you don't see them, you can always hear them.

This week, a lot happened. Last Thursday, the Zone Leaders came and worked with us in Ayungon. Elder Young worked with Elder Castro, and I worked with Elder Gama! Wow, my tatay is now my zone leader! So yeah, I was able to work with Elder Gama again, who, being my first training companion, is my tatay (dad). I was really super glad to be able to learn more from him again. I was able to see so much growth in myself as we worked together again, because I really felt I could see the changes in me from the last time we were companions, and I was a much more able to learn from him and his teaching. I was also able to see how his style of teaching had really influenced how I teach and live the missionary life. I was just so grateful for that opportunity to see what I had learned and to learn even more. And the thing I really saw so clearly, which was probably obscured in my time in Lawa-an by something like unto shellshock, was just how keenly he follows the Spirit. He truly knows the scriptures, and he knows how to teach to the needs of a person, and he teaches with authority. I was really excited to be able to learn how to refine this skill in my own work. We were also able to go through Ayungon proper to try to find a house for us, so that we could live closer to our center. We found something that they were going to follow up on, but we also found a lot of people, we even found members who were active until they moved out to Ayungon, but they said they would totally go to church if it were closer than Bindoy. It was good to be in my real town.

We walked the other day from an area on one side of a valley to the place where Johnny and Rose live, which took us on a little trek through Mango groves and some pretty old-growth looking forest.

The next big thing that happened this week was on Sunday, after church in Bindoy, the Andersons came and held temple recommend interviews. The Andersons are the couple missionaries in San Carlos and Escalante Zones, so we got to know each other pretty well while I was up there, but now Elder Anderson is also in the Mission presidency, so he was able to hold interviews, and I was able to be his interpreter for several of the members in the interviews. This was a very cool experience. For most of the questions, the members didn't need any translations, but for some of the questions Elder Anderson really wanted me to clarify some of the points and make sure that they were fully understood. Elder Anderson really took the opportunity to teach me a bit about the interviewing process, and it was very interesting to see an interview from a somewhat-outside perspective, but also in a very included perspective as well as interpreter, just to see the spirit that testifies and the power in the questions that are given. One thing Elder Anderson told me was that the interviewing process gives us as members the opportunity to report on our doings, to show our accountability to our actions. I was really able to see again the love Elder and Sister Anderson have for this people, even if there's not a whole lot of understanding vocally. They were both converts to the church after they were married, and I really just love their testimony of Christ. They really have a strong testimony of the power of the Atonement to make us better people. 

And this upcoming week, we are going to Cebu for a conference with Elder Bowen of the Philippines Area Presidency. He has asked us to study beforehand the Abrahamic Covenant, the House of Israel, the Baptismal Covenant, and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. I am excited to see what we are to learn, but what I have learned is just how wonderful the promises of God are for us. He has promised us that we can all receive his Glory through these covenants. We can be a part of that, as infinite as the stars of heaven. I know that this is true.

This is the view from the Romano house. This was the place last week where we watched the super moon rising over Cebu. The Romanos are so good. Ely was baptized the week before I got here, and his wife and daughter are recent converts, too, though they have three youth-age sons who are going to be baptized by Ely in September. The thing I always find so amazing about Ely is he truly understands how important the unity of his family is in the gospel, and he knows the significance that he is able to baptize his sons. It is just incredible how truth rings to all the world.

Love,

Elder Adam Dunford

August 13, 2014 - Ayungon, Negros Oriental

The moon has been super this week. I didn't know that it was a super moon, but Grandma told me it was, and I would believe it. This last week, when we walk around at night, we haven't needed flashlights or anything, the earth has just had a secondary degree of glory. The tide has also been super strong this week, the difference between high and low, and the speed with which it changes is really cool. It's also really cool that I know all about tides now, because one of our areas is literally built on the water, and everyone's a fisherman.

But our house is fun. It is actually a little compound, we have two houses and a little court between. In the back of the court, we have our water tank, which is a big, open tank of water for showering, cleaning dishes, and anything but drinking, really. That's actually only new here as of last transfer, before the elders here in Bindoy would either shower at the public water tank off the highway, or down at the river. So I'm a little sad I missed out on that experience. So we have hot water if the sun is shining, the water gets pretty warm. And there is AC in our apartment, but we just use fans for the electric bill. But right outside of our house, there's just corn fields and coconut trees.

