Crazy Week #2
So you all though last week was crazy!!! Well I mean it was, but this week was pretty crazy too. In the past 2 weeks I have worked for a total of 4 days in Sewahon. This last week there was the possible threat of Typhoon Ruby to strike the Philippines. It missed us but it caused quite a panic. We went on lockdown again just like we did last year for Yolanda. So Wednesday we had p-day. Then Thursday morning we had our Zone Training meeting and were informed of the lockdown starting on Friday. Because we live up in the mountain we were told to get the things we need and then come back down to safety. So after training we did just that. Went and got extra things and then came back to Sagay. Then Thursday night the Zone Leaders called and told us and the Alimatoc Elders to come stay with them in Dian-ay. So Friday morning we woke up and headed to Dian-ay and stayed there until this morning! Then last night we got a call from the office saying Elder Derecho will be transferring. The problem is we were in Dian-ay. And they wanted us to be in Sagay at 8 am. We still needed to go back to Sewahon, he still needed to pack and the only transportation down the mountain at that time of day is a motorcycle. So that sure made things interesting. So we made it back up the mountain and got his stuff. On the way down I held Elder Derecho's suitcase on my lap on the motorcycle! It was pretty crazy! So right now I'm just waiting for companion to show up from Bacolod. I have no idea who it is. Also transfer day is actually next week, so there's still a possibility that I could transfer next week! It's killing me. President Lopez is just unpredictable! I don't know what's going to happen.
Also the wedding and baptisms that were supposed to happen last week got cancelled because of the Typhoon, that again didn't do anything here, but it's better to be safe than sorry! Then this next weekend we have stake conference so I have no idea when the wedding is going to be or when they'll be baptized or if I'll even be here. It's really unfortunate. But the work goes on! Also this past Sunday was the first time on my mission that I did not attend Church. Since we were on lockdown and couldn't leave. So that means it's also like the first time in probably like 2 years that I've missed church, so it's kinda weird! But it is what it is! I'm excited to find out who my new companion is and to get to work and to go back and visit all of our members and investigators in Sewahon who've probably been wondering where we have been! It's literally been a week since we've worked!
Also new rule. We are no longer allowed to 'chat' during emails. Kinda unfortunate but it is what it is! Let's be happy we were allowed to do it for 75% of my mission! The last 25% with no chatting will just make coming home that much more exciting! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week and enjoy this wonderful spirit of Christmas! :)
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
12.3.14
Wedding!
So this past week was probably the craziest week of my entire mission. After my email last week I went on exchanges with Elder Goodmansen again in Colonia Divina to Baptismal Interviews again! Our exchanges went well and all was good until we woke up the next morning and he said that he had left the key to the study room in his bag which he had locked inside of the study room! So we had a problem! So we called his companion Elder Eyo since he had the extra key and told them to skip studies and come to Colonia in order to open the door for us. While we waited Elder Goodmansen tried to go all Boy Scout of America on the doorknob and pick the lock. In that process he managed to break the door knob. Then Elder Eyo and Elder Cicon showed up. Elder Eyo was sopping wet because it was pouring rain outside and he had no umbrella and had just walked for an hour from Alimatoc. Then Elder Cicon tells me that they didn't finish all the interviews in Alimatoc which means somebody needed to interview for them (which leaves me as the District Leader to do the job). Also Elder Derecho called and said Elder Ferrer didn't have an umbrella and he had lots of things to carry so I just said I'll just go with Elder Cicon to Alimatoc and finish their interviews for them. So we walked to Alimatoc in a slight rain and got a little lost as well because all the places to cross the river were flooded so we just went all the way around and came up the backside of Alimatoc. It took us probably over and hour and a half. Then the baptismal clothes that I had carried all the way that had just been washed got covered in mud when the bag fell off the crate that I had set it on. GREAT! haha Then Elder Eyo texts us Thursday night and says they have more people to be interviewed as well on Saturday. So Friday morning I went back to Sewahon and got to work for all of like 3 hours and then I went back to Colonia Divinia with Elder Eyo to finish their interviews for them. It was just the craziest week EVER!
Then Sunday morning we were blest with 4 baptisms! :) That always brings a smile to ones face! Sister Lera, Sister Mary Grace, Sister Amy Chen, and Brother Bernie! It was a wonderful Sunday!
Now for the WEDDING! Sister Marissa (mother of Mary Grace and Amy Chen) and Brother Jear are getting married on Dec. 6 so that Sister Marissa can be baptized! We've been working on this for a while and have had quite a few road bumps and even talks of them splitting up, but now it's official! Saturday is the wedding and we're super excited! Sister Marissa will be baptized later that afternoon as well along with Sister Alma (great LDS name no?) haha It's amazing to be here in the Mountains, the work continues to go forward!
Our Branch President was informed that Our Branch is probably the top Baptizing branch in the World. The Philippines Bacolod Mission is the top baptizing mission, the Sagay Zone is the top baptizing Zone in the Mission, and the Colonia Divina Branch is the top baptizing Unit in the Sagay Zone! How crazy is that! And I get to be a part of it! It honestly has nothing to do with me though! I just happend to be assigned in the right place at the right time! In the month of October the Colonia Divina Branch had 20 convert baptisms. In November we had 28! Now let's see what we can accomplish in December! :) The Lord is truly hastening His work and I'm so glad and blessed to be a part of it! :)
I hope you all have a wonderful week! We'll talk to you soon!
So this past week was probably the craziest week of my entire mission. After my email last week I went on exchanges with Elder Goodmansen again in Colonia Divina to Baptismal Interviews again! Our exchanges went well and all was good until we woke up the next morning and he said that he had left the key to the study room in his bag which he had locked inside of the study room! So we had a problem! So we called his companion Elder Eyo since he had the extra key and told them to skip studies and come to Colonia in order to open the door for us. While we waited Elder Goodmansen tried to go all Boy Scout of America on the doorknob and pick the lock. In that process he managed to break the door knob. Then Elder Eyo and Elder Cicon showed up. Elder Eyo was sopping wet because it was pouring rain outside and he had no umbrella and had just walked for an hour from Alimatoc. Then Elder Cicon tells me that they didn't finish all the interviews in Alimatoc which means somebody needed to interview for them (which leaves me as the District Leader to do the job). Also Elder Derecho called and said Elder Ferrer didn't have an umbrella and he had lots of things to carry so I just said I'll just go with Elder Cicon to Alimatoc and finish their interviews for them. So we walked to Alimatoc in a slight rain and got a little lost as well because all the places to cross the river were flooded so we just went all the way around and came up the backside of Alimatoc. It took us probably over and hour and a half. Then the baptismal clothes that I had carried all the way that had just been washed got covered in mud when the bag fell off the crate that I had set it on. GREAT! haha Then Elder Eyo texts us Thursday night and says they have more people to be interviewed as well on Saturday. So Friday morning I went back to Sewahon and got to work for all of like 3 hours and then I went back to Colonia Divinia with Elder Eyo to finish their interviews for them. It was just the craziest week EVER!
Then Sunday morning we were blest with 4 baptisms! :) That always brings a smile to ones face! Sister Lera, Sister Mary Grace, Sister Amy Chen, and Brother Bernie! It was a wonderful Sunday!
Now for the WEDDING! Sister Marissa (mother of Mary Grace and Amy Chen) and Brother Jear are getting married on Dec. 6 so that Sister Marissa can be baptized! We've been working on this for a while and have had quite a few road bumps and even talks of them splitting up, but now it's official! Saturday is the wedding and we're super excited! Sister Marissa will be baptized later that afternoon as well along with Sister Alma (great LDS name no?) haha It's amazing to be here in the Mountains, the work continues to go forward!
