Email #7 - Traveling to the Philippines..

[ Introduction ]

I'm in the Philippines!! The past few days have been a roller coaster and I have so much I want to talk about.

[ Friday, November 22, 2019 - Day 38 ]

Getting prepared to leave the MTC.

[ Saturday, November 23, 2019 - Day 39 ]

  Getting prepared to leave the MTC.  

[ Sunday, November 24, 2019 - Day 40 ]

Today is my last day at the Provo MTC! 

[ Monday, November 25, 2019 - Day 41 ]

Today was travel day! Exiting the MTC was an interesting experience, saying goodbye to Elder Higgins was difficult, I am going to really miss him. Walking back out into the world is an indescribable feeling. Our journey to the Airport was fun, we got on a bus going to the Provo train station which was a neat experience. Utah decided to say goodbye by having a snowstorm so it was awesome to trek through that with no coat on, I am glad I got to see snow before I left though. It honestly feels like I'm doing something wrong by being out in the real world. I met a guy on the bus that is a huge Steelers fan. When we got to the airport, Sister Lelulelei and Elder Watt's parents showed up (I know it is against the rules but they did it anyways) but they bought us all Chick Fil A. It was so sweet of them. A funny thing is that they didn't tell us how to get our boarding pass so I spent a bit trying to figure that out (turns out that I just needed to scan my passport into the ticket machine). Made it to the San Francisco Airport. I tried sleeping during the flight but it didn't work. The San Francisco Airport is absolutely huge. Stopped at a burger place at around 9:30 PM. There was no fast food and the food here was expensive, unfortunately spent $20 on myself. I mean it was good though, that's the airport for ya.

[ Tuesday, November 26, 2019 - Day 42 ]

Literally lost track of time at this point.

[ Wednesday, November 27, 2019 - Day 43 ]

It feels like day 42 still. I don't even know where to begin. The flight from San Francisco to Korea was so long, It was around 13 hours but it was so awesome, I have never been overseas. We flew Korean Air and they give you so much stuff, like they gave us a pillow, a blanket, headphones, Korean bottled water, and some cleaning wipes. I mostly slept which was good, I traded my window seat for an aisle seat. We got to Korea and it was amazing, unfortunately we didn't have enough time but we got through security and found our gate. We had a tiny bit of time, I originally wanted to exchange money for some Korean Currency but I decided to purchase some gold metal plated chopsticks. One thing I forgot to mention is that I flew over Tokyo, Japan. I was so happy!

The flight from Korea to Manilla was very exciting. Seeing the Philippines for the first time was amazing. I still can't believe I'm in a whole different country. When we got off the plane, you could immediately feel the humidity and heat. It actually started pouring rain but then suddenly stopped, it was strange. Got past security easy, the MTC gave us a paper with questions and proper answers to the security questions. Stayed at the baggage claim for about 45 minutes. Almost got worried that my bags didn't make it but they did. Took my $41 and exchanged it for 2060 pesos. The currency here is so cool looking, I love the different colors. Once everyone got their currency. We went on our way to the transport vehicles. Saw a Jeepne (I think that's how they spell it). Jeepne's are these heavily modified Jeeps that are turned into the truck. People can ride in the back of them. I'll try to take a photo of one of them soon. We got our bags loaded and got into a transport van with some Elder's. The hour drive from the airport to the MTC had to be one of the scariest things I have ever witnessed. Cars and motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic. Honestly Manilla has the traffic of Los Angeles, the sketchyness of Chicago, and the people / building structure of New York. During the drive, I saw a Burger King Ad that is advertising a triple decker whopper for 99 pesos! (like 2 dollars) The drive made me motion sick, luckily got to the MTC safe and a good Elder gave me a motion sickness tablet. It was an intense experience.

We waited for everyone else to show up and had a welcome orientation. They also took us down to the cafeteria and gave us some pigs in a blanket (but it wasn't, it's just the best way to describe it) and yellow watermelon for snacks. It was really good. We met our teachers and got a closer look at the Manilla temple which is literally across the street. After a while of waiting, we finally received our luggage. Our rooms here are so much nicer then they were in the Provo MTC. Dinner was so good, they made hamburgers and french fries just for us. An interesting fact, they use cucumbers instead of pickles. At the end of the day, we decided that we wanted to play basketball in the gym for a bit. It was a crazy day.

