Angeles City, Holiday Inn (October 19-21, 2013)

            Maralea and I stayed at the Holiday Inn at Clark Air Field in September 2005.  We decided to stay there again this eight years later.  It was a little like coming home.  We were familiar with everything, from the workout room, pool, spa (nice place).  We walked around upon our arrival and reminisced about our last trip here, such as where we happened to run into a group of sisters from the mission in the lobby and got to visit with them (complete with pictures), where we met with our friends from Angeles City where Brad was serving at the time (who loved partying with Da Royals - ha), where we sat in the buffet with Brad for the first time after our reunion, as he marveled at all the food, and the suite where Brad could not believe the water from the tap was okay to drink (there was a sign giving the A-okay for consumption), and where hot water was available at the turn of a handle.  That was a great time.  So, it brought us great comfort returning to this familiar place.  We got settled in our room in the afternoon and, although we were very tired, we did not allow ourselves to sleep.  Instead, we got unpacked, got caught up on the BYU game (which was of most importance) ventured around the grounds, had an early dinner, and went to bed by 8:00 am.  I don’t recall the last time I went to bed at 8:00 pm, but I also do not recall a time when I was so dead tired.  Once my head hit the pillow, I was out.  Maralea complained the next morning about a lot of noisy people talking, laughing, running through the hallways, slamming doors, playing music, etc.  I missed all that.  (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that she also complained that I was snoring.)pictures), where we met with our friends from Angeles City where Brad was serving at the time (who loved partying with Da Royals - ha), where we sat in the buffet with Brad for the first time after our reunion, as he marveled at all the food, and the suite where Brad could not believe the water from the tap was okay to drink (there was a sign giving the A-okay for consumption), and where hot water was available at the turn of a handle.  That was a great time.  So, it brought us great comfort returning to this familiar place.  

Our awesome Angeles City party in September 2005

            We got settled in our room in the afternoon and, although we were very tired, we did not allow ourselves to sleep.  Instead, we got unpacked, got caught up on the BYU game (which was of most importance) ventured around the grounds, had an early dinner, and went to bed by 8:00 am.  I don’t recall the last time I went to bed at 8:00 pm, but I also do not recall a time when I was so dead tired.  Once my head hit the pillow, I was out.  Maralea complained the next morning about a lot of noisy people talking, laughing, running through the hallways, slamming doors, playing music, etc.  I missed all that.  (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that she also complained that I was snoring.)We enjoyed a day of total relaxation on Monday at the hotel, working out, spa, big breakfast, hanging out in the pool.  It was great to just relax.  We needed a day to recover.  I still struggled to find a replay of the BYU/Houston game, to no avail.  (Since it was the longest game in BYU history without going to overtime, and the biggest plays of the game happened in the final 1:20 of the game, I wanted to make sure we got it all on the DVR, so contacted Kelli to record it again when replayed on BYU-TV.  These are important issues in our lives.)  

Did I mention that BYU beat Houston?

           We had the great pleasure of gathering at the hotel with some of our great Angeles friends, Pink, Jojo, Edsel, and James and Kris Guiwan (who we met for the first time, but who were here during the time Brad served in Angeles City).  We visited in the lobby for a little over an hour.  It was like a little family reunion.  We were so excited to see them and had a great time visiting.  A lot has happened in the eight years since we were last together, but it seemed like we didn’t miss a beat in our conversation.  (Being Facebook friends helps with all that.)  One more day and Jordan is physically back in the fold.

Back together again.  Back from left: Edsel, James, Jojo, Mike (me)
From row from left: Maralea, Pink and Kris

James met Kris, talked her out of BYU-Hawaii and married her

"Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner, but he knew it wouldn't last."
(Sorry Jojo, that song comes into my head every time I hear or think of your name)

Pink and Edsel are all smiles all the time

Here with (from left) Pink, Edsel, (yes, that's us next), Jojo and Kris.
Not pictured, James, who served here as photographer.

We still have the Elder Royal autographed poster from our September 2005 FHI in Angeles

"We're Here!" (Las Vegas to Angeles City, Philippines)

Royal likes playing "Where's Jordan?"

