24 July 2011

Hey Family,

It sounds like your doing great! I'm glad Dad was able to start his new job. It sounds cool. I hope you find a nice style for your hair. A couple weeks ago Elder Quinantoto and I got haircuts. I didn't like my haircut too much. But it was only 25 pesos. So it's aight. That's a boring story though. I don't know, maybe you enjoyed it. I'm sorry about the lawn too. I think it's the effects of glitter being poured on it like 10 years ago.

Anyway, we had a great week this week!! The best news is that we had the baptism of Sister Regina Nacabu-an. She's way solid and way soo excited. Her husband has been a member but she never had any interest for years. But, after she looked for it, she found that it's been right under her nose... Her testimony was way good, and I was grateful her family could be there for her baptism.

Anyway, we spent a lot of the week helping her get ready. The missionaries in Hong Kong, I think, taught her 2 times, so we just had to share a couple commandments. But, she already like knew them all, we started talking about one, she said, "I heard about that in Sunday school!" Her testimony is awesome. I really like her. I wish she wasn't going back to Hong Kong. She's hilarious. She always makes fun of the people's english in Hong Kong. She works as a house help there, and, for example, one time they said to her... "Regina! You fire the tofu!" She was like, whatt? Do I just put it over fire?" So she liked cooked it wrong, then they said, "no no no! You fire the tofu in the hot oil!" Anyway, it was hilarious how she said it. Her family is awesome. They always cook us delicious food. Like once this week they made spagetti and homemade pizza and baked chicken and chocolate cake and homemade icecream. IT was soo good. Then the next time they made like homemade ribs. It was my first time having ribs on my mission. It was amazing. They just have a hobby of cooking and trying new things. Then when we just teach they give us snacks like popcorn or other delicious stuff, like bread with homemade jackfruit jam. Ahhh yeah! Anyway, they are so fun. The niece of Regina, Paige, is way cute. She's like 3 and her mom is just trying to teach her english. They only speak english around her. She knows the word xylophone. She's way cute man. It's way funny though. They just let her watch TV and stuff in english. Then Regina's son, while we were teaching, climbed up on this ledge and started like dancing, he's like 10 man. Regina was like, "Yo! Get down from there!" He said, "No no no! STop!" And she said, "Come on, get down." Then he said in english! "No! No! No! Swiper no swiping!" Elder Quinantoto and I just cracked up.

Besides Nacabu-an we had a pretty hard week. We got pretty bold with Mark and Juliet and told them they have to get married now, so they can get baptized, so that they can go to the temple and become husband and wife for all time and eternity. We committed them and they said it would be hard. But we told them to pray about it and talk about it. I know they can do it.. we still have to follow them up so keep them in your prayers.

Then the Delacruz family is doing awesome. He is way good at ready and I see his testimony growing. I see Brother Ulyssis really trusting in God. He was so happy because he learned to pray and he asked for help to find a job and he got one!! It was sweet. He's really gaining a testimony, and I think they will be baptized one day! They just don't have a set schedule so we've been having trouble meeting with them..

We've been working on adding on our teaching pool like always so we decided to contact some former investigators. We contacted one, and we talked to him. He was good, it's just way hard for him to be able to go to church because he's a trisikad driver (like a bicycle with a side car) and has to work or his little kids would die. We shared how the gospel will bless them and I hope we can help them. We just have to help them get enough faith to try things and God will provide a way. Along with that, there's a side story. A couple days ago I told Elder Quinantoto that one of my dreams before I left the Philippines was to rent a trisikad and drive it around and pick up people. Just to try it out. Anyway, Elder Quinantoto asked him if we could rent his trisikad for like 2 hours while we were in his barranggay, so we just went to some appointments in that area then returned it. Well we did it! It was way hot though. I was covered in sweat. And it's really hard to control. But as I drove, we passed by this lady walking carrying some bags. I called and asked if she wanted a free ride, to my surprise, she said, "sure!" and hopped in. As I drove her to her destination Elder Quinantoto shared with her about the plan of salvation. I thought it was kind of cool. We gave her a pamphlet. And we did service for her. :D It was also way fun driving the Trisikad. We have some sweet pictures. hehe.