Our Branch President was informed that Our Branch is probably the top Baptizing branch in the World. The Philippines Bacolod Mission is the top baptizing mission, the Sagay Zone is the top baptizing Zone in the Mission, and the Colonia Divina Branch is the top baptizing Unit in the Sagay Zone! How crazy is that! And I get to be a part of it! It honestly has nothing to do with me though! I just happend to be assigned in the right place at the right time! In the month of October the Colonia Divina Branch had 20 convert baptisms. In November we had 28! Now let's see what we can accomplish in December! :) The Lord is truly hastening His work and I'm so glad and blessed to be a part of it! :)
I hope you all have a wonderful week! We'll talk to you soon!
11.24.14
Happy Thanksgiving!
Well this last week was a pretty normal week! Nothing too crazy happened. I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Goodmansen in Colonia Divina this last week so that I could interview their 7 candidates for baptism! Elder Goodmansen has been out for about 3 weeks, he's from Rigby, Idaho! We got a little lost up in the mountain on our way to President Mahilum's house since I'd only been there once and Elder Goodmansen is brand new and doesn't quite know his way around yet, but we found our way! So it was all good!
This upcoming weekend we have 4 baptism! Sisters Amy Chen and Mary Grace, and then the younger brother of one of RC', Biernie Alay, and then Sister Lera! It's going to be a white Sunday! :)
We also seem to have a huge trial of our faith every Sunday because it rains EVERY Sunday morning. It's a bit ridiculous. It always causes people not to attend church! But we still had 30 this last week with 10 investigators and 15 recent converts! So it was still a great Sunday! :)
This afternoon we're gonna go play us some ping-pong at the church! I'm super excited! The Filipinos play ping-pong like the Chinese. It's like watching the Olympics haha They stand right at the end of the table and hit the ball right after it bounces, it's kinda hard to pick up on, but i'll get the hang of it! I'm excited to play later!
I read this last week in Doctrine & Covenants 130:18-19. As we continue to build our knowledge throughout our live, especially knowledge pertaining to the Gospel we are not only increasing our advantage in this life, but we're increasing our advantage in the next life as well. It also says in verse 19 that this comes because of obedience and diligence. This means that whatever our Heavenly Father asks of us, we do it. We don't get to pick and choose! He knows what's best for us and as we follow Him we will be blessed beyond capacity! Just my quick thought for all of you! I just invite each of you to continue or to begin a more detailed study of your scriptures so that we all can grow in knowledge and intelligence!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
I LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! :)
Well this last week was a pretty normal week! Nothing too crazy happened. I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Goodmansen in Colonia Divina this last week so that I could interview their 7 candidates for baptism! Elder Goodmansen has been out for about 3 weeks, he's from Rigby, Idaho! We got a little lost up in the mountain on our way to President Mahilum's house since I'd only been there once and Elder Goodmansen is brand new and doesn't quite know his way around yet, but we found our way! So it was all good!
This upcoming weekend we have 4 baptism! Sisters Amy Chen and Mary Grace, and then the younger brother of one of RC', Biernie Alay, and then Sister Lera! It's going to be a white Sunday! :)
We also seem to have a huge trial of our faith every Sunday because it rains EVERY Sunday morning. It's a bit ridiculous. It always causes people not to attend church! But we still had 30 this last week with 10 investigators and 15 recent converts! So it was still a great Sunday! :)
This afternoon we're gonna go play us some ping-pong at the church! I'm super excited! The Filipinos play ping-pong like the Chinese. It's like watching the Olympics haha They stand right at the end of the table and hit the ball right after it bounces, it's kinda hard to pick up on, but i'll get the hang of it! I'm excited to play later!
I read this last week in Doctrine & Covenants 130:18-19. As we continue to build our knowledge throughout our live, especially knowledge pertaining to the Gospel we are not only increasing our advantage in this life, but we're increasing our advantage in the next life as well. It also says in verse 19 that this comes because of obedience and diligence. This means that whatever our Heavenly Father asks of us, we do it. We don't get to pick and choose! He knows what's best for us and as we follow Him we will be blessed beyond capacity! Just my quick thought for all of you! I just invite each of you to continue or to begin a more detailed study of your scriptures so that we all can grow in knowledge and intelligence!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
I LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! :)
11.12.14
Seventeen!
How's life my friends and family? I hope it is just as great as mine! Although you may have a few more benefits than I do! ;) haha
These last couple weeks have been crazy! Last week I worked in Sagay for two days with Elder Newton and then came back to Sewahon and finished out a great week there. We missed out on two days of work but still had a full week of success! it was all backed by our 2 baptisms and our .............. 17 investigators who attended church! I was so surprised to see so many of them at church. They just kept coming and coming! The work is truly Hastening especially up here in the mountains and in the Philippines Bacolod Mission. I meant to mention this to you last week but when we had our Zone Conference, President Lopez shared a very amazing statistic with us that totally blew my mind. He said that in the month of October the Colonia Divina Branch (which consists of Alimatoc and Sewahon groups, 6 missionaries total) had 20 convert baptisms, which was more than an entire other mission here in the Philippines. He then said the "Colonia Divinia Mission." How crazy is that. I can't even imagine that. More than entire other mission. It's totally "mind bottling" hahah There's my movie quote for ya! ;)
Well we're here in Bacolod right now in preparation for our Mission Tour tomorrow with Elder Ardern! Tonight we are staying in the Silay West elders apartment! If you remember that is my last area! Which means I get to work with Elder Rakuro again and visit people in my last area which I'm kind of excited for! Oh and this morning we woke up to a pleasant rain. Which isn't a big deal when you have a car. However, when your transportation is a motorcycle it becomes kind of an issue. I cut a whole in a big black garbage bag and wore it like a poncho as we rode down the mountain! It was great. It could've been much worse! The rain only lasted maybe 20 minutes and then it stopped!
Well, other than that I don't think I have much else to say other than I LOVE YOU ALL! :) Hope you have a wonderful week!
How's life my friends and family? I hope it is just as great as mine! Although you may have a few more benefits than I do! ;) haha
These last couple weeks have been crazy! Last week I worked in Sagay for two days with Elder Newton and then came back to Sewahon and finished out a great week there. We missed out on two days of work but still had a full week of success! it was all backed by our 2 baptisms and our .............. 17 investigators who attended church! I was so surprised to see so many of them at church. They just kept coming and coming! The work is truly Hastening especially up here in the mountains and in the Philippines Bacolod Mission. I meant to mention this to you last week but when we had our Zone Conference, President Lopez shared a very amazing statistic with us that totally blew my mind. He said that in the month of October the Colonia Divina Branch (which consists of Alimatoc and Sewahon groups, 6 missionaries total) had 20 convert baptisms, which was more than an entire other mission here in the Philippines. He then said the "Colonia Divinia Mission." How crazy is that. I can't even imagine that. More than entire other mission. It's totally "mind bottling" hahah There's my movie quote for ya! ;)
Well we're here in Bacolod right now in preparation for our Mission Tour tomorrow with Elder Ardern! Tonight we are staying in the Silay West elders apartment! If you remember that is my last area! Which means I get to work with Elder Rakuro again and visit people in my last area which I'm kind of excited for! Oh and this morning we woke up to a pleasant rain. Which isn't a big deal when you have a car. However, when your transportation is a motorcycle it becomes kind of an issue. I cut a whole in a big black garbage bag and wore it like a poncho as we rode down the mountain! It was great. It could've been much worse! The rain only lasted maybe 20 minutes and then it stopped!
Well, other than that I don't think I have much else to say other than I LOVE YOU ALL! :) Hope you have a wonderful week!