Royal knows cardboard Jordan very well

             I have to admit that I had approached our trip to the Philippines with great trepidation.  I fretted about being away from Kelli and Royal, Mom and Dad, being away from work, etc.  I packed a lot of work to take with me, and then discovered after we got to the airport that I had left it all at the house.  (All the papers would have really weighed me down, but I really thought I needed them.  I have plenty of other things to do with information I brought electronically, so no worries.  If there is one thing I can do, it is finding productive ways to spend my time.)  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  We have been richly rewarded in our previous experiences picking up Brad (Philippines) and David (Peru).  I am looking forward to making some new wonderful memories with Jordan. 


Our adventure begins in Las Vegas

            Maralea and I went to dinner with Kelli and Royal Friday night.  It was kind of sad for me.  I wanted to spend every last moment with Royal.  I felt I needed to memorize his face, his voice, his every quirky, funny little new thing he does that makes me laugh.  I sat in the backseat with Royal as Kelli drove us to the airport.  I laughed as Royal pushed our faces away after we would kiss him, then wiped his face where he had been kissed.  He’s a riot.  Kelli took a picture of us with our baggage at the airport, and we were on our way.

            I had planned to do a bunch of work on the plane.  But, when you board a plane at midnight, your body and mind are not really in the mood to do work.  Sleep becomes a priority.  I have such a hard time sleeping in an upright position.  Maralea bought these things that go around the neck and attach to a kind of sling where you can fold your arms and rest in a more comfortable position.  (She got them for our trip to Peru three years ago, and I don’t think we have used them since.)  I watched some Lone Ranger movie with Johnny Depp as Tonto (terrible movie - just flat awful).  I then watched 42, the story of Jackie Robinson with the Brooklyn Dodgers (much better).


Charting our travels from Vegas to Seoul

            When we arrived at the airport in Seoul, Korea, we had a rather strange experience.  There were about 300 people on our flight.  Within five minutes of pulling up to the gate, it was empty (and we were being rushed out by the stewardesses).  Once we got into the terminal, there was no one there.  It was completely empty (really eerie).  (By the way, the restrooms there have special small toilets for little toddlers – pretty interesting.)  It is the cleanest airport I have ever seen.  There was no trash anywhere.  Everything around us was immaculate.  Anyway, a security officer who spoke no English saw us wandering around and did his best to direct us to the Transfer area, where we went through security and found our way to the right gate.  As we were wandering as strangers in a foreign land, I was weighed down by other concerns.  The BYU/Houston game had started and I wasn’t watching it!  We were unable to get the game live via video stream (it does not work outside the US, apparently), but got it loud and clear on KSL.com.  Once we found the game, I was good as gold.  We sat down in the terminal for our three hour layover and huddled around the Mark Wrubell play by play.  The game was in progress when we picked it up, with BYU leading 17-14 in the first quarter.  It was 31-31 at the end of the first half.  Taysom Hill’s two interceptions in the first half were unbelievably costly (one for pick six, the other in the end zone from the Houston five yard line). 

Sunrise in Seoul

The defense seemed weak and confused, and made so many boneheaded plays.  I was frustrated as we sat in the Seoul airport, surrounded by hundreds of people entirely oblivious to my Cougar angst.  At the time we began boarding our flight for Manila, BYU had just given up a sack and trailed 40-34.  I thought that perhaps my internet service would continue at least until we got on the plane so I could hear the play by play to the point of being ordered to shut off our electronic devices.  Not so.  The second we checked in, my internet service was gone.  Nada.  So, we boarded our plane with a sense of BYU football despair.  (Life as a BYU sports fanatic is sometimes very challenging.)  

            My plan was to arrive at our hotel in Angeles City, unpack, relax, and then see if I could find a replay of the game online.  It was a good plan, but failed in two respects: First, the game was not set yet for replay on BYUtv.org when we finally got back up online.  Second, when I finally found a link for some highlights, the title referenced an exciting BYU come from behind victory.  (Okay, fine, I’ll admit my disappointment was minor since they won the game.)  Our plan is to watch the replay of the game as soon as it is made available (hopefully today, but probably not until we get back - somehow some way, it will be viewed by the Royals).

