Questions and Answers about daily life in the Philippines!

Hi Friends!!
I thought you would enjoy reading some questions I have asked Elder Jacobs (Jimmy) and his answers about his daily life in the Philippines!

Mom- Do you wash using a bucket?

EJ- Haha no there is a shower head up top in our tiny bathroom. But VERY cold. The bucket at the bottom is for going to the bathroom. Just google it ;) 

Mom- Are the people nice to you (typical "mom" question)?

EJ- The people are amazing. We could all learn a few lessons from them about kindness. For the most part (few exceptions always) they are very very kind.

Mom- In the pictures the children look so happy! They are so poor…..are they happy?

EJ- Always happy. No matter what. I love it.

Mom- How do the people there feel about "missionaries"?

EJ- Everyone "loves" us because we share the "Word of the Lord". We just need to make sure that they understand that this message isn't just that. It's EVERYTHING. Sometimes they don't understand that.

Mom- Do you ever eat with members?

EJ- We always get offered food. We call it "snacks". Haha after (or during) lessons they will say something like "Sige sige, snacks ta!!" which is just a short way of saying "lets eat some snacks" (and by "lets" its just us usually. They will actually buy food for us.)

Mom- Do all of the homes have dirt floors?

EJ- Yes. They are almost always dirt floors. Except for the actual houses like our apartment. But we don't have any actual houses in our area of Pardo.

Mom- Do the homes have electricity and running water?

EJ- Most homes have like one electrical outlet and water is typically outside somewhere so they fill up buckets.

Mom- Do the children attend school?

EJ- Yes all the kids go to school. They are incredibly smart. I love talking to them.

I have asked Jimmy a million questions and he is so good about answering them so I don't worry too much!!

I'll post more questions and answers next week!! If you have any questions just email me at billjacobs5@gmail.com

Enjoy all of your blessings!!

Elder Jacobs (Jimmy's)  Mom

I think I'm turning Pinoy!!

Hello Everyone!!! Thank you for all of the emails! :)

So I've been here in Siaton for a couple weeks and I really love it!! It's out in the middle of nowhere!! Not like anything I have ever seen before. It's very beautiful and green and like a jungle!

 The area we cover is HUGE. We use buses to get to different parts of the island. That does make it a little harder to get lots of things done in a day because the areas are so spread out. It seems like we are wasting so much valuable time traveling 30 minutes from place to place throughout the day. It's sometimes hard to slow down. Where I live in California life is fast-paced. Here on our little island, life is calm and slow. So when we are on a bus we just do our best to talk to EVERYONE on the way. 

When we get to a populated area, we walk from house to house. That is done differently than back home!! Here you have to walk across rice fields like you see me doing in this picture!! 

Yes! I have fallen in a wet, muddy hamayan (rice field)!!

At least I haven't stepped in  Carabao poop.Elder Samon has stepped in Carabao poop twice so far.

We are really starting to get things going! When I got here, the area/church branch was very very unorganized. We decided that we really want to turn this area around. So we prayed and went to work. The members are wonderful. We are working hard with them.

The people here in Siaton are very different than the people in Cebu. They are still very nice, but it's just a different feeling. They are not as accepting or trusting of strangers and of our Gospel message. They accept us and are nice to us, but for some reason, they either don't accept the message of the Restoration and are not willing to exercise their faith, or they just don't understand the message in the first place. It's not the language that is the barrier though because the people in Cebu understand and what's more, I have a Pinoy companion. So we'll keep working and doing our best every day!! I love this work. 

This week we taught that in the scriptures we are promised Eternal Life. We will all live forever. We do not have to do a thing for this to happen. Jesus Christ made eternal life available to all mankind through His Atonement. 

But what about in the scriptures when it talks about different "mansions"  and "rewards" in heaven? We all live forever, but do the murderer and the innocent child live next door to each other? No! Of course not! Does the murderer live in the presence of Heavenly Father?

Eternal life in the presence of God, Jesus Christ, our families is what I want that more than anything. But what are the conditions of this promise? We read all throughout the scriptures that the steps are 1. Faith in Jesus Christ, 2. Repentance, 3. Baptism, 4. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and 5. Enduring to the end. (See 2 Nephi 9:23 for one example). This is a promise that applicable to everyone. You and me. God cannot go back on a promise. If He did, He wouldn't be perfect - therefore, He wouldn't be God anymore. So it's here waiting for us all.

I just want us to stop and think about this for a minute. Do we understand this? How do we truly gain exaltation and live with our Heavenly Father again. 

