Hey Dear Wonderful Mother of Mine!!!

  So this week was a very weird week indeed. So yea to start things off today I thought I would tell you how i celebrated my year mark in the mission so what I did that day was we actually on Fridays have our weekly planning so yea got to spend a lot of my time with using weekly planning it was very weird indeed we actually planned until 2 o'clock because we have so much to plan for that's what made it so fun is to see how much our work has progressed in this area since the first time that I actually arrived here its really crazy indeed how fun it was!!! So on Friday we after weekly planning go to the chapel to have our weekly meeting with our ward mission leader, Dane!! Then after that we headed to our area and went to our planned appointments then at night around 7o'clock had a dinner appointment with one of the members in the ward, Mar Baquiran had some great chicken inasal or chicken legs on sticks kinda like the kabobs we see in America. Then we went home and enjoyed the night and like you said I didn't burn anything hahahaha wanted to but didn't.

   So we had another great week indeed and actually we are going to go look for the camera later today so ill probably print this letter from you since the only stores that you sent me only one of them I can actually go to its the one in the Trinoma Mall so we will do some researching here and its great to have a Filipino in the house cause they know what cameras are the best especially the one that is my district leader, Elder Ferrer hes actually just came off Mindoro so he knows what ones are the best for this kinda of weather here since he has experienced the worst of it all there. Speaking of which we have had just rain,rain and guess what more rain this week halos araw araw may ulan po kami nadito sa area namin!!! Lots of bahas too. Bahas are in English floods not the dangerous our house is going with the water floods, but the ones where our shoes and sock and most of our pants are submersed in the water yea don't like that at all especially how dirty our area is lots of dead things I get to see floating in the water I only cheer if its a pusa or in English a cat hahahaah (that's for you Dad). So anyways I have been having alot of success this week we have been finding alot of new people through referrals it really is a great impact referrals whereas with tracting we have to find someone for them to fellowship them whereas referrals they are already done. The area is amazing we have been having alot of success me and him. We have all nothing, but squatters and the funny thing in this area we also have the richest part of our ward as well its pretty weird the most poor part of our ward and also the richest, but we don't really have anyone living there except for members no investigators we have tried contacting one in this area who is actually the mom of one of our members in the ward, no contact so far, but there is a reason we are going there so we are trying to focus really on receiving referrals as well as contacting. Lots of good things have come through that we have in the last 2 weeks have boosted our investigator pool as well as our less-active pool. We actually found a less-active family this week the Fuentes family and I was very sad to see what has happened to this family since no one has ever contacted them. They are now attending a new religion the Born Again Christians nanay or the mother pretty much just said when we gave her a Book of Mormon that we shouldn't count on them coming to church, but we got her to commit to read the Book of Mormon the first time we visited them. It looks like alot of missionaries have lost hope for them, but me and elder McCoy haven't I know that they can come back we just need them to feel the Spirit. The Silla family are doing so very good Tatay has now come to church this week for the second time in a row. We are so happy to see his progress. He even asked us a great question, if we pray to have help given to us to overcome weaknesses, but we fall right back into it will the Lord help. Lets just say there was a long pause there, but then I remembered a scripture from Moroni 10:7 we can do anything with the Spirit, but if we don't do our part we can do nothing. Ever since then he has been doing his best to overcome. I love that family so much. So actually tonight I have a dinner with one of the Area Seventy living in our area so Ill send you some pics from my new camera I will get today. I love you mother and miss you dearly and all of you guys it was weird to hit the year, but remember what Elder Uchtdorf said about missionaries, we must always work that we are always in the middle of our missions.  I'm still going strong and don't want to stop the Lord's work here in the Philippines is going so amazing, and another great annoucement Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve is coming to our mission and speaking to us the day before our transfer day on August 30th so freaking excited. I love you guys so much.

Mahal kita,
 Elder Thompson

 Dear Wonderful Mother of Mine,

   So hey guess what I love life here in the Philippines the greatest place in the world. Just like you said I'm really enjoying the time I have to follow-up train Elder McCoy!!! Hes a great missionary I love the guy to death even though that he scares the living cud out of me when he crosses streets I always think that hes gonna die cause of how unorganized the traffic is here in the Philippines that's why I don't want to be an AP cause then I have to drive here and well I wouldn't like driving here its freaking horrible just like Utah. Absolutely no right of way its just horrible here everyone just goes when they feel like it. Its crazy, but we really didn't have anything happen to us this week,but sadly I do have something sad to tell you. My camera was sadly killed in action this week the rain here is just horrible and well it got to it, and today we went to the Kodak store in one of the malls in our area and they said it would be better if i just bought a new one instead of fixing it all the other stuff work still batteries and memory cards, just not the screen its a LCD problem and well i might need to get a new one sorry talaga but I will give you an update through pics from Elder McCoy's camera I'm using his for now. So i will wait for your reply on our next email time I'm really sorry nothing I could do the case was just not meant for here and it got killed sorry talaga. I still have pictures don't worry, but there is a good camera here at the Kodak store in our area for 6,000 pesos don't know how much that is in dollars, but it looks very good so just a thinker for you. PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME!! I love you guys so much and so sorry for the problem of the broken camera still have pics though so don't worry about that. I love you mother!!!