Relaxing in the Seoul airport, during halftime of the BYU/Houston game

            Our flight to Manila from Seoul was only three hours, but we still got served a meal.  In fact, in our 20 hours of travel, we were served three meals on Korean Air and all of them were very good.  They kept the plane dark through the night, so we had plenty of opportunity to sleep.  Still, I don’t think I slept much.  (I kept thinking about “Lost” and all those episodes with the plane crashing in the ocean, or plane crash scene in “Castaway,” which is pretty intense.)  I tried my hardest to get some work done on the flight.  (Somehow, it eases my angst of being away from the office.)  But, I found it to be incredibly challenging.  My mind just would not focus.  It has been racing with all kinds of things surrounding the surreal moment in which we seem to find ourselves.  We are returning to the Philippines to pick up our second son serving here.  Jordan’s mission is over.  He is returning home, and we will see him soon.  It just doesn’t seem real.  Anyway, I watched another movie during the trip from Seoul to Manila, The Internship, which was rather silly.  (Let’s be honest.  Every movie with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson is exactly the same.)  (Hey, maybe that’s why I had so much trouble getting work done on our trip, I watched three movies.)


Maralea, anxiously awaiting landing in Manila in anticipation of the Mother/Son reunion

           I wasn’t sure how things would work out at the Manila airport.  We had arranged for Jordan’s second mission companion, Kimmy Talento, to meet us and drive us to our hotel (a two hour drive).  We went through customs, got our luggage, exchanged some US dollars for pesos, got a SIM card for Jordan’s old phone (so we could use a phone here), and then walked to the greeting area with some trepidation.  I had a back up plan.  If Kimmy and I got our wires crossed, I figured I would just grab a taxi.  There are

Manila from the plane - a beautiful sight

enough people around here who speak English that I figured we would find a way.  (It’s not like our trip to see David in 2010 when Maralea and I landed in Chiclayo, Peru at 5:00 am where NO ONE spoke any English whatsoever and we were hoping that the Spanish speaking only drivers who David had arranged to pick us up and drive us 10 hours to Chachapoyas would recognize us.)  Anyway, we kind of wandered around for a few minutes and, through the crowd, I saw Kimmy walking towards us with a sign: “Mike Royal.”  (Yep, that’s me!)  Kimmy went to shake my hand but I just gave him a big hug.  It was a great relief to connect.  He walked us to a vehicle driven by his cousin, Mark, who served as our driver.  We threw our things in the back of the car and began our adventure through Manila.  I suppose it goes without saying, but I would never, ever want to attempt to drive a car through Manila.  It is all just too crazy.  I tried not to freak out at all the close calls with busses, bikers, other vehicles, and just let Mark focus on the road.  (He did not seem too concerned about any of it.  I wonder what kind of personal injury practice there is for Manila lawyers?  Ha.)  We had a great time visiting with Mark and Kimmy during our trip.  It was exciting to be in Manila.

            We kind of wandered around for a few minutes and, through the crowd, I saw Kimmy walking towards us with a sign: “Mike Royal.”  (Yep, that’s me!)  Kimmy went to shake my hand but I just gave him a big hug.  It was a great relief to connect.  He walked us to a vehicle driven by his cousin, Mark, who served as our driver.  We threw our things in the back of the car and began our adventure through Manila.  I suppose it goes without saying, but I would never, ever want to attempt to drive a car through Manila.  It is all just too crazy.  I tried not to freak out at all the close calls with busses, bikers, other vehicles, and just let Mark focus on the road.  (He did not seem too concerned about any of it.)  We had a great time visiting with Mark and Kimmy during our trip.  It was exciting to be in Manila.

Oh yeah, did I mention we got a flat tire?

           The drive to Angeles was a bit longer than I remembered.  As we got closer, we began to see more evidence of the recent typhoon and so affected this area just a week earlier, with large trees uprooted here and there.  When we arrived in Angeles, Mark and Kimmy began driving in circles and finally acknowledged they did not know where our hotel was located.  So, we stopped by the chapel in Angeles City, which I recognized as the same one we attended for Edsel's baptism in September 2005.  I saw the area in the front parking lot where we posed together for a group picture at that time.  That was pretty cool.  We finally found our hotel, checked in, and then began working feverishly to locate and watch all the BYU game highlights we could find.  By the way, we are staying at the same hotel where we stayed in 2005, so we already have some good memories here.  Maralea and I walked around later in the evening, talking about our lives together.  So much good has happened over the past three decades.  We have been very blessed.  We enjoyed a quiet dinner and went to bed pretty early.  (I think I was out by 8:00 pm.  Our goal was to stay up until bed time, without napping, so we could be on the right schedule.  Mission accomplished.)  We woke up early Monday morning and tried to get our bearings.  It is strange because I am constantly trying to do two things almost by the hour: 1) calculate the time difference between Manila and Las Vegas; and 2) calculate US dollars to pesos (42.70 pesos to a dollar).  So, today is a day of recovery as we prepare for our reunion with Jordan tomorrow.  So, we are here and Operation Recover Jordan is underway.

