# 11 It rains every day

Wednesday, Oct 2, 2013

Hey everyone

  I am doing awesome.  We are starting to get better numbers and more lessons.  This last week has been amazing.  Our district leader Elder P.  is going home on October 9 so this his last week.  We are working hard so that his district can have good numbers before he leaves.  He has taught me so much.  Everyone here is awesome too.  My companion is getting better and we are working together better.  We will watch general conference a week late.  I am about at my original weight.  Every morning I eat cereal or oatmeal and a mango or egg.  The mangoes are so delicious.  For lunch I usually have ramen and vegetables.  Our kitchen isn't great for cooking but it’s pretty good.  The best way I can describe how we live is by having you imagine a pretty clean garage with a tile floor.  It's not super clean but just clean enough to live in.  It is very interesting but many people here live in worse conditions.  For dinner we usually buy some bread from a local bakery because it is cheap and so good.  I wish America had more little bake shops.   We also have some other stuff too, like lots of rice.  I eat rice about once a day which isn't too bad.  There is never a shortage of rice.  I am doing very good right now but I don't have that hard of trials right now because the language is coming better.  Oh something super funny.  One of the object lessons that is told to missionaries is to show that family a picture of an ice cream cone with a cockroach on it.  It represents sin.  You ask the people if they would still eat it.  It looks very good but sin bites.  There is always a downside.  The family that this elder was teaching said that they would still eat the ice cream you just have to brush the cockroach off and then it is fine.  It ruined the object lesson.  There are a lot of object lesson that they teach us that are great for America but don't work for the Philippines.  It’s super funny.  Also while walking on the street we stopped to talk to this group of guys to share a small message about the Book of Mormon.  As we were walking away one of the men half drunken yelled out "I love you". These people are hilarious. Also most drunk people will speak English with us even if we speak Cebuano.  It's like beer makes you good at English.  I have met five Americans that live in this area that are retired.  None are in our area but we see them in the city every once in a while.  They like to talk to us because they can understand us. Well this is the Philippines, it rains every day. I love you all at home.  I hope you continue to grow and progress.  

Elder Roskelley 

# 10 The Philippines are still awesome!

Wednesday, Sept 25, 2013

Hey everyone

Well, let me start by saying the Philippines is totally awesome. I have had a lot of struggles and am still struggling but I have never been so excited in my life.  I feel amazing but I am a lot skinnier and one of my investigators pointed that out to me.  The people here will tell you how it is and they don't feel bad.  If someone is fat and you say to them that they are fat they will just accept it and move on.  It’s funny.  Also I have seen some beautiful views while tracting.  Hopefully I have time to send them all.  It is absolutely amazing here.  I got to watch "The Other Side of Heaven" while I was eating breakfast, lunch and dinner.  That movie has some of the same things I am experiencing except for toned down.  We had a typhoon hit and some trees fell but it wasn't too bad because the surrounding islands protect us.  This morning I woke up with blood on my foot because of a bug bite and my feet weren't covered.  This Friday for a service project we might get to harvest some corn in the mountains.  I have been informed about three single girls that were living with their fathers.  They think that all Americans are here to marry a Philippine.  We actually have one man in our ward who is here for that exact reason.   The people here are very nice at first but they don't usually let you comeback and they have so many excuses.  It is kind of funny.  I love being here.  It is beautiful and many of the members are very faithful.  For breakfast I usually have cereal or oatmeal and a hard-boiled egg.  Lunch is usually cereal or ramen and vegetables.  Dinner is usually at 8:00 so we don't have to stop working.  We had pizza that I made last night.  My companion made some tomato sauce with vegetables and sausage and we used a slice of bread and some weird cheese and melted it.  It was actually very good.  I also have a lot of rice but not with every meal.  I kind of like rice.  We usually have a dinner appointment each week.  It is always good food.  I now call it delicious but I still mess up words, but this week I got complimented by two Philippines on my Cebuano, they said I am doing very good for how short of time I have been here.  I actually had to say the sacrament prayer this Sunday and I only had to read it once.  I felt great.  The gift of tongues is real.  The Lord helps me so much.  I see His hand everywhere, just the other day we felt like we should go tract an area so right before we started we met this guy that said he was a member but didn't know where the church was so he wasn't going.  He said that he would love to go to church so this Sunday we are going to help him meet members and become part of the ward.  All because we listened to the spirit.  

We are in a little store that is on the side of the highway in sabang danao, that is where I am emailing you from. Also, we went to the temple last Friday and it was awesome.

Elder Roskelley

 Cebu Philippines Temple

 Cool baby lizard

 When they are full grown they eat chickens

 A python, the guy said he didn't want me to hold the head because it might bite (what?)

