30 August 2010

Hey everyone,

Well not a lot happened this week. The busiest day was on Friday when we had a service project in the morning, had to run to Alaminos to talk to the elders, and had a funeral service at night. It was great being able to work on Tuesday, rather than have to worry about transferring. Everyone we went to all week was like "What are you still doing here I thought you were transferring?" I said my goodbyes to everyone but then I didn't leave.

Wednesday we went to teach one of our investigators Pablito Tadeo, he was a pretty heavy drinker and smoked about 1-1 1/2 packs every day, during the lesson I had the impression to ask him if he was still carrying on in his old ways and he said he hasn't had a drink since the last time we went to him when he was drunk and as far as his cigarettes, he is down to a half a pack. That is what can happen if an investigator knows the truth of the church, if only they were all like him and started lessening their vices without us as missionaries following up with them every couple days. Then Huellas family, we asked sister how her praying went about Joseph Smith, she hasn't prayed yet to know the truth, but she did say that she has been praying that her husband wouldn't gamble or drink this week and he hasn't! So we explained that the Lord has answered one of her prayers and if she will pray about the church she will know the truth and it won't be a big deal if they have to leave their old church because they found the truth.

Thursday not much exciting happened. Our last appointment was a brother that we have had a hard time gaining his trust. Last week he talked so much and asked so many questions it was great and becuase of that he was able to learn so much more from the lesson because he was able to ask questions because he wasn't scared of us. Building a Relationship of Trust is soo so important.

Friday we cleaned the weeds out of a members house, the Brother was away at work in another city and because of it his house was starting to get overrun with weeds. Then after that we went to lunch and then to Alaminos and to the patay (funeral) The Branch Pres. said that he was not able to come because his wife had a dr. appointment. So he assigned his counselor to go and preside. No problem. Then 4:30 rolls around and his family came over but he didn't. I was like where is brother? They said, he couldn't come he has to watch his fish ponds. I said, "he doesn't have a choice he said he would be here and he is a speaker." So his wife was like "go get him" so we tromped thru the mud and went out and got him. I was Nice don't worry. ha ha. After a lil talk I was able to make him understand that if he commited to something then he has to go. He went to the funeral and after the service he asked where the Elders quorum president was who was also supposed to be there and didn't come becuase his wife said he was tired. So the Brother goes off about magnifying your callings. I kind of looked at him and he quieted down. That continues to be a problem here, the members don't want to work or contribute to the branch, that is why we are struggling.

Yesterday at church it was Branch Conference, it was good, their focus was on playing an active roll in the branch and how to properly record families visited and stuff like that. It was good, I am hoping that the members will start to act on what was said there, and we get to help train them and keep them going. After church we had baptismal interviews and they all passed! So that was a great part of the day.

Next Sunday we have a baptism of 4 converts and one member's child so I'll tell how that goes next week

Until next week

I love you all

Elder Westwood

23 Aug 2010

Hey guys

I know that the Lord hears and answers our prayers! For probably the last couple weeks I have prayed that I would not be transferred this transfer so that I would be able to harvest some of the seeds I've planted.  And the Lord answered my prayers! I will be staying in Bani for at least another month and a half! I'm so excited! I went through a lil bit of a dry spell the last few months but we have like 5 or 6 baptisms planned for the next few weeks! I'm so excited to be able to see some of our great investigators get baptized! The only bad part is that I have to go unpack all my stuff now! ha ha I got nervous and I didn't wanna be up all night packing so I packed earlier, even though the whole time I was doing it, I kept having the thought pass through my head "you're just gonna have to unpack it later" or "you're wasting your time".  The Spirit can tell you things that are supposed to be secret too! ha ha

Well I haven't been in the best of health but the work is still moving forward. I've had a cough almost the whole week, and starting 2 days ago I've been dealing with a headache and a fever and an achy body and stuff. Its not the best but I had some people say in church yesterday that I looked like I was ready to die.  ha ha.  I finally got a blessing yesterday and I'm okay today, not back to 100% but better.  I've been giving blessings like crazy lately.  You'da thought that I'da asked for one earlier.  Oh well.  I did exchanges with one of the other missionaries in the District and I had to sleep in his bed and now he's sick ha ha oops!

Other than that, not a lot has happened. We went and did games for a primary activity yesterday and I wanted to go home and sleep after that but Elder wanted to go out and work so I was kinda in a bad mood but I just decided we were doing it either way so I better make the best of it.  So we went to this one investigator and had an AMAZING  lesson! We even extended a baptismal commitment to her.  Come to find out that her husband died so she was especially interested when we explained that even though her husband is passed now he can be baptized and they can be sealed for all time and eternity.  So it all worked out.  But if I had continued to have a bad attitude and been irritated with Elder when we went there it wouldn't have worked because there would be no spirit. 