While we were busy traveling, Jordan was busy doing paperwork in the mission office.
(Can you find him in this sea of elders?)

The Royal soda reunion was sweet, too!

Taken during our September 2005 trip to Angeles, for Edsel's baptism.
It was pretty cool to visit the chapel again and see this important landmark of our lives.



 

             
  

 



Storm Before the Calm (A special note from Elder Royal’s pappy!)

Typhoon Santi approaches the Philippines coast from the west 

           Well, we were counting on receiving our last letter from Jordan yesterday, but received only the sounds of silence.  We blame it on Typhoon Santi (see footage), which ran its course straight through the heart of Jordan’s mission, leaving about two million people without power, and several thousand with sorely damaged or destroyed homes.  This should make for an interesting week for us as we leave for the Philippines to see Jordan for the first time in two years.  Reports are that most of the area will remain without power for the next three to four weeks.  We received word yesterday from the mission leadership that all the missionaries are safe and sound.  Sister Martino wrote that Jordan is fine.  (I’m sure Jordan will have a lot to say about his typhoon experience.  There have been other typhoons during his mission, but this is the only one to have landed directly in his area.)  We are looking forward to reuniting with Jordan, but feel badly for the people who have suffered through the storm damage.  Our prayers go out to the Filipino people who have been so kind and loving to our son and the other missionaries serving there.

The aftermath of Typhoon Santi

            Jordan is planning to attend a temple wedding on Saturday.  We will miss that event by one day.  It is the second occasion in which Jordan has been blessed with the opportunity to accompany someone whom he has taught the gospel to the temple in Manila/Quezon City.  What a great blessing that has been for Jordan!  We plan to arrive in Manila on Sunday, October 20^th and will reunite with Jordan at the mission home in Tarlac on October 22^nd (well, that’s the plan, anyway, washed out roads permitting).  We will attend the temple with Jordan and his mission group, and will then travel to different areas with Jordan as our guide before returning home with him.

Jordan with President Martino and (from Pres. Martino's left) Elders Armatage, Viquerra & Hernandez

            I am not sure whether we will receive another email from Jordan before we see him on Tuesday, so I am going to write a kind of mission epilogue as his father.  Jordan is the last of our three sons to serve a two year LDS mission.  All of them have served in foreign areas (Brad, Philippines Angeles Mission (same as Jordan), and David, Peru Piura Mission).  All of them have met the challenge of learning a foreign language, adapting and embracing a new culture, and loving the people with whom they serve.  They have honorably displayed the name of Jesus Christ on their chests as His representatives, teaching and testifying of Him and His gospel, restored to the earth in its fullness in preparation for His Second Coming through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  They have boldly testified that Jesus lives, that He suffered in Gethsemane for the sins of the world, opening the door for all of Heavenly Father’s children to repent and become cleansed that we may return to our Father in Heaven through Jesus Christ, who opened the door to salvation and exaltation, Eternal Life, that He established His Church on the earth in its fullness again, with a living prophet at the head, twelve apostles, and a complete organization designed to safely lead us through these turbulent last days.  They have shared the message that God is real, that He is a loving Heavenly Father who has called a prophet on the earth today, through whom He reveals truth to the world, just as He did in the days of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, etc.  These exciting revealed truths provide us with an understanding of who we are (literal children of God), where we came from (God’s presence as His spirit children, with whom we dwelt even before the foundation of the world), and where we can go after mortality (return to the heavenly home from which we came, having successfully completed our mortal sojourn by accepting Jesus Christ, keeping His commandments, living His gospel and leading others to Him).  These truths further provide us with the wonderful assurance that the family is the eternal form of governance, a glorious institution designed to endure forever for the righteous who accept Christ and answer His call to “come, follow me.”

