Bro Corralez Baptism Day



Manila Temple




Jordan and companion Elder Jiminea

 Yo yo yo hey hows it goin my pamilya? Everything here in the beautiful land of the Philippines is amazing and so is the work. The cool thing is that we have a baptism again this Saturday I'm so excited!!! The baptismal candidate is a investigator named RecAnn Gopo she is only 11 years old, but that does not matter to me its a another person that I was able to bring to Christ and also she has such a great story behind her that's exactly why I'm happy that she is being baptized. When I first met her Elder Burgan had only been teaching her only a week. She has a whole family that is member, but its not her own family, when she will be baptized she will be the only member in her family. Her aunt is the person that referred her to the missionaries. The thing that was hard for was the fact that her family haven't been supportive of her being baptized. Her mom and dad are very different they make the kids do all the work around the house and it was really hard for her to get permission to be baptized, but through many prayers from the missionaries and most definitely her aunts family she got permission. When we found out we were so stoked, so we set up her interview with the other ZL in our ward. We later found out she had been drinking coffee!!! We freaked out, but now its been 4 weeks without her drinking coffee and this Saturday she is being baptized by her uncle. I'm so excited like I said before. So yea also we have been doing alot of tracting and I have to say its very hard to tract in my area. Its way hard to understand what some of the people are saying, but really I just try and my companion is really helpful he really works me, by really making sure that I lead in the lessons and that I lead in the tracting (most of the time)hahaha!! I really do miss Elder Burgan, but Elder Hopkins is really doing a good job of replacing him. Well I need to know if the money on my debit card is for me or my mission just wondering? If you could tell me I would definitely appreciate it. What else hmm I will try to get those thank you cards to them soon, but i really have been busy especially with everything that has happened this week. Anyways I love my area the area is really growing and we have alot of less actives coming back to church too so I'm really happy with the work. I love my zone they are all way cool we all get along very well and everyone is istig(cool). I miss you guys alot, but I don't miss home I have already made a decision that I will hand wash clothes for now on, because it washes them so much better than a washer. I miss you guys and wish you all the best love you all!!! ELDER THOMPSON

 P.S Funny story I found out here is the Ewoks from Star Wars actually the language they speak is actually Tagalog so when I get home I will understand what they are saying HAHA!!!

Hey family hows the good old state of AZ it sounds like Christmas is already in the air and that's weird because its also here in the Philippines. Yea they don't celebrate Thanksgiving here which is a bummer, but my zone is actually going to do something we are going to go to Chilis which is like walking distance from our house, so we are all going to go there. I'm so excited for this week I have MTC exchanges again on Wed and I will actually have my own batch of missionaries I can take.I have a new companion, Elder Jiminea all of a sudden just decided that he had to go home, I don't know what it was for, but I know that it didn't happen when I was with him. President actually called me and talked to me about it. So I'm OK though I knew I would have challenges, but I have learned to face them. I actually think I got rewarded for it , because my new companion is awesome. His name is Elder Hopkins, hes from Oregon and is a way good missionary. He has really helped me alot here already. He makes sure that I lead in the lessons, and he really follows the training manual to a T. Its awesome to have had 3 really cool companions already and I'm only in my second transfer. I counted in my 4 months on my mission I have already had 7 companions its ridiculous. I have heard from any of my district back at the MTC, but I'm hoping they are doing OK. So anyways I'm having the time of my life, I have actually been able to find a couple of new investigators, and we have been focusing on less actives coming back to church. One story, me and Elder Hopkins have been visiting a less active that has not been to church for 6 years and just last Sunday we had stake conference and we were actually able to get her and bring her to conference it was such a good experience. She had such a good time, and actually President DeLaMare spoke at conference and it was such a good talk. He spoke on how if you have friends that aren't members talk to them about the gospel, and have the missionaries come with you. The ward we have is so very supportive so you can imagine the work that happens in my area and the other ZL's area. I have so many things that I can be thankful for as well. I am thankful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord on a mission for 2 years in the Philippines. The greatest mission any person can go. I know that's what everyone says , but its the truth. Wherever you get sent is the greatest place you can go I love it here and there is no other place I would rather be then here. I'm thankful for awesome companions and an awesome zone that are so good in all they do. I'm thankful for the friends that I have made here and I'm really excited for the future that /i will have with working with them. I love my mission president and the example that he sets for all of us and the responsibility he has for all of us. Most of all I'm thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ and his Atonement, I'm thankful for Joesph Smith and his example he set and I know he brought the Book of Mormon to earth and restored this gospel to the earth. Holy cow is everyone in my family getting married geez its ridiculous I swear just yesterday I was playing in Grandmas trampoline with them and now this HOLY COWWWW!!! I can already tell Kortney and Addy (maybe) will be married before I get home I can see it. I can already tell that you guys are praying for me and I know that the Lord has blessed me daily because of it. I love you guys and good luck in all you guys do. Don't get discouraged from the little things that happen in your life because I know that they are there for to make you a better person. So always remember that and everything else will be alright. I love you guys and all the love you show to me.