Saturday we went and cleaned the church for our service project with the branch president, then we went to lunch after.  He's doing alright with money so it didn't turn into a deal where the americans treat cuz they're rich.  President Balad is a sweet guy! He is way good at english and has an american accent.  I thought he was American the first time I met him, come to find out he has never left the island of Luzon. 

This week we have a plan to thatch a roof for some members or at least cut the weeds to do it.  That should be fun.  I'll take some pictures. 

I hope this letter finds all you well and healthy. I'll continue to pray for you all.  Thank you to all you who are praying for me.

Love you all

Elder Westwood

ps  Elder Pennock is still with me.

16 Aug 2010

Hey everyone,

Well it was a busy week again and I don’t know where it went.  We taught a bunch, stayed busy, learned a few things at specialized training, and taught a lil more.  

On Wednesday we went to Santa Cruz for Specialized training and the training emphasis was on Revelation through Scripture reading and through prayer.  It was really good, I realized that I need to put a lot more emphasis and be a lot more persistent with my investigators on getting them to pray and read.  Then right after that we grabbed a quick bite to eat with everyone and left.  It started some rumors about me wanting to impress President Aquino. And this and that but, whada ya do? Honestly if we had the choice we wouldn’t even go down there.  We’d just work, the mission is too short. We often say we need 15 more hours in a day and 5 more days in a week to do this work justice.

Thursday-Friday I did splits with Elder Berueta, he’s assigned up in Bolinao.  I was worried because he is older in the mission and I’d heard some things about him not liking me very much.  All my worrying was in vain, it was so much fun.  I didn’t have to take on the roll of handling concerns or worry about the investigators understanding.  And I actually learned things from him! We were busy the whole time and The Spirit was so strong in the lessons! Friday morning we had a lesson with Joel.  His concern was about having to pay money in order to worship God.  He believed that you can worship and not have to pay money; because God does not need money.  And things got pretty heated. Elder Berueta likes to be really bold, more so than I, so I started being prompted to take over the lesson. So I did and as I was explaining a light came on and he said I understand  now, I believe that.  I explained that God does not need money in his place but here on His kingdom on earth we need it to build it so we can be ready for when He comes again.  It was cool how the Spirit directed the words I said. 

We had a dinner appointment with Huellas Family on Friday. It was so good we had ribs and corn and shrimp and all this way good food.  I was in heaven! And they came to church yesterday! I hope they are close to wanting to accept the truth.  

The Branch President President Balad worked with us on Friday, we spent most the day going to members but it was good for him and a chance for us to visit some of the members that we haven’t seen in a while because he is from another city he doesn’t know the area very well, but we know it pretty well. 

Transfers are next week.  My thoughts are up in the air right now about it.  President said I might be up here for a year or so but I don’t know.  I’m 90% sure that one of us will be transferred, cuz Elder Pennock needs a chance to grow more. Beyond what I can teach him; we have been together for about 4 and a half months.  And it has been a lot of fun. 

We had an investigator come to church yesterday that we haven’t even taught yet. She is a referral from the elders in the100 islands area.  And she has a friend that she went to school with that is a member.  We told the member friend that we were gonna go out there on Saturday night but she said they were having a YW activity that day and she didn’t know when they would get back so we decided to cancel.  Come to find out they were waiting for us to come and we never came. IT was a lil embarrassing but oh well.

We didn’t get lost in the bukid (farm lands) this week or face very many drunk guys this week so it wasn’t all that exciting.  Maybe next week. 

Well that’s all I’ve got time for. 

Love you all

Elder Westwood.

9 Aug 2010

This is ridiculous! It seems that I was just here yesterday writing you guys.  A lot happened but it has all kind of blurred into one day. 

Well lets start with the Investigators: Joel, Batas, and Huellas family. 

Joel was not able to come to Church for the last couple weeks, 2 weeks ago he had gout and hasn't really been able to walk around to well. Even when we went to him on Friday he was limping pretty good. Then yesterday he was moving so he wasn't able to come. I told him it was too bad he wasn't doing it on another day other than Sunday because then we could help him.  I was trying to hint to him that he shouldn't be doing it on Sunday.  It didn't work, but he is doing good.  Still reading the Book of Mormon and he moved to a house that is a lot closer so it should help us in a way that we can get to him faster and it will help immensely in our schedule. 

Batas, well, hmmm, I think he will accept the gospel someday but I don't think it is his time right now.  For almost 5 months now we have been visiting him numerous times a week and I think its time to just give him a lil space.  It blows but he is not progressing anymore and not reading, and not praying (except when he is drunk (He is actually really good at praying when he is drunk).  If I don't get transferred next week we're gonna give him a break then maybe half way thru the transfer or so we'll see if he has changed.  We'll see, we're still praying about it. 

