Growing Into a Man

Referrals in Rafaro

This week we had a lot of refferals in a place called Rafaro. It is far away in the middle of the bukid(rice fields) so we have been doing a lot of walking! haha! Every night we get home and I drop onto my chair and try not to fall asleep! haha! It is good though! I like feeling tired it makes me feel like I am growing and improving not just my body but my mind and skills as well. haha! Each day it gets easier and easier.

Finding Families

This week we found a the Paraon family. We have been teaching the father(Jose) and his daughter(nevalyn). They are super kind. We are working on getting their mother into the lessons but she seems to always be doing something when we go there. when we first found them both me and elder pacala felt that they would progress and we decided to focus on their family. They are very receptive and humble. However, as we have been teaching them it has suprised both elder pacala and I how much satan does not want them to know the gospel. Each time we have tried to teach them it seems like the lessons are always interupted and the spirit lost. We were going to teach them the restoration and commit them to baptism but a big group of teenage boys showed up near where we were teaching and became very noisy.

The Devil Cannot Stop Us

This experience reminds me of the story of Joseph Smith. when Joseph Smith was taken from his home at night and tarred and feathered but he still whent to preside at the church meeting the next day. There he told the congregation something like "the devil can not force the prophet to do anything"--- I know that there are many forces against this work and this area and every area and mission to stop the work from progressing but the devil can not stop us from doing anything if we have the faith to follow Christ. I pray everyday that I and our investigators gain this faith. I feel like there are so many people here that are prepared but they lack the faith to give up family relations,work,to endure trials, and give up vices.

New Area

This week Pres. Barrientos told us to start looking for a new apartment. he told us that he wants to put 2 more missionaries into San Juan! haha we have been looking for another apartment and we may have found one but we need to wait for the owner to come back from manila. hopefully this next transfer our president will open the new area in San Juan. I am excited! haha!

to answer your questions:

1.my week in the BUG hotel has been great we recently have found new and different kinds of friends living there also. haha maybe I will send pictures... it is actually becoming a lot more clean. This week I started on the kitchen.

2.Our branch in cabugao has about a 200 attendance but from San Juan only about 30 attend.

3.Mom you don't need to send anything i am doing alright but if you do don't send razors, bug spray/killer, cleaning suplies(we already have plenty). don't send the taco seasoning packets (I get sick everytime we use them). maybe just send stuff I can give to kids or members.

4. I feel like i have only gotten here! I still have so much to learn! in addition to tagalog, I have started to learn Ilocano it is basically the same grammar but almost all the words are different! haha! (Mabisin Nakon!- Im Hungry! Mangan tayon!-lets eat! haha)