Anyway, we had a cool experience with Bishop. Really, our bishop is amazing. He has power. He really holds the keys for the people here in Banga. Anyway, a couple transfers back, the missionaries baptized this 14 year old girl named Sheila May. She's now a pretty strong member. She bears her testimony every fast Sunday and I'm really happy for her. We've been working with them and both her siblings, Fernando and Joy, both come to church now too. Anyway, we brought bishop to their house to meet the parents and it was just amazing. Bishop like taught a perfect lesson. He just talked to them about life and that slowly related into the gospel, they talked about their feelings that Sheila May was baptized and they said they really saw a difference in her. Then they talked about religion. Bishop helped them overcome their concern about being born catholic, dying catholic, because he shared his experience of his conversion. He was like, no one in my family even understood why we were catholic. We were just like that because thats the way all our parents were. But he promised them that if they listened to us and to the Holy Ghost they would know that this is what God wants them to do. It was perfect, they all committed to come to church too! Unfortunately on sunday they were sick but we'll go back there on Tuesday with bishop again. I'm excited! They have potential.

On Thursday we had interviews with President and the APs checked our planners and area books. It was way good. They gave us good ideas to improve and it really helped. We also got cargo. I got like 10 pages of Dear Elders! So thanks family! Your family reunion sounded great! I was way excited to hear from all of you! I seriously am grateful for that. President Pagaduan shared this phrase with us. "Missionary Work is the Life Blood of the Church... and letters are the life blood of missionaries. We know you love letters." You see that family, friends, and random people reading my letters.. by you sending letters to missionaries, the church is staying alive... think about that, you are keeping the work progressing. Soo... just keep that in mind. ^^

On Friday I had to travel to New Washington to do another baptismal interview. It was pretty good. It was weird since it was like a 17 year old girl and it's like one on one. But it was a good interview. She was way shy. I had to ask questions like 8 different ways before she would answer. But she'll stay active. I guess she doesn't start talking until you've known her for like a month. She's been going to church now for like 6 months straight before she was baptized. She was willing a long time ago, but she just never had the courage to tell her parents why she wanted to be baptized. I guess the Zone Leaders now were just really bold with her and told her, if you can't stand up for it, you aren't ready to be baptized. But she finally did it. So cool stuff. I have to leave my area so much though! I travel a lot! It's an hour to Altavas, and hour to New Washington, in either direction. But I'm grateful at least for the opportunity to serve.

Anyway, church was sweet. Elder Quinantoto bought some black rubber shoes that we use for like 100 pesos but they turned out to be to big. (that wasn't on sunday, btw) But we had given them to Noel, and then I gave a white shirt to Carlito. I thought I gave him a normal one, but I guess I accidentally gave him my long sleeve shirt. Anyway, they both were at church looking way gwapo. We had them pass the sacrament. It was sweet seeing the both of them passing and honoring their priesthood. They are soo gwapo man. It's funny to see Noel and Carlito together. Because Carlito is way goofy man and Noel is just way shy. But Noel thinks Carlito is hilarious and always laughs when I talk to him about it. I was like, "Noel, how'd you like seeing Carlito pass the sacrament." He just kind of laughed. I love them both. Their the best! We made plans for Noel and Rutchie to go to the temple with them too. Hopefully they'll be able to go June 2012. That seems like a good time. One year after their baptism. I'm excited for them. Carlito also had some opposition this week. His last pastor came to him and like told him he wasn't saved anymore of something messed up like that. Carlito was bugged by it a little, but he feels like he's doing what God wants him to do. We told him he could just bear his testimony and invite the pastor to listen to our message. But everythings cool. We're just trying to find new investigators. We've been a lot bolder lately telling people our purpose and our plan that eventually they will want to be baptized as they feel it's true. We really want to find the elect and help people come closer to Christ. But I don't want people to think we are there just to bible study with them, kundi, to be guides in their lives to help them make the changes necessary closer to Christ. Please keep us in your prayers to that we'll find the people really searching for it and that the hearts of the people will be prepared to receive and act on this message.

We'll, I guess that's all. Transfers are on Friday, but we still don't know what's happening. We'll know tomorrow. But I love you all.
Take care of the lawn, your hair, and each other,
Also, if you send a package again, would you include some deordorant, and maybe some ties.
Anyway, I love you,
Elder Josh