Kumusta po,
The last week was a pretty good week, busy, we were able to get some solid lessons in. Tuesday we had district meeting and found out that Elder Thomas and Elder Wooden were getting transfered. That kinda sucked. They were both a couple of solid elders. But then Thursday was transfer day, and we went up, mostly cause it was Elder Kelsons last one and he wanted to go. So we went, but at transfer meeting we got a new Zone Leader and Elder Ilagan and Elder Landeen are training. That means that there are 3 elders in our district who are being trained. Thats the most out of any district! The other two new elders are alright, one is Filipino and the other is American. It was weird to see the new missionaries on Thursday, I looked at them and was like man is that what I looked like! Just cause they were all out of it, not really knowing what was going on. Prob a combination of jet lag...and being in a completely foreign country. And I am still gettin in and used to the whole mission life and new culture, there is still alloot I have to learn. As soon as Elder Kelson is gone and I have a new comp and I am not considered "Fresh" any more. That I think is when things will be getting alot harder. Saturday we didnt get much done because Elder Kelson is the District leader so he had a couple of baptism interviews he had to do, and then we had a Area Presidency Broadcast for the new missionary program, and then elder kelson had another "Leadership training meeting" with the zone leaders. So that day all I really did was study. The Broadcast was great though, almost are whole ward counsel was there and the Presidency was very upfront about the problem. One of them said "You cant wait for "them" to come fix the problem, YOU have to fix the problem" he kept on saying "If not you who, if not now when." They said that the inactivity problem was huge here and that the Philippines was one generation away from going apostate. I think that scared some Filipinos. So hopefully this new program works, I am sure that it will if everyone does their part, the program came from the Brethren which means it came from God. So I am sure that it will work. The next day though in Church, we finally had ward counsel, it was great, they did exactly what they were supposed to do. Pick names of inactive members who were either former temple recommend holders or Melchizedek priesthood holders. So they picked 15 families and made a plan of how to reactivate them.
Anyway on to the investigators, this week we taught some pretty solid lessons. We unfortunatly haven't been able to teach the Crisologo's this week which stinks. We keep trying but Brother Crisologo is always working. Something great happened this week though. We went to the Balagbaggans house (tatay is still sober too) with our fellowshipper Tatay Bintante and we taught about the atonement, a pretty simple lesson. Anyway Tatay Bintante kept saying to Nanay Balagbaggan that she should come to church and kept testifying and promising her all these blessings. Then when he was done I pretty much did the same thing, which was great cause Tatay Bintante was talking in Iliokono and I had no clue what he was saying, then I basically testified and promised the same thing as him, I think the spirit helped me alot there. But then Elder Kelson testified and such to her then Committed her to come to Church.. and she said she would!!! Are next lesson we showed up and talked about the plan of salv. and resurection, because they had two kids that died at birth. The spirit was so strong, we were able to tell them that they will see there kids again, and Nanay was a Catholic and so I think she likes the thought that her kids aren't going to Hell...(what a dumb catholic belief it I might say.) Anyway later that lesson Nanay said that she would see us Sunday at Church...which was awesome! So then on sunday we decide that we aren't going to take any risks with Nay, we are half way there and we see only Tatay walking to Church, we stop and ask him "where is nay?" he say"matitindahan siya." Which means she is going to go sell today in the palanke and not come to church like she said!! So Elder Kelson and I book it to Nanays house and are like Nanay are you coming to church you promised, she was like "Ya I still gotta eating then I will come over." We were like...okay...not to sure if she was lying to us. But we left and went to church anyway. So we got to Church and waited outside till church started and she never showed. So we went inside and were like dang Nanay lied to us!! But no no she didn't she showed up like 15mins late with her daughter, and they stayed for all 3 hours too! It was great! All the members were great too they kept on introducing themselves and talking to the balagbaggans! The villanazos came to Church too! I didn't really know what to do, that was the first time that we had that many investigators at Church!! Then later that sunday we committed John Nicole to be Baptized Feb 15, we are also going to commit Sarah, and Richard and his brother and maybe the Balagbaggans depending on whether they keep coming to Church and if Tay stays off the booz! So some our investigators progressed quite nicely this week.
Sunday was elder kelson's birthday, he wanted a what would Jesus do braclet from this Cristian book store in Santiago. We also made these dilcious cheese things and then we made Mango smoothies that night. It was great! Well this week was pretty good, taught some good lessons and starting to be better at the language.