 "Whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free;" 

We make choices every day. I'm not sure about all of you, but I would like to live in the Celestial Kingdom with my Father and loved ones. How does this affect our day-to-day choices? Don't get me wrong. WE CANNOT EARN Eternal Life. We cannot merit this - no matter how much we do in our lives. It is on the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Always remember that, and turn to Him if you need help. BUT. We CAN make choices every single day to follow the Savior's example and the gospel He taught. We CAN be exactly obedient to His commandments. As we do this, we can guarantee a place in the Celestial Kingdom. It's a promise! If we just do what we need to do and follow the steps outlined in the scriptures, we can be 100% positive that we will receive salvation. 

If you have questions about this just email me or ask two guys walking around with a missionary tag on his shirt or ask your Mormon friend!

We're sitting back here?

 We had District Conference down in Dumaguete last Sunday so our whole branch traveled in the back of that truck type thing. Haha it was like an army truck. Pretty awesome hour and a half drive in the back of a truck. 

Yep!! And we all fit!

I love you all so very much and pray for you every day! I love being on a mission - wouldn't rather anywhere else. I do miss you all, but I have been called to share the truth with everyone I meet for 2 years of my life. I have consecrated it to the Lord and am SO HAPPY to do it!! Have an amazing week ALL of you!!! Love you!!

Love,

Elder Jacobs

P.S. Elder Giar - Have fun in the -154 degrees. Please don't die... it's like 90 here haha

P.P.S. Sister Engle - Welcome to Argentina

P.P.P.S. Elder Miyahara - You're a stud and I love you

So many service opportunities!

As missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

we look for opportunities to serve every day! And here in the Philippines there are so many service opportunities!








Our BEST days are when we can help a family clear an area of ground for planting rice.

We have a great time as we work together to help!

Hey Mom!!! I'm taking out the trash!!!













And sometimes we even find cool wildlife!!!

I absolutely LOVE serving over here in the Philippines! I love the people I am serving and the people I am serving with!!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of action. The Savior was the perfect example of serving others. I feel the best when I am following His great example!

Love you ALL!!!
Elder James Ryan Jacobs

A Real Life Jungle Cruise!

Hello Everyone... Everywhere!!!!

This week has been one CRAZY week!!! It was so hard, so tiring, so long, but SO SO SO fun and rewarding. As most everyone knows by now, I am over here in Siaton, on the Island of Negros! 

I don't have a lot of time to write…. it turns out we had to go to 4 different internet-hans to find internet!!! But here is a little summary of a few things that happened this week :)

This is my new companion, Elder Samon.

                                    He is Filipino! And he is a new missionary, like me!

Siaton, Negros. Wow. 

I'm going to assume that most of you have been to Disneyland. And, with that assumption, that most have been on the Jungle Cruise. Just imagine flying a few hours farther than Disneyland and going to a REAL LIFE Jungle Cruise.

 Our area here in Siaton is hugeeee!! We have to take buses to certain places in our area up to 30-35 minutes away. That is one thing that we will really have to figure out - how to handle transportation most effectively. But, I LOVE the people here. 

It is so humbling to see these people - living out here on their island with so very little - SO HAPPY with what they have. 

Most everyone works as a fisherman out here and that is how they support for their family.

The Branch here in Siaton is great!! For those that don't know, a branch is formed when there are not enough members in a certain area to form a ward. Because most of these members here are very new, the branch is very inexperienced right now, but I know that with the help of the full-time missionaries out here, our leaders, and of course our Savior, Jesus Christ, this branch will grow into an amazing, beautiful ward. But first, we need to strengthen the members.

I want to take a minute and talk about that because all of us - this relates to those who are still not yet part of this true church - need to be strong on our own, before we can expect to help others. As a missionary, I have truly learned this principle. How could I ever expect to help someone come a knowledge of something that I don't know? Or, how could I invite someone to read their scriptures, pray every day, and repent of their sins, if I am not doing those things already? 

In Doctrine and Covenants 11:21 we learn to "seek not to declare [Christ's] word, but first seek to obtain [His] word." I know that as we do this - as we focus on growing our own personal conversion with the Lord, Jesus Christ - only then will we be able to help others. 

This relates directly to our beautiful little branch here in Siaton. I love them and I love their desire to help further the work of the Lord. I know that as they continue to grow their own personal testimonies, everything else will follow. 

I know that as all of us (you included) strive to do this, we will feel something in our lives that we haven't felt before. For many of you, maybe this means starting to do something today. Ask a question. Talk to a missionary like me. Read a few minutes in your scriptures. Start today and use the Atonement every single day in your life. I know that as we do these things we truly understand that THIS is how we receive salvation. It is not by standing in a baptismal font one time and forgetting about it after. Baptism is crucial, but it is not the end. Start now.