Mahal kita,
 Elder Thompson

Elder Thompson and Elder McCoy with their AP

Dear Wonderful Mother of Mine,

 So this week we had another great week me and Elder McCoy. Its was a long one too for sure it had a lot of up-and-downs, but i loved it was such another great week for me and Elder McCoy. First off I don't use crocs they are rubber shoes and well they are freaking hot I have never ever used those once on my mission and probably never will. I always just wear my slip-ons or my chinilas (flip-flops in English), but yea encourage him not to buy them they are of no use to him in the mission probably just going to send them back to you guys since i really don't use them at all. They are a hassle to carry around and take up a lot of space that I need for other things it's ridiculous. Also tell him to not to bring silk ties they really do bleed seen it from kabahays not myself, but I'm happy I don't have any hahahaahh!!! I also do have all of my SD cards so don't worry about that i have all of them and they are all still alive hahahahah!!! Also i do not use TP sadly i have to use my hands plus the bucket that we use for showering, but we have one for the toilet hahahaha. I love it here though since we do have a air conditioner for our bedroom, but we don't use it its so freaking mahal use it for 2 hours then it goes off, but we still have electric fans going on our faces so its still kinda nice in the room.


 So anyways we have had alot of good success me and Elder McCoy the area is a very great area lots of squatter areas in our area I love it the squatters are an amazing thing to be in even though it smells like sewer and urine in everywhere we go I love it cause its such a great place to find those searching for the gospel since the people here really have nothing at all and sobrang magpakumaba po sila talaga maghahanap po kami araw araw para sa kanila. I love speaking Tagalog so much its like going to be one of my hobbies when i get home seriously its a freaking awesome language and not alot of people know of its existence very surprise how many people don't even know about the language. So yea with our area we are both STAYING me and Elder McCoy are going to be together for another transfer we may be having a baptism in August stay tuned we have a progressing investigator named Romela she is actually a less-actives' sister so we are teaching her and actually her sister is now a reactivated member me and Elder McCoy reactivated I love it here so much. We actually on Monday shared with her about the Restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith at first we had a lil bit of a hard time, but then we got to Joseph Smith I felt like we needed to use the Restoration DVD with her instead of us teaching. We watched and at the end bot of us testified of Joseph Smith great lesson so much loved everything that happened in that lesson that day. Her sister as well as her husband both reactivated members testified to her as well. The Spirit was so strong no one could deny he was there. The best part was that Elder McCoy asked her how she was feeling all she could say was MASAYA NA AKO!!! I loved it Elder McCoy is the man I love being able to follow-up train him hes a great missionary. So we gave Romela a bap date on August 25th so here hoping will keep you guys tuned!!! I love it here in this ward and we are both staying so even more work for us to do here I love it here this mission is amazing and I'm happy to hit my year mark with Elder McCoy he is a great companion I'm glad to be able to be one of his first 3 companions its amazing. I love you guys wish you all the best of luck.

Mahal namin kayo,
Elder Jordan Thompson

Hello Der Wonderful Mother of Mine!!,

 So yea this week was also an amazing week learning a lot of new things constantly because of the fact that I'm one of Elder McCoy's first 3 companions. Really trying my hardest to be an example to him, really do want to leave an impact on all of my companions. Hes really great though really like working with him have alot of good things we are able to do as we visit people here in this area. The area is really great here I love it in this ward they are a really great ward kinda like my last area's ward. If I know anything about myself I could love it if  you don't spend alot of money to send me stuff. I'm good on the clothes even though most of my clothes are freaking ginormous on me now every shirt that I have really makes me look like I'm fat, but then when I kind of pull it a lil then it really is all just the shirt not me hahahaah!!! So many people have said "Grabe mataba ka na!!!" Wow your fat in English hahahaah then pull the shirt then their like oh Shoot!! ITS JUST THE SHIRT!!! So also we are having some great experiences in this area so yea I'm pretty happy for now!!!

   So if you guys want to know a lil bit more about the area i will tell you of some great experiences I have had in this area plus some funny ones if you want? Ill tell you anyway!! So first one really cool thing is we are actually teaching a family where the mom is a member, the dad is also a member, but the sister of the mom is living with them not a member, in short its a great family and honestly they have probably the smallest house I have ever been in on my mission probably no bigger than my room maybe and they have 4 people living in there plus when we visit so were pretty much squishing 6 people in a very small room talaga, but I love teaching them even though its really blazing hot in their house this week it has been nothing but rain, maybe for 3 days straight it has been raining shoot its stinking raining right now!! I love when its raining, but when it ends it freaking is so hot right after it add that humidity wahoo its amazing. I love the Muyano family they are a really great family and have been coming to church for 2 weeks straight now WAHOO!!! I LOVE LIFE!!!