[ Thursday, November 28, 2019 - Day 44 ]

I think I adjusted to the time really well, It is so weird having to think that I'm a day ahead. Kind of woke up late, we were suppose to wake up at 6:00 but everyone slept in till 6:45. Breakfast was pretty good, they made pancakes and ham, and bacon. The milk kind of tasted weird, I think it's powdered milk. It is so humid here that the air practically irons your shirt for you. I absolutely love the currency here, the money is so colorful. I visited the MTC store and bought a Mtn Dew for 30 pesos. Lunch was amazing, there was this really good pasta dish and Im really sad I forgot the name of it. Random fact that I think is really cool, their whiteboards are made out of glass. At the Provo MTC, we got jipped cause they put of the lights and never put them on but here, they actually have lights in the courtyard. The temple has everything lit up for Christmas. I found out that it is a 4 hour bus ride from Manilla to Olongapo. Played an intense game of ping pong.

[ Closing ]

I hope everyone is doing awesome, can't wait to update you next week!

These are a couple of pictures that a Sister Missionary took and shared them with Patrick... Lol

It was on the long plane ride from San Francisco to Korea.

Thanksgiving 2019... P-day

It was a great day for us today to be able to talk with Patrick on Thanksgiving. It ended up being his p-day in the Philippines, because it's actually Friday there for him. It was nice to hear about how the long trip over there went and what he has been up to the last few days. He sent some pictures of his trip and before they left the MTC in Provo. He is doing great so far and loving it there...



The 4 pictures above are from the Provo MTC, the day before they left.



His group riding in a Van to the Manila MTC  -  The view from the plane of the Philippines


He didn't say what was what, so the Airport is either South Korea or the Philippines Airport


He is in the background here on the left... and his companion in the above picture.


When we talked to him on Thanksgiving... The courtyard at the Manila MTC


Manila Philippines Temple - He traded some cash he had for Filipino money..



His room at the MTC in the Philippines

He made it to the Philippines....

Hi family!

I made it to the Philippines safe and sound (today is Wednesday for me). Unfortunately I can't call today but my Pday is Friday so I will make sure to call then. I have so much from the trip I want to tell you but I'm low on time. It's so humid here. Korea was absolutely amazing. I hope all is well, and talk to you soon.

- Love, Elder Dodd

(Final) MTC Email #6

[ Introduction ]

Hey everyone! it's finally here, my last email at the MTC. I hope everyone is doing awesome, unfortunately I don't have a lot to talk about this week but it's still something.

[ Friday, November 15, 2019 - Day 31 ]

Had somewhat of an interesting day. Took a visit to the BYU Creamery and it was pretty neat, the prices are absolutely outrageous. $4.00 for a bag of Doritos, like come on haha. I believe I only have 11 more days at the MTC, me and my district are expecting for a departure itinerary soon. Me and my companions had an Online TRC, so we gotta talk and teach someone from the Philippines. It was awesome getting to know them and learning about their story. Before we went to the TRC session though, we were studying and preparing for the TRC in the S2 building which happens to have a creepy elevator. Like it was making weird noises and the doors opened all on it's own. 

[ Saturday, November 16, 2019 - Day 32 ]

Nothing really happened today but did listen to a talk by Thomas S. Monson called "Finishers Wanted". It was really inspirational and I recommend it to anyone.

[ Sunday, November 17, 2019 - Day 33 ]

Me and my companions gave a lesson in Priesthood about the Gospel of Jesus Christ also heard a talk by Boyd K. Packer called "20 Dollar Mark", I thought it went pretty well. Tonights devotional was awesome, we had the opportunity to listen to Jenny Oaks Baker. It was literally a concert and of course we got front seats. She is a professional violinist and her and her family played a ton of different songs while talking in between.

[ Monday, November 18, 2019 - Day 34 ]

Got my departure information and I officially leave Monday, November 25th! I checkout at 11:00 AM and the train departs to the Salt Lake City Airport at 12:17 PM. I leave from the airport at 5:05 PM and arrive in San Francisco, CA at 6:10 PM. Then we have a massive layover for about five hours. I leave the San Francisco Airport at 11:30 PM and arrive in Seoul, Korea at 5:30 AM. Then finally, leave Korea at 7:45 AM and arrive in Manila, Philippines by 11:00 AM. At this point, with all the time changes. It will be November 27th. I feel like it is going to be quite an adjustment. Random sidenote, got a fortune cookie at lunch and I liked it. It said: "If you have no critics, you'll likely have no success".

[ Tuesday, November 19, 2019 - Day 35 ]

Nothing happened today but did play a decent game of sand Volleyball.

[ Wednesday, November 20, 2019 - Day 36 ]

It decided to rain today and it smelled so good. For our last service assignment at the MTC, we got to mop some bathrooms. Nothing happened but played a really intense game of Four Square with the Russians, it had to be the best game of Four Square I have ever played. 