I love you all. Thank you so much for everything that each and every one of you have done  to help me become the missionary I am today. I know that each one of us can make a difference in the lives of the people around us, just as long as we ourselves are strong first. Have an amazing week and I look forward to hearing from you all next week!!!

Love,

Elder James Ryan Jacobs

P.S. Funny story for this week....

We went to teach someone we met…. their house was on this beach. After the lesson, we decided to talk to the people a little ways down the beach. So we started walking and like 20 seconds later.. Literally - and I am not exaggerating - 23 kids showed up behind me and were just walking in line behind us. Hey friends….remember when we would go to the mall and shadow people??? Haha…it was just like that!!! It was awesome. Haha This is their house on the beach where there are those boats.. see picture)

P.P.S. One more story... We went (yesterday) to someplace we have never been. Saw a dirt road that looked like it led somewhere. So naturally we started walking. Well... there was a little town... Like 2.5 miles later... hahahah lots of walking. But we taught a couple lessons so it was worth it! We'll go back in a few days!

A Tour of Jimmy's Apartment in the Philippines!

Living conditions in the Philippines are very different from what I was used to in Orange County, California! Not bad…..just different! This is the front of my apartment.

My companion is welcoming you into our apartment!

We are lucky. We have block walls and tile & concrete floors. Most homes here have whatever they can find for walls and dirt floors.





And below is a picture of my street……as you can see, we live in a nice part of town.

This is right inside the front door.

Notice the really great tile floor! We can't drink the water so we have bottled water. We just put things wherever they fit! So the suitcases fit right there….

This is looking to the left when you walk in our door.  We each have our own desk and study area!

My desk is the one on the right. That's My companion, Elder Ferris, at his desk.

And this is our kitchen.

We have a really great refrigerator! But we only have a hot plate  for cooking. We have running water, but only cold water! No hot water!

This is where we sleep.

We live on the equator…..it's between 75*- 95* every day with 80-95% humidity! So we don't need any blankets or anything.

I get the top bunk.

That's our closet in the back there….

This is our bathroom. It's about the size of your entry closet. It's a toilet/shower combo! Quite convenient! There's a drain in the middle of the floor? Oh…and who needs toilet seats?



Did I mention we don't have hot water!! :)

And this is our laundry room….. See the faucet and the bucket there? We are able to send our white dress shirts and slacks to a laundry service. Everything else we do ourselves!


This is not at all like my home in California! And you know what? I have never been happier!

It's not what you have that defines who you are or your level of happiness.

It's the people in your life and what you value. I value the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am honored and grateful to spend these two years sharing the Savior's message with everyone who will listen.

I LOVE it here in the Philippines. I love everything about it. It's hard….not gonna lie. But hard is good. Hard changes who we are and what we are able to become.

Love all of you! Enjoy all of the blessings around you!
Elder James Ryan Jacobs

My time in Cebu has drawn to an end…….

Hello all!!

I AM BEING TRANSFERRED! Ladies and gentlemen, my time here in Pardo has drawn to an end!

I love these people. Both the members and the investigators here in Pardo have truly become my family. I love them all so much.

 But…….Duty calls! I have been transferred to Siaton, Negros!! 

For those that – for some reason – aren’t perfectly familiar with every city and area here in the Philippines, Siaton is down on the island of Negros (I am on Cebu Island now). It is almost the farthest area that I could go to in my mission. Second farthest to be exact. 

I will be at the southernmost tip of Negros!

 To be honest, I thought President Schmutz and I got along great and that he kinda liked me.

              Turns out he just wants me to be the farthest away from him as possible.  ;)

And what’s more!!! I have been called as a trainer….

Yea, you read it right. What?? A Trainer "trains" the new guys!?!? Aren't I one of the new guys?

I just finished being trained this week. Every missionary is “trained” for the first 12 weeks of his or her mission). Uhh…. well…….Okay?!?!?!  This is going to be quite the experience. 

But, I do want to take a little moment to share something.

As most of you may know, a lot of my studies lately have been centered around the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I just want to share maybe one side of the Atonement that you may not have thought too much about. 

Yes, the Atonement was given to us in order to allow us to be forgiven from our sins and to become like Jesus Christ; however, sometimes we forget about the enabling power – sometimes called Grace – that we are able to receive through the Atonement. 

I know that I have no chance to truly fulfill this calling as "Trainer"  ON MY OWN. But, with the added measure of strength and power from my Savior, Jesus Christ, I know I can do it. 

This concept is all over the scriptures. A few examples are found in 1 Nephi 7:17, Mosiah 9:17, 2 Nephi 2:14, Mosiah 24:14-15, among lots of others. We see here that all of these examples prayed and asked for THE STRENGTH to overcome their trials, not that their trials be taken from them. Same with us. Life is hard. I get that, trust me. 