Monday, November 17, 2014
11.3.14
This week we were blessed with a visit from President and Sister Lopez and the Mower Couple! It was so cool to have them visit and experience Sacrament Meeting here in Sewahon! It was also really cool because it was testimony meeting. I was conducting and was able to share my testimony and then it was funny because we had this drunk that we didn't even know who showed up and while Elder and Sister Mower were sharing their testimonies, in English, the guy was repeatedly making comments about how he couldn't understand, it was kinda funny, but he was in the back and we mostly ignored him! Then President went around inviting members and investigators to share their testimonies some were startled but stil shared their testimonies and others were scared and didn't but it was so cool to hear the testimonies of the members here. I had told one of the Young Women to share her testimony the night before and she came up to me before Sacrament and said "Elder, I can't do it!" So I said that's alright there's always next time. Then after sacrament I asked her what she would've done if President and asked her to share her testimony and she said "I was praying SO hard that he wouldn't call on me!" hahah it was funny! She lucked out!
We had a super productive week this week as well! We had 10 investigators at church and we reached another high for me with 46 lessons taught with a member present in one week! We had 12 in one day! It was nuts! I also was able to go on exchanges again with Elder Cicon for interviews after our Zone Conference so that was fun. Although Elder Cicon got sick in the truck on the way up and puked. But it was all good! haha
Our Zone Conference was also pretty great. I unfortunately had no voice. I was asked to give a special musical number with Elder Butler and Elder Cruz but I couldn't sing. I always look forward to mission conferences because I get to sing bass when we sing but I had no voice so that really stunk. And then we sang a Christmas Carol for you guys and practiced parts and everything and I couldn't sing it was no fun, but it was still fun at the same time! haha I hope you all enjoyed it! I couldn't sing much but I nailed the last note that was super low ;) haha
Well I start off working Monday and Tuesday this week in Sagay while Elder Derecho works in Lopez Jaena. Then on Wednesday we will join back up and head back to Sewahon! It's kinda weird, but it is what it is! Missionary Work gihapon! ;)
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! :)
We had a super productive week this week as well! We had 10 investigators at church and we reached another high for me with 46 lessons taught with a member present in one week! We had 12 in one day! It was nuts! I also was able to go on exchanges again with Elder Cicon for interviews after our Zone Conference so that was fun. Although Elder Cicon got sick in the truck on the way up and puked. But it was all good! haha
Our Zone Conference was also pretty great. I unfortunately had no voice. I was asked to give a special musical number with Elder Butler and Elder Cruz but I couldn't sing. I always look forward to mission conferences because I get to sing bass when we sing but I had no voice so that really stunk. And then we sang a Christmas Carol for you guys and practiced parts and everything and I couldn't sing it was no fun, but it was still fun at the same time! haha I hope you all enjoyed it! I couldn't sing much but I nailed the last note that was super low ;) haha
Well I start off working Monday and Tuesday this week in Sagay while Elder Derecho works in Lopez Jaena. Then on Wednesday we will join back up and head back to Sewahon! It's kinda weird, but it is what it is! Missionary Work gihapon! ;)
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! :)
10.27.14
First Baptism in Sewahon!
We had our first baptism in Sewahon just yesterday! We baptized in the river which was pretty sweet. It was just kinda hard to find a good place to stand because there were a lot of big rocks in the water, not a very flat surface! But it was way sweet and went really well. Like I said last week, I presided at our sacrament meeting this past week and also at the baptism. It's so weird. It sounded so weird to hear "Presiding at this meeting is Elder Walters." Just doesn't seem quite right still, but it is!
We had a pretty successful week again this week! I reached my personal mission high with 39 new investigators in one week. It was pretty crazy! We made it out to two new locations within our area and met quite a bit of people. A lot of them seemed like they have potential and interest in our message! Should be exciting to get back to them again this next week!
I'm also excited because w have Zone Conference tomorrow here in Sagay! Which means good food and lots of things to learn and a time to visit with President and Sister Lopez! It's so nice to see them. We will also be blessed to see them again on Sunday, Nov. 2 in Sewahon. They will be attending our Sacrament and interviewing our candidates for baptism! So exciting!
Other than that, I don't have much news. I will be going on exchanges again this week with Elder Cicon in Alimatoc so that I can interview their baptismal candidates as well. Next next week is transfer day so there will be quite a few changes in our district since Elder Butler and Elder Sablan are both going home. So we will see some changes up in the mountain! haha
Hope all is well back in the States! Love you all!
We had our first baptism in Sewahon just yesterday! We baptized in the river which was pretty sweet. It was just kinda hard to find a good place to stand because there were a lot of big rocks in the water, not a very flat surface! But it was way sweet and went really well. Like I said last week, I presided at our sacrament meeting this past week and also at the baptism. It's so weird. It sounded so weird to hear "Presiding at this meeting is Elder Walters." Just doesn't seem quite right still, but it is!
We had a pretty successful week again this week! I reached my personal mission high with 39 new investigators in one week. It was pretty crazy! We made it out to two new locations within our area and met quite a bit of people. A lot of them seemed like they have potential and interest in our message! Should be exciting to get back to them again this next week!
I'm also excited because w have Zone Conference tomorrow here in Sagay! Which means good food and lots of things to learn and a time to visit with President and Sister Lopez! It's so nice to see them. We will also be blessed to see them again on Sunday, Nov. 2 in Sewahon. They will be attending our Sacrament and interviewing our candidates for baptism! So exciting!
Other than that, I don't have much news. I will be going on exchanges again this week with Elder Cicon in Alimatoc so that I can interview their baptismal candidates as well. Next next week is transfer day so there will be quite a few changes in our district since Elder Butler and Elder Sablan are both going home. So we will see some changes up in the mountain! haha
Hope all is well back in the States! Love you all!
10.20.14
Who will Preside?
This past week was pretty stinking crazy if you ask me. I mentioned how I experience things last week for the first time in my mission but this week I experienced even more. First off on Thursday we tried to go down the mountain to Sagay to get our support, but we couldn't because all the rivers flooded and the bridges were overflowed! So we had started our ride down but then had to return back home. Then that very day we went and visited a new area in Sewahon II. The rode going up to Sewahon II from Sewahon I was like a river itself. We just took of a shoes and rolled up our pant legs and walked up the 'river'm it was crazy! We did however reach a high for my mission with 33 Lesson to taught to Investigators with a member present, and 14 other lessons taught! We were very busy! However our investigator sacrament attendance was only 6, but that will continue to improve. We have a baptism this Sunday so I'm excited for that!
So the answer to "Who will Preside?" is written at the top of the message. Starting next week we're switching our Sacrament Meeting to the morning which means that our Branch President and members from Colonia won't be able to attend, which leaves Elder Walters to Preside at Church! How crazy is that? There's a first for everything!
Today we're having our p-day in Sagay and then tomorrow I will head up to Alimatoc again with Elder Cicon this time. Elder Sablan will interview our baptismal candidate and I will interview their's up in Alimatoc. Elder Cicon is only in his 2nd transfer so this will be fun! :)
Other than that I don't have anything else to say! Not sure when I will be on next week, but I will continue to have somebody email you so that you know when I will be on!
Love you guys, have a great week! :)
This past week was pretty stinking crazy if you ask me. I mentioned how I experience things last week for the first time in my mission but this week I experienced even more. First off on Thursday we tried to go down the mountain to Sagay to get our support, but we couldn't because all the rivers flooded and the bridges were overflowed! So we had started our ride down but then had to return back home. Then that very day we went and visited a new area in Sewahon II. The rode going up to Sewahon II from Sewahon I was like a river itself. We just took of a shoes and rolled up our pant legs and walked up the 'river'm it was crazy! We did however reach a high for my mission with 33 Lesson to taught to Investigators with a member present, and 14 other lessons taught! We were very busy! However our investigator sacrament attendance was only 6, but that will continue to improve. We have a baptism this Sunday so I'm excited for that!
So the answer to "Who will Preside?" is written at the top of the message. Starting next week we're switching our Sacrament Meeting to the morning which means that our Branch President and members from Colonia won't be able to attend, which leaves Elder Walters to Preside at Church! How crazy is that? There's a first for everything!