Elder Castro is really fun. He is by far the most talkative person I've met on the mission, which is very good. I've tried a great deal to learn a bit from him. But he's super friendly and talkative with anyone. He can always make people smile, and is really good at getting close to people in that way. He is from Mindanao, from Zamboanga del Sur, which is in the heart of Muslim Mindanao. Apparently it's in a semi-constant state of warfare, so it's pretty different here in quiet little Ayungon for him. But the thing that I have really seen is that he loves the people here. He has done a ton to help our investigator couple, Johnny and Rosie, that they can get married (and baptized!) and get all the legalities dealt with, which I have seen means the world to them. And I have just seen the love that he has for the people. I have seen so much that I can learn from him, with how to really show the love of Christ to the people here, and to everyone.

This last sunday was the Special Sacrament meeting in Ayungon, in Anibong. Once a month, they hold a sacrament meeting behind the house of Sister Melatuna for the members in the Ayungon area. The meetingplace is a little concrete platform that sits above a bay lined with mangrove trees, that looks out to the sea and Cebu. We were asked to bless the sacrament, because there weren't enough priesthood holders present. As I participated in the administration of the sacrament, and as I looked out over this 30-strong little congregation, sitting out in the shade from the sun, I really felt that God was with us in that meeting. That he recognized, and accepted this ordinance, no matter how humble. I saw this in the light that was there. There was the Glory of the Lord in this place, where the incredible tropical creation of God was the chapel. It reminded me of the early saints of the church, whose humble meetings preceded the greatness that the Church of God would become. But I really saw last Sunday, that no matter how great the meeting, by the measure of man, the glory of God is what truly is important. I have seen this glory. This is the light of Christ, which shines with perfect light. We can see a bit of that perfect light today. We don't just have to wait for that perfect, millennial day. I know that that perfect light shines today on this earth.  It is comforting, that our God dwells in perfect light. There is no guessing, there is a surety in this. 

I feel your help and prayers every day. I have seen the help of the Lord in this work. I have seen his help, even if I feel I have not done enough of my own part. I know he lives always. I know he loves all. Even if we feel we have not done enough, he accepts what we have done. He works with that. And he draws us closer to Him. He brings others closer to Him through us. Thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for everything you do for me.

Love, 

Elder Dunford

August 6, 2014 - Ayungon, Negros Oriental

(Adam informed us that his camera is broken.  Pictures this week from some of the other missionaries! - trina)

This has been an exciting week. So the Ayungon area is actually part of Bindoy branch. So our house is in Bindoy and we live with the Bindoy elders, Elders Samon and Nadado, and we go to the Bindoy branch at the Bindoy chapel. To get to our area of Ayungon, we take a pedicab (which are big, car-like versions of tricycles that are more comfortable but less exciting than the tricycles in Escalante), by which we can get to Tiguib, the closest area in our jurisdiction in about 5 minutes' ride. To get to Ayungon proper is 11 kilometers from our house, but I'm not sure how long it takes to get there yet because I haven't gotten there yet.

This is actually from Sister Dolly a Branch Missionary in Escalante, she gave me a bunch of pictures from my time there. There was a large field and a need for perspective.

One family we have visited is the Galleonon family. Johnny and Rosie are a couple with two kids, Johnny gamay (little johnny) and Marc Anthony. They have been investigators for about 3 months, but grabe jud, truly wow on their testimonies. They have not yet been able to be baptised because they are not married. Johnny was married before, and the whole situation here makes that difficult. But they are close to being able to be married, and close to being baptised. They are really just wonderful people. Elder Castro has gotten particularly close with them, and he truly loves them and they love us. Little Johnny is hilarious, he's a super talkative 4 year old, but he is super cute, and rolls his 'r's incredibly well. And Johnny, even though he's still an investigator,has worked with the missionaries on several occasions, and they're at church every week. 

Me outside the Romano balay. Their house is in Anibong, which is a little community built on the side of a mountain falling into the sea, so all of the houses are either on the side of a mountain or built on the water. To get to the Romanos' house, you need to walk on a path they built part out of coral, part of bamboo into the bay to their house. Sister Elizabeth and her husband Ellie Romano are recent converts, and their testimony is simply strong. Ellie was only baptized last week, but the plan is that he can receive the Aaronic priesthood so he can baptize his sons as well. I talked a bit about this with him, and he just understands why this is important. It truly is important to him to be able to do this.

This week has been very good. I'm starting to learn everything it is I need to learn, and I'm trying to do all I can here. This is a super exciting place. Ayungon is trying to have a separate group, but they need a bit more to get there. I know that this branch needs workers here who will truly do all they can to help here. I want to be able to give this help. 

