Hey all - so here I am in Bacolod city Monday morning writing all of you while you are at home Sunday night! So weird with the time changes and all, but at the same time it’s kinda cool! At least we are up at at the same time.  So this week has been rewarding in a weird way.  For some reason I felt like I just progressed in my language speaking skills and that is a big factor when you can start to say anything that you can think of.  It’s still slow to transition at times but it’s coming slowly and sure. That’s a huge blessing. The gift of tongues is really playing a role in my ability to speak.  Listening is still at like 80 percent. I don’t understand everything people say and usually it’s out of context but it’s still better than nothing.  I’m a little nervous cause we have transfers in two weeks and there is a a huge possibility I can train but at the same time I did have an American trainer who just finished his training right before I got there so there is a chance I can have a follow up but from what my zone leaders tell me I won’t cause three missionaries out of 6 of us in our district will either be transferred or go home which leaves me and Elder Pulsipher and one of our zone leaders. So I really don’t know what will come up. I feel like I can train if I needed to but I also feel like if I had a follow up trainer that was like experienced, I would progress so much faster then I have in the past 10 weeks here and also I would know how to be a better missionary. Cause like that experience that Connor McCook had that’s how I feel like I would be as well!!

 

But I do feel like I’m progressing maybe just not as fast as I'd like or think I could if I had the resources, but I don’t let that get me down.

 

But like I said this week was a good week!

 

First things first.. I cant believe that Adam and Collin are so close to getting their calls.  I’m glad to see them both striving to do their best with getting ready to go.  I’m interested as well to see how Nate Legendre, Austin and Taylor are all doing. What are their plans right now! Also, so weird to think that Quincy is back and just chillin in the good ol' AZ now. So crazy to think of... that went by fast.  I remember before she left we were doing the math to see how long it’d be before we see each other cause our missions would overlap and we figured like 3 - 3 1/2 years. So crazy to think that she’s already home that fast and now I only have about a year and a half left here.  Crazy how fast time really does fly and if we don’t take it in... that time is dead and gone and possibly wasted! A good reminder to me to work hard and take everything in cause 2 years seems like a long time but in eternity its nothing but a speck of time.  Crazy!!!

 

So this week we have another investigator.  We met him while riding back on his motorcycle to bug-ang.  His name is Jomarie Chaves.  He is probably about 30 and has two little kids and a wife. He lives with his wife’s family and they have lot of them. We stopped by their house and taught the whole family the first lesson in PMG... "Gods Our Loving Heavenly Father."  We thought the lesson just was okay. We found our struggle, and that is how to begin teaching and we've been practicing that during our companion study.  We feel really good about him, but we've returned to his house twice and he hasn’t been there cause of work so we are trying to find good times to stop by and find him at his home! He is really a good guy and seems to accept our message pretty well.

 

Bro. Simeon. We stopped by his house later in the week but he was busy and tired cause he just got back from the tobo fields(sugar can fields) were he works and he told us to come by later. So we are planning to stop by his house this week to teach him. He’s a little harder cause he knows the bible very well and is a very devoted Baptist so he always rebuttles when we teach, which is fine, but sometimes I just want him to hush and listen! haha. So that’s something I’ll pray for this week!

 

But besides that we've just been working with our less actives and really trying to work with them. We feel like the past elders have just come in to the area and just been like CHURCH CHURCH CHURCH. You need to go to CHURCH! Which is so very true but at the same time when elders do that the people just give us answers that they think we want to hear... like those famous primary answers even if we know for a fact they aren’t doing those things cause the husband is always drunk.  She’s always gambling and they haven’t been to church in years! haha.  It’s so frustrating. My favorite lessons are with those that are less active but they actually admit they just haven’t been to church in years or they actually give us the truth. Not excuses like oh I was sick. Sometimes I just want to say. Alright so you were sick... what about the past 5 years sister! haha. ahh man. This area just struggles but like I said we’ve been working with the less actives and have just been trying to teach them the basics again to start a better relationship by fellowshipping rather then just teaching them about church day after day cause if they don’t know the doctrine or if they don’t have a testimony why would they come to church?  I wouldn’t either.  But as we strengthen their testimonies and strengthen their knowledge they are going to have a greater desire to act on their faith in Jesus Christ.  I know that for a fact cause we've seen that in people like Bro Pilapil.  He’s been coming to church for a few weeks now.. just becoming a returning member but he missed church yesterday due to a cold so he has to start his weeks over in order for us to call him a returning member.  But he was actually sick. We visited him and he was just out of it. Had no voice just a runny nose so although he has to start over with his weeks at least by fellowshipping and teaching him the basic doctrines we have seen our efforts in him and he continues to strengthen his faith!

 

Well family I really do love you all and miss you all as well!  Every week goes by faster and every month gets even faster as well!  Hard to think that this month is already halfway through.  With that in closing HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NENNA AND BK!! Wish I was there for you guys to celebrate but you'll have fun without me! Eat some ice cream for me!! I hope you all have a good week and hope everything goes well! I love you all and love this work! It truly is the work of the Lord and is not getting smaller but enlargens everyday probably faster than any other church because this is the Lords work and He has His hand in it! I know that for a fact!

 

Hope all of you have a good week and don’t miss me too much!

 

Love you all!

 

Robbie (Elder Sargent)  

 

Elder Leng at door to meeting house

our church meeting house.