Welp thanks for everything
Ingat po
Mahal Kita
Elder James
Monday, January 16, 2012
Week 5/6
We had trouble with the email in week 5, so the email was rewritten and combined with week 6. =)
Kumusta Pamiliya ko,
Well finally things kinda got back to the same, the holidays are over and people are finally home and ya, I'm glad haha. We still got punted some this week. Something exciting happened this week with Balagbaggan!Wednesday we were teaching about Faith and how if we have faith we can over come all challenges, we shared a Either 12:23?..I think. Busta we shared a script about faith and testified of it, and Tatay Balagbaggan said that he knows that he don't got much but he wants to give everything he has to the Lord and he is willing to do whatever it takes. The next day we took our fellow shipper Tatay, and he and tatay balagbaggan hit it off and so that worked exactly how we wanted it too. That was just another Faith script, Moroni 7:33-34 and we just said that he could do it, the other tatay said that he had to get over addictions and his life and said that it was hard but he could do it if he had faith. It was great he did exactly what we wanted, cause it is easier for Tatay to relate to another Filipino. The next lesson we had with him yesterday was great we talked about not fearing, just doing it we had Philip there with us and he was able to again testify of his life and how the Gospel and Jesus will always be there for you no matter what! It was great the spirit has been in our lessons alot lately! I'm really trying to learn how to follow the Spirit more during lessons and not always just Focusing on the tagalog.Oh also Tatay didn't drink yesterday night, which is usually the night that he drinks. We also talked to this one tatay that took out his name a while ago for some reason...idk why he is a rm and was the old branch president when Baluarte was just being formed, but ya he said that he wants to talk to us and come back...so that's good haha! We weren't able to teach the Crisologos at all this week, that is a bummer. Brother Crisologo is super musipag (diligent/hard working) everyone in his purok (neighborhood) drink and stuff, but he is super solid he works super early till late and he doesn't drink or anything and he seems like a pretty solid father too!! I love the Crisologo's I think that if they start coming to Church they are a for sure baptisms, they read and pray and say that then know it is true so that's sweet, they're a great fam...just need to come to Church haha. We weren't able to teach sister Leal this week at all cause she is visiting her family. So this week we didn't teach a ton of lessons again...but we did still have some good ones, President Carlos said that the numbers don't matter the people matter, and as long as your being musipag it really doesn't matter if you get 5 lessons a week or 20.
It was also cool cause this week we were also able to give 3 blessing too! One to some random girl living in a Nanay Palma's house, who isn't even lds. One to Nanay Palma a couple days latter, and one to Tatay Balagbaggan because his back is starting to hurt. nothing really exciting happened this week! I am starting to understand a lot more tagalog, still cant speak it very well, but I am able to understand alot more. Last night I got super discouraged though, I don't really know why, sometimes its super hard cause I am sitting there in lessons trying to understand whats going on and sometimes have no clue what anyone is saying. I try to understand as much as possible and put in as much, but sometimes its just hard and frustrating. That's alright though life isn't made to be easier sometimes you just gotta try your hardest even when you don't feel like it. Oh well, I am still trying to figure out some the best way for me to study is, I got this sweet Bible from the store, its this big king james bible and it has tagalog on one side of the page and on the other side it has the same versus and stuff in english. So what I am doing is just reading a versus in English then reread it in tagalog. Also I am trying to write about something everyday in tagalog. Maybe if I write out experiances or something in tagalog I will get better at it.
So last week for pday we cleaned up the apartment and we had this big pile of trash and vines and weeds and stuff, and what people do here in the philippines is burn their trash. So we got a half liter of gasoline and poored it on the pile, then lit a match throw it on it, and BOOM there was a huge explosion...I didn't know that gasoline would explode like that holy holy moly that was crazy..not one of my comps and I better moments..just one of those dumb fun mission moments I guess? Well def not gonna do that again. Luckily neither one of us got burned and it didn't do anything...literly the fire burnt out in like 15 seconds...haha, so we still have a big pile of trash.
Man I cant believe that I am already through my first cycle! Transfer day is Thursday, I am almost 100% that neither Elder Kelson and I aren't going to get transferred cause there is the new 12 week training program thing..and we still have 6 weeks left. I hope a Elder I meet at the mtc is in our district, that'd be sick. We have like 11 new missionaries this next transfer day 6 American 4 Filipinos. Its weird think that just 6 weeks ago I was in there spot! haha
Welp this is me signing out, thanks for everything!
