22 November 2010

Hey Family,
Thanksgiving is this week! I almost forgot. Hmm, maybe we'll go to manginasal or something, because they have unlimited rice. You all have a good thanksgiving! My new companion is a cool guy. His name is Elder Eror, and he's 9 weeks ahead of me in the mission, so we are both still really green. He's from Hawaii. It's funny he had the same MTC teachers as me, Sister Fotu and Brother Slade. So he left the MTC 2 days before I arrived there. And his first area was in Karay'a speaking, so he's been speaking Ilonggo as long as I have. His second area was in Iloilo, where they speak more pure Ilonggo, but here we speak Capiznon, so it's differen't and maybe I understand a little better than him. It's interesting having a new companion and a lot of work. But it's really good for me, because now I get to talk a lot more and I feel like I'm improving a lot faster. Now investigators look at me while they talk. They use to look only at Elder Tiamzon because, well, he's pinoy and they know he understands better. But now I feel I really get to be apart of the conversation and it feels I really have to listen so it's cool. I feel I'm improving a lot faster. It's interesting though since like neither of us are really too good at the language and it's still hard. We have to fake it sometimes but I get the general gist of what they are saying plus most of them know me and I feel I can express my personality more. It's really cool. I don't know if I told you last week but Elder Andrews from my batch is already training! He's only been here 12 weeks! It's pretty insane. But I'm sure he can do it. It's interesting because since we're a new mission a lot of people are becoming senior a lot faster. Instead of the regular like 7 or 8 months people are going senior after 3 to 5 in the mission field. It makes it hard. But it's nice too. Like you just get so much more opportunities to talk. I feel I'm improving a lot faster. Oh, plus the District Meeting finally ended on time! PMG says it should only be 60 to 90 minutes but Elder Tiamzon's meetings were 4 hours, so that makes me happy. But I'll still miss that guy, he went to Guimaras. Said to have the best mangoes in all the philippines. I'd like to go there one day.

The beginning of the week was kind of funny. I was still with Elder Tiamzon in the beginning. On monday was really short. We had our long district meeting then shopped and Elder Tiamzon ate his last meal for a while at Mang Inasal, the only place we've eaten in 12 weeks :P. It's ok, unlimited rice at like 2 dollars. I've grown to love it. I do love it, I don't know how much Elder Eror does. Or in Ilonggo, Elder Sala. That's his joke. Anyway, the Zone Leaders we're here last week for District Meeting and transfer announcement, and the borrowed Elder Tiamzon's phone and "key" so they could go to the apartment. Then we saw them later and asked for the key back, but the said they gave it to Elder Bosotros. I asked Elder Tiamzon if he was sure, several times, if he didn't have the key. He always said, yes, I'm positive! The Zone Leaders have it!So Elder Bosotros didn't get home till like 5 pm so we spent our p-day sitting outside for 3 hours. Then we finally got home and Elder Bosotros only had his key and Tiamzon's cell phone! not our key. So, Elder Tiamzon put his hand in his pocket and there was the key... So we waited outside the apartment 3 hours because Elder Tiamzon wouldn't put his hand into his pocket. So I had to wake up early to do laundry, I'm really tired.

Then Tuesday and Wednesday was pretty good, and then he finally left thursday afternoon. nothing too exciting really happened those days. On Thursday afternoon, I got to work with Elder Pettit, my MTC companion again. The same thing happened to him, staying in his area, receiving a new companion, district leader. So we worked together in my area. He is really really sagad at Ilonggo and a sagad missionary. He taught me a lot and it was a cool experience. We talked to a lot of people and it was so fun working with him. He is really good at teaching too. He just taught me some cool tricks to help me and I used a lot this week. They really help. I miss that guy. He'll probably go senior by next transfer!

Then Thursday afternoon my new companion arrived. He kind of looked like the classic missionary to me at first. Just the way he looked. (Oh, while we waited at the terminal we had balot again. It was a lot more developed than the last 2 I ate. It had like bones in it and like it's feet were already there. I hope that's still healthy. It was okay though.) He's a cool guy and I've already told you about him. I've been thinking really hard and praying really hard so I could know where to take him and what investigators to go to and I was really worried about that. Because I'm trying to be obedient and like with the visiting female thing is something I've been worried about because there is so many female investigators since this use to be a sisters area and Elder Tiamzon liked finding females. Anyway, so things kind of worked out perfect. On Friday night, I took him to meet the Ward Missionaries and Bishop and just familiarize him with the area. Then we taught some recent converts. We talked to them about missionary work and referrals and as we taught I realized some investigators that they would be really good fellowshippers for and be able to help us a lot. I felt bad that I didn't think of those ideas before but it was sweet! So we committed them to give a Book of Mormon to a friend and to work with us and schedule them days where they could. Yeah! Members are the best!