 So also had a very funny experience yesterday after we went to church!! So me and Elder McCoy were actually on our way to a family home evening which is actually in the house above our house yes we are living with members \, but they are our landlord and they gave us a separate house for us its a nice house by the way actually has AC and actually a working shower head sadly though we don't use either the shower head is broke and the AC is just too expensive to use so yea that really stinks hahahaah!!we have it but cant use it hahahaha. I love it here though so onto the funny experience. So this week I had a very funny experience with some little kids while me and Elder McCoy were walking to the FHE some people said hi to us so we started talking to them, then started walking away then I feel a huge thing hit the side of my head then see that it was a rock, hahaha this little kid started chucking rocks at me luckily only one hit my head it hurt, but i didn't hurt cause I was laughing so freaking hard. So yea I got stoned this week if would want to call. Gotta love the Philippines!!! Also love walking around in deep sewage it feels so good hahahaha this area gets very flooded easily especially when it rains as much as it has this week. Gotta love it!!! Really like Elder McCoy he's really trying hard to be the best that he can and I'm trying my hardest to help him do his best trying to be the best senior companion I can be for him. Tell ED happy birthday ha? This area is great lots of good investigators, but we need to find even more some of them are not progressing so we are gonna see what we can do this week to build this area, its a great area. Its just like all of my other mga areas sa Quezon City alot of squatters or the really poor areas, if only you guys could see what these things are like don't really like going into them at night, but when all you have is squatters it really isn't much else you can do. Its very scary in them with the fact that there is no light or maybe just a lil bit of it, but I still love it the people are so willing to listen to us and the great thing about it is that our church is so close to our area I love it!!!

 So yea I love it here in my new area of Quezon City 1st Ward not much else is going on other than I love life and that's all I really have to tell you. A mission is amazing I have learned so much from it its been a great influence on my life so far and I'm sure it will continue to be I love you and MAHAL KO KAYO LAHAT!!

Mahal kita,
 Elder Thompson

Elder Thompson with new comp Elder McCoy

Loved eating clams for first time!!

Dear Mother of Mine,

   So this week has been one of the most topsy-tervy weeks of my whole mission. Literally lots of stuff happened this week that I will probably be able to talk alot this letter. So for all of you to know Elder Thompson is no longer in the beautiful TayTay Rizal. Elder Thompson this week was ET'ED!!!!!Yes I was pulled out of the great TayTay first ward and made a grand comeback right dead center in the city!!! Now I'm assigned in the Quezon City 1st Ward!!! So now I have Quezon City 3rd, 4th, and now 1st going under my belt as a missionary and as my mga areas!!! So now im right back into the squatters areas again which I do love being in the halos lahat ng mga mahirap mga areas ay pinakafavorite mga areas ko!!! So in short I'm right back dead into the city and even though I was very freaking sad that I was leaving that area I still had a great freaking time there and honestly will have a great time in this area as well!!! So my new companion now is Elder McCoy from Lehi, Utah WAHOO ISA PANG UTAHNIAN!!!, and yes of course he's taller than :( I think I got shorter on my mission or if its just the fact that I have almost have lost over 45 to 50 lbs here in the Philippines!!!

  So yea I'm also pretty freaking happy that we actually have district meeting at Tandang Sora Chapel where I went to church at when I was assigned in the Quezon City 4th Ward so every district actually the only district meeting that I have had so far I got to see some of my kazones doon!!! Actually got to see Elder Braind as well as Elder Esteves so it was pretty funny to see them again!! They just laughed and laughed at me when they found out that I came back to the city from the 3 weeks that I had in the province!!! So anyways I'm still loving life here we had a lot of good experiences this week for my good start in my new area!!

  So first off I'm pretty happy to be able to be with Elder McCoy hes pretty freaking awesome and actually is still pretty new in the mission, but he actually had a very good trainer kinda like me. His last companion was also ET'ed as well and his last companion was his follow-up trainer, but that was cut to a close and now he has me. I'm either his first senior or his follow-up trainer, but that really does not matter, hes a great missionary for how long he has been out hes a fireball!!! Hes really trying his hardest to learn the language which I find very respectful!!! Hes only been in the field only 2 1/2 months but hes freaking great I have enjoyed the 5 days we have been able to enjoy so far!!! I love it here so far the bishop is so freaking great hes so willing to help the missionaries in our endeavors!!! The area is great so I'm really going to be happy here I'll tell you guys more about it as I get to know my area even better!!! So far all I can say is I love you guys and hope that you are all happy because I sure am!!!

Mahal kita,
 Elder Thompson