Jordan with Elders Viquerra & Hernandez, and Sister Littlefield

That's me, the sharply dressed missionary on the
right, teaching with Elder Day in Vidalia, GA 1979

            I served for two years in the Florida Tallahassee Mission from 1979-81.  I continue to reap the blessings of that service all these 32 years after my release, having made eternal friendships.  One of our family highlights this year was being present in the Atlanta Temple in February for the marriage of Evelyn Parker to Michael Warren, with Evelyn’s daughters, Rachel and Rebekah, Rachel’s husband, John, Evelyn’s mother, her sister Ladye Grace and her husband, Eddie, her sister Crissy, her friend Debbie, along with other family members and friends.  I first met Evelyn in Vidalia, GA in October 1979.  She invited us into her home as missionaries of the Lord Jesus Christ

Maralea and me with Evelyn and Michael

and was the first person who I found, taught, and baptized.  I lost touch with Evelyn shortly after I transferred from Vidalia in February 1980 and wondered what had happened to her.  In July 2009, I was contacted by Evelyn’s daughter, Rachel, who made the effort to find her mother’s missionaries “to say thank you.”  That was a literal answer to prayers for me personally, as that contact came two weeks after we had returned from a visit to Georgia when I had been talking with Maralea about Evelyn, expressing frustration at being unable to locate her and find out how she is doing.  Once Evelyn and I got back in touch, I was thrilled to learn that she had remained active in the Church, had taught the gospel to her family and led many others to Christ.  So, February was a great reunion.  I have shared those experiences with my family, and with my mission companion, Lamar Day, with whom I served in Vidalia, GA.  

With John and Rachel Murphy (left) and Rebekah & Parker

Tyler & Caitlin at the Nauvoo Temple

            Another wonderful highlight for us in 2013 was attending the temple wedding of Tyler Berns and his wife, Caitlin.  Elder Steve Jones and I found and taught Tyler’s grandparents and their children Angela, Tim (Tyler’s father), and Michael in Foley, AL in March 1980.  (We attended the temple wedding of Michael’s daughter, Mackenzie to Daniel Crump in the Provo Temple in August 2011, which was a wonderful experience.)  It is a great blessing to be in touch with those we first came to love as missionaries so long ago.

            I have shared some personal experiences to highlight the wondrous blessings associated with missionary service.  Heavenly Father blesses us beyond any possible measure for service to Him, and those blessings come in the form of peace and joy that is magnified when it is shared with others.  Brad and Whitney returned to the Philippines in January of this year (2013) where Brad took Whitney and Beckham (our grandson) to his mission areas. 

With the Moquia family, September 2005

They had many great experiences, one of which was Brad’s visit to the Moquia family, who Brad taught and baptized while serving in the area of San Isidro, where the father, Kuya, reported to Brad: "Elder, I fulfilled the promise I made to you.  We were sealed in the temple in 2008."  That was Brad’s first contact with the Moquia family since we visited their home with him in September 2005.  (They do not have computers or other means of communication.)  Brad and his family later attended church in the Cabiao Ward during their January 2013 visit, where Brad was first assigned as a missionary.  We had attended there with him in September 2005 (and were called from the congregation to speak during sacrament meeting).  Brad related that he and his family had arrived late to church, just as Salvador Garcia, a brother who Brad taught and baptized in the fall of 2003, stood at the podium to speak.  Of this experience, Brad wrote the following:

               When Salvador saw me he smiled, and after the hymn, he got up to the podium as the last speaker.  Here's a summary of what he said:

             “Before I start my topic, I want to say hello to Elder Brad Royal who just walked in.  I didn't know he was going to be here today and didn't know if I'd ever see him again.  He was the one who taught me the gospel and baptized me.  If it weren't for him, I wouldn't know any of you and wouldn't be standing here today.  I need to do something before I start my talk.”

             Then he walked off from the podium and came down to us and gave me a hug and shook Whitney's hand.  Salvador then walked back to the podium and started his talk.  That ranks in the top 10 coolest moments of my life.  I met a guy who worked with us in Alaska last summer who served in Cabiao and recognized me.  He remembered seeing my wedding announcement on the wall in Salvador's house.  Salvador told him, "When I have a bad day, I'll look at this picture and remember my elder."  I didn't think I'd ever be able to tell him that story in person.

Brad with Salvador Garcia in September 2005

David with Cecilia & her family, July 2010

             When we visited Peru with David at the close of his mission in July 2010, we had some wonderful experiences.  One of the sweetest was our visit to Chachapoyas, when we were part of a gathering at the home of David’s pensionista (I may have spelled that wrong), where it seemed the entire congregation of the branch gathered to say goodbye to David, including Cecilia and her daughter (who David taught and baptized).  No English was spoken during that gathering.  However, the love we felt was incredible and entirely unforgettable.  We lingered a bit too long and had to be rushed to the bus station to catch our all night ride to Piura.  As we got into our seats, we noticed that all the members who were present earlier had followed us to the bus station to say goodbye.  They lined the streets on both sides, waving goodbye.  Those wonderful people so loved our missionary son, and it was an amazing moment, as a father, to see the kind of impact David had on the people with whom he served.