 6:00 b-ball

 P-day

 Roasting a pig

 Beautiful

  

 An area we were tracting

5:30 Sunrise this morning

# 9 Bug count

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Hey everybody

Well the Philipines is hot.  And I am always sweating.  It is great fun.  I don't actually mind it because I know that I don't matter as much as these people that I am serving do.  Bug count: cockroaches-3, spiders-40, lizzards-600, misquito bites-10, frogs-100, snakes-0.  It's actually not to bad here but there are ants almost everywhere but they aren't that annoying.  I got to see Elder B. the second day I was here.  He actually lived in the house that I am living in for the first part of his mission.  He left and I came in.  He is now opening an area called Pilar Bohol so I haven't seen him for a couple weeks.  I hear that he is an amazing missionary.  He was actually almost my trainer but instead of training he opened a new area and my current trainer began training.  My trainer is a really good missionary.  He doesn't think of himself at all and he will almost talk to anyone.  The people he is not willing to talk to I am usually willing to talk to.  The people he doesn't like to talk to are people that are drinking or smoking.  It is really funny here because most drunk people will only speak english to you.  It is as if beer makes you become very good at english all of the sudden.  Yesterday I talked to these people that were gambling and smoking.  They asked us some questions and we talked about our church and then they said that we could come back if we would like so we are going back over there next week.  The church over here is kind of struggling because everyone believes that they need to work on Sunday to survive but they all have tv's.  It is very interesting.  It is a lot like Peru but some of these people believe that all they need to do to be saved is pray and go to some church.  It doesn't matter which church though.  They have some very interesting beliefs.  I also got to teach a muslim lady in english this week.  That was pretty fun.   Also we taught this devote baptist man in half english, half Cebuano and he was very strong in his religion.  He is slightly crazy but very diligent in his faith.  He invited us to talk to his pasture who has been examining the Book of Mormon.  So this Sunday afternoon we are going to teach a baptist minister.  I am very excited and I know that it will be fun.  I will just stand there and tell him I know that this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true.  And then I will ask him to pray about it or something like that.  I am excited to be serving the Lord.  I know that He loves us and that He loves all of his children in the Philipines just as much.  I am hear to share my message with them.  It is a great gift from God that we have a prophet today and other people need to have the opportunity to accept or reject his message.  

This friday we are going to the temple and giving tours.  It should be really awesome.  

My camera died this week and I haven't had time to charge it so no pictures this week.

Elder Roskelley

Danao, Cebu Philippines

This is Elder Roskelley's first area and where he is currently serving.

Danao City is a third class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 119,252 people.

 In 2005, Metro Cebu's definition was expanded to include Danao City, a leader in the gun industry, in the north and the municipalities of San Fernando and Carcar in the south. 

This is an areial view of Danao

# 8 The Philippines are awesome!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013


Hi Everybody
I'm sorry there is so much to say and so little time.  My companion is Elder F. He is from Utah. He is almost exactly two years older than me and he has been out for 15 months.  We are serving in Danao.  

About the Philippines...well...It is pretty awesome but some people wouldn't like it.  I sweat a lot. I ride on very small motorcycles. It rains every night. I share a house with 7 other elders which is not normal.  I have a lot that I could complain about but it is not worth it.  The Lord has blessed me too much.  The people here are amazing.  They all think I am like 25 and when I say I am 18 they call me handsome and tall.  They say I look old.  I actually look older than my companion but he is almost 21.  He is awesome too.  He is very patient with me.  Another thing about the people is that the members love to feed us.  We have about three dinner appointments a week and they all have so much food.  They really want to make sure that you are full so they keep giving you more.  It is so funny.  I love it and yesterday I tried to compliment a sister on her food so I said, "Lain kaayo" when I meant to say "lami kaayo" so instead of saying very delicious I said very weird.  My companion explained to her what I meant and she just started laughing. She loved it and then she gave me more food.  I love almost everything about being here. 

 Another story for you.  Last night we went and visited a young family.  The wife said she was very sick and she wanted a blessing.  We gave her one and we left.  This morning I saw her on her way to work. She looked totally fine and was very glad to see us.  She has been sick about a week and a half partly because she just had her one month old unborn baby die inside her.  It was very sad but we taught her about the plan of salvation and God's love.  She is committed to baptism once her husband ,who is a member, and her can finish their marriage papers.  She is awesome.  Now remember this story and let me tell you about the rest of yesterday.  We went to another lesson and the whole time the ladies baby that she was holding was grabbing my arm.  I played little games with him to keep him distracted and having fun but when he was grabbing me he got little brown hand prints on my shirt that I still haven't gotten out, but the lesson went very well.  The mother felt the spirit and our love and she even cried a little bit.  This is the first time that I have seen someone cry here.  After that we got on a motorcycle to go to our next appointment and it just starts pouring rain.  Both my companion and I had forgotten our umbrellas and my companion really wanted to work to we walked about a mile and a half in this rain. The streets were flooded and my shoes filled with water.  When we got there there was a couple people there. One was the lady that we are teaching and the other was her sister.  Before we started the lesson I said a quick prayer that the rain would stop.  We taught them and the rain just kept coming down. It was nice to be on their porch out of the rain and then as we were ending the lesson the rain just stopped.  It wasn't raining at all.  The streets that before had been temporary rivers were completely clear.  It was amazing. I was soaking wet still but I was so thankful for everything.  That is the biggest thing that the Philippines has taught me is how to be more thankful.  

