Zone PDay

 Week 84 

04th July 2016

Our week was a lot better than the last week with no interruptions with travel. It was so good, even our district meeting was in Nasugbu, so we didn't have to even catch a jeepney or van anywhere!  

The work this week was great. We were able to find a lot of new investigators who are mostly part-member families, or have been taught by missionaries before. We set a lot of baptismal goal dates to investigators, and if they all progress well, the next few months will be full of baptisms. We're talking at least 1 baptism every 2 weeks, so the work here is going great. 

One of our investigators that was supposed to get baptized this Saturday wasn't able to come to church today, so we will be delaying her baptism until next Saturday, July 16. Our 2 that will be baptized this Friday are all set and ready to go, and very excited. Me and my companion will be baptizing them, so it's definitely something to look forward too. We also have a baptism set for July 23. 

In other news, we had zone p-day yesterday, and we went to some nature park. The area and stuff was quite plain and boring actually, but being in the company of the zone was great, so we made the best out of what we had. We all then hit a pizza place for lunch, and spent quite a long time there. 

We had an FHE with our investigators last night, and that was fun. We played some games, and the whole family was just cracking up at each other - it was good to see everyone get into it too. 

Our week this week will be busy preparing for the baptism, and finding  and teaching more investigators   Turns out when you can see the names of your investigators and their goal dates every day, it motivates missionaries to work harder. We were challenged by Elder Haynie of the 70 in our mission tour to eventually be having at least 1 baptism per week, because it's possible. 

President & Sister Mangum came to church on Sunday too, and well it was good! Our chapel was even fuller than last week, and a lot of people got up and bore their testimonies. President Mangum also gave a lesson in Elders Quorum at the request of the Elders Quorum President, and it seemed to help the priesthood.   

I'm doing well.... glad I'm here in Nasugbu. Oh so the members actually asked Pres Mangum if I can stay..... I'm not leaving anytime soon apparently!  

Chilling in the town plaza

On the hunt!

Zone P-Day

Walking along the creek.

Mission Tour

Week 83

27 June 2016

This week was very tiring. All of our travel just made us super tired, and it affected our work a little bit. But it was still great.

Our mission tour was on Wednesday and it was a good meeting. Elder Haynie of the 70 was our visitor, and he presented a lot of inspired ideas to help the work progress. One idea that I really liked that I had never thought of before was a baptismal goal date calendar. It's one thing to work hard in an area and have the work progressing while you are there, but it's definitely another thing to leave an area, and have an area set up for the following missionary to come in and baptize. Having a clear picture of what you are aiming for is also something that a baptismal calendar date gives us. We will definitely be applying that to our area. It was also good to see some of the boys again, and catch up with people. My news is that my MTC companion Elder Faka'i became the new AP of our mission at the beginning of the transfer.

Another thing I enjoyed was the "Scattered Israel" part, and it's so true! We presented the idea to the branch missionaries yesterday in our MCM, and they all clicked about who these people could be. Some even received some personal revelation right in the middle of the meeting and shared how they met this person, and what was said. The Holy Ghost was certainly working with them in that time.

Our branch is going great, we had a very full chapel yesterday, along with the new Branch President called here in Nasugbu Branch. I look forward to getting to work with him, and getting him up to speed with what's going on with the missionary work here in Nasugbu. Our Branch Missionaries are now out in force, teaching our recent converts, while we & the BML monitor how the recent converts are progressing. Me and my companion have a good vibe going with the Branch Council, with each auxiliary giving us suitable fellowshippers, and it's definitely a "Help me, help you, help us" situation.

Our personal miracle within our companionship was finding 2 families this week. One family was a referral, and the other family came off our own efforts. We have set appointments with them later tonight, and we are excited to get to working with them, and bringing them closer to Jesus Christ through His Atonement, and through His gospel.

This week will be full of work, and this time with no distractions with meetings. Me & my companion are hyped to get a full week of no far away places to go, and just work until we drop at 9.30PM after planning. Things are going well, and we have another 3 baptisms coming up on July 9, so we'll also be busy preparing our investigators for their next step in moving closer to eternal life. 

We good!

My follow up Trainer - Going home in July

My 4th Companion is a Zone Leader - going home in October

The Aussie Missionaries!

Finally met Sister Kumar.

Mr Assistant, Elder Faka'i Getting excited to come home in November

Elder Hapi - going home in August

Our Fridge! 

Love it here!

 Week 82

20th June 2016

This week was another good week for referrals. Me and my companion were both not feeling too well these last few days so we'd go out a little later than we should, but we still got to visit our investigators.