With the Chachapoyas Branch, July 2010

          Heavenly Father loves us.  He is pleased when we bringing others to Him through His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  There is no greater joy than that which is associated with saving souls, because that is the purpose, the very essence of life.  It is why we were born into mortality.  Each of us have a quest to find and embrace Jesus Christ, He being the only means through which we may return to our heavenly home.  We have been blessed with sons who have eagerly joined in that effort as full time missionaries.  It is our desire to continue to serve as missionaries throughout our lives, that we may continue to be instruments in the hands of God.

This will be our last family picture (November 2012) with "Life Sized Jordan" (Yay!)

            This week will bring a close to six years of receiving weekly missionary letters, from September 2003 - October 2013.  Those weekly reports from a missionary son will be sorely missed.  They have brought great happiness as we have watched our sons grow tremendously in their role as ambassadors of Christ.  However, we look forward to this new chapter in life for Jordan, as he follows in the steps of his brothers by continuing with his college education, getting married and starting a family, with an incredible foundation of faith laid during his two years of service.  I am grateful for missions, for missionaries, and for parents of missionaries.  We have many nieces and nephews serving full time missions presently, including: Chelsea (Uruguay), Steven (Brazil), Jeffrey, (Pennsylvania), Kyle (Arkansas), Kimberly (Philippines), and even have Dave and Chris Foote (Maralea’s sister) serving in Germany.  We also have other extended family serving, such as Michael Finch (Philippines) and other close family friends.  We love writing them, supporting them, praying for them, and especially love welcoming them home.

I love this picture of the Savior as our Good Shepherd

            So, if Jordan does not write again from the Philippines, I can at least close his blog with my testimony, as his very happy father, that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that President Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet who guides the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today, that the priesthood authority of God has been restored to the earth, which holds the keys of all the saving ordinances necessary for our return to Heavenly Father.  The next time you see a missionary, invite them to share their message and testimony with you.  It may change your life forever.  It changed the lives of my sweet parents, who joined the LDS Church when I was young.  The Santa Clara II Ward in Eugene, Oregon will forever hold a very special place in my heart for the members there who so loved our family, who fellowshipped us into activity, led us to be sealed in the Oakland Temple in June 1969, and helped me decide early in my youth to serve a full time mission.  I have certainly been blessed as a missionary; however, I have been especially honored to be the father of a missionary.

Maralea and I were blessed to serve with my parents in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission in 2012-13
(here with President and Sister Neider, left).
For that period of time, we had three generations of Elder Royal serving somewhere in the world.

Mom and Dad with "their missionary," the former Elder Arnold (with Sister Arnold) who first introduced them to the gospel.  I  had the great pleasure of thanking Elder Arnold for the great blessings he brought to our family because he chose to serve the Lord.  What an incredible legacy of faith he planted with just one tiny mustard seed of testimony!

Wow . . . the final month!

            Well, October is here.  That was quick.  Anyway, I hope General Conference was great.  We are watching it this coming weekend, and I'm sooooooooo excited!  This will be my 5^th and final General Conference of my mission!  It seems like just yesterday when I was in the MTC as we watched General Conference for my first weekend as a missionary.  What an experience General Conference has been for me these past two years!  I absolutely love it and look forward to it every time!  So no spoilers (ha!).  (Click here to see General Conference addresses online.)
 

Jordan, celebrating his two year anniversary on September 28, 2013
with Elders Viquerra (far left), Armatage (right of Jordan) & Hernandez (far right)

             I attended my last MLC/DLC on Tuesday in Cabanatuan, which was cool.  Our theme for this month is revelation.  We were able to receive some great insights about personal revelation and how crucial it is for our work.  We watched Elder Bednar's Mormon Message where he uses light as an analogy for how revelation comes into our minds.  If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it, because it's pretty dang awesome.  What I learned about revelation is that it is contingent on how we exercise our agency.  We all actually receive more revelation than we think we do.  We have a choice to act on God's instruction or set it aside.  I liked what Elder Bednar said when he answered the question, "How come [revelation] isn't easier to recognize?”  He answered that God won't shout or shake us to get our attention, but will whisper.  He also said that God doesn't need to shake us, because He trusts us to make the right decision.  So what do we do with the revelations we receive from God?  Aside from following the prompting or instruction, we should thank God for the revelation that we've already received.  Revelation doesn't usually come all at once (according to Elder Bednar, it can, but that is very rare), but will be revealed unto us little by little.   Sometimes we receive revelation, but we need to have faith in order for it to fully come together (like Joshua and the Camp of Israel when they crossed the Jordan River).  In short, it was a great meeting and I'm very anxious to hear the revelation the speakers of General Conference have received. 