Ingat at Mahal Kita
Elder James
Kumusta Pamiliya ko,
Well finally things kinda got back to the same, the holidays are over and people are finally home and ya, I'm glad haha. We still got punted some this week. Something exciting happened this week with Balagbaggan!Wednesday we were teaching about Faith and how if we have faith we can over come all challenges, we shared a Either 12:23?..I think. Busta we shared a script about faith and testified of it, and Tatay Balagbaggan said that he knows that he don't got much but he wants to give everything he has to the Lord and he is willing to do whatever it takes. The next day we took our fellow shipper Tatay, and he and tatay balagbaggan hit it off and so that worked exactly how we wanted it too. That was just another Faith script, Moroni 7:33-34 and we just said that he could do it, the other tatay said that he had to get over addictions and his life and said that it was hard but he could do it if he had faith. It was great he did exactly what we wanted, cause it is easier for Tatay to relate to another Filipino. The next lesson we had with him yesterday was great we talked about not fearing, just doing it we had Philip there with us and he was able to again testify of his life and how the Gospel and Jesus will always be there for you no matter what! It was great the spirit has been in our lessons alot lately! I'm really trying to learn how to follow the Spirit more during lessons and not always just Focusing on the tagalog.Oh also Tatay didn't drink yesterday night, which is usually the night that he drinks. We also talked to this one tatay that took out his name a while ago for some reason...idk why he is a rm and was the old branch president when Baluarte was just being formed, but ya he said that he wants to talk to us and come back...so that's good haha! We weren't able to teach the Crisologos at all this week, that is a bummer. Brother Crisologo is super musipag (diligent/hard working) everyone in his purok (neighborhood) drink and stuff, but he is super solid he works super early till late and he doesn't drink or anything and he seems like a pretty solid father too!! I love the Crisologo's I think that if they start coming to Church they are a for sure baptisms, they read and pray and say that then know it is true so that's sweet, they're a great fam...just need to come to Church haha. We weren't able to teach sister Leal this week at all cause she is visiting her family. So this week we didn't teach a ton of lessons again...but we did still have some good ones, President Carlos said that the numbers don't matter the people matter, and as long as your being musipag it really doesn't matter if you get 5 lessons a week or 20.
It was also cool cause this week we were also able to give 3 blessing too! One to some random girl living in a Nanay Palma's house, who isn't even lds. One to Nanay Palma a couple days latter, and one to Tatay Balagbaggan because his back is starting to hurt. nothing really exciting happened this week! I am starting to understand a lot more tagalog, still cant speak it very well, but I am able to understand alot more. Last night I got super discouraged though, I don't really know why, sometimes its super hard cause I am sitting there in lessons trying to understand whats going on and sometimes have no clue what anyone is saying. I try to understand as much as possible and put in as much, but sometimes its just hard and frustrating. That's alright though life isn't made to be easier sometimes you just gotta try your hardest even when you don't feel like it. Oh well, I am still trying to figure out some the best way for me to study is, I got this sweet Bible from the store, its this big king james bible and it has tagalog on one side of the page and on the other side it has the same versus and stuff in english. So what I am doing is just reading a versus in English then reread it in tagalog. Also I am trying to write about something everyday in tagalog. Maybe if I write out experiances or something in tagalog I will get better at it.
So last week for pday we cleaned up the apartment and we had this big pile of trash and vines and weeds and stuff, and what people do here in the philippines is burn their trash. So we got a half liter of gasoline and poored it on the pile, then lit a match throw it on it, and BOOM there was a huge explosion...I didn't know that gasoline would explode like that holy holy moly that was crazy..not one of my comps and I better moments..just one of those dumb fun mission moments I guess? Well def not gonna do that again. Luckily neither one of us got burned and it didn't do anything...literly the fire burnt out in like 15 seconds...haha, so we still have a big pile of trash.
Man I cant believe that I am already through my first cycle! Transfer day is Thursday, I am almost 100% that neither Elder Kelson and I aren't going to get transferred cause there is the new 12 week training program thing..and we still have 6 weeks left. I hope a Elder I meet at the mtc is in our district, that'd be sick. We have like 11 new missionaries this next transfer day 6 American 4 Filipinos. Its weird think that just 6 weeks ago I was in there spot! haha
Welp this is me signing out, thanks for everything!
Ingat at Mahal Kita
Elder James
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