I don't want you to worry about me too much.  I have never been happier in my life.  I love working here and I love these people.  I want to help them as much as I can.  I love you all so much.  I can't even describe how much I love you.  I felt the saddest I have ever felt my first week but I didn't want you to worry so I didn't tell you.  I haven't gotten sick at all and I always have more than enough.  I have become so grateful as I am serving for everything.  I was excited this morning when I got up and I got to do laundry.  I knew that I had clean laundry.  Nothing here is very nice.  It is all very poor.  It makes me very sad to see these people barely scraping by and then I have to tell them that they need to have faith that they will have enough food and they need to come to church.  To get to church they all have to spend a little bit of money on a motorcycle taxi ride.  It is very hard but I love these people.  I have also already seen miracles.  I have a lot of hard things that I am doing, but I have never been happier.  I love you all so much.  I am sorry but I have to admit that I think about you guys every morning but that is it.  I covenanted with the Lord to give all of my might, mind, and strength to the Lord so that is what I will do expect for the short time on P-days.  I love you so much and I am so grateful for everything.  I hope you can know how much I love and miss you.  

Elder Roskelley

Email from Mission President

THE CHURCH OF

JESUS CHRIST

OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Philippines Cebu East Mission

September 4, 2013

Chad Willard Roskelley

Jennifer Jo  Roskelley

Dear Brother and Sister Roskelley,

Your missionary has arrived safely!  He is here with us in the Philippines Cebu East Mission.  My wife and I are excited about having him in our mission.  He brought a great spirit, and we are looking forward to working with him.  Enclosed is a welcome snapshot taken with Sister Tanner and me.

# 7 First week in Cebu

Wednesday, September 4, 2013


Hello everyone. 

I miss you all so much and I am still having a hard time getting used to the adjustment.  Many of the people here are very poor and they really want to please us as missionaries but they aren't very good at keeping their commitments.  There is a lot of in-actives and it's sometimes hard working with the ward members but that is enough complaining for me.  I am learning to love these people and be patient with them and myself.  I am a little frustrated with the language but it is coming.  People still laugh at some of my attempts.  The thing that I can testify most about is change.  President Monson in his talk entitled "Finding Joy in the Journey" said that nothing in life is more constant than change.  I know this to be true and it is sometimes hard these changes that we have but they will never be anything like what the Lord went through for us.  He suffered more than we are able to and we should always look to him for help.  He will be there.  Another piece of advice that I have is read through President Monson's talk.  He talks about regrets.  We don't always realize what we have until it is gone. I realized that everything from work to trials to friends to people speaking english will always be taken for granted.  Enjoy the time you have now, where ever you are whether it be by a beach, in school, going through troubles at work or sitting in church.  There is always something to enjoy.  Squeeze every last drop out of joy out of every second.  My third piece of advise is to always try new things.  You will probably like the new things you try and you will grow by doing those things.  I know that the Lord knows and loves each one of us.  He will always be there.  I know that he died for our sins and that all he wants is for us to come closer to him and be more like him.  I know that we can never fully appreciate what God and Christ have done for us but we can show our gratitude by following their commandments.  I that as a missionary I am protected.  So I don't want anyone to worry.  

Love 

Elder Roskelley

This is the room where six of the eight missionaries sleep in our house, the bottom bunk is mine

This is the view out our bedroom window

This is the nicest car that I have seen. One night we stopped and talked to some guys that were smoking and drinking because they were restoring an old toyota celica. I got offered some alcohol and didn't realize it but instead of saying"no" I said "a little", then I quickly corrected myself, all of that was in cebuano.

One classic car I have seen

The other classic car I have seen

A cool truck

This is a jeepney, we fit 22 people into it

I met a Jehovah's witness today on the bus and he kind of wanted to argue. I told him about the Book of Mormon and told him I knew that it was true and invited him to church. After I did that he didn't want to talk any more, I did all of that in english because he spoke english and he approached me.

The view a couple of miles from our house.