So then on Saturday we did a planning session, which was really sweet. I feel we have some good plans and some good people to focus on. In the afternoon we tried finding someone Elder Pettit talked to but we ended up finding a crazy guy instead. A lot of crazy guys talk to us. Actually we tried asking him where the guy lives and I showed him the name I wrote down and he's like, oh, he lives here. Then I asked him his name and he told me he was "the guy the is written in your planner." I said, oh, your fred? (that wasn't the name) and he said yes. So I said, oh, we're looking for someone else. Crazy guys always talk to us. Later we talked to other people and found his house but he wasn't home, so we'll try a differen't day. Then later we ended up going to Goelito (the newly activated brother who is really cool), because he brought some friends to church last week, to see if we could teach them. We talked to him a while and he said we could go visit his friends, they were home. We asked if he would come with us. I was a little confused what he was saying but he said as a part of strategy, he wouldn't come with us the first time we visited them but then later, or the next time, or something, he would visit them. So we said okay, and went and talked to them, about them, got to know them, then talked about church, and their expectations, why they wanted to visit with us, and we started sharing the message of the Restoration with them. About when we were finished, (like 20 minutes from start to finish), Goelito came walking over to us from the opposite direction of his house with changed clothes, recently showered, and was like, "Oh, the missionaries are here. I'll join you." It was funny because that was the "strategy" that he was talking about. He didn't want to come to the house with us just show up later. Anyway, it was a pretty cool lesson.

Sunday was a really good day. In the morning, we have this one family that lives really far away up in the mountain in like a little village thing. It's a cool place to go plus we can get there for 28 pesos lang! I love that area, it's really beautiful, but it's far from the church which makes things hard. So we went to the families house but the husband was working. We told her we couldn't really visit her since there wasn't a male there and she told us to wait, and she went and got a guy to sit in with the lesson. He didn't really pay any attention to us, but it was cool because it really showed her desire to hear our message. We planned on finishing teaching about the Restoration but last time we had left a pamphlet and she had like mastered it. So we did a quick review and talked about how to know through her prayers and going to church. As we talked she said, "oo, gusto ko mabalan gid." Which means like she really wants to know it's true. She said the closing prayer and her prayer was so good, last time she was too shy to pray in front of us, but it was amazing. She really has a desire. The problem right now is she was saying she and her husband are always fighting, they are a really young couple, like both 19 I think, and have a 2 year old kid. But she said last week she wanted to go to church but her husband didn't want to. But we planned a time where they both will be home, so hopefully, things work out because at least the sister seems really interested and prepared. Then we stopped by a couple house near to church and invited them, then went to church. (It's at 2pm, I don't know if I've told you that).

Anyway, church was good. It's hard for me to always have a good time at church, but last week, the zone leader shared about always trying to have a good experience at church, because if you do, then your investigators will too, and we'll be able to better testify of the importance and blessings that come from attending church. It's always hard because I'm thinking about investigators and LA's who said they would come but then don't. Even when we have investigators there I still wonder where other ones are because it was so important that they come to help them develop their faith in Christ. Even though it's hard not to worry and think about it, I tried hard to have a good experience, myself at church. I think it does make a big difference. We did have some investigators come. It was cool because 1 was a LA family whose daughter we are teaching. It was cool that they came, well just 1 cool thing, was they were like the only complete family sitting in the entire congregation. Like we have other complete families in our ward, but those people are the Bishop and first counselor, or the ward pianist and choristor. But they were just a full family. I told them they looked ready to go to the temple. It was just a wonderful sight to see. I hope they remain active after the daughters baptism.

After church we did Ward Correlation and I got to lead it for the first time. It was kind of cool. I felt like I really do know the investigators and the area and I got some sweet ideas there for fellowshippers and for what maybe we could teach or do to help the people. After that we got to work with Brother Bermi, which is always fun. He's such a sweet guy. First we went to Brother Goelito's referral, the Delacruz family. It was so sweet. That was like my first time really like a discussion, and it was cool how much he opened up. Last time we taught, the father was really quiet and didn't say much, but as we talked, he talked to us and as we shared about the Restoration and God's love for him and his family and stuff he shared his concern with us about how like his wife right now is his second wife. They have been together for 7 years. He said his first wife and him fought every day but he and his new wife have never fought. And he asked if that was a sin if he divorced his first wife and he also asked if he was allowed to enter our church if that was his situation. (cool, because we hadn't even talked to him about baptism). Anyway, it was interesting, and cool because since he shared that, as we introduced the Book of Mormon to them, we were able to share some verses from it that might of applied to him. It was a cool lesson. Then we went to a less active lady who had actually called me and Elder Tiamzon out in the street last week. She came up to us and asked where our church was, and when we asked why, she said she was a member. She said her husband and kids weren't members and invited us to come to her house. So yesturday we did and taught them, which was really cool. We scheduled FHE with them for today, which should be really really cool.

Anyway, that's really all there is. Good luck with your quilt making!And wow, that's sweet. And crazy that Taylor served in the Philippino branch. I heard they get a Tagalog name tag. Mine is just in english. Haha, maybe when we get home, he'll know more tagalog than me. hehe. Who knows? Things are good, we have a lot of potentional in our area and I feel this transfer will be really good. Good luck in getting stuck in the snow. Eh.. snow.. wa'ay snow here.

Well, I love you all and have a great Thanksgiving!
Elder Burton

P.S. And yes, I got the package. (Actually I use that cookie all the time. It's so fun. And i'm glad you sent the camera because my other one doesn't work now. So it's good. I just wasted money on chargable batteries, maybe a different elder will need some) Dang, you already sent the package. I wrote down some stuff I need but don't worry about sending them because I can last a long time. Don't just send one now, maybe for next christmas or whatever. But just I might need another journal in a while. Also, if it fits, i wrote floss swords. And if you can find tiny, cheap!!, book of mormon, d&c, bible, that would be nice, because my Scriptures are huge. (in english, yeah.) But don't worry about it! Just so I don't forget. I've carried my scriptures for a long time so seriously, there's no hurry. And only if they are cheap and really tiny. Anyway, I love you all again. Byebye!