NO COMFORT ZONE

Well I'm here! And I have no idea what I am doing! It's amazing how throughout my mission when I thought something was hard or I didn't like what situation I was in that things managed to get harder! BUT I have a sure testimony that "THERE IS LITTLE GROWTH IN A COMFORT ZONE AND LITTLE COMFORT IN A GROWTH ZONE" You could say that I am completely out of my comfort zone right now! So I'm expecting a lot of growth!

I got assigned to the HINIGARAN 2nd ward which is in the BINALBAGAN zone we have 10 zones in our mission and Pres. Lopez told us that we are the top baptizing mission in the WORLD! THE WORLD that is so freaking crazy! Each companionship is expected to baptize each week and it's definitely true I was only here for 3 days and my companion and I had 2 baptisms which meant I got to baptize one of them! 3 days in!!! So that was a new experience for me and it was amazing!

It's really hard to understand everyone but everyone says after a while it clicks so I'm patiently waiting for that to happen! Also through prayer it helps a lot! 

My companion is Elder Martin he is a native and he is really good with the language so he helps me a lot! We have a big house just to ourselves but apparently next transfer we are getting two missionaries in with us and I'm extremely excited for that! 

It's been weird that my whole district got split up and is all over the mission now, because I realized that the MTC never really was too hard because they had kind of become my family and it was nice to be around them! So being thrown into the field without them has been a challenge but I'm slowly getting used to it! 

I hope I didn't complain too much in this email! It just is difficult and will take some time to get used to! But all is well!

Thanks for the support!

-Elder Warnick

I made it!

So I made it to the Phillies safe and sound. It was a super crazy trip and it was the longest day of my life. BUT now we are here at the Manila MTC for 5 days.

The drivers here are crazy. There are stray dogs all over and the food is definitely not like home but It's exciting and kind of crazy to think that I'm back into the real world.

I don't have much time right now they just told us to send a quick email home to make sure our parents knew we were okay.

I think my P-day at least for this next week will be tuesday. We are going to the Temple here and I guess working out all of our visas.

Just wanted to let you know that I made it!

-Elder Warnick

I'm outta here!

Well tomorrow we leave for the Phillies at 6:00 am and I couldn't be more scared and excited! 

Last night we had the opportunity to hear from ELDER RICHARD G. SCOTT! After 6 long weeks of great devotionals we finally had an apostle come and speak to us! He spoke about the power of prayer!

They gave us time today to email and do laundry because we had to finish packing today! It feels like I'm starting my mission again because I am going to a whole new place.

My district and I had to say a lot of goodbyes yesterday and today with the Branch Presidency and their wives as well as our teachers. It was super hard to say goodbye to our teachers because they bore such strong testimonies and they taught us so much while we have been here!

I don't have much to say but I thought I would give some more details on what has happened since last time I have emailed!

Also a new batch of Ilanggo speaking missionaries got here today so I guess you could say they are taking our spots. It's weird to leave but I'm as ready as I ever will be! Right now anyway!

Thanks for all the support!

Love,

Elder Warnick

Here we go!

Well this is my last P-day in the MTC and I couldn't  be more ready to leave but at the same time not ready at all for the field! I'm definitely ready to get out of here but I don't feel prepared with the language! But that's the conclusion that I came to this week, that no matter how hard you work in the MTC you still can never be completely ready for the field. It's just something you have to be thrown into!

I don't even know what to say right now except that I'm super grateful for having the chance to grow up in the church. I know that there are people that the lord has prepared for me to teach, and I have a testimony that it isn't how well you can speak the language but how well you can carry the language of the spirit. 

We had another opportunity to Skype people in the philippines this week and teach them at TRC. They TALK SO FAST! I'm going to die! Well at least that is what the guy told us haha 

Yesterday we did in field training for the whole day and it was really really really boring... I think the main purpose of it is for the departing ENGLISH speaking missionaries because they don't have as much time here as we do. So it was mostly teaching them how to work with members and be ready for the field. Not too helpful for us because we will be diving into a new culture.

This next week starting Monday is going to be extremely busy and rushed, we have to pack and be ready for the Philippines by Thursday. 

My flight plans are:

*Leave Salt Lake City at 11:00am

--Sometime before we get to Tokyo we stop in Portland, Oregon--

*Arrive at Tokyo Narita, Japan at 4:55pm

*Leave Tokyo Narita, Japan at 6:40pm

*Arrive at Manila, Philippines at 10:20pm

And I heard we will be staying a few days in the Manila MTC so we will see how that goes.

I had the opportunity to give elder Ehninger a blessing last night because he was feeling sick and didn't want to be sick for the flights and it was cool because he was the one who gave me a blessing a few weeks ago.

I saw one of my best friends Elder Jayden Hales as he arrived this wednesday but sadly didn't get to host him. Weird to think by the end of the year all my best friends will be serving missions!

Sorry no pictures this week... after about the first... day there really isn't anything to take pictures of unless you see a buddy! Jayden got a pic of us together so I'll get that as soon as I can.

It's been real!

Love,
Elder Warnick

Duha mas mga Semana (Two more weeks)

Well it seems as if everything is starting to wind down. But the pace is definitely starting to pick up!

This week was filled with tons of learning experiences and other stuff too! 

Monday my district got the chance to host the senior couple missionaries and it was really fun and they are just super awesome! 

Tuesday we got to do some more service and we just have to best service project! We get to stack the Creamery Ice Cream in the freezers along with all the other food that we eat here at the MTC and let me tell you that it is A LOT of food! We had a amazing devotional that night by Don R. Clarke he talked about convert retention!