Today we're having our p-day in Sagay and then tomorrow I will head up to Alimatoc again with Elder Cicon this time. Elder Sablan will interview our baptismal candidate and I will interview their's up in Alimatoc. Elder Cicon is only in his 2nd transfer so this will be fun! :)
Other than that I don't have anything else to say! Not sure when I will be on next week, but I will continue to have somebody email you so that you know when I will be on!
Love you guys, have a great week! :)
10.13.14
Happy Birthday Mom!:)
So this was another good week here in Sewahon! Our new apartment is soooooo much nicer than the last! We did have a couple fights with Tokos but those shouldn't happen anymore because they should have no more way of getting in the house! We sealed off all the entrances haha
We had a pretty crazy week with coming down the mountain 3 times! Once for pday, another for Zone Training Meeting, and then another on Saturday for General Conference. It was fun!
I also went on exchanges with Elder Sablan in Alimatoc on Wednesday before our Zone Training Meeting. Elder Sablan is our District Leader but is also a former Assistant. Kids good. haha We had a crazy day. We walked 30 minutes up the mountain to meet Elder Sablan and Elder Cicon for our exchanges and then Elder Sablan and I walked another 30 minutes or so up the mountain farther to get to Alimatoc. The whole time we were carrying boxes filled with Books of Mormons and other things. They had to have been like at least 30 pounds. THen to top it all off it started raining on us! It was great! haha The many wonderful experiences of Missionary Work!
Then on our exchanges while walking up a hill of clay I slipped which resulted in my left food going shin deep into the small creek nearby. Then We walked out into the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain in water trenched pathways resulting in water entering both of my shoes. Then we were hiking our way back up out of the middle of nowhere and had to cross flood water almost knee deep. It was one CRAZY day of missionary work let me tell you! I also was able to do 2 Baptismal Interviews for them! Always fun to help people prepare for baptism!
This week we only watched the Saturday Session of General Conference here in Sagay. Then on Sunday we just held our normal Sacrament in Sewahon. We started having a Sunday School based on the Gospel Principles to help build the faith of our Investigators and Recent Converts! It went really well! We reached 40 this week in attendance! As for General Conference, still waiting to watch the Sunday Sessions, but I really enjoyed those on Saturday! I really enjoyed Elder Christofferson's talk. I've taken a liking to him since he visited our Stake the day I was set apart! haha I loved how he mentioned that we don't get to be the ones who decide what is right and what is wrong. It's already been decided. We will always have to face the reality of what's right and what's wrong whether we like it or not. I loved his little analogy of how we'll still fall off a cliff if we jump whether we agree with the Law of Gravity or not. One day we will stand in front of Christ and have to live with the consequences of what we've done, whether we agree or not. We have to do what He says, not what we want. Faith and Religion doesn't depend on us, it depends on Him and what He has said is right. We must spend our time trying to figure that out, searching for his ONE true church. Not just what we think is right, or where we feel comfortable. What we are truly searching for is Eternal Happiness, not just happiness in this life. How sad will it be if we chose happiness in this life but that it doesn't result in eternal happiness in the life to come. That is what I learned from Elder Christofferson! Hopefully I get to listen to the Sunday Sessions soon!
Hope you all have a great week! Next week I should be on on Monday, but probably at a later time! Love you all! :)
So this was another good week here in Sewahon! Our new apartment is soooooo much nicer than the last! We did have a couple fights with Tokos but those shouldn't happen anymore because they should have no more way of getting in the house! We sealed off all the entrances haha
We had a pretty crazy week with coming down the mountain 3 times! Once for pday, another for Zone Training Meeting, and then another on Saturday for General Conference. It was fun!
I also went on exchanges with Elder Sablan in Alimatoc on Wednesday before our Zone Training Meeting. Elder Sablan is our District Leader but is also a former Assistant. Kids good. haha We had a crazy day. We walked 30 minutes up the mountain to meet Elder Sablan and Elder Cicon for our exchanges and then Elder Sablan and I walked another 30 minutes or so up the mountain farther to get to Alimatoc. The whole time we were carrying boxes filled with Books of Mormons and other things. They had to have been like at least 30 pounds. THen to top it all off it started raining on us! It was great! haha The many wonderful experiences of Missionary Work!
Then on our exchanges while walking up a hill of clay I slipped which resulted in my left food going shin deep into the small creek nearby. Then We walked out into the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain in water trenched pathways resulting in water entering both of my shoes. Then we were hiking our way back up out of the middle of nowhere and had to cross flood water almost knee deep. It was one CRAZY day of missionary work let me tell you! I also was able to do 2 Baptismal Interviews for them! Always fun to help people prepare for baptism!
This week we only watched the Saturday Session of General Conference here in Sagay. Then on Sunday we just held our normal Sacrament in Sewahon. We started having a Sunday School based on the Gospel Principles to help build the faith of our Investigators and Recent Converts! It went really well! We reached 40 this week in attendance! As for General Conference, still waiting to watch the Sunday Sessions, but I really enjoyed those on Saturday! I really enjoyed Elder Christofferson's talk. I've taken a liking to him since he visited our Stake the day I was set apart! haha I loved how he mentioned that we don't get to be the ones who decide what is right and what is wrong. It's already been decided. We will always have to face the reality of what's right and what's wrong whether we like it or not. I loved his little analogy of how we'll still fall off a cliff if we jump whether we agree with the Law of Gravity or not. One day we will stand in front of Christ and have to live with the consequences of what we've done, whether we agree or not. We have to do what He says, not what we want. Faith and Religion doesn't depend on us, it depends on Him and what He has said is right. We must spend our time trying to figure that out, searching for his ONE true church. Not just what we think is right, or where we feel comfortable. What we are truly searching for is Eternal Happiness, not just happiness in this life. How sad will it be if we chose happiness in this life but that it doesn't result in eternal happiness in the life to come. That is what I learned from Elder Christofferson! Hopefully I get to listen to the Sunday Sessions soon!
Hope you all have a great week! Next week I should be on on Monday, but probably at a later time! Love you all! :)
Thursday, October 9, 2014
10.6.14
Week 1 in Sewahon
This week has been GREAT! Other than the super long and tiring walks it has been fun. We had a pretty successful week. The people here in Sewahon are just great. The members that are here just love us and are such a great help to us in finding people to teach, it's pretty amazing to see how converted they are already! We also were able to see President and Sister Lopez this past Sunday! They made a trip up to Colonia Divina and Alimatoc. They were supposed to visit us as well in Sewahon but President Lopez wasn't feeling very well. But it was nice to be able to run into them in Colonia Divina.
This week was very tiring actually but it was so great. Even though our apartment was kinda scketchy it was also super nice because it was cold enough at night that we didn't need an electric fan! I would usually wake up in the morning being really cold. Even at night we would come home after our hour long walk pretty hot and tired and we'd turn on the fan while we planned and by the time we were done we were freezing cold. Then you through on a cold bucket shower after that and it's pretty dang chilly! haha But it was great.
I'm glad to say that our adventure to Colonia are now over. We just moved into our new apartment this morning! And it is WAY better than the one in Colonia! I'm super excited to stay there. Although tonight we will be staying in Sagay because it'll be too late to climb back up the mountain by the time we finish here and then tomorrow we will have exchanges in Alimatoc so I won't even be the first to sleep in the new apartment! Kinda crazy, but it's all good! Life goes on!
I apologize that I was not able to email you all yesterday, but I am still alive don't you worry! I'm not really sure what time or day I will be emailing. Our schedule is pretty crazy up in the mountains because of travel circumstances. So usually we will probably end up emailing later in the evening on Monday and staying in Sagay and then just having District Meeting here in Sagay to save ourselves Money. So I can't really promise what day or time I will be online! Next week we have Zone Conference on the 16th here in Sagay. So we might end up having our Pday on Wednesday. I apologize, but that's life in the mountains! ;)
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! Just know that I am enjoying every minute of my experience here in the Mission Field! Don't you ever worry about me!
