Piddig Week 48

Naimbag nga malem o Magandang Hapon po Francis family.

This week has been great and it has been crazy with rain, just down pour rain and I love it though,  This week me and Elder Farrales went to Brgy Boyboy and we found a bridge and we took pictures at it, because the background is all green and bukids.  But the fun and hard part was walking through the bukids and the rain and wind coming down so hard and our shoes were getting stuck in the mud.  We had to cross little bridges above the rivers and we were soaking wet and cold but we were laughing and having fun and people saw that even though the weather is crazy and we are so happy.  They ask us what are you doing and why are you so happy in this crazy weather, I just tell them that I am a representative of Jesus Christ to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness.  I tell them how we sacrifice a lot of things for them and for the Lord, and they start to feel the spirit working through us and wow like these brothers sacrifice a lot for us and they love us a lot. 

Walking through the bukids and my feet coming out of my shoes and stepping in the mud I do feel like a real missionary and I feel the work of the lord harvesting and the work of the Lord is growing, Especially this week we will be having a baptism his name is Moonberg Jhun Benito and I will be the one baptizing him and he is 17 years old he is the son of the mother that we just baptized so that will be exciting. for him. Then also this week we were teaching a family and a huge lizard comes down from the wall and starts eating the bugs and it was so funny and I didn't know they had lizards that big.

Then this week I could see the work of the lord in our working we had 8 investigators attend church yesterday and everyone is asking what is our secret or how do we do it. I tell them we have to work wiser not harder and just love what you do and always be smiling and just have fun.

I did get to meet President Andrada and his wife, they are super friendly and ready to help the Laoag Philippines mission grow. The success to missionary work is to be diligent and obedient and love the work you do and love the people and you will see hearts change like I have. We will be having at least 5 baptisms next month: three little kids and two sisters Monalisa and Christine, they are both coming to church and know that our message is true. We taught this one family with a bunch of kids, the sister's name is Brenda and her kids gave me and Elder Farrales birthday cards  and gave us hugs and told us that they love us.  I love little kids and I love the work of the lord and helping others change and seeing how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can change my life and the lives of others and how we can become clean and forgiven of our sins and when we accept his atonement we are coming closer unto him and our father in heaven. Tell Emily thank you for the Postcards and the quads.   I did receive them and I will be sending mail home next week.  For my birthday just put money on my card, especially if there is a typhoon or really bad rain storm.

It sounds like you guys had a great trip and are exhausted and you know how I feel hahaha, jokelang I  love the work but you guys enjoyed Kansas and Illinois and love your guys trip, that's great that you took time off and went did something with the family, that's how a family comes close together, Here in the Philippines I see a lot of families come apart or a lot of fighting and a lot of problems like this week, me and elder farrales went to eat at a little fast food restaurant and this little girl or boy I don't know, was so skinny and his or her shirt was torn apart and his or her shorts were barely on her body, she was starving, so elder Farrales gave her something to eat. 

It's so had to see it, but we need to be grateful for the small and simple things that the lord gives to us like our family and we need to always help our family (we are all family), gods children and god will bless us. I can see how people are striving to live here in the Philippines and how masipag po sila talaga and they are hard working and never give up and willing to help others.  We need to have that attitude "I will be the one", I love that quote and we need to do the best we can to help others, and always look for opportunities to help. But everything is going great I will be sending a lot of pictures home, because I am pretty sure I have two weeks left here in Piddig and I will probably get transferred somewhere. Ingat po kayo at ay-ayaten ka at mahal kita. 

Elder Francis