A noteworthy calendar entry

            We held a fireside on Saturday for the members to become more involved in missionary work using the "We are One" theme from the Work of Salvation Broadcast.  We had a good amount of people attend (after we started the meeting an hour late due to lack of attendance - gotta love "Filipino Time") and the Spirit was strong during the meeting.  We taught the members how to very simply teach the Restoration to their friends and then refer them to the missionaries.  We had a good feeling about it afterwards, so hopefully that'll get the work going here in Gapan.

Sunset in the bukid

            Here’s our funny story of the week.  We knocked on this one house while we were finding, and we were invited in.  When we asked if the man of the house would allow us to teach, they told us not today, but we insisted on meeting him.  So, he came out and went off about how he doesn't believe in the Second Coming and won't believe it until it actually happens and he sees Jesus Christ come down from heaven.  We told him that Second Coming will come quickly and in a very unexpected way and that he won't have to time to believe.  Then, my companion tried to use an example by asking the tatay if he believed that he had a brain (trying to teach the principle of faith by teaching that we can't see our brain, but we know that it's there).  Well that got tatay really upset, because he thought that Elder Hernandez told him that he didn't have a brain.  He didn't really understand the question.  Then we told him that it was only an example, but he just freaked out and raised his voice saying that we insulted him.  I was trying pretty hard not to laugh.  I then tried to change the example by asking him if he had a heart, but then realizing that could also be offensive, I just asked him if he believed if he had any bones.  He just told us to stop using examples.  He was still pretty upset that we "told" him that he had no brain.  (I suddenly have that scarecrow song from the Wizard of Oz in my head . . . “if I only had a brain.”)  Apparently the word on the street is that he's known in the neighborhood for being a bit of a not so nice guy, so it all kinda made sense at the end.  Anyway, kind of a funny little encounter.  Sadly, no investigators at church.  We are working hard to magnify every opportunity the Lord provides us to do His will and have faith that we are, in some small way, laying the groundwork for miracles in this area.
 

Elders Palmer, Dadizon, Royal & Hawaikirangi, training in Tarlac

            I’m glad to know that BYU won again.  Thanks for all the game details, Dad.  Good stuff.  Oh and next week will be my last email ever as a missionary, so just a heads up.  Wow.  I will be seeing you in two weeks.  That doesn’t even seem real when I read it over again.  But, I guess it is.  Until then, we will keep working with all our heart, might, mind and strength to bring people to Christ!  The gospel is true.  Live faithfully and enjoy righteous living. 

            Love,

            Elder Jordan "Pumped for Conference" Royal
 

Elders Wilson, Armatage, Royal (Jordan) & Bagacina after a day of service in Jean

 

Heyeyeee

            Hey family!  I'm in Tarlac today for P-day and it's been a very, very long day.  All of the foreigners going home this year had to go to the office to get finger printed as a requirement for going home.  Then, we went to the hospital to get my chest X rays done.  It was cool to see my batch again for the last time before we gather together again in three weeks.  I went to the hospital with Elders Palmer, Dadizon, and Hawaikirangi for our required chest x rays.  (Normal results, by the way.  It’s all good.)  Sorry, but this email will probably be really short.  We have to get on the last bus to Gapan which leaves in about 45 minutes, so I don’t have a lot of time.  Unfortunately, I can't send pictures right now, because the computers here are terrible, so we'll have to wait until next week again.

Jordan at the Manila Temple last month.
We will be seeing him in this same spot in about three weeks

            The work was pretty good this week.  Some members from Cabanatuan Ward 5 came and worked with us on Tuesday.  Elder Hernandez was assigned there back in the day, so they came to visit and work.  We had a good time and were able to find a new future progressing investigator, Madel Mactal.  She's cool and really wants to know where to find to the truth.  Once we gave her a Book of Mormon, she read it and was really excited to know more about Joseph Smith and the Restoration.  We have another family where the mom reads the Book of Mormon all the time and expresses good understanding of it.  She really wants her family to be united in religion, and to be forever.  Sadly, none of them came to church yesterday.  All they have to do is come to church and they'll feel the Spirit, right?  (That is the most frustrating part of working in this area - it is just so difficult for people to get to church, because it is so far away.)