This week has been GREAT! Other than the super long and tiring walks it has been fun. We had a pretty successful week. The people here in Sewahon are just great. The members that are here just love us and are such a great help to us in finding people to teach, it's pretty amazing to see how converted they are already! We also were able to see President and Sister Lopez this past Sunday! They made a trip up to Colonia Divina and Alimatoc. They were supposed to visit us as well in Sewahon but President Lopez wasn't feeling very well. But it was nice to be able to run into them in Colonia Divina.
This week was very tiring actually but it was so great. Even though our apartment was kinda scketchy it was also super nice because it was cold enough at night that we didn't need an electric fan! I would usually wake up in the morning being really cold. Even at night we would come home after our hour long walk pretty hot and tired and we'd turn on the fan while we planned and by the time we were done we were freezing cold. Then you through on a cold bucket shower after that and it's pretty dang chilly! haha But it was great.
I'm glad to say that our adventure to Colonia are now over. We just moved into our new apartment this morning! And it is WAY better than the one in Colonia! I'm super excited to stay there. Although tonight we will be staying in Sagay because it'll be too late to climb back up the mountain by the time we finish here and then tomorrow we will have exchanges in Alimatoc so I won't even be the first to sleep in the new apartment! Kinda crazy, but it's all good! Life goes on!
I apologize that I was not able to email you all yesterday, but I am still alive don't you worry! I'm not really sure what time or day I will be emailing. Our schedule is pretty crazy up in the mountains because of travel circumstances. So usually we will probably end up emailing later in the evening on Monday and staying in Sagay and then just having District Meeting here in Sagay to save ourselves Money. So I can't really promise what day or time I will be online! Next week we have Zone Conference on the 16th here in Sagay. So we might end up having our Pday on Wednesday. I apologize, but that's life in the mountains! ;)
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! Just know that I am enjoying every minute of my experience here in the Mission Field! Don't you ever worry about me!
9.29.14
So yes i was transferred again! And yes my prediction was also correct. I amcurrently assigned to the Sewahon Special Sacrament Group. We are part of the Colonia Divina Branch. We are in one if the most remote areas of the mission. Its up in the mountains and very hard to get to. We currently live in the second floor of the Colonia meeting house which is very very sketchy, but it is what it is. On October 7 we will movento our apartment in Sewahon which is much closernto the bottom of the mountain and the city of Sagay. So the onky way up here ;is to take a jeepney which onky comesnup once a day atvabout 10 am. The other way is to ride a single motorcycle which is super expensive. The onky way down the mountain is the same way, but the jeepney leaves at like 4 am. Our area is currently an hours walk away. So thats an hour downhill in the early afternoon and an hour uphill at night. Needless to say my legs are verynsore!!! But ill get used to it pretty quick. Yesterday we attended church in Colonia where we had a solid 94 people attend. Classes were crazy because we were outside and inside and it was just crazy. The meeting housecis just a house thats not very big. So itnwasna tight fit. During sacrament there was probably a good 30 people outside. Then we had our special sacrament in Sewahon at the home ofnanrecent convert. First time in my 21 years that that has happened. It was crazy. We had 36 people attend, some of them joined us from colonia so thatvisnt just us in Sewahon. It was a pretty good sunday. Way more people than we have back home at church and they all live far away in the miuntains and walk tochurch. Talk about sacrifice. Im excited to be way up in thr mountains even if my apartment is a sketchy shack and i walk in thr mountains for hours becahse the people are jhst so ready for the gospel! Sorry my email is a bit short but I'm currently using the touchscreen tablet of our branch president and its semi-difficult hahaha
Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I hope you all had a wonderful September 28th as well!
Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I hope you all had a wonderful September 28th as well!
9.22.14
Happy Birthday to my wonderful father! The big 50! Sad that i'm going to miss it, but it's all good! There will be plenty more!
"Elder Walters do you have any health problem? Can you say that you are most physically fit?"
That is the text I received from President Lopez. Transfer day is this week and I already know that I will transfer because President called and told Elder Rakuro that he will train this next transfer, which means that I will leave.... again. And the fact that President asked those things means that I will probably be far away from Bacolod City again and maybe somewhere up in the mountains! Which is kinda exciting! We will find out later this evening probably!
This week was alright. We weren't super productive. We had a good week going up until the point that President called us! Then we kidna slacked off a bit, which isn't how it should happen. This next week we will pick things back up with our new companions! I'm gonna miss Elder Rakuro. The kids a blast. We have so much fun every day!
We were able to attend the National Family Week Celebration this past Saturday in Talisay. It was a tri-stake activity so the Bacolod Stake and the Bacolod South Stake joined us here in the Bacolod North Stake. There were a ton of people and it was pretty much a giant waste of our time, but we got to eat lunch and I got to see people from Manta-angan so that was kinda nice!
Oh, I also got slapped by a little girl on Saturday. Little Michelle is 2 years old and we are super close haha. We walked up to there house on Saturday and she was sitting outside on this little stool like thing and as soon as she saw me she stood up and tried to give me the stool. I said "No, you sit down!" and she just looked at me and said "Pungko bala!" haha It was so funny. "Pungko" means Sit and 'bala' is just like an added emphasizer. So it was really funny. So I sat down and then she was standing between my legs leaning on one and then a little while later she walked away and then started crying because her mom had walked away. So then I told her 'It's ok she'll come right back. Don't cry!" then WHACK! she got me right in the face! hahaah I totally didn't see it coming but it's all good! She's just a little girl and she's so darn cute! I just think it's funny!
Well I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week! Next time I email you I will be 21 years old!!!! Where has the time gone! hahahah
"Elder Walters do you have any health problem? Can you say that you are most physically fit?"
That is the text I received from President Lopez. Transfer day is this week and I already know that I will transfer because President called and told Elder Rakuro that he will train this next transfer, which means that I will leave.... again. And the fact that President asked those things means that I will probably be far away from Bacolod City again and maybe somewhere up in the mountains! Which is kinda exciting! We will find out later this evening probably!
This week was alright. We weren't super productive. We had a good week going up until the point that President called us! Then we kidna slacked off a bit, which isn't how it should happen. This next week we will pick things back up with our new companions! I'm gonna miss Elder Rakuro. The kids a blast. We have so much fun every day!
We were able to attend the National Family Week Celebration this past Saturday in Talisay. It was a tri-stake activity so the Bacolod Stake and the Bacolod South Stake joined us here in the Bacolod North Stake. There were a ton of people and it was pretty much a giant waste of our time, but we got to eat lunch and I got to see people from Manta-angan so that was kinda nice!
Oh, I also got slapped by a little girl on Saturday. Little Michelle is 2 years old and we are super close haha. We walked up to there house on Saturday and she was sitting outside on this little stool like thing and as soon as she saw me she stood up and tried to give me the stool. I said "No, you sit down!" and she just looked at me and said "Pungko bala!" haha It was so funny. "Pungko" means Sit and 'bala' is just like an added emphasizer. So it was really funny. So I sat down and then she was standing between my legs leaning on one and then a little while later she walked away and then started crying because her mom had walked away. So then I told her 'It's ok she'll come right back. Don't cry!" then WHACK! she got me right in the face! hahaah I totally didn't see it coming but it's all good! She's just a little girl and she's so darn cute! I just think it's funny!
