Hey All!! Another Letter

Jordan with Elders Talento and Pioquinto on March 7, 2012

            Woo!  I just love writing to guys and being able to tell you about my week!  First off, we had Zone Conference in Cabanatuan, and it was awesome!  The entire conference was focused on faith.  It may be something we feel we understand, but it's the first principle and ordinance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If we don't have Faith, then the other principles won't fall into place: repentance, baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End.  President Martino made a "Faith Cycle" for us to follow.  The first step is: Desire.  Having a desire to find out for ourselves if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true.  Second step: Action.  So you have the desire now, so what are going to do about it?  We must put that Faith to Action (James 2:17).  And finally: Prayer.  I think that's what it was, but if it isn't, it's still a great last step.  We've received the Desire, took Action (scripture study, pondering, ect.), now the most important and final step is to ask our Heavenly Father if whatever we desired is true.  That was pretty much all of Zone Conference, but it was so awesome!  Before the Conference, we challenged the Cabanatuan Zone Leaders to a Zone vs. Zone basketball game for the last week of transfers.  Which I think is April 2.  Should be awesome!

Jordan and his friends enjoying a pre-game lunch

            We're teaching a young man right now named, AJ (or EJ I still really don't know yet), and he's just awesome.  He's 14 and is living at a member's house here in the area.  He'll be baptized next month, and we only started teaching him this week.  He reads everything that we give him, but the only problem is that he laughs whenever we ask him a question or when he looks at Brother Al.  It's probably just a nervous laugh, though.  None of our other investigators are progressing as well, sadly.  You can't control people's agency, but I just wish they would actually do the things we've asked them to do.  It's like what President Martino said about desire.  That is that our investigators will most likely do nothing until we plant that desire in their hearts, and of course the Spirit has to be there to plant that desire in there.

Jordan received his package . . . with super secret notes on the bottom

            P-day last week was pretty fun.  We had a huge lunch at the Bowcutt's (like always) and played basketball.  Which is probably not a good idea after eating so much.  But, we did it last time, so it's not like anything bad could happen, de ba?  The Filipinos wanted to play a game against the foreigners, so we did, and we destroyed (ha).  It was Elder Nunn, Elder McCormack, and me.  Then they wanted to switch the teams, which made it a much closer game.  Elder Talento ay sobrang magaling sa basketball!  Man!  It also helped him this week as he beat me in March Madness this week 2-1, but the series is not over.  I've never had so much fun playing basketball as I have in the Philippines.  I hadn't played competitive basketball on a team since I was like 12.  I'm getting a lot better since I've been here - as the people here always want to play.  I made 15 free throws in a row, which is something I've never really done before.  I have a long way to go until I can pass Tyler Haws’ record of 140 in a row or something like that.  He goes home at the end of this transfer, so that's very cool for him (and for BYU basketball).

Jordan and Elder Talento with Sis. Adonis

             That's really cool to here about Steven Olson and Dallin about their upcoming mission calls!  Dallin.  There was never a doubt in my mind that he would go on a mission.  He's been talking about serving a mission for as long as I can remember.  Steven and Dallin, you guys are awesome studs.  :)  I hope that you will be called to the Philippines, because it's awesome!  I had an experience last night that I would like to share.  When I arrived here, I wondered if I would ever make an impact in the area, because I couldn't speak the language (and still can’t very well).  I came to realize that since I've been here, I've had five convert baptisms, seen many less actives who have been less active for years come back into full activity because of the Rescue Program, and the language is getting much better.  I will be sad to leave this area in the next couple of weeks, because it'll be like leaving home again.  But hey, that means a different place with more lives to positively influence and another place to call my home.  Just COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!  It really works!  Well, I think that's it for me.  Mahal ko kayo.  Have a great week!

            Elder Jordan "the next Tyler Haws" Royal

CLICK HERE for footage of Jordan playing volleyball on February 20, 2012 - Preparation Day