Hey everyone!

I had a good experience this week when I was on exchanges with one of my house mates, Elder Gacoscos. He is pretty far along on his mission. He has been out for more than a year and a half and I learned so much from him! He is incredibly fluent in…. THE SCRIPTURES. Yeah, it was truly amazing to see and listen to him teach with the pure doctrine from the scriptures. If somebody had a question, he could solve it immediately by pulling out the correct piece of paper in his internal library of scriptures. I was amazed. I decided for myself that I would try harder to delve in to the scriptures in my studies.

I’ve started to begin my studies with a question or concern of an investigator or of a common conception of God or doctrine.  Using the King James Bible I look up the term or terms that are centered on that issue. I’ve learned about some pretty interesting links between the Book of Mormon and the Bible. It’s getting fun to learn about that kind of stuff and I encourage all future missionaries back home to do it!  It’s helping a lot.

As well as finding evidences of truth, as we read the scriptures we feel the truth. If we are really searching and looking for something we can be lead to the answer and it will mean more to us. We will be able to remember the things that we have learned and when a trial or question comes up in our life, we have a storage that we can draw from, a water that we can drink of and never thirst.

We have thunder and lightning almost every night here! It’s my favorite. It’s awesome to be walking down the street and see these HUGE clouds coming toward us. I guess it floods really bad where we are assigned to work, so I’m not sure what will happen when we get a big rain storm.  But we’ll find out I guess! haha.

Keep Keepin’ On!  Find the happiness and joys in life. If we focus too much on the negatives, that’s what we become.  Be a positive influence in the lives of others!

Love,

Elder Hunter Burbidge

Hey everyone – I don’t have a lot of time to post a blog today but it was really good to Skype with my parents and Tyler last week on Mother’s Day!  And holy cannoli – I can’t believe Brandi is going to have another kid and he might come early!!! (editor’s note: Hunter’s Aunt Brandi is almost 7 months pregnant and had to be hospitalized last week because her water broke early.  She is on hospitalized bed rest until the baby comes.  Coincidentally she is in the same hospital – Tacoma General – where Hunter & Tyler were born prematurely over 20 years ago!) 

Elder Burbidge’s area of Kawit.

I heard that you guys had smoked chicken and sausage for dinner, but that doesn’t beat pig’s blood soup, cured duck eggs, and fake hamburger!  I am going to make tacos this week though. We bought ground pork and taco seasoning!! Except no cheese 😦 – oh well!

Well that’s about it for today – sorry no long blog post.  We have a district activity later today and we’re already kind of late!  I love you all!  Be faithful always!

Love,

Elder Hunter Burbidge

Hey everyone – I don’t have much time for a blog post this week, but here is a short, funny experience thatme and my new companion, Elder Pedong, had this week…

Hello to all from Kawit, Cavite, Philippines!

Elder Burbidge and his previous district prior to transfers.

Elder Burbidge and members from his zone at a bowling activity

Elder Burbidge and his former companion, Elder Doloritos, at a zone bowling activity.

Hello! I hope everybody had a good week this week. This week was pretty hectic. We had a lot of meetings and we tried to get in as many lessons as we possibly could. I’ve learned a lot this week about leadership and being an example. On Wednesday I attended a leadership training that was taught by our Zone Leaders along with President and Sister Tye. It was great to have a refresher and to learn about some things that I hadn’t come across yet that I might in the future. It was a neat experience to meet with the other leaders and get their point of view on things as well.

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend the “New Trainers Meeting” for the missionaries that will be training this next batch of new missionaries. I found it interesting how diverse the new trainers were. Not just in terms of nationalities, but different personalities as well.  There were also missionaries that had just been trained and will now train, and missionaries who had been in the field for almost a year and a half that will now train for their first time. There were former zone leaders that would train, which was interesting, but it really illustrates the importance of a trainer.  The trainer is one of the things that is the most influential to a new missionary’s entire mission.  The trainer gives the new missionary a picture of what the mission should be like and is almost like a little sibling who follows everything that you do.  I’m excited! I know that it will be a Filipino, so I’m hoping my Tagalog will prove me well!

