February 4

t's been very good to receive your letters this week. I get anxious like a school girl on P-Day's Eve (Sunday) because I know that I'll be able to see what's going on in your life the next day. So this week has been particularly good for me. oh and by the way ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA...I saw your new jeep that thing is amazing! So I'll explain what happened in my week than I'll go onto talk about your lives and my feelings and all those fun kind of things.

So E. Casuga left on Sunday and we hadn't talked since Friday because we got in an argument and I really couldn't work with him because I wouldn't have the spirit so I went on splits. Sunday as we are getting out of the jeepney (a ridiculous miniature metal school bus that drives like a maniac--I'm riding a short bus for the second time in my life) he tells me I still owe you money. I replied I know you do, you owe me 900pesos, 400 for water and rent, and 500 personal. He replied when I get home I'll send it to you. and I said "No you won't you will ask to borrow it from President"--I made sure he did this by texting president and telling him of the news. As missionaries when we are transferred we are suppose to leave enough money for 1 1/2 months and leave a 72 hour kit. Well when he received his support from his Dad he blew it on souvenirs--He bought like a ton of Vinegar(with Sili (peppers) and garlic in it) Honey, this disgusting fish mixture that is basically left over fish parts blended you're suppose to put on rice---I don't eat it. So he blew all his support on stuff for him, I figured this would happen so instead of asking for what he really owed me I ask him for only 900. and he didn't have it. His 72 hour kit was also all Sardines haa which is roughly 11P per can. That I expected also. but I wasn't going to let it bother me I told pres and talked to him. I bid him farewell with a hug and told him to take care. So from Monday-Friday I worked with E. Cabatuando in Lipa and Little in Sto. Tomas. Lipa is the biggest city in our mission with over 1 Million people. Yeah the work there...is horrible. But I really enjoy Cabatuando he's our zone leader and I'll definitely be sad when we part our ways which I am thinking will be next transfer which is March 12th ,but so is the life in missionary work.
Thursday: we were in Lipa we taught a few lessons, but then came home around 8 because all the missionaries from Mindoro were staying in Lipa with us because transfer meeting was in the morning. I had a good time with my buddies from the MTC.
Friday we got up early took the hour bus ride to alaminos and went to transfer day. Now I am told that our transfer meetings are different from any other mission..mainly because our mission president IS AMAZING!
Everyone is excited and the AP's stand at the pulpit and say "From the MTC/San Pablo/ETC Elder So and So Is TRANSFERRED!---Every cheers and screams it's ridiculous.. and his new companion is! ------------- and his new area is ---------- he is now the Zone leader/District Leader/Senior/ETC It's like the loudest I've ever been in my life everyone jumps around and screams! It's soooo much fun! So I was really freaking out at transfer day I had NO IDEA who I was going to get I was really hoping for an American. I asked E. Park who my new comp was and he said "Can't Tell you" TO which I replied American or filipino! and he said "Yes, He's an Elder"
So I was so nervous. Partially because my new companion was one of the last to be called.

So I finally heard it. From San PAblo zone! Elder Centeno is Transferred! and his new companion is.....ELDER GONZALEZ IN SANTO TOMAS!!!!!!!
Elder Gonzalez is now the Senior! aisha my mouth dropped. Not to criticize my companions, but Elder Bondoc was a new trainer and didn't quite teach me everything he could, and E. Casuga taught me how to be patient and humble. But aside from that I still don't know all the small things about mission policies. So I am trying hard to be the best senior I can be, Indeed it's humbling since Centeno's been out longer that I In the Field but we are the same batch. Meaning his mission started in July. I was sitting next to Elder Perry and Bernard from the MTC when they got their new companions...EACHOTHER. They were so excited! But I don't see how 2 Americans so new can handle but I wish them the best! They can do it I know!

Other than that I've been working with E. Centeno and like I said I really like him, we get a long well and I took advice from my ward mission leader and Todd (a calling in each ward nothing to do with the mission) to find ways to serve him---and I've started to do that. It's been fun of finding ways to help him out. Iron his shirt when he's downstairs, I even washed his clothes along with mine one night...that only took 6 hours haa. But I am happy and we work hard.

Now an update on the work.
We've been teaching Don Cababaan for quite sometime now. And he's still finding excuses not to go to church and he really needs friends in the church but I know he has a testimony and the joy he has at church is amazing. He'll probably be baptized on the 20th if I can get him ready. Another one is April Love Malinaw her mother is a member but inactive. funny how we found them, see how the Lord works in marvelous ways here. Elder Bondoc and I were walking home from the Palengki (public market) and we were walking by the big town lottery place of all places. and a security guard yelled at me. Elders Elders! come here come here, he spoke oddly okay English. He told us he lived in Australia for some time and was studying to become a priest in Italy for 5 years but then ended up getting married. He said my wife is a member of yours and I want you to come teach my family! come over at 7am any day. It was a bit early but one day we decided to finally go over there It's a bit of a way out there but we found April and her awesome family. So she'll be baptized on the 20th it's so great because the youth in Sto. Tomas are AMAZING and they've really taken her in. Other than that, Elder Centeno and I are just working realllly hard to get high numbers and a lot of lessons I really want the work to progress. Other than that this week I'm planning 2 events for sto tomas to try and get members. 1. I'm planning an open house, similar I suppose to what Todd did, open the church invite people from town to come and see, and have information about what we believe apparently they say it's successful. and 2. I'm planning a fireside and having the Couple Missionaries Elder and Sister Hunt(whom you talked to the other day---How COOL IS THAT! They are great! I love em they are the ones I spent Christmas with) and they will give a workshop on how Ancient Israel (The Jewish Faith) and the temple ceremonies are similar to our church today and the thing we do in the temple now I hear it's quite an amazing workshop---It's similar because we believe that the Jewish Faith used to be the true church of God and his chosen people, but when Christ came they continued to wait for their Messiah and then the teachings of Christ came with his apostles and that started Christ Church, but after Christ was killed the apostles couldn't keep the church together because it was so new and they were killed for believing and false traditions came into the church especially the writings of Plato and Greek Philosophy on the Nature of God. So we believe that God reached out again and restored his church in 1830. It's verrrry interesting.

Thank you so much again for giving me the opportunity of this amazing experience. I've found who I am and who I should be..I suppose now I have to found out how I get there. I know that it is through the Great God that gave us all life and I marvel at his excellence and adore him each and every day. I plead with him to bless you every day.

I LOVE IT HERE!

"Service is essential to salvation, knowing is not enough we must apply. being willing is not enough we must do, progress is not created by contented people You and I we must be uncomfortable in complacency"
Wise words of
Bruce R. McConkie