Elder Head in the Philippines - Tree climbing....#94daysleft :)

This email has been a long time coming.

So this week was great. It was really weird coming off of talking to my family, but I'm so glad that I did. It helped me to realize what was missing. I've felt that I'm lacking something for a long time.

I guess it started back from conference. I was hit REALLY hard when Elder Holland said "...the Lord blesses those who want to improve," and I had a thirst to improve from that point on. I wanted it more than anything. I sought for it but I only could get to a certain point. Like Powerade in a dollar drink from McDonalds there seemed to be a lid that I could not pass. There was something that I could not break through.

It was the most frustrating thing in the world.

I started to feel low about myself. I started to lose hope, which is the worst thing anyone can lose. I started to be unhappy. It really started to emanate from me, giving me an aura of unhappiness. It was the absolute opposite effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was so bad. It probably showed in my emails home as well, or lack thereof. Haha.

Every week, missionaries do something called Weekly Planning. During that planning we also do something called Companionship Inventory where, much like a supermarket, we determine what's good in our companionship, what's working, what's not working, improvements to make, and how to make those improvements. It's one of the simplest/greatest bit of revelation received for the forwarding of the work. Anyways, this week my companion and I had a very deep and heartfelt companionship inventory.

It made me realize that I've done all that I can do. I was swallowed up in my own pride and I tried to do it on my own. But with these weaknesses of mine, I don't have power to overcome them. It was really humbling to see that my biggest problem was myself. Haha. I wanted to get it done now. It my way. But the Lord does things line upon line and precept upon precept. Improvement is a process. I had a thought come into my mind, "I'm not yet perfect, and that's okay" because I know that someday, through the process of the gospel, using the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and a life of full of making those small, steady improvements, we can become valiant souls, like our Father in Heaven.

So that was a very fruitful companionship inventory.

In other news, I tried to climb up a coconut tree this week. It was quite the sight, mainly because I picked the shortest one we could find and I still only made it 2/3 of the way up. I'll get it sometime before I transfer.

The Meneses family will not be baptized this month which is SUCH a bummer. They just haven't been coming to church for no reason. They want to get baptized but their house is so far from the church. We'll get it worked out with them though. But this next week Jubel will be baptized. Whoohoo!

I'm happier than I've been in a while. :)

Love ya!

-Elder Mitchell Jeffrey Head

Elder Head in the Philippines - Happy Mother's Day :)

May has been pretty good thus far. Sister Elaine Mae was baptized and confirmed this past week. Woohoo!

Our area is HUGE! But it's manageable. We've been working with a few families which has been great.


Malipayong adlaw sa mga Inahan!! (Happy Mother's Day!!)

I'm really happy about the opportunity that I had to talk with my family earlier. This week we spent about half of the time in Cebu and half of the time in our area on Bohol. We were able to attend a Missionary Leadership Council meeting where we discussed concerns and improvements to be made in the mission. It was a great meeting, it just kept us in Cebu for a while. Even still, we were able to meet some new investigators and teach our other investigators.

Love you!
-Elder Head

Mother's Day skype session was GREAT!! We loved seeing and talking to Mitch! His cebuano is #onpoint :)  We LOVED the entire 60 minute conversation!! The senior couple serving in Mitch's new area are bloggers and sent me a link to their blog! We love that they post photos every week.....and that Mitch has been in their posts recently! Thanks to Elder and Sister Bell for these:

Elder Head in the Philippines - Ubay is beautiful!

Hey Momma. Don't worry, I should have a full email time from now until the end of my mission. So my letters won't be absolutely terrible anymore. ;) Sorry again about that. That was so lame that I was being so lame. Haha..

Oh man, that new mormon message is SO GOOD. About personal responsibility. That's something that I've been working on in myself as well. I really like how it highlights how we are agents unto ourselves. We are accountable for our own sins, just how it says in the second Article of Faith. It was a really good reminder to me of the importance of good use of agency. :)
This new area is so cool! It's really progressing. A highlight from yesterday was having a part-member family who lived 2 hours away from the church come and get there about an hour early for church. What made it better was that they piled their other family members who we are not yet teaching onto their motorbike and brought them to church as well. They had their motorbike stacked up with 4-5 people each. The poor motorbike struggled a little, but he made it like a champ.

We'll have a baptism this upcoming Saturday in the ocean. We'll take pictures. Haha.
It was hard to leave Bogo, but I like it here. I'm happy already. :)
I love you Momma!

-Elder Mitchell Jeffrey Head

Yo Pop-Pop,
 I am excited to talk to you guys this next month though. Last one! I'm not trunky, no worries.

President and I are still talking about my release date. I've got a few options and choices. I'm going to think about it still and I'll let you guys know.

I've been to the Cebu temple a handful of times now. It's beautiful. We should go sometime. ;) Haha. RETURN TRIP! WHOO!

You would love it here in Ubay, Pop. It's BEAUTIFUL here.

Anything else you want to know? Any requests for souvenirs? ;)

I'm just joking with you cause you told me to not be trunky. Haha :)

Love,
Elder Head

Elder Head in the Philippines - Transfer week #quicknote :)

Hey Momma!

