Culture Shock! But I love it HERE 8/21/2017

So I am in my first area now. It's a tiny city called Tubao. It is pretty rural and beautiful! It's made up mostly of rice fields and mountains. This is the exact area I was hoping to find here in the Philippines! So my house is a tiny little apartment right off the street. It's just me and my companion in it. My trainer is Elder M. from San Diego and he is way cool. We have a good time together.  Our beds are just two mattresses on the floor so that's kind of cool. Oh and my showers for the next two years are just a bucket with a ladle so that's cool. It's actually pretty refreshing especially after these super hot and humid days here! I don't think i have stopped sweating since I got off the plane. Pretty wild but AWESOME! So Tubao is kind of right up next to the mountains and I just love looking at the world around me! We have had lessons where we have to follow a super muddy/narrow pathway through rice fields to teach lessons in little huts with dirt for floors.  It's a culture shock for sure but everything here makes me so happy!  I love it! Although I cannot understand a thing these people are saying!!! But that's okay, I'll learn! 

One thing I wasn't expecting was how hard it would be to say people's names! It's way hard, but fun! One day we had to walk over this sketchy sway bridge but we found a family that was interested in our message so that was cool! Also it rains a lot here and I love it! I missed rain so much in Provo at the MTC! I can't believe I am already here! I feel like I should still be in the MTC! Oh something a little weird, people love white people here! Kids will be across the street, see me coming, and starting laughing and hiding their faces. Sometimes they will take pictures with me so that's funny! 

Oh there are dogs everywhere! Sometimes they are in pretty rough shape so that's kind of sad.  They have never given me problems though! Our church house is just a little meeting house. We have a statue of the Virgin Mary in the small courtyard which is pretty funny cause it makes it look like a different church's meeting house. The property manager won't let us take it down though. The very first thing that happened when we walked into the meeting house was a little kid ran up and gave me a hug! I love the kids here!  

I bore my testimony in Sacrament yesterday and seeing as how I don't speak much Tagalog that was a little difficult... But I just said what I believed in so it turned out alright. 

I basically said:  Ako po si Elder Payne at Taga Utah ako. Ito ang una area para sa akin. Hindi ko alam marami Tagalog pero Alam ko po na Totoo ang Ebanghelyo ni Jesucristo. Alam ko po na tagapaglitas ni Jesucristo. Alam ko po na ito dahil nagdasal ako at alam ko po na totoo ang simbahan ni Jesucristo. Sa pangalan ni Jesucristo amen. (I'm Elder Payne and I'm Utah. This is the first area for me. I do not know much Tagalog but I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is True. I know the Savior of Jesus Christ. I know this because I pray and I know the church of Jesus Christ is true. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.)

Then I went and sat down and people tried to speak to me in Tagalog. I have to just look at my trainer and have him translate for me. That's alright though, I'll learn. They actually talk a fair amount of english when giving talks and we sing songs in english but after the sacrament meeting people just revert to Tagalog. 

 OH, they other day I caught a firefly, I've never seen a firefly before so I thought it was like the coolest thing ever. I hope everyone is doing well! Always remember to have pananampalataya kay Jesucristo (faith in Jesus Christ)!

Pagmamahal (love),

Elder Payne

Made It Here Safely! - August 16, 2017

I made it here to Baguio safe. We are actually not in Baguio City but I am in my mission now! I haven't met my trainer yet but I'm sure I'll meet him soon! I can't wait to learn, struggle, and grow in my knowledge of the Gospel and Tagalog alike!  Love you all!!!!

Pagmamahal,

Elder Payne

Heading to the Field on Wednesday!- Sent August 13, 2017

President Carlos just gave the Provo missionary batch here in the Philippines MTC a chance to email before we enter our respective fields. I feel like the jet lag is finally starting to wear off. The weather here is still something else... It's so humid! I really like it though, it literally feels like you are walking into a sauna whenever you walk outside.

 We were able to go to the Manila Temple grounds yesterday and that temple and the temple grounds are BEAUTIFUL!!! We also were able to go proselyting last Saturday and that was an eye opening experience for several reasons.

First of all I have NO idea what anyone is saying! My Dad served in Holland speaking Dutch, he told me when he got there the only thing that sounded the same was the dogs. Well played Dad, I get it. On a more serious note though, there were houses I visited that were literally alley ways within alley ways. To get there we had to duck under poles and barely had enough room to walk through the alley any ways. It was wild, there was poverty unlike anything I have ever seen before. Our first appointment was with a woman named Tess, when we were starting our lesson the Elder I went on splits with asked Tess a question, she then looked at me and with a half smile pointed at me. I turned to the Elder and he said "she wants you to say the prayer". It's funny because I know the invitation to pray but either they used something else or I'm just as lost as I think I am. I said the prayer though and really felt the spirit enter the room. The lesson went well and I was able to share my testimony with her about the Book of Mormon. I shared the scripture Moroni 10:5 from the Book of Mormon:  At sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng espiratu santo, malalaman ninyo ang katotohanan ng lahat ng bagay. (In English:  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.) Then as we were leaving her house I saw a lizard fly up the wall so thats cool.