View of the mountains from the sugarcane below.

So this sunday is Special Sacrament in Ayungon. Apparently they have a sacrament meeting by the sea. This is a really cool place to be. Thank you for all that you have given to help me here.  I want to be able to add more than the little verses in between. (as in the book of Omni in the Book of Mormon.  I talked about this in my letter to him this week.)  Ayungon needs an Amaleki.

Love, 

Elder Dunford

July 30, 2014 - Escalante City, Negro Occidental

We went back to the Beach we went to my first transfer here. We played frisbee, volleyball, and a somewhat decent game of beach football, with a bit of explaining of the whole everything of football..

Dear Family,

This week has been my last in Escalante. I've been here for 4 months, and only one of the original Cebu Missionaries in Escalante Zone is left now. It's been a blast.

Last week, the Escalante Zone.

I want to answer your question of the music, because it's one of my favorite. Music is really big (and really loud) here, of all kinds. Karaoke bars are really big, and basically whereever you are at night, you can here someone singing on a very blown-out, loud-speaker karaoke machine. The other that's fun is the music from jeepneys. There's not that many jeepneys out here in the provinces, but in the city, the streets are just full of remixed up, beat-boxed versions of any kind of music, from Electric Avenue to Miley Cyrus. Now this may sound rather obnoxious and annoying, which it can be, but it's just fun. There's something about the remixed music here, it's annoying, sure, but in a fun way. It's not like remixes back home where it makes it sound like the world is ending, it just it fun to hear. You just can't really hold a conversation if you're on city streets.

We finally went to the dagat (sea) in Escalante area! Yesterday was the first time I actually saw the sea from our area. Most of the work of the people out in Puting Bato is on the sea, so it was fun to finally actually go there with them.

This last week, though, President and Sister McCurdy came to Escalante to pailaila (introduce himself) to us and for Zone Interviews. They are incredibly kind people. To make comparisons, The Schmutzes were like mother and father to the mission, but the McCurdys are more like grandma and grandpa. Presdient McCurdy didn't really teach much to us, at least this first meeting, but he and sister really just expressed their love to us. Sister McCurdy talked all about their family. They have several adopted grandkids, and they have a bunch of complicated storylines, it sounds like, but she really showed that no matter about anything like that, they are really just full of love for them all. That was really mainly the theme of the meeting, I would say. It was really good. In my interview with him, he said he liked me because there was a young man in his home ward (in Twin Falls) who was a Dunford, and we looked about the same. I assured him that we were related. I told him the Dunfords are from Bloomington, and he knew people around there, too. I'm glad I can carry on the Bear Lake heritage whereever I go in this world. But the spirit of love was so strong. I can really say that I know that President has been called of God for us. There was such a great spirit there.

The Emperado family with Drixio and Ervie

Brother Walter and Sister Merlin De Jesus, our Branch mission leader. 

So I've had a little bit of a chance to go around and say some of my goodbyes to people, get my pictures with people, and do all those necessary things. It has been so good to have this time here in Escalante. I have learned so much, and I have grown so much, and I have met so many good friends. The people here are just kind. They're fun. They are loving, and I have been so blessed to be able to be here. 

The last FHE at the Ortega family house.

The Langa Family, sister Blezil and her mother, Evelyn, as well as the children. It is always good to go visit the Langa family, because they are always just so happy. They have so much love for each other, and they are so strong in this gospel. Sister Evelyn has been coming to church three weeks now, and she committed to be baptized on August 16. I just feel so strongly that their family will progress in this gospel. 

 Langas at their Balay. They have a really nice little garden. 

So for this transfer, I am going to Ayungon and my companion is Elder Castro. I am so excited for this opportunity I have this transfer. 

I love you. I love this place, and I know that wherever I am here, the people are going to be wonderful. I know some Elders who have been in Ayungon, and they've said it's amazing. I am so excited for all I can do here.

Love,

Elder Adam Dunford

July 23, 2014 - Escalante City, Negros Occidental

Hello.

It's started getting to the point where I don't even realize how much it's rained this week. It's not that it really rains a lot, but it's been raining at least every day, and sometimes it really comes down. But supposedly this is the tail end of a baguio (typhoon) that hit Manila, so that's a first for me, a tropical storm.