I'm doing well! I'll be transferred from Bogo to Ubay. I'll be leaving the very top part of Cebu and go to the very furthest corner of Bohol. My companion is my batch, Elder Borrego! Even better, we have a car in our area! I'll still be a Zone Leader and this time our whole zone is Elders. #BoysClub #HeManWomanHaters haha!

I'm doing okay! Bummed out to be leaving Bogo, but I'm also very excited to be in my next area.

I'll talk with my mission president about an early release. I've been thinking and I feel that it might be best if I do go home early, but I'll talk with him about it before I decide for sure. But as of now, I'll probably be coming home August 10th.

Love you momma!

MTC batch mates Elder Foote, Elder Goulding & Elder Head
Photo credit @Elder Goulding

Elder Head in the Philippines - Conference was so good!

Hey Mom and Pop!

So I need to repent. My emails have been TERRIBLE lately. I guess I've just had a lot on my mind and it's all been kind of at the time of my emailing.. Haha.. So sorry. Just know that I now have my priorities straight. We are emailing right now after a long day of laundry (by hand of course), studies, work, and making home made buko juice. It was super fun. But not as fun as General Conference.

Pastilan, Conference was so good!! I noticed a lot of my questions from my studies were answered while I was watching conference. I'd say my favorite talk was by President Russell M. Nelson: The Price of Priesthood Power. Oh man. He spoke so powerfully to the men of the church to do more than we are now. It was a call to action for us to become the men that we are meant to be. It like charged my spiritual battery and caused me to want to improve (It's like that's one of the roles of the Holy Ghost or something..). But it truly made me want to work even harder and to gain all the blessings and power the Lord is willing to give me. 

Well I'm out of time because I had to do some business for the zone to the office and I also wrote a larger letter to President Tanner.

About the early release, I'll wait a week to bring that up with President and then I'll let you know. I don't think it'd be a bad idea per say, but I just wanna wait for one more week before I make my decision. Next week my P-Day will be on Wednesday because that is the transfer week. As for now, I'm still in Bogo. Our investigator Jovet has been reading the Book of Mormon but hasn't yet received and answer, at least since Sunday. But we'll keep you posted. The Delos Santos family is still doing well. Other than that, we're looking to expand still our teaching pool. I love ya so much! 

Pops, I totally understand you about being buoyed up for certain callings or assignments. I've been there. I know that the Lord is strengthening you. 

I love you Pops. I hope that you are being refined as well. 

Momma, I'm well aware about 4 fast sundays being left in my mission. I'm sad but excited at the same time. Talk about mixed emotions.. Haha.

Love,

Elder Head

Elder Head in the Philippines - A busy p-day!

Hey Mom and Pop.

So sorry about the lack of good updates lately. My P-Days have been really hectic lately with school and stuff so it kind of just got out of hand.. But it's all worked out now. I'll go to Lilo-an for MLC today in just a few minutes but I decided I'd better sit down and plunk out a quick email to you guys before I head out. Haha. Head.

We haven't been able to watch Conference yet, but we're going to be able to see it this week. WHOO!! I'm pretty excited to be able to hear the words of our church leaders. I'm so grateful for practice. Haha. This week we met the Delos Santos family. They have 2 small children and let us in right away. They were happy to meet with us and our first meeting felt really good. We're going to follow up with them this week.

The members here keep telling me that I have lost weight. Haha. Sorry Pops.

I can't think of what else to say right now. The work is going well.

Ask me some questions so I can answer them next week. Love you! Bye!

Elder Head

Elder Head in the Philippines - Happy Easter!

Hey Momma! Man you have such a love for little children. I think it's one of my favorite things about you Momma. You know, cause I am your littlest child and all.. ;) The young women are going to love you though, momma! That'll be so fun for you in a completely different way. :) Where are you at in the scriptures, Momma? I'm jumping around a lot but I've lately found myself jumping from Alma, to Mosiah, and to Matthew. I've started rereading the New Testament and it's been so nice to be able to do some reading through of the New Testament instead of jumping around. It's been helping my love of the Savior and desire to share this message to continually grow.

Some photos of the fam would be greatly appreciated. :)

I wonder if I'll still be in Bogo for the next skype. The next transfer day is April 21st. When is the exact date of Mothers' Day? I forgotten like all of the holidays. Haha.. #Sorry..

I love you Momma. I know that the church is true. I know the Gospel is the greatest blessing of our lives and I'm so grateful that you and Dad were worthy and willing to make sacred covenants in the temple. Love you Momma!

Well, now I know who all got released. That's a LOT of changes Pop. That must've been a lot of work and a WHOLE lot of revelation. That's so cool that you were able to do all that. That's also exciting about the Stake Young Men. President Osborne will do an excellent job. This week is Easter Sunday. But over here in the Philippines it's called Semana Santa. They have some traditions here in memory of the Savior's death. They have like marches and floats with the cross and of Mary and of the Savior (Sometimes in the middle of the night). It's quite interesting, really. They have a great love of the Savior here. It was a great experience this last week to really focus on the Savior and his Atonement. It makes me think how blessed we are to be able to experience the blessings of the atonement everyday in our lives. I'm grateful for the Savior and for this time to remember his resurrection. I just looked online and the new setup of the ward looks great!!

Love ya!

Elder Head