Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2012 16:10:26 +0800
Subject: Christmas Time! Yay!!

Dear Family, 

This is gonna be a short letter, mostly because there really isn't much to tell you about, this week I did learn a lot though, it was probably one of the toughest weeks of the whole entire mission, as far as the work wise. We got punted harder then anything else could ever even get punted. It sucked. First of all it is harvest season for corn, so everyone is super busy with that, like every single male in Jones it seemed was harvesting corn. And three days in a row our fellowshipper dropped out on us, so that meant every single lesson that we had with a Sister automatically got canceled... there was some good stuff that happened though. 

I want to start with the bad so at the end the good seems awesome. First is we couldn't teach Myra at all this week, she was sick all week, and then on Saturday she went home to Banawag... so she wasn't able to come to church, so we are gonna have to push her baptismal date back until Oct 6.. but that is okay, the most important thing is that she is ready. She is doing great in her scripture reading, we gave her a Tithing pamphlet and she read the whole thing, the only problem is that for one reason or another we haven't been able to teach her...

The Penuliar family, oh man I am starting to get worried for them, Sister Penuliar went and visited her home this week, and so she wasn't available until Sunday... and then on Sunday we were expecting her and her daughter to come to church, but there family made a visit to their home, so she didn't come to church. And brother had work on Sunday, we really haven't had much of an opportunity to talk to him about that... I am afraid that brother is starting to lose interest in the Church. Sister is still doing good, but we don't only want to bring her and her daughter to Church, it would be the best if brother came to. Also on Sunday I am not sure what happened, but we had a lesson that was scheduled for them and we showed up and sister said next time, because brother was drunk and he got in a fight and someone chopped his arm with a Machete... we went straight over to the Ribuca family, and talked to them, and they explained more of what happened. Apparently Sister and Brother got into a argument and brother got really mad went got drunk then for some reason, got into a fight... I am really nervous for them... I dont want to lose them, they are a family, and I love them too much, and this gospel can help them too much for them to not continue... in Brothers defense though he rarely drinks... 

Cristobal family, well brother is doing great, I couldn't be prouder of Brother Cristobal, he has been sober of Alcohol for a long time, and their son Jayde is doing great, I believe there is a really high chance that in December on the date we prepared with them, they could be sealed in the temple!!! That would make everything I have suffered in my mission worth it... I mean it is already "worth it" but I just couldn't explain how great that would be. But I am scared for sister, she went to Manila last week to visit one of their kids, and she hasn't come back yet, and she hasn't contacted brother yet. I just pray that nothing happened to her... brother is super worried. 

Something great but kinda weird happened here this week. So every tuesday the senior couple assigned here in Jones goes out and visits some members. Last tuesday they went to the Ibara family, Tatay Ibara is a member but his wife is a super devoted catholic. Lasay taught her back in the day and she was super defensive of her beliefs.. anyway so Elder Gottfredson and President Malliabou go over to their house and they visit with them, and Sister joins in, and apparently Elder Gottfredson focuses on sister, talks about Joseph Smith and all that good stuff, and apparently by the end of the lesson sister said that, 1. she felt the Spirit, 2. She knows that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet, and 3. they set a baptismal date for her for oct 20... elder Lasay and I are going to go visit them this week, teach sister and stuff, hopefully she stays true to what she said... she is a very devoted catholic though... we shall see. 

As far as less actives we taught this week... well we didn't really teach any... we were only able to teach 2 lessons this week!!! We were out every single day at 12:30-8:00 and we went and did everything we could possibly think of, tracting, finding less actives.. I dont know... everything we tried we hit a dead end.. but we do have so very good news... 

Sister Letlet, is doing great. She came to church this week, she even paid a fast offering... the funny part of that is we haven't even taught her about fast offerings yet!! She stayed all 3 hours and I dont know she is doing great. We are gonna give her a bapitsmal date for Sept 22 I am super excited, but a little apprehensive at giving her a date because the other people that we have given dates to have... been... facing challenges. We haven't been able to teach her all week because brother has been working until 10:30ish everyday harvesting corn... so there has been no male to be present in the lesson. 

Tatay Pong was called as the Branch Mission Leader, I was super stoked when he got called.. right after church we had a meeting, talking about some potential branch missionaries, gospel essentials teachers, and we have a missionary fireside on friday that we planned.. I am excited about our fireside, we are inviting EVERYONE!!! like... Everyone!!! We are going to any and everyone and inviting them, and challenging members to bring a friend... all we are gonna do is watch the 1hr Restoration dvd... we are gonna make invitations later to give out... to invite EVERYONE!!!! And if it is only Elder Lasay me and Tatay Pong.. we then we will go buy a liter of Sprite and some cookies and watch the Restoration dvd by ourselves... you guys are invited too... just have to get here to Jones... by friday. ;) 

I have finally decided to lose the 20 pounds that I gained in the Mtc and work out, I have been working out everynight for 30 minutes. We have some nice weights here and I am gonna ask the Landlord if he can make me a bench... he used to be a carpenter... so it should be pretty easy for him... 

Oh yeah Merry Christmas. It is officially Christmas time here in the Philippines. Sept is the start of Christmas season here... it is called the "Ber Months" because it starts to one, "get cold"....(I think its still hot though, their cold is like 70F) the other reasone why it is the "Ber Months" is because of the BER at the end of the months.. like SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, DecemBER... ect. 

I am glad it is a new week, new weeks bring new possibilities, new people to meet, new lessons, a chance to improve! I learned this week that even the work here in Jones is hard sometimes, I have a lot to be grateful for, I started realizing allll of the blessings I have in my life. Yes I am sad for the other people that they aren't accepting the gospel, and gaining the same happiness that we are... but at least I am doing my best... thats all the Lord requires of me. I will do everything I can to find teach, and invite, every single person that the Lord has prepared for us in Jones... 

The best is yet to come in the Church.. Elder Tae said it himself. The Philippines has not experienced nothing compared as to what is to come. Here in the Philippines in 50 years 600,000 people have joined the Church... and we are excited to see more and more... it is important to remember no unhallowed hand can stop the the work of the Lord from proceeding, our only choice is the amount of our Participation. 

Love you guys, thanks for everything
Elder James