This week was the branch had an activity! It was called Branch Unified Home Evening (or BUHE, which sounds like buhi, which means life. It's clever.) and they used to have this weekly before Yolanda, but it got stopped by "different priorities" afterward. But it's now being restarted, and it was a really good activity! It is essentially that the members of the branch meet together and discuss a certain topic (the baptismal covenant was last week's, for example), then they are split up into groups and they go and visit all the less active members in a certain area, and have a sharing time, little family home evening, unified with all the branch, thus BUHE. The turnout was kind of small at first, because it had been raining all morning, but a good amount of people came out, and it was all very nice. It was really good to have the members really out and focusing on these less active members, and having the whole spirit of helping their isigkamember (fellow member). Though the rain really came in as we were out, so people got very wet. 

I want to let you know that I have recently gone back to writing in the journal. I'll be honest, I was lacking a bit, but I feel like the last week or so, that I have learned some things that I cannot forget. I cannot afford to forget. I know that this will help me grow on the mission. I have felt that I have grown, and I have seen that I have so much more to do to become better. But I know that all of us can become better. That we can become perfected in Christ. 

I know that this work of ours is true, and I know that it is not our work. Yesterday I went on splits with Elder Omugtong, and I was given the calling to be trainer to him for a day. And so that was my piece of wisdom I tried to give him. That no matter where you go in the mission, no matter how good things are going, no matter how bad things are going, just always remember where it all come from. All your strength and all your weakness. I think that applies to what you were saying, that we need to always focus on that "deeper spirituality." No matter where we are in life, lost or found, there is one who knows where we are and what we need. Remember him always.

I read in a 2005 conference report Ensign kicking around the house a talk of President Hinckley's. In it he quoted a poem, It read:

"Let me live in a house by the side of the road,

Where the race of men go by.

The men who are good and the men who are bad,

just as good and as bad as I.

I would not sit in the scorner's seat

Or hurl the cynic's ban,

Just let me live in a house by the side of the road

And be a friend to man."

He said this was how he felt at his age in life. I know that if we follow this, we can come closer to Christ.

Thank you always. I love you.

Elder Dunford

July 16, 2014 - Escalante City, Negros Occidental

Maayong odto (Good noon)

Last Saturday, I went on splits with my Zone Leader, Elder Buckley. He went to Orem High and knew Nathan (Adam's cousin) as the Master of the House, so we talked about that for a little while. It was a little bit weird talking about my cousin with someone who knows him while we were walking under the shade of banana plants on the side of a mountain, looking out at the island of Cebu. Just kind of surreal. 

We worked in Barangay Libertad, which they only work in once a week, because it's pretty far out and really kind of bukid. So this was my first chance in all the mission to really work in a bukid, hilly area. It really kind of reminded me of our hills back home, except you know, with goats instead of coyotes and with very much fewer houses.

So this week on splits with Elder Buckley in Mabini Branch, that was a really good experience. First of all, because it was my first time working in the hill country, which was fun, of course. Second of all, it was really interesting. We didn't really have any planning time, because we started first thing in the morning, so as we waited for the tricycle to leave, we went over the people we were visiting and discussed a little bit about them. The missionaries have only been working in Libertad for about two transfers, and they go at the most once a week, and Elder Buckley had only been there once. So they only have a few investigators they go and visit, and there were several times in the day that were parted out for finding people, specifically that we would teach a lesson on the spot. And we did, in those times, have several lessons that we taught. One was to a member of the missionary Baptist church, who shared a little of her own scriptures, but not really in the spirit of bashing. It was very in the spirit of just sharing (and talking with a rather big preacher-y voice for a little filipino nanay.) But another lesson we taught was a really interesting one. We were walking down the road (it kind of reminded me of Tonner Canyon,) when we stopped at a couple of houses in a little stand of trees. The people on one side started calling out the joes (doubly more than usual,) so we turned to the other side where there was a young couple doing a little work around their house. We introduced ourselves and asked if we could share a gamayng mensahe (small message). The look on their faces as we talked to them, and as they invited us in, it just looked as if they were saying "yes, it's time." They were just really receptive and dawaton (receptive) of this message, I knew the Spirit spoke to them. We just shared a very simple message of the plan of God, but I really hope Elders Buckley and Maasin can go back there. I really just felt like they wanted to receive this gospel of Christ.

I really liked this picture.

On Sunday we had a FHE at the Ortega house. The Ortegas are a less active family, and so this evening lesson became a sort of impromptu FHE, which was really good. We've been able to see some progress, as Sister Ortega has come to church more frequently. Brother has come once and we're really waiting on him, but they are just good people.

