Week #72 - 500 days out!

Hello!!

Well this week in Albuera Albert confesses his love for one of the young women, President Maurer tells me I'm losing weight, I find out that one of my past investigators in Alang-Alang got baptized on Saturday, and we lose some star investigators...

Well this week had a lot of ups and downs but definitely more ups! To start off the week we received an amazing training from our district leader. It was on finding. He laid a lot of emphasis that finding is more than just walking around pounding on peoples doors. There is a better way and that is through referrals! We have applied these things and we have seen such an increase in our finding and progressing investigators! 

This week I decided I would try and take a break from rice. It didn't go so well. I lasted a solid 8 hours then I gave in! I am addicted to rice now! Not a good thing...

This week I was studying in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians Chapter 9! I want to talk about verse 14. I don't know if I can quote it exactly right but in essence it say that those that are called to preach the Gospel should live the Gospel. Actually enough said! Haha we as members of the church are called to preach the gospel and share this light to all men! But we need to live it first. All people should be able to see us as members before we can teach them. My dad always told me, "Actions speak louder than words".

So something devastating happened to us yesterday morning. We received a text from a progressing investigator family. In the text they told us that they no longer wanted to continue in the discussions. They decided that because they were born in their religion, they wanted to stay in it. Words cannot describe the sadness I felt when I read this text. It was as if I had failed. As a missionary I have grown to that point where I truly love everybody. I desire for their eternal welfare and happiness. When we receive news that they no longer want to continue, it's heartbreaking. We will continue to strive to invite them and hopefully they will change their minds.

So this week I got to Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon. This has been a 3 day study and I will start the fourth day tomorrow and hopefully finish it. It is amazing to read this allegory and see the Lord's love for us. He does everything for us and he still asks "What could I have done more for my Vineyard?". I testify of the Lord's love for us. It is a love so powerful that we cannot comprehend it. He loves us unconditionally and desires for all of us to return to him. I testify that the Gospel is true and that if we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and the words of the modern day prophets we can return to live with our Heavenly Father.

Well that's it for this week! Next week is transfer week! I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!!

Elder Child

Week #71

February 21, 2016

Hello!

Well this past week in Albuera I started back up eating, my poop is solid again, and I ate some weird snail things.

Well this past week I got back to full health! I feel awesome and back to my attractive self once more! The amoeba is officially gone and I am thankful to be off the medication since it was doing so weird things to my body!

So our work was awesome! We spent so much time finding this week and we were so successful! We found a new investigator family! The Ramada Family! We actually talked to the mom of the family a couple weeks ago but schedules and times haven't really worked out until this past week! They are a young family and so open and receptive! We taught them the Restoration this past week and we could feel the spirit so strong during the lesson! When we asked if we could come back the were excited to accept and told us to come back on Wednesday!

Our referral that we received from the Bishop here is doing awesome! Grace is her name and she came to church yesterday! She has a huge desire to learn and grow and I know that she will continue to progress!!

So we had something amazing happen to us this past week! We were out finding on Thursday and it had been a long day! We had walked a ton and knocked on about 1000 houses. So we decided to make a quick pitstop at a tindahan and buy some drinks and eat a snack! While we were sitting there we got to talking with the owner of the tindahan and the talk soon turned to the Gospel. Then she asked us an amazing question! Kay ngano naay daghang simbahan diri sa kalibutan? Or why are there so many churches here on earth! What an amazing question. So we pulled out a pamphlet and gave an explanation and asked if we could come again and she said yes! Then something even more amazing happened! She turned around and pulled a worn down Book of Mormon off the shelf in her tindahan! She told us that her brother had given it to her a couple years ago and she had been reading it ever since! This just strengthened my testimony that God really does lead us to those people that he has prepared after we have done our part!!

Well my spiritual thought comes from 2 Nephi 31. For those that have been confirmed members of the Church we all heard the words "receive the Holy Ghost". This phrase is important to remember. The word receive denotes that we have a choice. Just because we are confirmed does not mean that the Holy Ghost automatically accompanies us always! We need to strive to be worthy to receive it and also have a willing heart! Let us all strive always to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost!

Well that's all for this week! It's been good and it will continue to get better! Thanks for all you do!

Elder Child

Finally some pictures!!

Pics 1-3 - having Family Home Evening with a family; second pic is of the game they played (I love the ladies face!)

Pic 4 - "just a cute kid"

Pics 5-6 - they went to the Albuera Square and pretended to be actors

Week #70

February 15, 2016

Hello!

Well this week in Albuera I got an amoeba, lost 10 pounds, and went to a birthday party for a 3 year old girl!!

Well this week I got sick. Like really sick. I caught an amoeba. I'm not quite sure what that is because I forgot everything I learned in Biology. All I know is that it gave me crazy bathroom issues and I couldn't eat anything. Literally nothing because every time I ate I would just throw it up. So we had very little work this week. But I'm ok now! I'm currently on antibacterial drugs and recovering. We are planning on playing basketball later!