We will be praying in vain if our prayer is that our trials will be TAKEN AWAY. It will not happen. But what can happen, through the wonderful miracle of the Atonement, is that we can receive strength and power to overcome our trials and to be able to bear all things. I know this is true. I have no doubt in my heart that I will be able to fulfill my calling for these next 6 weeks. Not because of my own power or strength, because I truly am nothing. But with the help of my Savior and Redeemer, I know I can do this.

I love you all so much. I hope that something I share on this blog will cause you to think and ask questions. 

If you have questions about anything email my mom at billjacobs5@gmail.com and she will forward them to me and we will get them answered!!

I hope that you feel something there inside your own heart. Maybe you are feeling it now, because I sure do as I’m writing this. It’s called the Holy Ghost and its purpose is to testify of the truth. I know that what I have shared is true. I know that, if you let it, your lives can be changed for the better. I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

Love,

Elder James Ryan Jacobs

P.S. Good luck to Elder Miyahara and Sister Engle!!! They go into the MTC on Wednesday!!!! AHHHHH

This is where I hang out now!!

This is where I spend my days! It's not Orange County…and I love it! Life is so different here. The people do not have much, but they love their families and find joy in simple things. I'm learning so much from them and I am so grateful to be here in the Philippines!!!

This is right outside my little house.

Enjoy the simple things!

Love, Elder Jimmy Jacobs

I honestly could not be any happier than I am today.

Maayong Kinabuhi Tanan! 

How is everyone?!? I am doing absolutely phenomenal! I honestly could not be any happier than I am today. I have so many things to tell you all, but not enough time!!! Let's just start!

Last Friday-Saturday we went on Exchanges. That's where you trade (exchange) companions for a day or two! So I worked with Elder Haws over in Lawaan! It was so fun!!! They have a beach in their area, so we went and walked along the beach and talked to people!

We met a Catholic teacher with his teenage students and it was awesome. He said he thought he would have questions that we couldn't answer. So he tried. We, being the polite, kind, gwapo missionaries that we are, answered ALL of his questions, testified, and realized that he really isn't here to learn or open his heart or thoughts, and so we continued on our way down the beach. It was an amazing experience actually. It is our job as missionaries to find the people who are willing to hear the truth and not reject it. We will not share sacred doctrines and truths with someone who just wants to argue. It is such a testimony builder of the truthfulness of this Gospel. It has every answer to every question. I love it. 

Later that night, we had a Signal #2 bagio (storm) which was pretty crazy! Not that crazy, but we got just a little wet haha.

Next, BAPTISM ON SATURDAY!!!! I am so excited!! All systems are a go for the baptism! Devine is ready. She is so excited and we can't wait either! This Saturday, the 8th at 3:00pm.

Transfers are coming up next week! Thursday to be exact. So we have Transfer Meeting on Monday. Soooo I kind of have a feeling that I will be leaving, just because of the fact that I just finished my training (12 week program) and typically after that, you get transferred. But who knows? Haha maybe I'll have a surprise for you all next week. Or maybe I get to stay in this wonderful place I call home. Pardo:)

I want to touch on a subject really quickly. The Atonement. It's huge. 

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is what makes it possible for us to repent and become more like our Savior. As I have been out on my mission, my life truly has changed. Every day I have the opportunity to be better. This is because of the Atonement. President Schmutz shared something with us in his workshop last week. It's called "The Tipping Point". 

The tipping point is when the Atonement becomes more of a refining process than a big-sin-repenting-process. Of course, we all have things that we can remember that we have done wrong in the past that we know we should repent for. Okay, so do it. After that, don't go back to it. Don't sin that particular sin again. But once we run out of these bigger things that we can remember in our past, what happens to the Atonement? 

We arrive at the tipping point. Now we repent every single day for the little things. For thoughts. For words. For mistakes. Just throughout this past day. If we repent every day for the little things, we don't have to worry about big things - we will be clean at the last day. It's beautiful. I repent every day. Every night, I account my day to my Father. I ask for forgiveness for the small things. And I change. The next day is a new day. 

Something that I heard a while back was brought to my remembrance this past week. "We just need to try a little bit harder, to be a little bit better every day of our lives." That was from my professor at BYU. That is the Atonement. It is amazing. I invite you all to try it in your lives. It is unbelievable the effect it can have. I love the Atonement. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I love you all!!

Alright well that is all the time that I have right now, but know that I love all of you so much!! I constantly think about you all at night, and pray for you, but I know this is where I am meant to be right now. I am giving everything I have to my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Everything. I hope all is well and that you have an amazing week!! Love you!!

Love,

Decked out ride!!

Elder James Ryan Jacobs

Ugh

Mmmm! Jack Fruit!!