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Hello everyone – it has been an interesting week here in Lucena, Philippines!  First of all I should tell you that I’ve killed “marami malaking” (Tagalog for many large) insects in my apartment.  We accidentally broke the insecticide spray bottle so there is no longer protection from the creepy crawlies. no worries though!  Also, I am down 30 lbs. since August 14th!!  Don’t worry! I’m healthy but I feel like a little child because I am swimming in my shirts. it’s ok though, I’m happy =)

The biggest news is that we received missionaries from the closed Tacloban Mission!  I am now in a “tri-panionship” (as opposed to a companionship) with my relatively new companion that I got last week and now this new Elder from the Tacloban Mission.  We travelled to the mission home today to receive him!  A new companion and basically leaving the area was tough, but it helped me get lost in the work.  I am still fond of home, but I’m growing to love it here!  The people are so understanding and so kind to me even though I’m not that great at speaking their language.  We have one investigator, Brother Hermie, who is 67 years old.  He is the first investigator that I have grown to really love with a Christ-like love.  He is so great!  He is so converted to what he knows to be true and is an incredible human being.  He struggles with some things, and it kills me to see him fall, but I know that he can become better and through diligent faith, he can become even happier than he is now.

I’m learning how to adjust to different situations more than ever before.  I’ve never been open to change.  Ever.  However, now I’m beginning to embrace it.  When things change, we have a new chance to start over and to begin anew.  It is such a blessing to have the ability for change and progression.  I’m running low on time, AGAIN this week, but I love you all and I want you all to know that we can get through whatever comes our way.  No matter what, we can always keep going.  NGUNNGU di ba??? Alam ko po na mahal po tayo ng Diyos at meron po siya ng plano para sa atin. Nandito tayo dito sa mundo dahil kinakailangan po natin na nagtutoo.  That’s probably not perfect, but I want you to try and figure it out haha love all of you!

Elder Tyler Burbidge

Good morning to all!!!! I just want to let you know that I’m safe and happy! For my birthday, I GOT A NEW COMPANION! It is so crazy that my trainer got transferred! I was looking forward to working with my first companion for longer, but my new companion, Elder Pelayo, is a really hard worker! He’s fun to be around and he motivates me to be better.

Tyler is located on the northernmost island (Luzon) visible on the image above. They felt very little effect of Typhoon Haiyan in his area.

This week was interesting! With my birthday, the typhoon, transfer week, and other things, it was a pretty crazy week! I’m excited to see what the next week has in store. I’m really growing to love the people here. It is fun to build relationships with people, even if you can’t communicate with them as much as you’d like to. I’ve had to exercise my faith more in the last 6 weeks or so than I’ve ever had to before in my life. I’ve grown so much and I’m excited to see how much I can squeeze out of the rest of my mission.

I know that we aren’t supposed to number the amount of time before we get home, but i am officially 1/8 of the way finished with my mission! It is crazy to think that in really no time at all I’ll be home. It honestly makes me nervous to think about being at home!

Don’t get me wrong, I’M FOCUSED ON BEING HERE. I’ve had to be, having a companion that is new to the area.  I miss you all and I’m thankful for all of the birthday wishes! They made it all the way over here to the Philippines! I miss you all and I hope you are happy because you deserve to be! Don’t forget who you are, ever!

Love you all!

Elder Tyler Burbidge

Editor’s Note:  While Tyler’s area was not severely impacted by the typhoon, other areas south of his mission were devastated.  For information on how to contribute to the LDS Church’s relief efforts in the Philippines and worldwide, please follow the link below:

http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/humanitarian-services/funds/humanitarian-general-fund.html#topOfPage

Good day to you all! I’ve learned a lot of valuable things this week! I’ve learned that I NEED TO BE MYSELF!!! I can’t be someone that I’m not and expect to be happy. I’m still being obedient to the rules and living missionary life, but I’m not going to be the robot that I’ve been for the last 5 weeks.

I’m getting better at Tagalog every day! It is fun when I actually feel confident talking to someone. I’m struggling at holding conversations, but I can teach generally! I miss you all!

Young Single Adult Conference attendees

I had a cool experience on a jeep the other night! All of the missionaries from our Zone, Lucena Zone, were on a jeepney coming back from a conference of Young Single Adults at which we taught. We were all singing primary songs that reminded me of home, but I wasn’t sad. I was happy for the experience to be THOUSANDS of miles away from home so that other families can become closer. That doesn’t mean this is easy. It is definitely the hardest thing I’ve done, but I’m learning so much.