The Cavite Zone!

I had an experience this week that I would like to share with you! I was watching one of “The District 2” episodes for my additional study one morning this week and at the end of the episode, each one of the missionaries was talking about what they have been learning and what they are thankful for from their mission so far.  It made me really ponder about what I was thankful for, and I realized that although this has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, it has also been the most rewarding.  I’ve learned to get along with others better.  I’ve learned to solve difficult problems in the lives of others.  I’ve learned how to be happy and grateful even if things are pressing me to the limit.  I’m thankful for my each one of my companions so far, and as I look back so far I’ve learned a lot of things from each of them.  I’m thankful for where I am at right now in my mission and have learned to be patient with myself. I don’t list these things to brag or boast, but to show you what God has done with my life in just these short eight months.  I never thought I’d be thankful for a challenge because I used to be scared of events that would stress me out!  But now I see it as a point of improvement. So that being said. . .LIVE IN GRATITUDE.  Be thankful for the things that will eventually make you stronger!  Be ready for trials to arise that you don’t know how to handle and then ask questions.  Be humble and patient with yourself and ask for help.  Ask your parents, brothers, sisters, friends, and ultimately, ask God.  He will help you – I know it.

The baptism of Renren. He was taught by the sister missionaries.

I’m thankful for all of you! I miss all of you like crazy, but I know that this work is TRUE and REAL, and worth it!  Keep on Keepin’ on.  Things will work out, just have faith.

Have a good week everybody! ‘til next week…

Elder (Hunter) Burbidge

Hello everyone!

Well, I am finally getting settled in my new area.  Kawit is actually a pretty big town. It was one of the pioneer cities pertaining to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  At the beginning of the Church’s influence in the Philippines (early 1960’s), 5-7 of the original members lived in Kawit. The area that I am specifically assigned in is called Binakayan. IT’s a VERY densely populated, busy, mini New York…without the tall buildings! Life here is super busy no matter what, which is good! It helps me forget myself and dedicate this time to the Lord.

There are a few ponds and lakes, and there are a lot of houses built out over them. Just yesterday though there was a really big fire that burned about 200 houses and displaced a lot of families. Please keep them in your prayers. I think that a lot of service opportunities will arise from this, we’ll just have to wait and see! The ward here is really big, with a lot of members. Which is good! But since the chapel here in Kawit is still being renovated from last year’s flood, we meet at the Noveleta Chapel which makes it challenging for a lot of members to get to church.

On a positive note, these are some of the nicest people I have ever met! Sometimes we’ll just be walking down the street and somebody will offer us water, something to eat, stuff like that. It’s a great way to meet people and help them understand about our purpose here as missionaries!

It’s so fun to meet people here! They’re genuinely interested in me. Maybe just because I’m the only white guy here, but hey! whatever works!

I know that this work is true and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. READ IT! I love all of you! Be safe and P.A.T.! Pagpili Ang Tama! (Choose the right!)

Love,
Elder (Hunter) Burbidge

Hello everybody!   So I’m in a new area! It’s called Kawit. It’s near Cavite City and Noveleta in the province of Cavite in the Philippines. It’s been difficult to adjust to a new area, but it is definitely worth it! I’ve learned so much in the last two weeks about how Jesus Christ guides us and our decisions, and as well how to deal with difficult situations. The moral of the story is that Christ lives. He helps us every day. He will give us guidance as long as we keep His commandments. It’s as easy as that!

Elder Hunter Burbidge in his new area of Kawit.

Sometimes we feel like we can’t do some of the things that we are asked to do. In every aspect of our lives we have challenges and temptations that can bring us down. BUT as well put these things on the Savior and let Him carry us through our trials, we will receive direct guidance and help from Him through the Holy Ghost.

We have been teaching this group of young guys (ages 17-23) for the last two weeks. They love to play basketball and really desire to change some of the habits that they have developed previously in their lives. One of them already wants to serve a mission! He’s a good example of how Christ can touch lives.

