2.24.14

Hello all, hope life is going great for all of you, despite tons of snow! hah Just know that I wish we could swap weather for a couple days. You enjoy the snow and the cold, and I'll enjoy the blazing heat for you! :)

So this last week we had a baptism for Brother Joseph Himota, 52 years old. He actually had a stroke about 2 or 3 months ago, and is still in a recovering process, his speech and his walking are both getting better and better each and every day. He was so excited for his baptism. When it came time for his interview, our District Leader E. Espiritu asked him, "Kamusta ka Brother Joseph?" or "How are you?" and his first response was "Lapit na ang bunyag ko!" or "My baptism is close!" He was super excited. I was privileged with the opportunity to baptize him! Everything went great! We're also super excited because this weekend we have another baptism. My first "Weekly Baptism" so excited. We're baptizing a whole family of 5! I'm so excited for them. Brother Valiente used to drink, smoke, and wear earrings, and now NOTHING! It's so awesome to see the impact of the gospel in the life of somebody!

This week I went on exchanges with Elder Espiritu. He's pretty awesome. For those of you who know who Tyler Haws is, he is the Missionary who re-activated E. Espiritu and led to the Baptism of his father! How cool is that? Oh and our Branch Mission Leader served in the same mission as Tyler Haws, Tyler Haws as an AP in their mission when he started his mission! Crazy stories. Our exchanges were great. We bought ice-cream and candles and celebrated the 52nd birthday of E. Espiritu's mother! It was fun times!

Other than that, no real exciting news as of right now! Hopefully I don't get transferred this week so I can attend our baptism. But I don't think I will since I've only been here for 1 transfer, but who knows? Not me, only the Lord!

Birthday Party of Momma Espiritu

Baptism of Bro. Himota

Valiente Family (Baptism Mar. 1)

2.17.14

Week 5 in Mina
Hello Everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful week and a Happy Valentines Day! So this week we had a special Branch Fireside on Saturday title "Love of God!" We didn't have a lot of people there at first, but that's because nobody ever shows up on time here, we had quite a few people there by the end! It was pretty cool! We had one of the missionary couples come and speak and there messages were pretty awesome. I loved one of the scriptures that Elder Rasmussen shared and I actually used it in my talk yesterday at church! He used Rev. 3:30. It's the scripture that is used with the picture of Christ standing at the door knocking! It says : "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." A lot of people believe that just because they have "Faith" and because Christ died for their sins, that that is it, there is no more to do. But here if we read this verse and we visual the picture, there is no door Handle on Christ's side of the door. We have to be the one's who open the door and let Christ into our lives and that doesn't just mean saying, "I have faith." We need to truly open the door to Christ, and let his example lead our lives. There is so much to learn from Christ, how we should live life, not that we need to do miracles or anything but his example is the example we need to follow. He has shown us what true love is.And "If ye love me, keep my commandments." It's that simple!

Before that on Saturday morning we accompanied the Sipalay Elders to the home of their recent convert and their investigator to do a service project. We had to climb up over the mountain to get to their house, and then after we were down we went and visited a nearby cave! It was pretty awesome. It was like a mini "Narrows" adventure! Except I didn't have crazy water shoes and a walking stick. I had flip-flops and myself haha! It was pretty awesome though!

This transfer has just flown by, transfers are already next week it's so crazy! President Lopez told Elder Orlanda that our area is a training area. Which means either I am training after he goes home, or I'm transferring next week and he's training before he goes home hah, but either way who knows! Im not too worried about it! We have a baptism this Saturday, and then the next weekend we have the Valiente Family of 5 being baptized! It's exciting stuff!

Hope all is well back in Michigan, and back in Utah for all of you! Love you!

2.10.14

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Early Valentines Day to all of you!

So this week wasn't anything too crazy again! We taught a lot of lessons, had our Zone Training meeting and that was about it! It was fun to go to my first Zone Training in a different zone with different missionaries! Elder Orlanda and I were asked to sing so we sang Hymn #100 Nearer My God to Thee, it went pretty well! I have such a hard time singing here because nobody picks the right notes or the right pitch, so they start every song too low for me to take it down an octave, but still too high for me to match them, it's awful. I hate it haha But it's alright, not the end of the world!