Photo of a Jeepney – a type of bus transportation very common in the Philippines!

I miss and love all of you!

Elder Tyler Burbidge

Good morning from Lucena City folks! It’s a breezy, sunny, hot, sticky, late-October Monday here and things are going well!  It is interesting to know that life is going on like normal back at home and that things are so different here!  I had a strange thought this morning- I’m on my mission and I only get one chance to have this type of experience. I’ve already been out on my mission technically for two months and it feels like I’m still trying to understand that I’m here!  It makes me think that I only have 20 or so months left and it freaks me out because I feel like I’m running out of time!  I know that doesn’t make sense, but oh well.

Like I said, things are going well here! We are struggling a lot with getting our investigators to come to church, as they need to attend four weeks in a row before they can be baptized. I get pretty down about it sometimes, but then I remember that there are reasons behind everything and that EVERYTHING is planned out that way for a reason.

At the top of a hike looking out over Lucena.

Other than that, the language is coming along better than I thought it would. I’m definitely not even close to satisfied with my language skills, but I’m becoming more confident in just going with what comes to my head. Instead of worrying about what people may think of me when I speak, I just do it whether it is right or wrong. I know that they’ll understand one way or another, and If I don’t speak, how can I share what I know???

Dinner at the end of the week: ham, egg, liver spread, spicy canned tuna!

I’m starting to get more comfortable here. I love taking cold showers out of a bucket. Doing laundry is a challenge, but it keeps me busy. P-days are pretty stressful, but I understand why we only get one day to do these things! The work is so important and the people here and all over the world need to hear it. It seems really overwhelming and I feel insignificant at times, but all we can do is keep going and press forward.

Thanks for all of your love and support!

Love,

Elder Tyler Burbidge

Elders Burbidge and Ano-os after companionship study time!

Good morning everyone! Life in the Philippines is hot, sticky, and wet. However, it is getting better. I’m enjoying it here more and more every day. We killed our first spider, almost as big as my hand, about a week and a half ago. It was super fast.

I’m having the opportunity to learn and grow every day as I speak to people here. I’m learning more Tagalog than I thought I would ever know and I’m growing stronger myself. I’ve learned to have confidence in myself and in God that I will get through any trial that I am handed. I know that we can always receive help if we ask for it.

I had the privilege to baptize a sister last Saturday!!! What a great experience! It is also a completed family and they plan to attend the temple and be sealed for eternity in one year.  Following is a picture of us before her baptism.

Elder Tyler Burbidge and members of the Lucena 3rd Ward prior to Janine’s baptism.

Elder Burbidge and his companion prior to Janine’s baptism.

I’m excited to learn and grow more, and although it is extremely hard to be away from all of you, I know that what I am doing here is right. I’m supposed to be here now and to help the people that I’m helping now. It hurts to see some of the situations people are in here, and it hurts to know that I probably can’t help them temporally, but I know that the things I can teach them about will help them.

I love you all very much and I’m glad that I have this experience to grow! 21 more short months! 1/12 of the way there!

Love,

Elder Tyler Burbidge

Elder Tyler Burbidge playing Harry Potter?

Lucena is the Capital of Quezon Province. This is the capital building and grounds.

Kumusta po kayo!!

Week two was easier than week one for sure. I am adjusting slowly but surely. I’m beginning to have a great love for the people here and a desire for them to receive happiness in this life and after this life. I’m growing a lot. We are given trials so that we can grow, and I can say that these last two weeks or so have definitely been some of the hardest times of my life. I’m finally adjusted to taking a bucket shower with cold water. I actually kind of like it.

It breaks my heart to see some of the poverty that is here. I can’t stand it, but I know that I can’t do anything temporally to help them. What I can do is share our message with them and let them know that there is more to their existence.

Tyler’s room – very sterile!

Mostly everyone here does construction, runs a little store, or drives a trike or Jeepney for a living. It’s weird how different it is here. I miss you all back at home, but I know that I’ll be back in several short months. I’m counting the fast Sundays, so that should be okay. I know that this is difficult, and it’ll get harder at times, but I also know that I will experience great joy, probably some of the greatest joy I will ever experience. I have the opportunity to baptize a sister this Saturday and I’m extremely excited. It will be a completed family too. That is why I’m here, to help others understand that they can have the blessings of being with their family for all of eternity. That’s what’s getting me through this, is knowing that I can be with my family forever. I love all of you!