[ Thursday, November 21, 2019 - Day 37 ]

More rain today, unfortunately no snow. I keep hearing that it might snow the day I leave the MTC. I am so excited to leave here and be out in the field. I have learned more here at the MTC than my 19 years of being alive I swear haha.

[ Closing ]

Sorry for this weeks email for being so short, not a lot happened this week but also I have been slowly packing things up. Just a warning, I might not be able to update next week so if you don't see a new email, don't be alarmed. Once again, thank you for the email's. I'm still trying to catch up responding to all of them. Thank you everyone, this adventure is just beginning. I miss you all. I didn't really have time to take any pictures but I have a few. Take care everyone. Can't wait for next week's update though!

Email #5

[ Introduction ]

Hey! Can't believe it's already week 5. I leave the MTC in 11 days and I'm getting super excited. Like I'm going to be on the other side of the world in less than two weeks! I hope everyone is doing great back at home, I miss all of you all very much. What a journey so far!

[ Friday, November 8, 2019 - Day 24 ]

Not a lot happened today, just a normal P-Day.

[ Saturday, November 9, 2019 - Day 25 ]

Happy Birthday Blake and Jake!! I can't believe that you guys are already 16. I love and miss you guys so much, and I hope that it was a great Birthday. I found out that Elder Seipert and Elder Watt (Elder's in my district) became Zone Leader's so I'm super happy for them. We had a TIP today and it went awesome, my companionship is improving. We also saw a hot air balloon in the distance. Another little thing, we were coming back from a study and we had to cross buildings, but I guess there was a game going on because in the distance, we could hear the stadium music and the crowd cheering (We are near the BYU stadium).

[ Sunday, November 10, 2019 - Day 26 ]

So today, I had my first Branch Council meeting and it went well. I spoke in Sacrament today about why repentance is important and I think I did very well. I feel so bad for not being able to respond to all the email's. I promise I'm reading them and I love and appreciate all of them. Unfortunately I'm not given enough time. Tonight's devotional was really awesome, we got a sneak peak at a bunch of new things coming out, such as a new Preach My Gospel and a new missionary handbook that will supposedly have more freedom so I'm pretty excited for that. We also saw a video that isn't suppose to come out for another week or so (November 24, 2019). It's called "The Christ Child", It was really good. In Devotional Review, we talked about charity and also got to hear a story from the missionary president. It was about when he went on his mission, some of the missionaries started a handshake and it continued even after he came back from his mission. A few years later, he got word that the missionaries took the handshake and had took it underground and pretty much created a cult and everything. It was honestly a crazy story.

[ Monday, November 11, 2019 - Day 27 ]

Just a normal day up at the MTC. I got taught by my companion about how Family History works since I'm getting interested in it. We were going back to the dorm for the night and saw the Y on the mountain lit up, it was super bright. I found a good scripture that relates to missionary work, it's Alma 42:31 and it says: "31 And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may God grant unto you even according to my words. Amen."

[ Tuesday, November 12, 2019 - Day 28 ]

Got a haircut today finally! That place is booked almost all the time and I think it turned out good. One thing that stood out during the haircut appointment though, they literally take a vacuum and vacuum your head to get all the hair. It's actually really nice. So after about a month, I'm still being accidentally called "Elder Dood" so I'm starting to think that is going to be the norm haha. My teacher, Sister Christiansen says that "you will never be dry on your mission." so that's good to know. I've been getting really good at getting a front row seat for the devotionals, and we got to listen to Jose A. Teixeira from the Quorum of the Seventy.

[ Wednesday, November 13, 2019 - Day 29 ]

We got to host again! Unfortunately only got to help one new missionary from Idaho but it was another cool experience. Our service assignment today was to clean the shower's again but this time, they actually my boot size! I was pretty happy about that. Me and my companions bought this "Tagalog Cheat Sheet". The funny thing is that no one knows what these are, we only found out from another Elder that happened to have one. It's extremely useful because it has basic conjugation information and the ang, ng, and sa pronouns. Brother Hulick (my other teacher) gave us time to write emails to my future self. One for six months out, a year out, and one for before I come home. I think it's going to be fun and interesting to answer the questions my past self asked.

[ Thursday, November 14, 2019 - Day 30 ]

I saw a UPS truck! I'm not sure why I was so excited about it but I am. Fortunately i'm getting more of a grip on the language, thanks to that Tagalog cheat sheet. Elder Seipert (a member in my district) got a package and it had a hangup Christmas Tree in it, so we got it set up in our dorm with all the ornaments. I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet but it's actually Christmas in the Philippines right now, I'll take two Christmases haha. 