On Wednesday we got to host the new missionaries again! It's a lot of fun and I knew that my good buddy Elder Jake Craig was coming in so I was looking for him all afternoon! And when I saw a white van pull up and Jake come out I ran over and started to host him! I was excited and so was he I had the same experience happen to me when I came in to the MTC so my goal was to be able to do it for someone else!

Thursdays are probably the most boring days in the MTC because it's just so normal of a day! But after a full day of studying and language and such we got the chance to go to the TRC computer lab and teach someone over skype. Definitely a new experience and extremely difficult to communicate besides the fact that we were speaking Ilanggo!

And that brings us to today which was filled with a awesome temple session and laundry (YAY) *fist pumps* 

Oh! I also forgot to mention that two of the districts that were on my floor and in my branch left this week so now we are officially the old guys! We got 34 new missionaries and they are all speaking Cebuano! (It's pretty close to Ilanggo but small differences)

As of sunday I will be the Senior companion haha for only two weeks though because of our tripanionship we each got to be senior companion for 2 weeks.

Overall things are great and I'm getting used to mission life as best as I can! There are definitely hard time but the simple things always make everything so much better!

But man do I miss listening to music! ;)

Love,

Elder Warnick

Halfway there!

So yes this week I passed my halfway mark and it feels like a great accomplishment, but also an eye opener of how fast time has gone by and how soon I am going to be in the Philippines! Everything is blurring together even more than ever! 

Our District had the opportunity to host the new missionaries this week and it was one of the weirdest experiences I have ever had because I was on the other side of things this time and I felt absolutely horrible taking away those missionaries from their families! It's just pretty sad for everyone!

The language is crazy sometimes it feels as if I know exactly what I am saying and that I am making a ton of progress and other times it seems as if I'm not moving anywhere. But like I have said before the GIFT OF TONGUES is real!

By Thursday my district will be the oldest missionaries here in our branch we are getting about 30 new missionaries for our branch this Wednesday.

We have had the opportunity to teach lots of new investigators and do a lot of TRC (which is when we go over to a different building and teach volunteer BYU students and they pretend to be investigators. It's kind of intimidating but sometimes the students are even more nervous than we are!

So lately now that I've gotten so sick of the food I've just stuck to simple stuff like oatmeal, bagels, fruits and veggies, wraps, salads, sandwiches, and soups it makes me feel so much better and I stopped gaining weight! ;) I think 10 extra lbs is enough for the Philippines right?

I've seen a lot of friends come and go because they were going state side so they were in and out in 12 days!

Seeing my cousin Dallin really makes me happy I got a few pictures with him and he lives in the residence building across from mine!

Things that I learned this week was how strong prayer is and how it can help you with anything you are dealing with! 

I don't have much time like usual so I have to go now.

Love, 

Elder Warnick

Almost half way!

Today was a week of ups and downs. 

There was a lot of rainy days so it seemed to but kind of damper on things but I realized that the important thing was to find out the little things that would make me happy! Like PERSONAL STUDY! Personal Study is the one hour of the day where I can be by myself and with the lord as well. I never realized how much I cherished being by myself. 

When something is difficult or bothering me in life I was so used to just getting away from it and walking away from whoever or whatever was bothering me.

The MTC is NOT the case! With a constant companion you have to learn to deal with problems instead of walking away from them. This experience has taught me how to be patient.

We had a chance to hear from Sister Jenny Oaks Baker during our Sunday Night Devotional, she is the daughter of Elder Oaks! She had a great message about using the talents that Heavenly Father has given you.

During our temple walk this week I saw Elder Bateman and got a picture with him! It was so great to be able to see and talk to a buddy! And it seems as if I see him all the time now!

My Cousin Elder Dallin Warnick arrived this week and I have seen him twice! Seeing familiar faces is one of the most joyful things here at the MTC! 

My District is one of the oldest ones here now on our floor because everyone has shipped out and we are almost to our halfway mark! We are getting a new district leader on Sunday/switching SR and JR companions.

We have really picked up on the language this week and are teaching 2 investigators! Jose and Marialina our lessons are generally 20-30 minutes long and are like 95% Ilanggo! It is so tough but pushing yourself to speak the language during the lessons really helps with the progress and understanding of it. The toughest part for me is the fact that Ilanggo is reverse of English so if I were to say "I KNOW THE CHURCH IS TRUE" in ilanggo it would be "KNOW I TRUE CHURCH" but i guess it makes sense in Ilanggo. Apparently the key is to think simple and not try to complicate things/follow english grammar.

I also was sick this whole week because apparently a week or two into the mission districts all get sick? That's what some of the other districts were telling us because if you are constantly around a group of people and living with them it is pretty easy to get sick. But I'm finally feeling better plus Elder Ehninger (i can never spell his name right) gave me a blessing the morning after I realized I was sick. It was his first blessing ever and you could tell that he was nervous but I'm glad that he was able to give it to me and he did a really good job.

The MTC is a great experience but this food is going to be the death of me! (Jeremiah 4:19-20 That verse describes the food here perfectly ;) ) And I have gained 10 lbs already! I look the same so I have no idea where it is all going but my teacher told me how I'm going to loose it all anyway.

Our service that we do each week is working in the cafeteria we get to put away food in the freezers and date boxes and such and there was a gated off place downstairs that our supervisor told us not to go to. There is a sign that says "Any missionary found beyond this point is subject to being sent home" he said he doesn't know what is back there but he is pretty sure that it is like some secret escape route or something.

But all in all I'm doing good and pressing on!

TAKE CARE

Love,

Elder Warnick