Well family yet another day another week another month is over here in the Philippines! I can’t believe this week marks my 4th month in the mission and  I only have 20 more! Time here in the Philippines just flies by! I’m sitting here emailing next to Elder Pulshipher and we are just talking how fast it’s been. It’s good that way! Time flies when you are having fun no?! I have to admit probably the best thing I have heard this week is right now.  I opened up my email and saw a message from dad and it was so simple yet so eloquent. James Harden going off for 47 against the Thunder. You just can’t beat that. Like where was the defense. Where was Durant. Where was Westbrooke. Where was the D-fence. Then to see that he led the Rockets over the number 1 team in the NBA. it just simply made my week! It was awesome hearing that! So dad thank you for that! Also on a more spiritual note... 58 new missions were created! Holy Crap. Or here in the Philippines they would say grabi gid. damout mga mission no? That means like holy cow! Lots of missions right?! But yeah that’s crazy! You'll have to send me a list of all of them soon! That’s awesome though that so many are opening.  Any new countries.. any new Philippines?? So many! dang! and so awesome that Corona won state again! That’s awesome they were able to pull that off 2 years in a row especially without Calaen, Avrey and Andrus and all those other factors that played last year.

 

So to answer some of your questions....

 

I have no chest pains anymore. My skin is doing good. I think the humidity helps and Ii haven’t had any new zits. Just a few white heads but thats pretty normal I’d say. I’m drinking filtered water. I have had some sketchy water but always prayed before and have been fine. I always try to drink filtered and we'll definitely put a push on that this week. But like at home and everything it’s always filtered. Sometimes members will feed us and I’ll be given water and they tell me to drink and you don’t really have a choice. I  mean I do but sometimes they'll get offended! But so far no tape worms.

 

Who are my investagators. We don’t really have any yet still.... We have a few potential but whenever we visit they just say they don’t want to hear. We are trying hard though to find at least one these next few weeks together. Even if not, we are just really trying to fellowship cause this area there are damout mga less actives. (alot of Less actives) they say they are either Catholic now, poor or  offended, so they have no desire to return to church which is frustrating cause I think when they see two Americans they don’t open up to us cause they think we won’t understand the problems. But we do. So that’s what we are really trying to do but at the same time we really want an investigator. 

 

Also we aren’t in a ward we are in a branch. Its called Minapasuk branch. Our branch president’s name is President Pilicano. He’s about 26, served his mission in Bacolod and moved back after and married! haha He now lives with his wife’s family in a little bamboo hut and has 2 kids and no work. He knows English though but he’s a really good guy still.  He tries but no one in our branch is the go get em type of people. We only have one real missionary minded person in our ward but she just chastizes people saying they'll go to hell if they don’t go to church. Our branch just kinda struggles. Very poor, very stubborn if they don’t like it or if things don’t go their way. They always say they'll do things and then they never do it when we follow up with them. Like home teaching or visiting teaching never gets done. We try though! They are all good people just don’t know the truth as much as they should and they won’t reach out to the truth if it came!  We try to do our best though and connect with the people!

 

But that’s that with our ward and our area. It’s just a very hard area with everything especially the langauge cause it’s mixed and people. We’ve been told that Minapasuk is one of the hardest in the mission according to our Stake President. So it’s all good. We understand that and keep our heads up and strive to do our best. The main thing is that I have a testimony of this gospel and know that it has blessed my life and know that it can bless everyones and make everyones life better than it is! If people could just realize that it would be so much better for them!

 

There are hard times on the mission like people not showing up to church or people won’t listen to us but those times never outdo  those moments where the Spirit is strong or where I just feel so blessed to be a part of this work in this church, in this mission, with friends and family and leaders who support me at all times. I know that that’s what counts and I hope that I can share it more and more with people and help them in their life!

 

I am so very thankful for all that I have in my life!

 

Know that I love you and miss you all!

 

The work is great! and I’m doing great!

 

Love you all!

 

P.S. what’s the kidnapping thing with Nats comp?

 

 

 

 

 one with Elder Pulshipher in the Computer place