Mixed Week!

Week 61

25 January 2016

The week was a good one, but was full of disappointment at the same time, but that was all swallowed up in the miracles I got to see in my area.

So, our baptisms we had scheduled for this Saturday and next Saturday won't be continuing. The investigators all had some things come up that they need to sort out, but one of them is continuing to come to church, and wants us to keep visiting until the time she is able to be baptized. Was pretty disappointed, but not too much I can do about it, so I just accepted it and moved on quickly!

The disappointment won't kill my enthusiasm though. The ward here is in the re-boot mode since having a new Bishop, and the ward is on a roll. Once the organization is complete, the work will only be easier than it has been. 

We had the couple missionaries from Lucena come down and give a workshop on mapping, and our ward will be looking to use it as soon as possible. I honestly wouldn't mind staying one more transfer just to help out the ward a little more. Also got a few referrals yesterday at church from the members, and we will be looking to contact them within the coming week.

Other than that, the work is still going well. We had 3 investigators at church again, but I would love to have more than 3 to church at a time. Don't get me wrong though, I'm really happy that we get to have investigators at church every Sunday. If I rewind to my last area......

Tomorrow, we have exchanges with the Assistants. Should be a good opportunity to learn and grow as a missionary, and experience work with other missionaries. I'm hoping secretly inside that I get Elder Tumanguil as my companion tomorrow, because he was assigned in Gumaca way back in 2014, so I want to get him to take me to less-actives that he and his companion back then used to visit.

Eating fine in this area.. have a dinner appointment tonight.  Also have the Assistants coming this evening after dinner.

Have a heap of photos but this card reader isn't working - will try again next week.

Busy weeks ahead, no time to waste!

Another transfer in Gumaca

Week 60

18 January 2016

This week was pretty good. The work is going pretty well, and I'm enjoying my time here in Gumaca at this point. Monday night, we ended up staying in Lopez for a FHE with the members of Lopez 1st Ward, so that was cool. Wednesday we also had exchanges with the district in Malinao area. Same thing as last exchanges, 2 sets of 3 missionaries, all working in the one area. We (Me, Elder Costales, Elder Dela Cruz) just went around to visit members because on Thursday Elder Costales was transferred to Lipa Zone, so he was saying goodbye to all the members.

Sunday was a good day, we had a great lesson with our investigators scheduled for baptism on February 6. They are very close to being married. They are going to Lucena City today to pick up some paperwork, then they will set the date to be married, and shortly after that they will be baptized! Exciting times ahead for them, and I can't wait.

Transfers just left, and yep I'm still here. Second area in a row where I'll be doing 6 months, so hopefully I can keep my fire burning after the baptisms, because it's hard to keep it going for me.

This coming week is the first week of the new transfer, and I'm pretty excited! I have a vision for the area that I would love to come to pass, and I'm going to be doing a lot of things to bring it to pass with the members. We had Ward Council yesterday, and it seems like Bishop is ready to start this year off right. They're in the process of organizing the ward properly, then getting the show going. I wouldn't mind staying here for 7 and a 1/2 months just to be here with the ward, and watch the progress in front of my eyes.

I didn't do any 12 week training with my companion, as I just didn't have the fire for any of it last week. Plus he needed the break - we just did normal missionary stuff. I'm gonna get back on this week, and get the fire burning in the both of us to work this area like crazy.

Anyway, today we're just chilling, doing weekly needs and stuff like that, so we won't be too exciting. I'm hoping to get out and at least teach 1 lesson tonight, and just get the week started off good.

Zone P-Day Fun

Week 59

11 January 2016

I guess this week was exactly what I needed. I was able to relax at the meeting with Elder Nikau and Elder Herrin, and learn more things to help me train my companion. Ate tonnes too. We ate Pizza Hut with Elder Santos and Elder Francisco, and it was Elder Francisco's first time in his life ever eating there, so of course I couldn't let them pay... kaya, I'm pretty low on money at the moment haha. Got enough to last this whole week at least.

We just out here in Lopez at the moment, as we had our Zone P-day. It was pretty cool. Each companionship had to pick a game for us to play, and there was some crazy games! Our companionship taught the game "Bull rush" to the zone, and because we're all Elders, we played full contact haha, with certain restrictions of course. 

We also played a game where we had to stand on chairs and get from one side of the room to the other, and we had Elder Tupua on our team, who is huge haha. We were so close to the end too, and he slips a little bit, and the chair breaks under his weight. I heard the crack from behind me, and fell off my chair laughing, because I was waiting for it to happen.

How about that? Changed date again, after having a little sook on Monday, I accepted it, and was ready to go the whole way, and serve until December 21. Oh well, I'm happy it's back to November. I'll be able to make Jade's graduation.

We've had 3 weeks in a row at church of 50+ people at sacrament. It's been great! I love seeing a bit fuller chapel every Sunday, and it bring peace and happiness to my soul. 

Just yesterday was our Ward Conference, and we saw the old Bishop released, and a new Bishop called. We will be talking to Bishop about meetings and stuff, to more help the ward progress, because it's starting to get off well. 

We also had 3 of our most progressing investigators at church, and they are still all on track to be baptized! I'm really excited about them, and I'm glad I get to stay for another transfer and be here for the baptisms.

Hope they all have fun at FSY... whens the next one? Haha...I might be married by then ae.

Elder Faka'i cut my hair on Saturday it was getting really long.

Took photos but this computer card reader isn't working so I will send some next week.  This photo is one someone else sent me.

Happy New Year!

Week 58

04 January 2016

The New Year celebrations were great and very loud!!! Being my 2nd New Years here already knew it was going to be crazy..I was just on our balcony watching everything unfold. Fireworks went off at 12AM and they went crazy, and so did the people.  We had kids in our street screaming non stop... they had scrap metal, smashing it  and the roads with pots, pans, and whatever they could get a hold of, people with motorbikes revving as hard as they could, and then on top of that, all night we had drunk people singing karaoke, and you can imagine the singing!!  All just to celebrate New Years. Crazy! It was fun though.

The work has been going well. We definitely now have 3 baptisms coming up next transfer. We have 1 on January 30, and a 2 on February 6. Also working with a couple investigators who aim to be baptized on February 13 or 20, so busy times are definitely ahead! Looking forward to it all for sure.

On the topic of the ward, we had our second week in a row with over 50 people! I was so happy, and in Elders Quorum, we talked about improving on the performance from last year. The ward knows that the performance was very weak, and I feel that they are ready to get going and do the work required. Something I'm looking forward to is working with the members more, until however long I have left in the area, but members are getting excited about missionary work, and more importantly, rescuing efforts.

This coming week should be cool. We are off to San Pablo for the training check-up. It will a relief for me, because I'm super stressed out right now, and I need to relax. I'm lucky that Elder Nikau will be there too, so he will probably help me get my mind off the stress while we eat tonnes of food, and mock each other all day.

I've been working out since the beginning of this transfer... push-ups, squats and things like that. There isn't a day when I have a sore chest and shaky legs while I'm walking haha.

We've had a few more dinner appointments. Our investigators that are being baptized on February 6 always feed us every time we go there though. They really are the best. And on New Years day, our investigator being baptized on January 30 and her less-active cousin gave us some dessert to eat after we taught, so here and there, which is fine with me.

The rest of the day we will do our shopping, pay the electricity bill then work tonight, not much else planned.