8 January 2012

Hey Family!

I'm way happy the G's were able to get back to Germany. I'm way excited for them. Plus excited to get their letters again, it's fun to read other missionaries letters. It pumps me up like a bicycle tire.

This week was pretty good for us. A lot of good things are happening in our area. But at the same time Satan is working really hard. A convert from a couple months ago just found a job to cook for a priest of a different religion so now she has to work on Sunday. It's a little ironic that the 'maid-servant' for the priest has to work on Sunday, but we talked to her last night. She asked us if it was okay if she didn't go to church on sunday, since she really needs the money. Her son had just been to the hospital so she's been really worried. But Elder Collins just asked her, "What do you think sister? Is it okay if you don't go to church?" She told us no, she knows she needs to go. She has a testimony, she just needs to make better decisions. I know she can do it though. She'll find a way. Just remember her in your prayers.

Besides that we've been really busy this week. Elder Collins and I went to Iloilo 4 times this week. On Monday to withdraw (thank goodness!), on Tuesday we went to correlate with our Stake President, Pastor B. Torres, after our zone meeting which was good. On Wednesday we had our Zone Leaders Council, then on Friday we went back for Leadership Training, so we had a good week, and we still felt we used our time effectively. We still got a lot of work done.

The Gonzaga family is continuing to progress. They are doing way good. Jimjane, the daughter had been in Iloilo for 2 weeks so we hadn't seen her in a while. But she had brought her Book of Mormon with her and is on page 137 now. It's way sweet! She's passing up Jimmy now in her reading. Then this Friday we taught Jimmy and it was his birthday so there were people drinking in his "chill-zone" for lack of a better term. But he just stayed inside of his house and away from drinking. They are such a good family and I'm way excited for them. I know they'll keep progressing and we'll be able to help them.

We also had a way good lesson with one of the families we're teaching. We're teaching these two families actually, Albert and Jennifer, and then Jennifer's brother Eugene, and his wife Girly. They are way sweet! I seriously can see Brother Albert as the first Stake President of Guimaras (we're not even a district yet). He'll be a great leader one day. Anyway, he actually went to school before to be a pastor so he's way smart at the bible. But he also seems really sincere. Anyway, we taught a lesson on the Book of Mormon which was kind of scary since he doesn't want to accept anything really but the bible. But it was just one of those lessons where you feel you didn't really say anything that you wanted to say. Like one of those lessons where you know the spirit guided everything. Elder Collins and I talked about it afterwards and felt really good about it. It was a way good experience and turned out effective for Albert. He's been reading and he's told us he's been asking God why he would give us more of his word, and why we need prophets in this day? He thought prophets were over when Jesus said, it is finished. But we're helping him. I'm not to worried because he's way sincere, and he's really searching to know. That's the only thing an investigator needs. And if he searches, he'll find, and he'll know it's true. I'm excited to see how they progress. Eugene is just as good as him. He's a way good guy and has been through struggles. His job was a driver. So he used to drive people around on a single motor and then they would pay him. But last year his motor was stolen and he still has a debt on the motor so they are just trying to do whatever they can to earn a living. But he's way good. He loves his family. But they are a little poor and struggling to find a way to get to church. But they will. Their faith is growing.

So at ZLC one good thing that happens is Sister Pagaduan makes a super delicious meal in the mission home for us. But anyway, funny story. I brought my nail-in-the-finger (thanks krugers) to the ZLC and with the help of Elder Andrews, we initiated the trick. We got President Pagaduan and told him we wanted to trick Sister Pagaduan and President helped us out. We put the nail 'into' Elder Lado, who is an impressive actor and he stood at the sink. Then we stood outside the bathroom looking in saying stuff like, "maybe you should put alcohol on it." Anyway, president went and got Sister and told her one of the missionaries got in an accident and sister ran downstairs kind of freaking out. We knew she was serious too because she looked at it and started speaking Tagalog. "Is that real?!"
Anyway, it was just kind of funny. Sister enjoyed it too later on. And the food, exquisite.

At the training Elder Pettit talked about being content. It was way good and talking about things we should be content with and shouldn't be content with. For example, we have to be content if we are assigned in a hard area. We can't just hope we'll transfer or count down the days. We have to be happy with what God's given us. But we shouldn't be content if we have a low teaching pool, or with our teaching skills, or if our companion is lazy. If we have power to change things we shouldn't be content with those things. It was good and a boost I feel we need to bring back to our zone. Guimaras is known for being a little harder, work-wise. But I believe there are people prepared to receive the gospel. Sometimes people use their content-ment as an excuse for being lazy. "Well, this area is hard so whats the point of working if I have no fruit." But I hope that even if things are hard we don't make excuses for being lazy or not reaching our potential. The Elder Aquin talked about using our time effectively. Our focus right now is less-actives but we shouldn't let that stop other aspects of the work. While we look for less-active homes we should still find on our way. I thought it was cool because that's exactly how we found Albert and Jennifer, we we're looking for a members house and we asked them if they knew the member. Then we taught them. And now the member, Julie Vee, is fellowshipping them. It helps the work a lot. I really learned a lot.

Elder Collins have been talking about our past areas and past experiences a lot. Sometimes I look back and think, ah, if only I knew everything I know now when I was in that area, then I would have done so much better. But, in reality, a lot of this is a learning experience. I can look back and see that I'm a different person than I was before my mission, or in my first area. I'm progressing. I guess that's the most important thing. And I think that's the power of the atonement. I think the Lord doesn't expect us to be perfect missionaries our first transfer. He doesn't expect us to be perfect our last transfer. The important thing is that we can look back and see how far we've come. And I'm grateful for that. And even after my mission I'm excited to keep progressing, and keep moving forward. I'm grateful for that chance God has given us. And I'm not going to waste it. I'm grateful to be here on a mission. I've learned so much and I'm grateful for each experience I've had, especially the disappointments, because those are the things that have helped me grow. Those are the things that have helped me understand better my relationship with Heavenly Father. I guess the most important thing isn't your numchuck skills, but your desire. If you have desires to serve God, you're called to the work no?

I'm excited for this next week. A lot of good things are going to happen!
Inyo pinalangga nga sabad nga bata,
Elder Burton