So the work, despite how little it was this week was awesome! We saw some awesome blessing in our finding efforts! We had 3 new investigators this week! An elderly couple that we found and a referral from the Bishop here in Albuera. But first the elderly couple! We went out finding on Thursday (our first day of work this past week) and we found Feliciano and Edita Montalban. As we were walking by we saw brother trying to hide from us so of course we decided to try and talk to him! Turns out he was a little shy of the massive american that was walking by. Anyways when we tried talking to him he warmly welcomed us in and was happy to talk to us. Him and his wife were so receptive and they said we could come back anytime! And then on Saturday (our second day of work because I started throwing up again on Friday) We contacted a referral from the bishop here in Albuera. Her name is Grace and she is awesome! She has some amazing knowledge in doctrines and it was so awesome to be able to teach her! The spirit was so strong and I could feel it testifying to me of the truthfulness of the Gospel.

Change. Life is about change and I am happy to say that it is a part of my life right now. Change is the reason we are here on earth. Change is in everything. History, life style, fashion, speech. We see and experience it every day. But do we ever truly realize the importance of it? Our Heavenly Father's plan is centered on change. If we do not change here on earth we cannot progress and become that person that our Father in Heaven needs us to become. Jesus Christ came to earth so that we would have the opportunity to change. He suffered for us and atoned for our sins so that we can change. I testify of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I can feel the effects of it in my life and I draw comfort from it every day. 

I thank you all for your love and support! Let us all continue to press forward!

Elder Child

*No pictures again this week because his SD card got wiped clean.

Week #69

February 8, 2016

Hello!!

Well this week was hard. The weather has kind of been against us also. But we pressed on and received some good blessings!

We got a new investigator!!! His name is ReyMark and he is awesome! He is actually a friend of a less active and he just started deciding to sit in on the lessons we have been teaching. From this I learned an important lesson and something I need to start applying to the work. I need to start asking for referrals from everybody! Especially less actives. This week we will start applying it and we will see how it works out next week!

I really realized the importance of the spirit in conversion this week. We had the opportunity to watch a world wide missionary training about the importance of the spirit. I also realized that missionary work is not missionary work without the spirit. We, as members of Gods family, need to strive to always follow the commandments so we can inherit the promised blessings. God wants to bless us and help us but if we do not do what he asks of us he can't help. I have really had my testimony strengthened this past week that God really loves us. Everything he does is for our benefit and he gets nothing from it. He truly is our father in heaven and he wants what is best for us. Let us continually strive to do all we can to serve him!!

Marvin and Charlybeth are progressing still! They continue to surprise us with their willingness to learn and grow in the gospel. We continue to help them grow and progress but we can only do so much! They must do the rest! We also have another investigator who is a part member! He is awesome and he will be getting baptized next month! He is so strong in his testimony of the gospel. Just listening to him bear his testimony strengthens mine!

My spiritual thought this week comes from the most used scripture I think. 1 Nephi 3:7. The Lord gives us commandments because he knows that we can follow them. He also prepares every possible way for us to accomplish those things he asks of us.

Well that's it for this week! Thank you all for all the prayers and support! I love you all!

Elder Child

*No pictures this week because the computer ports where he was writing didn't work

Week #68

February 1, 2016

Hello!
This week in the Philippines we got chased by an angry caribou, got rained on for 72 hours straight (it's raining again right now), and had stake conference!

So to start with the headline. Yes we did get chased by a caribou. We were out working in the rain and I don't think it was having a very good day! I accidentally stepped on it's rope and it decided it didn't like that so it charged us. But we swerved because it was tied down! But it was fun to hear the ward missionary scream like a little girl! Also it has been raining almost non stop this week! I don't think my shoes have been dry since Tuesday! But yeah it was a good week!

So this week we had stake conference in Ormoc! With the attendance almost reaching 1000 the church was packed! The messages given by the speakers were all centered around Sabbath day observance and the importance of keeping it holy!! Did you know that violators of the Sabbath day in the times of Moses were put to death? Jeez.

So the work has been good this week! We are still trying so hard to find new investigators but it has been hard. We will keep praying for help and we will see results after this trial of our faith. I know there is something the Lord wants me to learn from this! This is something we should all know! The Lord allows trials to come into our lives so we can learn and grow. We need to constantly be looking for those things that he wants us to learn!

Elder Villanueva and I are still so close! It helps that we are both jokers which can make the work way more enjoyable! We got to walk through a couple mini floods this week and we really enjoyed everything!

Did you know that Isaiah of the old testament talks of political leaders of our time and day? Did you know that he always speaks of trains and airplanes? So many things can be found as we study the Old testament. But also as we read let's remember that we need to liken the scriptures unto ourselves as the great Prophet Nephi taught.
Well that's it for this week! Thanks for all the prayers and support! I love you all!

Elder Child

Pic 2 - a cute baby goat that took a liking to Elder Villanueva
Pic 3 - "this monkey was evil and vicious"
Pic 4 - an attitude quote that they have hanging on the wall in the apartment

Pic 1 - Albert, who works with the missionaries every day