[ Closing ]

I love all the emails that I get throughout the week, I look forward to them so thank you. I feel like I've grown so much as a person and learned a lot about myself. I know I say this every time but I mean it but thank you all for the love and support and I'll update you all next week.

Email #4

[ Introduction ]

Hello everyone! Thank you for the emails this last week, they mean a lot to me. I hope everyone is doing good, I'm sure doing good, just getting antsy to leave the MTC.

[ Friday, November 1, 2019 - Day 17 ]

Laundry day! unfortunately my clothes didn't dry properly for some reason. They came out of the dryer soaking wet so I hope it's just the dryer I used. It's getting slightly warmer so that's good.

[ Saturday, November 2, 2019 - Day 18 ]

Nothing happened today, which is actually surprising. Just classes and we saw a kitten roaming around the campus. I think they might belong to the MTC cat but unsure haha.

[ Sunday, November 3, 2019 - Day 19 ]

Daylight savings decided to wake us up at 5:00 AM because we weren't aware of the time change so that was fun haha. Today was fast sunday, and I had the opportunity to pass the sacrament. It was actually really neat. So the secret assignment I talked about last week, I got called to be the District Leader! Honestly wasn't expecting that but it was a great surprise. There was missionary conference and it was pretty good, talked a lot about "actions speak louder than words." which I think, personally is very true. They also quoted some really good scripture that I would like to share. 1 Timothy 4:12 - "12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

Tonight's devotional was really funny, we listened to a couple that used to be missionary leaders. It was really fun to listen to their stories. Afterwards, the district met up for district council meeting and had a really good discussion about the devotional but also about a question I decided to ask. I asked my district "What does perspective mean to you?" and got some great responses. Honestly I would love to hear what you guys think about that question.

[ Monday, November 4, 2019 - Day 20 ]

TRC went really good, we taught some fun people in Tagalog and I my language skills are improving quite a bit. I began to read a book called "Saints Volume 1" and it's actually a great read, I recommend it. During class, I had to come up with a scripture to help one of my fellow district member's and I came up with Heleman 12: 9-14 - "9 Yea , behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake. 10 And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley. 11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake; 12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center. 13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth -- Move -- it is moved. 14 Yea, if he say unto the earth -- Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours -- It is done.". I thought it has great relation to the power of testimony and how it can move people but also that your words do matter.

I was challenged to watch or listen to at least one conference talk a day, so im gonna try that. Saw a glimpse of the outside world, like it almost looks so foreign haha. During class, my teacher, Brother Hulick shared a few stories with us and I thought it would be good to share them. They are the pictures with the blue background and white text.

[ Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - Day 21 ]

Today was amazing! So many unexpected things happened today. I read about this stone that is in the S2 building (I have the picture below for anyone interested in reading about it.) For tonight's devotional, I sat in the front row again! and it was so worth it this time (not that the other times weren't) but I had a wonderful opportunity to listen to Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf! It was almost like Sunday was foreshadowing future events. He talked to us about being in control of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We don't have control over our trials but you do have control over your thoughts, feelings, and actions. I wish I could quote exactly what he said but it was awesome. He also talked about being grateful for the almosts.

For devotional council, we talked about what success means to us as a person and as missionaries. It was neat to hear what success means to some people, also I got introduced to this one book that I might have to purchase, it's called "Saints at War" and it's about LDS members during World War I and World War II. Super interesting! I received a package from the Adam's Family, thank you so much, by the way. I absolutely love the handkerchiefs, gum, letter, and the little spiderman comic strip. Thank you!

[ Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - Day 22 ]

Our service assignment was fun, we got to clean showers with what they call "the fluff gun". They didn't have the right boot size for me which was actually pretty funny, like it didn't cross my mind that they might not have a size 16 boot since it's kind of rare haha. I got to be a host and it was really fun, greeting the new missionaries and introducing them to the MTC. It made me think about how I was when I first came to the MTC and im grateful for that opportunity to see it from the other way around.

[ Thursday, November 7, 2019 - Day 23 ]

So it's crazy to think that it only has been 23 days but at the same time, wow it's already been 23 days?? Watched a really good game of four square in the gym. So I was researching General Conference history and came across an article published by Millennial Star transcribing the 1890 General Conference. It was honestly an interesting read. 

[ Closing ]

Thank you so much for reading this week's email, sorry for the slow response time. Hopefully when I make it out into the field, I can respond more. P-day's at the MTC are insane. Thank you for the support and emails, I love reading them. I love you all, talk to you next week.

- Elder Dodd