Things are going good. With this as my longest time with one companion, I've really started to be able to get to know Elder Montano. I've been able to understand more of him, and I've really been able to learn a lot from him, and from this time. I've been able to learn things that will help me in my life. (And the owner of the internet-han just started playing Take on Me so I lost my train of thought.) But I know that I'm growing here. I know that I can draw so close to the Lord here in his work. And I know that this "message of ours", that this is not the words of man. This is not the works of man. I know that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I like how the name of the Church is really a testament of itself. This isn't just any church. This is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know that this is true.

Love and care,

Elder Adam Dunford

July 9, 2014 - Escalante City, Negros Occidental

Elder Mantano "stealing" a child's bike.

(Elder Dunford's letter this week was mostly in response to my letter.  First I told him about sending a package and at the shipping place the people were speaking a Tagalog/English mix.  I asked him if he thought he'd be able to understand Tagalog by the end of his mission.)

Oh, Tagalog.

That actually sounds kind of like the my apartment right now, except throw Cebuano in the mix, too. Elder Omugtong is starting to really pick up a bit more Cebuano, but as all three of my housemates are from Manila area, the Tagalog gets around a bit. But I'm starting to get to where I can follow around what's being said. But I really can't understand Tagalog all very much, but my Cebuano is getting pretty well solid. But there's enough tagalog around here (it is the national language, pretty much everyone knows it), always that by the end of 2 years, I should be able to get pretty good. 

(I told him about our 4th of July BBQ)

I tell you what, this week I was really feeling like a nice homegrilled burger and hot dog with all the fixings and stuff. I don't know why, but I was actually really feeling this week a craving for a good burger. Probably just because my body knew it was the 4th of July.

(Gene asked him about the effects of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda on his area.)

I would bet there wouldn't be much publicity of Yolanda's effects here, because it didn't cause much destruction to the city like in Tacloban (not to mention the city of Escalante is pretty much a spot of civilization way out in the middle of nowhere, probably not much news would get out of here), but there still were a lot of people affected by the storm. It hit here pretty head on, after it passed through Tacloban, it crossed and hit the northern ends of Cebu and Negros (Like you may remember Bogo City over on Cebu was hit pretty bad, and we can see that end of Cebu from here.) But a lot of people whose houses aren't concrete structures (which I mean literally) were affected one way or another. A lot of times, we'll visit less active members out in the more bukid areas who we'll ask "How has your reading of the Basahon ni Mormon been?" and the answer is pretty much always "Oh, Elder, nawala siya sa bagio, pang-Yolanda. (It was lost in the storm.)" There are a few people whose houses were destroyed, either partially or completely, whose houses now are pretty scrapped together from the materials, the bamboo that was left. But for the most part everything's been built back into shape, but people do still talk about Yolanda here, it really did shake the town.

So it turns out that the "Habitat" was a Habitat for Humanities project. The Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints helped here. I decided that this actually isn't that bad of a variation of the Church name as some I've heard, though it's a little unclear on just which Jesus we're talking about.

(I told him about the goings ons in the Mar Vista Singles  and Granada Wards)

I should probably tell you to say hi to all the people in the wards and back home more often, so hi. 

(I told him about teaching the first Temple Preparation Class which was about God's Plan of Happiness for His Children.  CLICK HERE if you would like to know more about it!)

One thing that I've noticed in my studies is a lot of times I come back to statements of the divinity of Christ. This isn't really something I've ever noticed before (but hey, I wasn't on a mission before), but just the power in the statements of Jesus as the Christ in the Scriptures. One of my favorites was in John 8, I just read the whole chapter. I just love the "boldness" that Jesus uses, just always rising up, confounding the growing claims of the Pharisees and scribes, of their greatness of the Law and of Abraham, until he says nothing more but the simple truth behind it all, that "Before Abraham was, I AM." I love how not only was that a totally bold statement, it is so simple and so true. It's as true as when he told Moses the same. He is the Christ, the God of all. He knows all, he has a reason for all and he has a plan for all. If we follow him, we can get His help with it all. I also read in 1 Nephi 19, where Nephi is commanded to make new plates and he of course follows. He just testifies of this, that God has a plan and a reason. Sometimes, we need to just follow, knowing there is wisdom in this. If we do, we have his help in all that will come up to us. I know this this is true.

Thank you as always. I am really starting to get into this mission stuff here. Now that I've been in Escalante for more than half of my mission, I really do love this place. I love the people here, it's so good. Take care over there.

Love,

Elder Dunford