We had President Tye come to our district meeting this week! We did a practice teaching activity on asking inspired questions to investigators. I was able to listen in a little bit of his teaching. It was so direct because of the limited tagalog that was used, but it helped me realize that these things are so true. If we get too wrapped up in other things in our life and forget about the most important, direct, and simple things, we will miss the target. We will forget our purpose here on earth, which is to become more like our Heavenly Father. I know that this is His Kingdom here on earth. I know that He has given us and will give us opportunities to partake of His sacred gospel. When it is placed before you, TAKE IT! Use it.

I’m thankful for the support from home! Keep striving to be the best you can be always! President Tye says, “Striving isn’t striving unless you are struggling.” So, it is okay to struggle, but learn from it. If you feel yourself stressed, it means that you’re changing. Just make sure that the change is in a positive direction. Ingat po kayo palagi!

Love,

Elder Hunter Burbidge

Hi Folks!  Just a quick blog post to let everyone know I am getting settled in here in the City of Kawit.  When I first got transferred here last week, we were in a transitional mode because the apartment where the missionaries lived was being sold.  So now we have a new apartment and have moved all of our stuff into it.  Unfortunately that took a lot of our “P-Day” so I don’t have a lot of time to write this week.

We are having a District Meeting this week and President Tye is coming to visit, along with our Zone Leaders so it will be interesting to see them and learn more about my responsibilities as a District Leader.  The work has been a little slow here, but we will work hard and things will pick up.  Whenever I get feeling down I feel Christ’s love for me and it helps boost my spirits.

I’ll write more later but am thankful for all of the support back home!

Love,

Elder Hunter Burbidge

Hello everyone! After six months in the City of Tanza I am now definitely in a new city called “Kawit”. It is to the north and east of Tanza and closer to our mission headquarters. It’s a super small area compared to Tanza, but it has a ward of over 500 members and I am eager to serve here.  It has it’s own unique character that will take some getting used to, but the people are so nice! I’ve had times of ultimate joy just speaking to them. They are so humble and so kind. I’ve learned more in the last five days then I have in a long time.  The transfer went okay mainly thanks to a senior missionary couple who transported my luggage in their vehicle – but it was still a lot of work getting to my new area!

Elder Burbidge’s new area of Kawit.

Our apartment is being sold by the owner, and we don’t have anywhere to go, so we’re kind of in a transitional situation. I’m actually living right across the street from a HUGE mall called SM Bacoor, but we commute into Kawit everyday to perform our work. The Kawit Chapel is under renovation too, so we have to go to a chapel in Noveleta to go to church and do district meetings.

The missionary that was here before me went home on Wednesday, and he left me quite a bit of organizing to do – so it feels a little bit like I am opening an area, training my new companion, and trying to be a District Leader all at once! It’s pretty stressful, but I can feel the love of the Lord so strongly. When I start to stress out, I feel the Spirit tell me that all is well.

The work has been a little slow here in the past few years, but we are dedicated to making improvements! We already found a family of six yesterday that we’ll teach, and there is one guy who is a construction worker for the Kawit chapel that is REALLY interested. A golden investigator… he’s amazing. I learn from him every time we talk. Also, there is a recent convert that is 9 years old who studies in the Doctrine and Covenants and asked me the other day, “Why did Adam need to be a prophet if there weren’t any people to guide on the earth?” He loves deep doctrine!

My companion, Elder Kalio, has only been out on his mission for just under four months. He is from Micronesia and he knows quite a bit of english but isn’t fluent, and his Tagalog is still coming along.   He is a great missionary because of his desire to serve and I look forward to getting to know him better. Also, he is a twin and his brother is currently serving a mission in Australia – so that is a cool thing we have in common.

Following are some photos from my last couple of weeks in Tanza, including a trip we took the Tagaytay Overlook.  Tyler’s mission area is just below the lookout but I could not see him walking around down there no matter how hard I tried!  I love you all and appreciate the support!

Love,

Elder Hunter Burbidge

Elders Burbidge and Doloritos at Tagaytay Overlook.

Friends and fellow missionaries in Tanza.

The whole Tanza District at Tagaytay.