Elder Tyler Burbidge

Good morning everyone!! I’m in the Philippines! After 40-something hours of travel we finally made it to the mission home! I don’t know what day that was on because of the time change, but it was a relief! When I got to the mission home everything got real. I realized that I wouldn’t be home or see people I loved and cared about for two years. I’m still feeling that way even though it is about a week later. I love this gospel though, and I know that I’m doing the right thing!

Tyler and his mission president, George Peterson, and his wife Kathryn.

This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I know it will get easier, but I also know that it will get more difficult, which is okay. God gives us trying times so that we can grow as individuals. If I’ve learned one thing from being here, is that too much of anything isn’t good. If you are too stressed, it is hard to function, if you are too excited, people think you’re crazy (joke). You get my point. There needs be moderation in all things.

I’m missing home A LOT. I know that in no time I will be home and be missing the opportunity to be a missionary though. I’m excited to be here. When I got to my area, Lucena Third Ward, I couldn’t understand anyone. I think it is a different dialect. It is more simple than the “high” Tagalog that was taught in the MTC. I’m slowly picking it up though.

It is strange to be the only white person in my area. I’ve been stared at more in the last 6 days than I have every before in my life. It is interesting, but I think we’ve acquired some investigators simply because I’m white and can’t speak the language so they feel bad for me and let us in. Hey, whatever works right? Jokelong! but seriously it is a different experience being here. I miss you all and love you all! I can’t wait for the day that we will be reunited!

Love,

Elder Tyler Burbidge

I can’t believe that I’m almost off to the Philippines! My travel group leaves at 4:30 AM on Monday morning from the MTC. It’s going to be a long travel day, but I’m really excited to be on the move. I’m really bummed that some of the elders in our district aren’t going to be traveling with us, but that’s alright, I’ll see them when I get back.

Tyler’s MTC District ready to fly to the Philippines!

These last several weeks have been some of the greatest of my life. I’ve learned so much while I’ve been here! It is really incredible that I was able to learn as much Tagalog as I did while being here. I can teach a 40 minute lesson sa Tagalog, but can’t ask where the bathroom is at. It’s alright though, those things will come with time.

I’m missing home a lot, but I know that what I’m doing here and what I will be doing in the Philippines is extremely more important than anything I could be doing at home or at school. Sobrang excited ako to serve and teach lahat mga tao in the Philippines.

Posing at the Provo, UT temple grounds.

I’m scared about the spiders, tape worms, and lack of toilet paper, but I’m excited about helping people and learning a new culture. Jesus loves everyone, folks! Mahal ko kayo! I hope everyone is happy and excited about life, because you deserve to be. You have a special purpose here on this earth and can find strength and happiness through living it. Visit Mormon.org or email me if you have any questions about your purpose, your friend’s purpose, you’re dog’s purpose, you get what I’m saying. I’d love to help you find what you need. Mahal ko kayo! til we speak again,

Elder Tyler N. Burbidge

Editor’s Note (by dad).  Tyler and Hunter have similar travel itineraries to get to the Philippines.  Tyler goes from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles to Tokyo and Hunter goes from Salt Lake City to Portland to Tokyo.  They then will be on the same flight to Manila before they go their separate ways for two years!

Tyler in his classroom in the MTC.

Kumusta po kayo!! Mas mabuti sa MTC! Nagtututo ko po ng Tagalog sa araw araw. Nagtuturo po kaming mga investigator araw araw na namamahal po kaming ito! Sobrang excited ako to leave ng MTC!

It is hard to know what to write about because it seems like every day here is the same! I’m having a great time here and I know that what I’m doing is right! This is such a cool experience! I’ve met people that I know will be my friends for the rest of my life! On the spiritual side of things, I feel as if every day has something new to offer! I’m learning constantly new ways to feel the presence of God in my life and how to better share that with other people.

Elders Larron, Burbidge, and Rujke. Can you guess which two are from the Marshall Islands?

I hit a patch of homesickness this week, but then we taught a lesson to an investigator (roll played by our teacher) and it went away because I felt so strongly that what I’m preparing to do in the Philippines is the true and correct work of God.

I love all of you and I’m so happy that I get to keep in touch like this! Stay happy about life. There’s a plan for you individually and a plan for your family, both now and in the future. Keep a positive outlook on life – complaining wastes time – and go to work. This is the happiest I’ve ever been. I love this.

Keep it real,

Elder Tyler Burbidge