Our baptism was great too, and the branch is kinda still in shock because we've had 4 baptisms in the last 4 weeks, so things are going really well in that department. The even better part is that even though we have had 3 baptisms in the last 2 weeks, we have more scheduled to be baptized by the end of July. We currently have 5 scheduled for July. We're hoping for a couple more -  It's not impossible, because yesterday at church the ward went crazy, and I mean insane with referrals. We have a lot going on, and I'm not sure we'll be able to get everywhere we want to this week, especially with our mission tour in Lipa City on Wednesday.

More contacting referrals, teaching progressing investigators, and committing people to be baptized is basically all that we'll be doing. Time is flying, and I can't do anything but keep up! Our Branch Missionaries, the Branch Council, and everyone else in the branch is the driving force, and they are so excited for the work. The baptisms I think really help, because the members actually see success from missionary work, and they want to keep it going.

I love this branch so much, but to be honest, I think they love me more. When we aren't working, we eating at a members house at night. Every day from Thursday to Sunday this week is full of dinner appointments. I mean who can resist my smile and smooth talking? HAHA, I'm just joking, but I'm loved here, and nearly the whole Branch Council is talking of requesting to keep me here until I go home!

 Baptism of Arvie & Kate.

The family support.

Zone Lunch at McDonalds!

Christine's baptism, her brother baptized her.

Waiting for dinner at a members.

Waiting for the van to take off.

My mission niece, nephew & son!

Companion time.

Whole zone.

On a bridge about to jump off...

Baptisms

Week 81

13th June 2016

The week was great! We had a great time with the baptism, and were able to teach quite a few lessons. Our work is going great!

The baptism was on Saturday, and the children were very excited to get baptized. They had their cousin baptize them both, and they were all smiles as they were confirmed members of the church yesterday in Sacrament Meeting.

A miracle that came from the baptism on Saturday was that we had one of our investigators attend the baptism. Her concern was that she was a little hesitant to be baptized, but after attending the baptism, and seeing what goes on, she must've felt the spirit and  felt that being baptized was right, because after the baptism she asked us if she could be baptized next Saturday. We're one lesson away from finishing the lessons with her, and her interview is on Wednesday, and she will be baptized this Saturday! Never seen so much success in my mission ever. I'm really excited for this baptism too, it just shows the progress of the area.

Our week this week will be full of contacting referrals. On Saturday before the baptism, our branch held a Branch Missionary Training, and the members went out and worked at the end of it. They went finding, and found quite a few people to teach! We're going to be super busy contacting referrals, so we're pretty excited. 

I feel like we're being supported by the members now, not us supporting them, which is the greatest thing that has happened to me since being in the mission. Our members still work with us every day, and they go out and visit when they aren't working with us. The branch is going great, I almost feel like we don't need to find anyone anymore because we get so many referrals! But yeah, we still should be finding, which we are. We don't even need to teach our recent converts anymore, the branch missionaries are taking charge of teaching the recent converts.

The potential for this transfer is awesome. We have so many part-member family referrals, and even though nearly all of them are youth/ primary children, it gives them a chance to grow up in the church, and learn from a young age the will of God for them. 

Today we had our zone P-day. Our zone went to Fantasy World again, and it was a great time. We played games, took photos, and got to know each other through out the day. It really brought our zone together, and everyone was happy getting to know each other. I don't have photos at the moment, because we're emailing in another area, and my card reader is at our area. 

We still get fed heaps, we have a dinner appointment tonight, so after we finish here we're going to the zls to change then heading out to dinner in our area.  After that we have an appointment and will be teaching a lesson.

Same area - New Companion!

Week 80

06 June 2016

Transfer week is always a transition week. I said goodbye to Elder Mesias in the morning, and welcomed in Elder Llanda in the afternoon. So far, everything is going good with Elder Llanda. He's about 5 months old in the mission, and well I'm almost 5 months until I come home.

Our week wasn't too busy with appointments. Monday to Wednesday was a few appointments, then a few dinner appointments. Friday and Saturday was a few appointments, while also taking my new companion around the area, helping him get used to the place.

Yesterday we had 7 investigators at church. 4 of them, we haven't even taught yet, but we are planning on visiting them within the next few days.

We also got a tonne of referrals from members, so the missionary work here is really getting into gear. Our Branch Mission Leader is on top of it, along with the District High Councillor in charge of missionary work, and he happens to be in Nasugbu Branch. We went to work with him and his wife yesterday, and contacted 2 part-member families that he referred to us. They're leading by example, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon really fast too.

This week will be full of contacting referrals, teaching and stuff like that.... It'll just be full! 

Even better though, we have a baptism this Saturday! It's 2 primary children, and they're super excited to be baptized! I'm excited for them too, and I'm really happy that I am able to welcome my companion into the area with a baptism. Nothing better than for a missionary to come into a new area and have 

a baptism straight away!

Usual PDay here for us - cleaning, doing our washing and then appointments this evening.