Well I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week! Next time I email you I will be 21 years old!!!! Where has the time gone! hahahah
9.15.14
Well this was a pretty crazy week. First off we went to Robinson's, which is one of the biggest malls in Bacolod and EVERYONE asked me if I was the new ZL. Then I proceeded to tell them no, and then they would say well does that mean Elder Rakuro isn't a Zone Leader? Nope, he's still a Zone Leader. Then everyone was just super confused, it was kinda funny! But then Tuesday after our District Meeting we had an interview for the sisters in Talisay, it was raining and Elder Rakuro wasn't feeling well and then he didn't have an umbrella so that wasn't a good combo. We went home and he just slept. He did not look very good at all, but he's good now! Then about two days later he passed the runny nose and cough, and sneezing to me! But now I'm good too! So it was just a crazy week of being semi-sick! But we're both alright now!
Then comes the Assistants. Thursday we went on exchanges with the Assistants. Even though I'm not a ZL they said alright that's fine! I was kinda nervous, but it was great. I worked with Elder Cannon. He's from Blackfoot, Idaho. He's pretty cool. We taught about 7 lessons, and he gave a baptismal interview, and then we played some ping-pong. It was pretty great. Kids pretty good at ping-pong. He beat me 3-2 in a best of 5. We had it happen twice during our teaching where the people we taught were like "Wow, Elder Walters is better than you at Ilonggo, he's like a Filipino when he speaks, but you Elder Cannon, you still have a huge accent!" It was kinda weird but Elder Cannon didn't care, he knows he has a big accent still, but that just always makes me feel good about myself! The people think I speak better than the Assistant! CRAZY! I hope that does mean anything for the future ;) hahahah But I guess we'll find out! Turns out there's a huge transfer day TODAY, and it's not transfer day. Elder Cannon actually stepped down from being an AP today as well, but crazy stuff. President Lopez is so unpredictable! Elder Rakuro and I are still good though! haha
Other than that. Nothing too crazy happened this week other than when we went on our exchanges I forgot my big with my change of clothes and my hair wax, and deodorant on the jeepney. So my hair has been pretty poofy the last few days haha! But it's all good. Some filipino got a nice gift!
Well I love you all and hope you all have a great week! Keep on being great! :)
Oh and cool news that Elder Cannon told me. They had a transfer meeting with President Lopez last week and President told them that the Philippines Bacolod Mission is the top baptizing mission in ............................... THE ENTIRE WORLD! How cool is that? haha
Then comes the Assistants. Thursday we went on exchanges with the Assistants. Even though I'm not a ZL they said alright that's fine! I was kinda nervous, but it was great. I worked with Elder Cannon. He's from Blackfoot, Idaho. He's pretty cool. We taught about 7 lessons, and he gave a baptismal interview, and then we played some ping-pong. It was pretty great. Kids pretty good at ping-pong. He beat me 3-2 in a best of 5. We had it happen twice during our teaching where the people we taught were like "Wow, Elder Walters is better than you at Ilonggo, he's like a Filipino when he speaks, but you Elder Cannon, you still have a huge accent!" It was kinda weird but Elder Cannon didn't care, he knows he has a big accent still, but that just always makes me feel good about myself! The people think I speak better than the Assistant! CRAZY! I hope that does mean anything for the future ;) hahahah But I guess we'll find out! Turns out there's a huge transfer day TODAY, and it's not transfer day. Elder Cannon actually stepped down from being an AP today as well, but crazy stuff. President Lopez is so unpredictable! Elder Rakuro and I are still good though! haha
Other than that. Nothing too crazy happened this week other than when we went on our exchanges I forgot my big with my change of clothes and my hair wax, and deodorant on the jeepney. So my hair has been pretty poofy the last few days haha! But it's all good. Some filipino got a nice gift!
Well I love you all and hope you all have a great week! Keep on being great! :)
Oh and cool news that Elder Cannon told me. They had a transfer meeting with President Lopez last week and President told them that the Philippines Bacolod Mission is the top baptizing mission in ............................... THE ENTIRE WORLD! How cool is that? haha
9.8.14
So this week did not end the way that I expected it to! I'll start from the beginning. So Monday we had a new Zone Leader get transferred into the Zone, Elder W. He became companions with Elder Rakuro who was already a ZL. Then Wednesday we had our Zone Training Meeting where the ZL's give us training and so do the Sister Training Leaders. To be honest it was probably the worst Zone Training Meeting I've been too. It just wasn't very organized or spiritually uplifting at all. I also noticed that Elder W didn't treat Elder Rakuro very well, and Elder Rakuro is the Senior Companion and Zone Leader. So fast forward to Friday afternoon. Elder De Guzman and I had just left the apartment and started working when I get a call from Elder Rakuro saying "Hey Elder Walters you're coming to stay with me tonight!" So of course I asked why and he said "It's a death threat!" Oh well that's just great! But alright not that big of a deal I was excited to go on exchanges with Elder Rakuro. So then Elder Rakuro tells me how the reason they got a death threat was because in the 4 days that Elder W was in his new area he pretty much offended everyone! He just went around saying things and being completely rude to everyone! So Elder Rakuro had enough of it! He called President and said "Get him out of here before I'm the one who kills him!" President just told him to relax and to have me come stay with him for the night. So that's what we did. Then Saturday morning Elder Rakuro texted President Lopez and asked what the plan was. And President said "Let's just make this exchange a permanent one at least until the end of the transfer." So I just swapped areas with Elder W. The two of them however are still the Zone Leaders. As of now I am just the new District Leader, because Elder Rakuro was both the ZL and the DL. I honestly am really excited to be companions with Elder Rakuro! He's my first Polynesian companion and my first companion since my trainer who is not Filipino! He's from Fiji! He's so cool! We're going to have a great time here in the Silay West Ward!
So that was pretty much my exciting news for the week. We went up and got all my stuff from Manta-angan on Saturday night and I'm all moved in now in Silay. Kinda of a quick exit from Manta-angan. Didn't get the chance to say good-bye to a single person there. So that's not cool. I'll just have to write them letters! But I'm here in the Silay West Ward which is still part of the Bacolod North Stake! Hope Elder Rakuro and I can fix the mess that Elder W started here! haha
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!
Ingat po kayo dyan! :)
So that was pretty much my exciting news for the week. We went up and got all my stuff from Manta-angan on Saturday night and I'm all moved in now in Silay. Kinda of a quick exit from Manta-angan. Didn't get the chance to say good-bye to a single person there. So that's not cool. I'll just have to write them letters! But I'm here in the Silay West Ward which is still part of the Bacolod North Stake! Hope Elder Rakuro and I can fix the mess that Elder W started here! haha
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!
Ingat po kayo dyan! :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
9.1.14
Nagkibot gid ko ya!!
I just can't believe how fast the time goes by these days. One day you leave on your mission and the next day there's only 9 months left. Where did all that time go? Who knows! But this week went pretty well! We didn't have any baptisms, but we taught more lessons than last week and we had more people attend church!
So as for the title of my email. I guess it would translate to "I jumped pretty good!" or "I was startled!" Or maybe surprised. Either way I know what it means but I'm not sure the exact word for it in English haha That's what happens to ya. You learn a new language and you understand it so well that you can't explain it in your native language. But as for the "jumping," yesterday at church before we started President Villorejo asked me if I could speak, and I said yea sure. I then asked if I was just a backup and he said yes. I was the back up in case Brother Montejo didn't show up. So about halfway through class, Brother Montejo showed up! YES! Now i don't have to speak so I stopped thinking about what I would share. Then just before the blessing and passing of the sacrament President Villorejo says "After the sacrament we have two speakers, first Elder Walters!" WHAT!?!?!? ahaa I did not see that one coming! But It was alright, I just grabbed my English and Hiligaynon Book of Mormon and made the best of my 5 minutes! One of the many blessings of being a Full-Time Missionary!