Anyways love and miss you guys! Hope everyone is doing well and I hope to email again soon, maybe when I get to Baguio on Wednesday!

Love,

Elder Payne

Manila Philippines LDS Temple

Elders Anderton, Payne, and Burke at the Manila Philippines LDS Temple

Awesome missionaries 

Elders Tupuola and Payne

Elder Payne in front of the Manila Temple

Manila, Philippines - August 11, 2017

Well I made it to the Philippines. Everything still feels like I'm on a plane. I am completely exhausted but happy. It's really hard to concentrate right now. The flights were good though. It was cool to fly but wow that wipes you out! I was able to see parts of Japan from the air, got some cool pictures of the sun rising over Taiwan and some cool pics of hong kong. Don't even get me started on pics of Manila. 


The MTC president met us at the airport and that was really nice.   It's crazy to think I'm in Asia. It is so extremely hot and humid here it's crazy but its really really great. The car ride from the airport to the mtc was wild. People here pay no attention to road lines. There will be a four lane road and we will have seven cars in it with motorcycles everywhere. It's wild but cool.  The car ride was so stop-and-go nearly everyone got car sick. It's crazy to think I'm in Asia.  This is a whole new world over here.  Even going through the city I saw neighborhoods of shacks and tin roofs right next to sky scrapers. 

Tomorrow, I'll get the chance to go proselyting in Quezon City so that will be fun. The food here seems really good but I don't really want anything because really all I need right now is sleep.  We get to go to bed at 7:00 pm tonight and that will be most appreciated! 

A photo of some of the missionaries traveling with us taken in the airport by a kind stranger

3 Hours 'Til MTC Check Out - August 9, 2017

Well it's crazy to think that I'm all packed and ready to go! I feel like I just barely showed up. I have honestly been so blessed by the experiences I have had in the MTC. I have felt my testimony grow exponentially! My love for Christ and his gospel has helped me become something I never thought I could become and this was only the MTC! I have been so very blessed to be here with my wonderful teachers. They have truly blessed my life eternally. I am excited to reach this new step of my mission and can't wait to reach the Philippines so I can show the people how much I love them and how much The Savior loves them. We had the unbelievable opportunity to hear from Elder Bednar this Sunday. It was actually pretty funny because our first Sunday here we watched a recording of one of his MTC talks called "Character of Christ". It is honestly my favorite talk I have ever heard. So anyways my district wanted to finish our last MTC movie with watching that talk Sunday night. We watched his talk then I saw the mission President and his Wife walked into the room. All of a sudden the whole room stood up. I looked up to see Elder Bednar and his Wife standing at the pulpit. The spirit immediately flooded into the room. His words were so comforting and powerful. He left a blessing on us (departing missionaries) and I felt the love of God stronger than I think I have ever felt it. God lives. We are his children. I love you all and will see you all in two years! Peace out from America! 

Pagmamahal,

Elder Payne

Elder Anderton

MTC Instructors: Brothers Spencer, Pettingill, and West

MTC Instructor: Sister Spencer

Brother Pettingill

Brother West

Elders M. Lund and Payne

Elders M. Lund, Payne, Benson, and P. Lund

Elders Payne and P. Lund

Elder Burke

Last P-Day sa America! - August 3, 2017

Well, this should be my last week in America for 2 years. It's crazy how fast time has gone here. We received our flight plans last Friday. I check out of the MTC on August 9. My flight leaves Salt Lake City  and I get to LA. Then I leave for Hong Kong. I'll arrive in Hong Kong August 11... Ya I'm not sure how long I'm going to be in that plane because of the time change pero I'm pretty sure it'll be a long time... Then I have a four hour flight from Hong Kong to Manila! I was soooo pumped to get my flight plans! It's just way exciting to finally see when I can apply what I have learned here in the MTC. I have loved it here at the MTC. I have made friends and learned lessons that will last eternity. I have also been able to attend the Provo Temple these past two weeks and I absolutely love the spirit that I find in there. Nagpapasalmat po ako para sa the opportunity I will have to go to the Manila Temple in about a week! My teachers here at the MTC, Sister Spencer, Brother West, and Brother Pettingil, have been amazing. Not only do they help me learn Tagalog pero they help me lumapit ni Jesucristo. These past couple days have been exciting and I've been experiencing pretty much every emotion possible about leaving the US and entering the Philippines. I'm excited, happy, thankful, unprepared with the language, terrified, nervous, ready to leave the MTC, ready to jump into the culture, ready to learn and grow, ready to show my love for ang mga tao, and pretty much any other emotion ever...  But most of all I am excited for the opportunities waiting for me in the Philippines to tulong mga tao lumapit ni Jesucristo and be masaya! I love you all and hope you are doing well, next time you read my emails I'll be in the Philippines!!!!   

Pagmamahal,

Elder Payne

Beautiful Art in the new portion of the Provo MTC 

A view of the new portion of the Provo MTC

Provo Temple

Awesome Cache Valley Elders:
All 5 elders from our ward that are currently in the Provo MTC right now along with
other elders from home
Elders Bernhardt, Benson, Payne, Lund, Boehme, Brenchley, Blotter, and Lund

Ridgeline High School Riverhawks are off to serve!