Christmas!

Week 5

26th December 2014

Yesterday was great! It was great to Skype you all even for the little time I was allowed too. I spent the other half the day sleeping!

We had bacon and eggs for breakfast served with rice! For lunch we some lasagna and a salad, as well as some chocolate log for dessert. For dinner we had rice ... served with roast pork! Not the best tasting combination in the world!

Anyway, so yesterday after we ate, we did some Christmas skits on the life of Christ and the restoration of the church. Then we watched a movie about Christmas, not in affiliation with the church at all. President said it had good morals so we just watched it anyway. It was a good movie though, but I forgot the name of it. 

We visited the temple lights last night and I took a bunch of photos for that.  After looking at the Christmas lights we ate pizza rolls. :)

I've only got 4 more days in the MTC!!!

Merry Christmas from Elder Crichton!

Back row - Elder Connelly (Hamilton, NZ) Elder Manapori (Sydney, AUS) Elder Faka'i (Sydney, AUS)

Middle row - Elder Suringa (Melbourne, AUS) Elder Fanene (American Samoa) Elder Tuua (Samoa) Elder Siitia (Samoa) Elder Sivo (Fiji) Elder Theobald (Arizona, USA) Elder Nikau (Sydney, AUS)

Front Row - Elder Jim (Pohnpei, Micronesia) Elder Toakuru (Vanuatu) Elder Strickland (Auckland, NZ) Elder Crichton (Brisbane, AUS)

Elder Crichton and Elder Toakuru (Vanuatu)

Elder Crichton and Elder Sekona (Canberra, AUS)

Elder Crichton and his companion Elder Faka'i (Sydney, AUS)

Merry Christmas from Manila, Philippines!

Moving on...

Week 4

19th December 2014

The day the old senior batch left was sad, our district in particular had a close bond with the older batch. Had some good memories with them, but life goes on. The best part though, most of them live in Australia and New Zealand, so after my mission I'm paying a visit to all the New Zealand missionaries I meet out here, all the Elders have already made plans for when I go over.

That's cool that the Garden City has been nearly finished. I went once or twice before I left and I enjoyed it's size. Can't wait to get back from the mission and see what's changed.

Okay, I won't buy KFC every night, but just remember I used to eat KFC at least twice or three times a week. So it wouldn't be too much of a change! But don't be surprised if I send photos in the field with me and my companion and/or flat sharers are munching on KFC on the regular. :) Say "whats up" to everyone at KFC for me!

Nothing has been too difficult here at the MTC, I've recently started writing out all the Tagalog grammar and sentence structure etc.

Today we find out who the new Zone Leaders are, my companion and I are hoping it's not us. There are a lot of language missionaries in the MTC right now, and we don't want to be in charge of so many haha. But whatever happens, I'm happy either way. 

On Wednesday we went out into the big world and went proselyting with the in-field missionaries in the Quezon City mission. My companion for the afternoon was a Philippino missionary, and he has only been out in the field for 10 weeks. 

The area we were in was jam-packed with lots of people and very small homes. Quezon City is also very dirty, and smells everywhere, but there are also a lot of basketball hoops hanging nearly on every corner. My Tagalog needs a lot of work, so I'm trying to study extra hard so I can easily hold a conversation and teach all the lessons.

Just got back from the temple. Still got two more sessions before I hit the field.  Anyway lunch is soon. :) 

Elder Crichton and Elder Rameka (New Zealand)

Elder Crichton and his district outside Manila Temple

Elder Crichton and Elder Masih (Melbourne)

Typhoon Update

Week 3

12 December 2014

We just got back from the temple. Had a good session again this morning.

This week was a good week, my Tagalog vocabulary is expanding heaps and I'm getting more confident teaching our investigators in Tagalog more than English, which is great. 

I bought myself a Tagalog Old and New Testament and a Triple Combination all in Tagalog as well, came to maybe $1.70 Australian money, I couldn't believe it!

Everything is still well here in the MTC, the langauage intake above me leaves this coming Wednesday, which makes my intake the senior intake in the MTC. Not looking forward to it, as on Friday next week we find out who the new Zone Leaders are for the language training missionaries. I'm hoping it's not me and my companion, because being District Leader is hard enough!