Huellas Family came to church yesterday! It was great, this is the 2nd week in a row, 2 more and they will be eligible for baptism.  They have seemed to be more open every time we go there. On Friday we went to them and it was kind of late they were cooking dinner so we just kind of said hi, asked the kids how school was and followed up on their Book of Mormon reading.  Just kind of having a conversation with them when Brother Huellas was like why don't you guys have dinner with us next week. Very rarely do we get eating appointments with investigators.  It was cool.  And we graciously accepted and we set a date for Friday.  I had the feeling like yeah, we are really starting to gain their trust now.  They are great.  Then to make it a great week when they came to church yesterday we had the lesson on tithing and offerings and they paid tithing yesterday.  It was great.

One other great thing that happened.  One of our friends who we were able to teach this week and make an investigator had gall bladder stones.  We taught about the restoration of the Priesthood and how this church has it, then we said that we could give her a blessing.  She was really happy when we said that. We made sure that she understood it was according to her faith and she said ok.  We gave the blessing, left, and went back on Friday to check on her and she said, "Elders! Since you gave me that blessing I haven't had any problems whatsoever!" It was great I am so thankful for the blessing of the priesthood.  She was miserable when we gave her the blessing and now its like nothing ever happened.

We lost one day of work last week and we will again this week and next week as we have to go to Santa Cruz for specialized training with the Area 70. Last week at Zone Conference we had the Area Medical Advisor come speak to us, Elder Jafek, he said some good stuff, and I'm TRYING to follow his council. he he he he!

Last week I did splits with one of the areas in the District.  It was fun.  I walked that poor missionary's butt off, ha ha, and boy was he muddy by the end of the day.  He is one of the missionaries that is fighting with his companion.  Then this week I get to split with his companion.  We'll see how that goes.

Well I gotta run.

Iove you all

Elder Chase

2 Aug 2010

Hey everyone,

 

Wow, where in the heck did last week go? Elder Pennock and I were just talking about going and emailing and we realized it doesn't seem like a whole week since we've emailed.  I guess thats how it goes though.  I guess it means that we were busy. 

 

Well there was a patay or a viewing (funeral viewing) at Batas' next door neighbor.  Usually all the guys get together and drink until they pass out. Well I'm sad to report that Batas was no exception to this.  We went to check on him on Saturday and he was out of it! Wasted! Oh man it was funny cuz he started singing "We are the Champions"  but we had to explain that he wasn't being a champion that day. 

 

On Friday we had interviews with President Aquino.  It kind of just turned into a long question-answer.  I had a huge list of questions but it was a good chance to learn from him.  He is so full of inspiration all the time.  Its sweet.  There is nothing that happens in the mission that he doesn't know.  Even if everyone is sworn to secrecy like the Gadiantions in the Book of Mormon, he still finds out! I guess that comes with the territory of being called of God and put in charge of a teenage boys.  ha ha. 

 

We got Huellas Family back to church yesterday.  Lately they have been a lot more happy and more smiley when we are there.  I hope thats a sign that they are getting closer to being baptized but we'll see.  I don't wanna jinx myself by saying anything is certain.  But it could happen. 

 

Joel was not able to come to church this week.  I don't know why but we'll find out on Wednesday when we go there after Zone Conference.  I'm so excited.  Then next week and the week after we have to go to Specialized training with the Area 70 Its gonna be sweet! 

 

I almost got in a fight with another drunk guy last week.  It was pretty intense.  We went to one of the members that has been inactive on and off for a while now.  She just comes to church for like 1 month straight then she won't come for a month.  She's just kind of like that.  Anyways, we went to her place to share with her and her oldest son was outside the gate trying to get in. When he saw us he was like "labas kayo" which means "Leave." I told him NO and then sister came out and was like don't you tell them to leave so he tried to block the way so we couldn't get in so I ripped his hand off the bar and went into the house cuz sister was trying and having no luck.  Now that probably wasn't the smartest on my part but thats what I did.  So after that he got mad and was like you better come out and being dumb.  So after a little bit I started talking with him, just friendly talk, and I'll be danged if this attitude didn't make a 180 degree turn.  It was like nothing had happened.  Then we talked and laughed until I convinced him he needed to go home and sleep off his drunkeness.  So he did. We had a branch missionary with us and he was freaked out ha ha.  It was so funny.  After we left sister's place he was still shaking I think.

 

We met a guy last week that believes that Jesus Christ is here on Earth right now.  He lives in the mountains, in a place close to my last area.  He said he would take us there if he had money so we could talk to him.  I asked him if he had the signs of the nails in his hands and his feet.  That made him think a lil bit. 

 

Well thats about all I've got time for this week.

 

Love you all

 

Elder Chase