December 16, 2013

Anyways this week was kind of a hard week. We didn't really have much success because we can't enter into the homes of women without someone working with us. So it is really hard in that sense. Besides that we are just trooping around trying to find things to do. Talking to people and just trying to get the gospel out. We are starting to see some good things happen. Not many things I really have to say... this week haha. Next week hopefully we will see great progress.

December 8, 2013

This area is really kicking my butt! We have had so many things just going crazy and because of how crowded the area is we get lost all the time. We only teach women so we need someone to work with us, but nobody in the ward is really willing to work with us. We were lucky this week because we saw our hard work met with miracles. We had someone work with us everyday this week except one. It was the same person... we basically forced him to work, but he worked and we got our lessons in. This area has been in a drought for investigators but we were able to find 3 new investigators this week. Some which seem to be way willing to listen. This whole week I have wondered how I will ever make it till the next day.Yet as I look back I see the tender mercies of the Lord. This area has been hard, but it is going and I am happy to do the Lord's work. I seems that through life we all have to face trials and adversities before blessings rain upon us. I am beginning to understand Godly Sorrow more and more and I go through my mission. I see many members here whose circumstances and trials have thrown them to rock bottom .. only to be left there because their faith wasn't holding up against the world. These are the people I teach those who have lost their way. I hear their testimonies, no problems with the church, they know it is true. But they just can't go back anymore because of things they've done or problems in their lives. I think about how close they are to exaltation and how close they are to receiving everything if they will only climb back up through that empty hole and partake of life. Life which is, Jesus Christ. I want to just leave my testimony that I know this Church is true. If we will all just accept Christ and his Gospel and follow that we will obtain eternal life! We need to endure and go on. Hardships and trials come, but blessings follow after if we are faithful, if we are worthy. I know God loves us and that Jesus is our savior and I want to leave these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

December 2, 2013

This has been a good and crazy week. My companion last week was emergency transferred as well as the companion of my housemate. We have no idea why, but my area has just become twice as big and we have recieved many blessings. But because both our housemates got transferred, We became companions. So last week my companion was Elder Ontoria... now it is Elder Sumagaysay. He is thus far my favorite comp! We have so much fun, but we still are opening one area and trying to work out his area... so yeah we are . have a handful of issues to resolve! Anyways this thanksgiving we had so many changes, that it just turned out that I celebrated by myself. haha I bought half a friend chicken... just to feel a little thanksgiving. My comp bought rice and so philipino thing. Happy thanksgiving! Anyways that is ok. Yep I really have nothing too great to say! That was kind of my week. So many things jumping left and right! Opening half one area and trying to make the other half better wish me luck! Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! Can't wait hopefully I make it home next Thanksgiving!

In this season of Thanksgiving,I can't miss an opportunity to bear you my testimony of what I am thankful for. The more and more I served here on my mission I have come to know that Jesus is the Christ. That he did bear the sins of the world that we may, by his grace, return to live with God. I know that He is the Son of God and that he lives even now. I know that God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith so that through him, the Church of Jesus Christ could be restored back on this Earth. I know that because of that we now have the Book of Mormon which contains the Fullness of the Everlasting Gospel. At this time of thankfulness, I am thankful for these simple truths, because in them I have found happiness. I know that this message of the Restoration is for everyone and that we should all share these things with the world. I know these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Dramatic Railroad pic! and also my thanksgiving!

November 27, 2013

I got transferred to Caloocan! It is the city in my mission. It is really dirty, it smells bad and man it is different. My new companion is Elder Ontoria a Filipino.We are also opening this area and we are having a lot of trouble. We have no updated teaching records, we barely have any addresses, and we have no investigators. We are literally starting from scratch! Man we taught nobody. But I am hopeful that things will go good. This area has faced some hard times and I think we are here to fix it. Anyways, the last Elder's didn't leave us much hope with the ward either. We didn't receive the warmest welcome on Sunday. So we have a lot ahead of us. I had an experience though that I would like to share. We have been fairly new to the area and we were pointed out some places of members and stuff. Yesterday as I was walking I had this feeling to go through this alley, I had been to the house once and we just stopped by for 3 seconds. We weren't sure who, but when we got to the house, nobody seemed to be home. We finally tried one last time and some of the youth opened the door to receive us. As we talked a sister showed up and asked us to give her son a blessing. It seemed that we were given this opportunity, not to find a member, but to also answer a members desire to receive a priesthood blessing for her son. I just want to bear my testimony again that our Father in Heaven does hear our prayers and he does answer them. Prayer is powerful and he answered mine, and maybe the member we were able to help. I know these things are true and I leave these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