Well in other good news, President Villorejo asked us yesterday morning for help in finding a new Branch Mission Leader. Elder De Guzman and I thought about it for a few minutes and then we gave President our suggestion. Brother Lopez was sustained yesterday! Didn't take long for that! In sad news, the 2nd Counselor left for Mindanao this morning, he was always my companion on Sunday Afternoons for member exchanges. Who knows when or if he'll come back! Sad day! I love that man! But that's life! The work goes on, and we have a new Branch Mission Leader so that's promising!
Well that's all from the week of Elder Walters. Hope all is well in the lives of each and every one of you! May we make the best of each and every day our Father in Heaven has given us!
Palangga ko kamo!
I just can't believe how fast the time goes by these days. One day you leave on your mission and the next day there's only 9 months left. Where did all that time go? Who knows! But this week went pretty well! We didn't have any baptisms, but we taught more lessons than last week and we had more people attend church!
So as for the title of my email. I guess it would translate to "I jumped pretty good!" or "I was startled!" Or maybe surprised. Either way I know what it means but I'm not sure the exact word for it in English haha That's what happens to ya. You learn a new language and you understand it so well that you can't explain it in your native language. But as for the "jumping," yesterday at church before we started President Villorejo asked me if I could speak, and I said yea sure. I then asked if I was just a backup and he said yes. I was the back up in case Brother Montejo didn't show up. So about halfway through class, Brother Montejo showed up! YES! Now i don't have to speak so I stopped thinking about what I would share. Then just before the blessing and passing of the sacrament President Villorejo says "After the sacrament we have two speakers, first Elder Walters!" WHAT!?!?!? ahaa I did not see that one coming! But It was alright, I just grabbed my English and Hiligaynon Book of Mormon and made the best of my 5 minutes! One of the many blessings of being a Full-Time Missionary!
Well in other good news, President Villorejo asked us yesterday morning for help in finding a new Branch Mission Leader. Elder De Guzman and I thought about it for a few minutes and then we gave President our suggestion. Brother Lopez was sustained yesterday! Didn't take long for that! In sad news, the 2nd Counselor left for Mindanao this morning, he was always my companion on Sunday Afternoons for member exchanges. Who knows when or if he'll come back! Sad day! I love that man! But that's life! The work goes on, and we have a new Branch Mission Leader so that's promising!
Well that's all from the week of Elder Walters. Hope all is well in the lives of each and every one of you! May we make the best of each and every day our Father in Heaven has given us!
Palangga ko kamo!
Monday, August 25, 2014
8.25.14
This week went pretty well! We had a successful baptism for Sister Wilma Tesara on Saturday. We started late but as they say here about the Filipino Members, LDS means 'Late During Sundays' or even 'Late During Services'. haha It's true, they're always late. President Always brings it up, but yet...... still late for everything. They call it Filipino Time I think it's kinda funny sometimes!
Elder De Guzman and I get along pretty well! We don't have any problems, but sometimes we have hard time understanding each other because he speaks quite a bit of Tagalog still! It's kinda weird sometimes. But it's all good! We just CARRY ON!
So this week we went in search of a Former Investigator that I saw in our Area Book. The Elders visited her once, made her a teaching record, wrote that she accepted a return appointment, and then they never went back. Doesn't make too much sense, but we went back! They're great! There were 3 Sisters from the ages of 22-25 who listened and even participated by answering and asking questions! I love investigators like that who aren't afraid to speak! So hopefully we can continue to help them!
We also had another Sister who just came up to us at her neighbors house while we were teaching and she also is a great investigator. The only problem is that her husband doesn't want her to listen. So we need to work on that! She is an instant fellowshipper in Sister Lumogda who we just baptized last month! So hopefully we can get her husband on board.
My first lesson as a District Leader went fairly well! I just feel awkward teaching other missionaries. Sometimes I just feel as though they know all of it already or that they no more than me, so it's weird but hopefully it will get better!
Other than that, no other real exciting news! Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Love you all! :)
Elder De Guzman and I get along pretty well! We don't have any problems, but sometimes we have hard time understanding each other because he speaks quite a bit of Tagalog still! It's kinda weird sometimes. But it's all good! We just CARRY ON!
So this week we went in search of a Former Investigator that I saw in our Area Book. The Elders visited her once, made her a teaching record, wrote that she accepted a return appointment, and then they never went back. Doesn't make too much sense, but we went back! They're great! There were 3 Sisters from the ages of 22-25 who listened and even participated by answering and asking questions! I love investigators like that who aren't afraid to speak! So hopefully we can continue to help them!
We also had another Sister who just came up to us at her neighbors house while we were teaching and she also is a great investigator. The only problem is that her husband doesn't want her to listen. So we need to work on that! She is an instant fellowshipper in Sister Lumogda who we just baptized last month! So hopefully we can get her husband on board.
My first lesson as a District Leader went fairly well! I just feel awkward teaching other missionaries. Sometimes I just feel as though they know all of it already or that they no more than me, so it's weird but hopefully it will get better!
Other than that, no other real exciting news! Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Love you all! :)
8.18.14
Bye-Bye Elder Busadre
Well like I said last week, this last wednesday was transfer day. I didn't expect a transfer because I had only been in Manta-angan for 1 transfer and Elder Busadre had only been there for 4 weeks. But like I said, President Lopez is unpredictable. Elder Busadre transferred. Which means that our District Leader left. So now Elder Walters is the District Leader! First time that's happened. I have been a Junior Companion for my entire mission, until now! I'm kinda nervous but kinda excited at the same time. My new companion is Elder De Guzman. He's from La Union, which is in Upper Luzon. He is Ilokano, Ilokano is crazy ridiculous and hard to understand and speak. I looked at an Ilokano Book of Mormon and I had no clue. haha He also know's Tagalog like most Filipinos. He speaks a lot of Tagalog still in our lessons but that's alright because they all understand him. He is my first companion who's been here for less time than I have. So we'll see how this goes! We're off on a new adventure! haha
Well I'd like to just share one thing that happened a couple weeks ago. We had found a new investigator in the former investigators list of our area book. We had been teaching him for a couple weeks and we had stopped by his house on a Saturday before church and invited him to church and he said "yea for sure, I don't have anywhere to go tomorrow!" So we had hoped to see him the next day. Unfortunately he didn't come. So then the next Saturday we stopped by his house again. First thing I said was "Brother, I thought you were gonna go to Church last Sunday." He replied by saying that he ended up searching for a job. At that moment the scripture 3 Nephi 13:33 popped into my head.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
That was not our plan for that day but I felt that's what he needed to hear. So we shared that scripture with him. Then I promised him that if he went to church the next day that he would find a job. So the next morning we picked him up and walked to church with him. Then that Friday, what do you know, he had a job! It was amazing. he too noticed the help that he received. Unfortunately he hasn't made it back to Church yet because of his work Schedule but we're working on that. He's seen the blessing he's received and so have we! Amazing how simple God's commandments are!
I love all of you and hope you all have a wonderful week! Don't forget to keep God's Commandments! ;) For if you do, he doth quickly bless you!