Hey family well looks like you all have been very busy especially my friends wow. Its really cool Andrew is going to South Africa and Taylor to Tacoma Washington they are both going to have such great experiences. Well yes we did have a date for Brother Corralez and on last Saturday I was able to baptize him and that was our first completed family so im way excited. We also have some more with baptismal dates a 11 year old girl, named RecAnn she will be the only member in her family, but her aunt and uncle are very supportive and she comes to church every week the only thing she had trouble with was drinking coffee, but that didnt stop her and today she has gone 2 weeks now without coffee. Her date is the 3rd of December so thats going to be way cool. We also have a baptismal date with another family, the Clemente family. This family is very special to me. They are a part member family and they have gone thru so much to do the things they have done. They have financial problems that have been keeping them from coming, but thats not all last week they had to evacuate thier house because it was flooded yes it rains alot here so it tends to do that to houses. They have had so many things happen to them, but yet they still keep our commitments and this last week they came to church both the mom and the dad. The dad has a date of Dec 10th, he is still giving up cigarretes, but everytime we come we make sure its going down everyday he smoked a pack a day so we challenged him to give up 3 a day and he has done it so we are hoping he will be able to go the whole way. So yea thats whats been going on we have had success in finding new investigators this week alone we found 6 new investigators it was awesome. Speaking of which new things have happened. I have a new companion, Elder Jiminea he is a Filipino and has been out as long as Elder Burgan so he goes home in March. I can already tell that we will get along so well, before I was companions with him I met him at Zone Confrence and he actually was companions with Elder Brown in my district for a little bit. So yea he came to my area and Elder Burgan went to the Morong zone and is actually training a new Filipino missionary. He actually found out that he was training the day before transfer day hahahaah his face was priceless. So anyways yep our zone went thru some changes we got new ZL's, DL's, and some other missionaries of all our zone last tranfer pnly 4 of us plus the sisters did not transfer. So yea its going to be an awesome zone already I can tell. I did get the Halloween letter and it totally made my day it was so cool to see what all my cousins had to say it was again istig. So yea Ethan make sure to keep pushing yourself its the best thing you can do and all try to be the best you can be its will be tough, but the harder you work the harder it will be to surrender to anything. That is so cool you got to give a talk in church be ready for that. Its great to be able to do that. NG like I have said it is hot here, but when it rains its amazing so ngayon its nice and humid wahoo!! Funny thing you know Sis Amundsen in our stake? There is a missionary in my ward that actually was companions with her son Aaron in the Angeles mission it was way funny. I knew he was there so it was funny to find out. Addy yea yea you get to go to Six Flags, but lets just remember here im in the Phili[[ines so yea cant touch this. Mom I dont have the yucks anymore they have gone on to other places so I have been working hard and will continue to do so. Dad good luck in your testing I will pray for you and I know you will do well. I love you all and miss you all dearly Mahal ko kayo!!

WAHOO!!!! Happy day family great is the work and great is the all the Spirit that we feel as we teach. Wow congrats Dad on passing your exam that is such a great thing to know that you passed and that all those blessings did come from people praying for you and the intense study that you did over all these years. Sorry I didn't respond on Mon it was my P-Day on Wed or Today because its transfer day. Yea its already transfer day I have already been in the Philippines for 6 weeks it feels so weird. It feels like just yesterday I got here. Classic costumes guys WOW!!! Just kidding anyways Mom that's way cool that you are getting involved in the work it really is a great impact that members have on investigators. I can honestly say that when we have a member present the lesson runs so much better than without one. So its transfer week and guess whose transferring MY COMPANION!!! Hes transferring along with our other ZL and all the 4 Filipinos except for one so we are getting new DL's and ZL's its crazy!! I'm hoping for a Filipino companion, but whoever I get ill be satisfied. I'm sad that Elder Burgan is leaving he has been a great help in so many ways I cant explain. Its what the Lord wants though so I'm now to sad about it. I bought a journal for missionaries to write in so I'm good on that. Sorry that I haven't sent any pics, but I will soon I promise. The language its tough, but I'm enduring I'm learning so much though. So wow so many people are getting married its crazy and tell Jackson congrats that's way cool, I'm glad that they were married in the temple its the greatest thing they possibly could  do. So yea the life here is so fun oh answer to NG's tanong(question) yes Noah its hot here, but you don't worry about that because what you really want to focus on is the work. Ed good luck in wrestling it is tough, but remember that you want to be the best and only the best work the best so always remember that and you will do fine OH AND WEAR THE HEADGEAR DON'T GET CAULI EAR!!!!! Addyson good luck on your midterm I will pray for you like I have been Dad. Mom I will write in my next email the thank you letters for them so I will make sure to remember that. Dad I love you and all the work that you have done for me and our family. Oh one quick thing we went on exchanges with missionaries from the MTC in Manila. They don't just train missionaries in the Philippines me and Elder Burgan got 3 missionaries going to India from India it was way cool to see how big their testimonies were. One of the companionships in our district got two missionaries from Thailand and one from Laos so I totally thought of you and I told them that you spoke Laotian and that you have been to Thailand they were way impressed. Other than that that's what my life has been like this week I love you guys and pray for you daily. You will hear back from me on Mon so see ya