BUSY!

Week 28

8th June 2015

This week was an average week of missionary work and stuff. We had a pretty good week, with lots going on. 

On Wednesday, one of the Elders in our district left us to go to the mission home. He was hospitalised for 4 days prior so I think they wanted to see if he is alright.

On Thursday, the newest RM in our branch returned home from her mission. She served somewhere down south where foreigners can't serve.

Friday was a pretty hard day. We were rejected a lot. 

Saturday, we went on splits with some members and got a fair bit of missionary work done. My companion and I for the day, Brother Michael, only worked for about 2 and a half hours, because I was feeling sick, and I started getting dizzy. We ended up cleaning the meetinghouse later that night.

Sunday was church and the usual things that go on  during the Sabbath. We had another meeting about how to reactivate people. Home teaching is getting started... and now this Thursday, the YSA are going to do a "1 day mission", where they will visit less-active members in companionships and encourage them to come to church. If this activity becomes consistent, the work here will get going. We already had a YSA return to church, and he is just as keen to be part of the reactivation program. His story of his reactivation actually only started 2 weeks ago, when he was invited to attend the YSA district sports fest in Calapan, and he went along. This was only his second Sunday at church, but from what he said to me, I see he has made a change. He used to play basketball on Sundays, because we watched him a couple of times, but now he says he doesn't want to play on Sunday anymore so he can come to church.

This coming week, a fair bit is happening for us! Tuesday may be the only day that we can do actual missionary work, as we have our Zone Meeting in Calapan - which is like 2 hours away. Then, all of my district are staying in Calapan that night, so that we can travel to the mainland on Thursday for our special meeting on Friday. 

We will be in Batangas, because it's only Mindoro Zone and Batangas Zone attending this. We might be back on Saturday, but we are not too sure yet.

I won't really be catching up with anyone, because the one person I knew in Batangas was Elder Richards, and well, he went home last week. So, not too much "catching up" to do.  But I am looking forward to meeting new missionaries. I'll be getting some stuff from the mall in Batangas while we are there -  I need a  backpack for our overnight trips.

Hey, so I started cooking for myself on the regular - rice and whatever canned food though for now. Next transfer I'll be hitting up the palengke (markets) for stuff to buy so I can cook. Just eating tuna and corned beef at the moment.

 

Next transfer day is 18th of June. The one after that is 30th of July. I don't think I will  be transferred, maybe my companion because he has been in the area for 4 and 1/2 months. 

My Branch Mission Leader is the Man! He is a recent RM, he came home in February. His dad is the Branch President, and it was his sister that got home from her mission on Thursday. That makes 3 RM's for Pola branch in the first 6 months of this year, and they have 1 still to come home in December. Two more are preparing, so they could have their calls before I get transferred, if I stay here for a little while longer.

Missionary work here is really hard, however, I am not frustrated. I feel like I was assigned here to help out the branch, and the branch is progressing really well. I hope I don't get transferred, because I want to be here for at least 2 more transfers, maybe 3, so I can spend my 19th birthday here!