November 10, 2013

This week has started a winding down for me. I Will first off officially hit my 1 year mark in the mission! Also it is close to transfer and I am so excited to see something new! I really love Mapayapa. I put a good 6 months of work here. But like the apostle Paul, I have fought my fight! and I am looking to help the saints in other places. Though I am starting to feel really sad I am leaving this place, Mapayapa has become a home for me. Anyways this week we had so many things going on that our work was hard. We were failing to get into appointments, and with other meetings and such we had just a rought week getting things done. Our investigators again did not show up to church, which was hard again. It seems even though they are doing so much they fall short. But, on a high note, we had a great week sunday getting Less Actives to continue going to church. This week I have not much to say but I know that this work is true. As I look back on these last 6 months I am happy at the miracles I have seen. It has been a time of reflection as I have seen a year go by in my mission as well as how I am probably transferring. I have learned so much and my testimony is strong. Here in this area is where I learned how to be strong and depend on the Lord. I know this Church is true, and I know that God loves us. I know that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet and he did translate the Book of Mormon! The Book of Mormon is a true book. It is here I really established that for myself in my 1st year of my mission. Now I hope this next year I share it to all and bring the world to the waters of baptism. I leave these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

I am the Trunkiest person ever to be 1 year in the mission! haha This is my 1 year Trunkie picture! ENJOY! HAPPY 1 YEAR BATCH! 1 more!

November 4, 2013

Anyways this week has been a struggle we had our schedule all jumbled up because of our P-day and man things were just not going my way. But we have really been on the rescue this week and trying to make sure our Less Actives who have came to church continue coming to church. Our Less active lessons were going great we were really giving them the push and the tools they needed to really make that step to either come or to continue coming. We had a record of 12 Less Actives come to church with a record high in church attendance also. Man what a great Sunday. It could have been perfect, but sadly none of my investigators decided to come. So that was kind of sucky. Anyways this week we witnessed just how God prepares people in strange and mysterious ways. This week we have been just planning and thinking of ways we could find somebody. We have a member who is always looking to bring people to the gospel. His latest were two kids from his neighborhood ages 9 and 10. His plan is as we teach the kids, the parents will hear the message and their hearts will soften. His plan takes a lot of faith, and I figured why try to hinder a mans good efforts. By the way teaching kids and trying to baptize them is the perfect way to make a Less Active, so I try to avoid it, but I figure why not try it. As we continued asking brother to prepare the kids for us, he brought them to Church on Sunday. We talked to them, told them who we were, and to also tell their parents about us and the church. One of the boys went home to his mother, who was an inactive member who baptized into another church. When we found that out we were kind of skeptical. As I walked into her house, I was prepared that night, and so was she. We shared a message on the Restoration, she said she knew that was true, but she asked us that there is one God anyways so why does it matter? I just felt so sure, we simply shared how Christ established his Gospel and that there is only one, and if Joseph Smith truly is a true prophet than we must yield to that. She could not deny that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet, and something seemed to change in her. We left committing her to come to church, which she did. But Bro. Pono was saying something really interesting to me, he said her countenance has changed, as if she were a child or something. She seems more alive and it seems that Gospel is back in her life. I know that God prepared her for us. I know that we were put into her life so that we could help her. I hope that she will always continue and we will surely keep an eye on her. I know that God lives and Loves us. He is always looking out for us and in his own time we will all receive a chance to accept his Gospel. I know these things are true and I leave these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

October 29, 2013

This week has been a a fairly simple week. I have been in this area so long now that things start blending and I forget about what happens. This week though we have been working hard to get people to Church. After last weeks sad turn out I was determined to get people to Church. We spent a big portion of this week stopping by everyone and teaching about why the Sabbath day is important and how we can keep it. I learned a lot by sharing my experiences of when I was not a good keeper of the Sabbath day. I remember before my mission Sunday was just another day. But now I realize that God has given us an expectation, that we give him one day that we can remember his son Jesus Christ and his atonement, and to consecrate the day to him. Sometimes in our everyday lives it is easy to be carried away and forget about the Sabbath day. John Bytheway gave a talk saying that it used to be called the Holy Sabbath, than it turned into just the Sabbath, now it is just Sunday. I think as Latter Day Saints we can all doing something more to remember to keep the Sabbath Day Holy. Something that I taught my investigators was the importance of the Sacrament. As we take the bread and water it is important that we remember the Atonement and also our baptismal covenant. A simple thing that in 10 minutes you receive a renewal of our covenant and a cleansing from the week. How great is that. A cleansing in a sense. Anyways as I shared this message to people my testimony grew so much and I saw it change others. We had great attendance last week and we saw a lot of Less Actives make the change. If we remember why going to Church is important we will see that it become not a chore or a obstacle in our day, but a relief and necessity to our full week. I know that God lives and Jesus is our Savior. I know that This Church is True and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Anyways this week has been a long week. I started to jog .... haha well almost started jogging regularly... but I rolled my ankle on Monday. But I have lost 50 Pounds ... WHOOO HOOOO! Mission's are the best diets!

Halloween in the PHILIPPINES! AND MY COOL SUNLIGHT PIC!