Well like I said last week, this last wednesday was transfer day. I didn't expect a transfer because I had only been in Manta-angan for 1 transfer and Elder Busadre had only been there for 4 weeks. But like I said, President Lopez is unpredictable. Elder Busadre transferred. Which means that our District Leader left. So now Elder Walters is the District Leader! First time that's happened. I have been a Junior Companion for my entire mission, until now! I'm kinda nervous but kinda excited at the same time. My new companion is Elder De Guzman. He's from La Union, which is in Upper Luzon. He is Ilokano, Ilokano is crazy ridiculous and hard to understand and speak. I looked at an Ilokano Book of Mormon and I had no clue. haha He also know's Tagalog like most Filipinos. He speaks a lot of Tagalog still in our lessons but that's alright because they all understand him. He is my first companion who's been here for less time than I have. So we'll see how this goes! We're off on a new adventure! haha
Well I'd like to just share one thing that happened a couple weeks ago. We had found a new investigator in the former investigators list of our area book. We had been teaching him for a couple weeks and we had stopped by his house on a Saturday before church and invited him to church and he said "yea for sure, I don't have anywhere to go tomorrow!" So we had hoped to see him the next day. Unfortunately he didn't come. So then the next Saturday we stopped by his house again. First thing I said was "Brother, I thought you were gonna go to Church last Sunday." He replied by saying that he ended up searching for a job. At that moment the scripture 3 Nephi 13:33 popped into my head.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
That was not our plan for that day but I felt that's what he needed to hear. So we shared that scripture with him. Then I promised him that if he went to church the next day that he would find a job. So the next morning we picked him up and walked to church with him. Then that Friday, what do you know, he had a job! It was amazing. he too noticed the help that he received. Unfortunately he hasn't made it back to Church yet because of his work Schedule but we're working on that. He's seen the blessing he's received and so have we! Amazing how simple God's commandments are!
I love all of you and hope you all have a wonderful week! Don't forget to keep God's Commandments! ;) For if you do, he doth quickly bless you!
8.11.14
Another Good Week
This week has been another good one! We had quite a few lessons taught and we had lot's of members want to work with us! We had a member work with us on Friday who has a tricycle (Filipino) so that was nice because he could drive us all over and we didn't have to walk quite as much. We decided to go out to one of our farthest areas because we had a ride and when we made it out there our Branch President and two other sisters had just finished visiting the people we had planned to visit. So that was too bad hahah
Last week I had a pretty good moment. I'm not sure if I told you or not but we were walking out to one of our appointments in the middle of nowhere (which is most of our appointments) and on the way the path was super muddy and wet. There seemed to be no real way around it. So Elder Walters came up with the most genius idea. JUMP. Let me just say that it was genius while it was still in my head. But once it was put into action it turned into the stupidest idea ever. Once my feet hit the grown again I slipped and landed on my butt in the mud. Got a little bit muddy and wet. Elder Busadre had quite the laugh at my expense but it was alright. I just laughed it off as well!
We had another successful baptism this past weekend for brother John Mari and his daughter Daniela! I was able to be the baptizer. Brother John has had super long hair ever since I met him but when he showed up for his baptism on Saturday he had just gotten it cut. New hair cut, and new man, new life after baptism! It was awesome. He even mentioned in his testimony afterwards how he had been praying to ask if he should be baptized and he said he saw himself wearing all white standing in a room. He took that as his answer to be baptized but when he said that I thought much farther than just baptism. THE TEMPLE is where I think he saw himself standing! We'll just have to prepare him for that day! :) Even little 10 year old Daniela got up and bore her testimony! Testimony of the kids always hit me!
Well this week is transfer week. Not expecting a transfer but you never really know with President Lopez. He even told us at our last Mission President's Training that he loves transferring people unexpectedly, even when it's not transfer day haha. So I guess we'll find out!
One thing I just read this past week in the Book of Mosiah 7:29 :
" For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them."
This just stood out to me saying that if we want the Lord's help we need to be doing the right things. We can't just stop and ask for his help while we continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. If we continue to do that the Lord says our "doings shall be as a stumbling block before [us]." So let's do our best to get rid of our own stumbling blocks that we've put in front of ourselves so that we won't have any obstacles in our way!
I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love and miss you all!
This week has been another good one! We had quite a few lessons taught and we had lot's of members want to work with us! We had a member work with us on Friday who has a tricycle (Filipino) so that was nice because he could drive us all over and we didn't have to walk quite as much. We decided to go out to one of our farthest areas because we had a ride and when we made it out there our Branch President and two other sisters had just finished visiting the people we had planned to visit. So that was too bad hahah
Last week I had a pretty good moment. I'm not sure if I told you or not but we were walking out to one of our appointments in the middle of nowhere (which is most of our appointments) and on the way the path was super muddy and wet. There seemed to be no real way around it. So Elder Walters came up with the most genius idea. JUMP. Let me just say that it was genius while it was still in my head. But once it was put into action it turned into the stupidest idea ever. Once my feet hit the grown again I slipped and landed on my butt in the mud. Got a little bit muddy and wet. Elder Busadre had quite the laugh at my expense but it was alright. I just laughed it off as well!
We had another successful baptism this past weekend for brother John Mari and his daughter Daniela! I was able to be the baptizer. Brother John has had super long hair ever since I met him but when he showed up for his baptism on Saturday he had just gotten it cut. New hair cut, and new man, new life after baptism! It was awesome. He even mentioned in his testimony afterwards how he had been praying to ask if he should be baptized and he said he saw himself wearing all white standing in a room. He took that as his answer to be baptized but when he said that I thought much farther than just baptism. THE TEMPLE is where I think he saw himself standing! We'll just have to prepare him for that day! :) Even little 10 year old Daniela got up and bore her testimony! Testimony of the kids always hit me!
Well this week is transfer week. Not expecting a transfer but you never really know with President Lopez. He even told us at our last Mission President's Training that he loves transferring people unexpectedly, even when it's not transfer day haha. So I guess we'll find out!
One thing I just read this past week in the Book of Mosiah 7:29 :
" For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them."
This just stood out to me saying that if we want the Lord's help we need to be doing the right things. We can't just stop and ask for his help while we continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. If we continue to do that the Lord says our "doings shall be as a stumbling block before [us]." So let's do our best to get rid of our own stumbling blocks that we've put in front of ourselves so that we won't have any obstacles in our way!
I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love and miss you all!
8.4.14
Well we had a good, productive week! We hit 20 lessons with a member present and we had 7 investigators at church! Two of them got interviewed for baptism and will be baptized on saturday! Two of the other investigators are working on their papers in order to get married before they can be baptized and we had 2 other investigators who attended church for the first time yesterday!
We also were able to visit a less-active recent convert (those are the best haha) for the first time this week. She's only 16 years old. The next day we went back and she invited 6 of her friends to listen to us! It was pretty awesome! haha We had texted her the night before about a girl we talked to before and told her to talk to her about the church and invite her to listen. When we got to her the next day we asked her about that girl and she said "Indi sya" or she doesn't want to listen. Then we start walking to the place where we were going to teach and she said "wait lang" and when she came back she had her 6 friends with her! It was awesome! We expected/hoped for the 1 other girl but instead we got 6 others!
It was a much much much better week than last week! I felt like a missionary this week! haha Yesterday during our fast & testimony meeting one of our Recent Converts bore her testimony and at one point she said "I wish I could read your Book of Mormon but I just can't understand it, but my husband reads it to me and helps me to understand!" When she said that tears filled my eyes. Her husband is the one who will be baptized this next Saturday and her daughter is the other. It was probably the best Testimony Sunday I've ever experienced.
I love you all and hope you have a great week! :)
We also were able to visit a less-active recent convert (those are the best haha) for the first time this week. She's only 16 years old. The next day we went back and she invited 6 of her friends to listen to us! It was pretty awesome! haha We had texted her the night before about a girl we talked to before and told her to talk to her about the church and invite her to listen. When we got to her the next day we asked her about that girl and she said "Indi sya" or she doesn't want to listen. Then we start walking to the place where we were going to teach and she said "wait lang" and when she came back she had her 6 friends with her! It was awesome! We expected/hoped for the 1 other girl but instead we got 6 others!
It was a much much much better week than last week! I felt like a missionary this week! haha Yesterday during our fast & testimony meeting one of our Recent Converts bore her testimony and at one point she said "I wish I could read your Book of Mormon but I just can't understand it, but my husband reads it to me and helps me to understand!" When she said that tears filled my eyes. Her husband is the one who will be baptized this next Saturday and her daughter is the other. It was probably the best Testimony Sunday I've ever experienced.
I love you all and hope you have a great week! :)
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