No service for us in the MTC with the Typhoon's clean up, but I can imagine when I get our into our mission field we will be doing some cleaning up still.  The typhoon didn't really hit the MTC, just two days straight of rain and lots of wind which was great. 

I really dislike walking in between buildings and feeling the humidity outside after walking out of building where the air-conditioning blasts 24/7. Lots of people have been getting sick here, I haven't been sick yet though, but I've already given three blessings to other missionaries who have been sick in my district.

Not feeling much heavier after the first few weeks of eating, hopefully that changes in the last two weeks, I need to put some beef on before I go out!  I think the first night we get out to the mission president's home me and the other San Pablo missionaries are going to order heaps of KFC to celebrate. :)

Lots of love to everyone!

Elder Crichton and Elder Sivo from Fiji

Studying hard! Elder Crichton, Elder Tagiloa (Sydney) and Elder Finau (Auckland)

Study and Learning

Week Two

5th December 2014

I went do my visa last Friday and today we went to the temple. 

This week we just had lessons learning, language learning and study, study, study. 

I've continued to eat like crazy :) 

This week we picked up two new "investigators" at the MTC, my Tagalog is slowly getting better but on the whole it's progressing a lot slower than I want it to be. 

We've been playing a lot of basketball and volleyball here. My companion and I  wake up at 5.15am every morning to get a morning run in before breakfast and classes. Then we have gym time at 3pm so it's good for us to have two runs a day. 

We do a lot of singing in our district too, and we've been splitting ourselves into different parts and lately I've been taking bass. I think I'm becoming a better singer but still need a lot of work haha.

Send everyone my love, and let them all know that I'm working hard to be a good missionary. I miss everyone at home but I'm doing my best to pass time and try to forget about my own stuff and get on with the Lord's work.

Been busy with helping the new missionaries around the place - new intake this week!

Taken just after Sacrament Meeting

Elder Crichton and Elder Faka'i

Elder Crichton and Elder Strickland from Auckland New Zealand

Outside the Manila Temple

Manila Temple

Old hands at MTC as the new intake arrives

The First Week...

The First Week at MTC

28th November 2014

The first week at the mtc was great! Being fed 3 times a day and having two plates every meal..!

I was called as the District Leader for the Nephi District last week, and will be the District Leader for the whole time at the MTC. In my district we have 8 elders and 2 sisters...... we have elders from Arizona, New Zealand, three from Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Pohnpei (near Guam, look it up).  The two sisters are from California and Australia. I found out I was the youngest missionary in the whole MTC.  There are also 30 language training missionaries who came into the MTC with me, and about 70-80 Filipino missionaries who spend only two weeks here. Intakes come in every two weeks, and my intake leaves for the field on December 30.


We started teaching an "investigator" last saturday and just finished teaching him yesterday! Turns out he is our next teacher lol.

Over here we've been inside pretty much the whole day except for gym time every day which is in the afternoon in the activities center.... forever only playing basketball and volleyball. Its good to get up and down for some exercise. My companion and I wake up at 5am each morning for extra exercise too.... I think the latest I have woken up since being at the MTC was like 5.45am.

I know I'm having the time of my life in the MTC. Learning the langauge, having a district room that no one else goes into but the 10 of us, eating with all the elders and sisters, playing volleyball and basketball, relaxing and laughing.... everything is great here!

Nephi District at MTC

Arrival

20th November 2014

Hi everyone

Arrived in Manila last night ...travelled over with two other Missionaries from Brisbane. Got into the MTC at 7.30am this morning 

My MTC Companion is a Tongan Elder -  Elder Faka'i -  from Sydney. I've just been made Senior Companion.

Everything is great - met a lot of people in my intake going to the San Pablo Mission with me.

I'm doing fine - I know I am in the Lords hands doing his work.

P-day at the MTC is on Fridays - look forward to receiving emails from everyone :)

Selfie - taken while in transit at Darwin Aiport

First meal in Manila - KFC!!!  Served with rice of course....

Leaving for the Philippines

Leaving home for the next two years....

19th November 2014

 At Brisbane Airport

A big Thank You to all who came to see 

Elder Crichton off...

                                                    

                                                 

                                                   

             

Saying Good Bye...