I saw a couple pretty sweet sunsets again this week, but that happens like every week because we go down by the ocean multiple times a week! Every week we teach gospel principles here because our group is so small and we have nobody to teach, so that's always fun, I actually have a semi difficult time with it because it's usually things I've never taught before, so it's a whole new vocabulary, but I do the best I can and the people always help me out! Next week I get to speak on Missionary Work, shouldn't be too difficult since that's what I do everyday!

We were supposed to have a baptism on the 22nd for 3 sisters in thee Valiente family, but we had to push it back until March 1, but it's for a good reason. THE PARENTS WANT TO BE BAPTIZED NOW TOO. They all came to church this past week so that was awesome, now we just need to work on the smoking issue. The father stopped drinking since the missionaries started visiting him, so hopefully we get work on the smoking as well! I'm so excited for their family! We still have one baptism coming on the 22nd though so that's exciting as well! Brother Himota. He had a stroke a month or two ago and he's still got some speech issues and he cant walk very fast but he climbs of the mountain each week to go to church and he does his best to speak, he's been assigned to give the opening prayer next week in sacrament meeting so i'm excited for him!

Well, I don't have too much more exciting news. Oh wait... I rode on a bus the other day for like 40 minutes, standing the whole time, and I had nothing to lean on so I was holding on to poles and we were winding in and out of curves through the mountain, got to love it here in the Philippines. Oh and I amazed another person with my language. We met a new family and she was talking to Elder Orlanda and after awhile she asks, "Does he understand what we're saying?" Then I sarcastically respond saying that I don't haha, and then I told her I know how to speak as well. Then she was like "Wow even his tone is Ilonggo." Because there are so many languages and accents here in the Philippines, she said I even sounded Ilonggo, so that's always good to hear! K, that's it!

Wait, one more thing "..... Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal!" Don't forget to smile!

I still love and miss you all! Hope you have a wonderful Valentines Day!

-Elder Walters

2.3.14

Nagsakay ako sang Hobble-Hobble!

Well this week I was able to ride "Hobble-hobble" for the first time in my mission. What this means is that you just put as money people as you can an a single motorcycle. We're allowed to ride like this only when this is the only means of transportation. So Elder Orlanda and I rode on the back of a motorcycle. Kinda exciting haha! In some places they can get at least 4 or 5 or more on a single motorcycle! I don't know how they do it! Also in this same trip I got to walk across this river in the rain on this sketchy/shaky bamboo bridge, and then after that we walked a different way back and we use this bamboo raft attached to like a zipline almost to pull ourselves across the river! Talk about pretty intense haha

We had my first baptism here in Mina on Saturday! Sister Jonalyn Arellano! The week before I got here she walked up to Elder Orlanda and asked him after church, "Can you baptize me this afternoon?" SO she was really excited! We had the baptism right in Sipalay at the Chapel. Usually they have baptisms in Mina in the river or in the ocean! I'm kind of excited for when that gets to happen! I apologize I don't have any pictures of the baptism because I charged my camera the night before and then I forgot to grab it when we left for the baptism :/ Smart move I know.

Let's see..... what else happened this week. Hmmmmmmm..... Well we taught a lot of people the gospel. That's always a given though. For real, I can't seem to think of what other exciting things happened this week. Oh, my wonderful friends Sarah, Emily, and Jeanne sent me a package with letters, candy, and pictures in it. They're wonderful, and so nice to me. Nagapasalamat ako sa ilang kabuotan sa akon, bisan layo ako sa ila. Palangga gid ko sila!

Well, I apologize I really don't have any more exciting news than that. I will say however nga palangga gid ko nga tagsa-tagsa sa inyo (I love each of you!) You guys are great and I'm so thankful for your love and support! Hopefully I have more exciting news for you next week! Oh and Go Seahawks again! My choice last week seemed to be a good one! ;)

KitaKits! (Kee-ta Keets)
-Elder Walters

FHE at the Laporo Home!

Teeter-Totter made out of Bamboo!

The water wasn't here when we walked out to the island!

Our future meeting house in Mina!

FHE at the Valiente Home!

Sipalay District! Elder Orlanda, Me, Sister Vargas, Sister Wallace, Elder Sobreviga, and Elder Espiritu

Just eating some fish, no big deal. Just got the head on my spoon!

Just eating some Banana with Ryan and Anton!

I was really tired so Little Florenda decided to lay on my head! She's my new little best friend!

Twas Elder Orlanada's birthday and the members had a fun little surprise for him. They blindfolded him and dumped flour on his head and put lipstick on him!

FHE/Birthday party for Elder Orlanda and Jonalyn Arellano!