This picture was taken in May 2012 by Sister Adonis.
We had not seen it before, so figured we may as well include it now

            I hit my two year mark on Saturday, which was awesome!  We had a service project at the sisters’ apartment and that was pretty fun.  We just lifted a bunch of bricks while the others painted the inside of the sisters' new apartment.  It was pretty fun.  I know the sisters appreciated it.

            Again, I’m sorry that this email is not very detailed and has no pictures, but I'm in a bit of a hurry.  I'll hopefully have a lot more time, with much more to report, next week!  Love ya!

            Elder Jordan "Yay, No TB" Royal

A family gathering over the weekend in Salt Lake City for Aubrey's baby blessing
(Jordan will be in the next big family picture!)

David & Kambria with Aubrey for her baby blessing on Sunday

Miracles Really DO Happen!

Jordan enjoying his last leadership training meeting

            Hey Family!  Another week has gone by and it was pretty good.  I attended my last zone conference on Tuesday in Cabanatuan, and it was it a pretty good (as last zone conferences go).  We talked about a lot of things, but I really liked the AP's workshop about reaching our spiritual privileges.  Our Heavenly Father knows our potential.  When we reach a goal that He's set for us, He'll put another mountain in our path to climb.  It's a never ending process.  If we keep climbing, there's no where to go but up, so the higher the mountain that we climb, the closer that we come to Heavenly Father.  A lot of people (including myself) will look up at the mountain and say that it's too high, so they either don’t want to climb or refuse to climb at all.  But, we just have to push ourselves, with faith that we can reach the top if we take one step at a time.  I mean, it's not like Heavenly Father's just going to leave us at the bottom with no way to climb the mountain, right?  When He has a will, He always has a way that He will reveal to us if we ask Him.

 

Jordan is all smiles this week!

           We were at church yesterday with no investigators again at beginning of sacrament meeting.  But after the sacrament, seven of our investigators that we've been teaching from an area that we'd opened up walked in!  That was probably my best Sunday here.  Our Gospel Essentials Class was completely filled up!  I'm so grateful that the Lord answers our prayers.  Even though it took awhile, the Lord answers and will only answer on His time.  What a great way to end the week!  It felt like we had been climbing the mountain, and Heavenly Father gave us food and water to sustain us in our journey to lead others to Him.  That was sweet.

Elder Yu (from Australia) and Jordan were friends at BYU in 2011.
We found him serving in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission and sent this photo to Jordan

          We spent a lot of time finding again this week.  (Yay.)  We encountered a minister of another faith who invited us in began teaching us almost non stop for almost an hour.  We just sat there patiently while he just taught us.  Then, when we thought he was done, we told him that since we gave him time to share that we would now appreciate an opportunity to share with him.  He agreed.  As soon as we started teaching, however, he would interrupt us and start preaching again.  It was really frustrating, as he did not extend to us the same courtesy of listening.  We finally got to the Apostasy and Joseph Smith, at which point he stopped us before we could teach anything and told us he already knew that Joseph Smith wasn't a true prophet.  We asked him how he already knew that.  He responded: "Just cause."  We taught about that we can only know spiritual things through prayer.  We later asked where his authority came from.  He said from the Bible and that someone just said the name of God to him and he received authority.  (He actually told us at the beginning of his lesson that a person couldn't just grab a book and then automatically claim that they have authority because of the book (speaking of Joseph Smith).  So really he contradicted himself a little there.)  He told us to come back another day.  When we did, he said he was busy.  Oh well.  It was interesting.

            Well, I hope that everyone is recovering from BYU's painful loss to Utah this past weekend.  You know, it is great being on a mission where I do not have to freak out about things like that.  (I’d like to thank BYU for making it so easy to forget about football these past couple years.)  Well,  I hope that you're all safe and happy.  The next time I write you, I'll have been out for two years and two days.  Crazy, right?  Ingat kayo lagi.

            Love,

            Elder Jordan "the best two years" Royal

We began a project months ago to identify all missionaries having served in the Bermuda Ward.  It all
came together this week when the plaque arrived.  Looks pretty sweet!