Batac Week 59

Naimbag nga Malem o Magandang Hapon Po Francis Family,

Maligayang kaarawan o naimbag nga panagkasangay (Happy Birthday), 

Happy birthday Emily from the Philippines! I wish you a happy happy 15th birthday like WHAT!!!, you are getting too old for me.  You are my little sister that I love and you will always be my little sister forever and the best #1 sister in the world. I am proud to say that because it is true and I am grateful to say that you are my sister.  Thank you for everything and the support and being a good example to me.  My great companion Elder Tago says happy birthday too, sooooo HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!. 

This week was really fun because we did a lot of fun things and took a lot of pictures and we had really spiritual moments in our teaching with two of our investigators.  We taught them Christ's earthly ministry and the apostasy and the Restoration. These lessons we taught to them were so spiritual and we could tell the spirit was really teaching and testifying the truth to them, even though they don't know it at least I know that the spirit touches the hearts of people and I can see the spirit in this work. I could see them thinking about what we were saying to them and they were really thinking of the things we testified to them.

So that was really great and another thing that happened to us was we were walking home one night and a girl called out to us and she knows Elder Tago.  She was excited to see us and we started to talk to her and the people she is staying with were from the Iglesia Ni Cristo and they don't like us at all.  They started to yell at us and tell us to get our bible to bible bash with them and they started to fight with us and then |Elder Tago said to them Ano gusto mo talaga brother kase parang gusto mo na magfight talaga at yung attitude sa amin, hindi mabait sila sa amin.   Elder Tago showed charity to them and we could see the spirit was guiding us what to say so we don't fight and in the end everything turned out alright and we got a return appointment with him.

Then also this week on Friday I went to the hospital because I had a sore back and sore groins.  We went to Batac hospital to see why and they told me it's just muscle pain.  I really do have bad muscle pain a lot and it hurts bad. Then also I got a cold and I lost my voice on Saturday and Sunday so it was hard to speak and say things I wanted to say.  In church they wanted me to say the prayer and I couldn't speak and it was hard to breathe for a while. But my cold is getting a little bit better now. Then also this last week on Emily's birthday we have a family that are recent converts and less actives and the two baby twins are turning one on her birthday so that was fun to celebrate with them and think of Emily's birthday.

The next morning we had a meeting for zone leaders with the stake president and after we went and got lunch and dessert and ate more food at the party, so I was really full and wanted to throw up. Then because I was sick,  me and Elder Tago went to Buga St. Rita, our area, and we taught our recent converts nanay and tatay Dela Cruz.  Tatay read something in the bible about consecrating oil and said he gave a blessing to nanay but did it wrong and had no clue what to do so we helped and showed him what to do.  He did the consecration and poured the drop on my head and it was his first time but he did really good and I could feel the spirit after and nanay was crying and for me hard to speak I bore my testimony about the foundation of this church 1. Prophets, 2. Apostles 3. Priesthood Authority from god, and with out these three things our church would fall and we would not be here. 

So that was my week and today for P-day we had all the zone leaders and STL'S from the Laoag mission come do a team building course at Fort Ilocandia and we did some fun things like archery, eating eggs (drinking it) I almost threw up, an obstacle course on the beach, a tug of war, and we also did golfing and went to a mini zoo and had a lot of fun, but I got really really sun burned and look like a tomato and it hurts (I am really sorry Mom).

At the mini zoo lets just say I almost got pecked on the head by an ostrich and it was really funny.  All the sisters were laughing and said it likes you and then we saw some monkeys and they were really funny and they made me laugh watching them dance and the way they move around and protect the baby and growl at me when I want to take a picture like hahaha.

But that was it.  What a great week full of memories and more to come.  I love the mission life and love the Filipino people and especially I love being able to serve the lord. One more thing a girl on the mission named Sister Arancis she is super friendly,  gave me a picture before she went home and on the back she gave me a scripture that I really love and really caught my attention and it says in D&C 58:16- "Behold his mission is given unto him, and it shall not be given again."  That really caught my attention how fast the mission life goes and how I only get to do this once and I need to not waste my time and make sure to be obedient always and ready to serve the Lord.  I won't get another opportunity like this. So that's what she said and said some more and gave me her e-mail too. But that's it, I really am enjoying everything and I love the work. Mahal ko kayong lahat at ingat kayo palagi. 

Ay-Ayaten ka

Elder Francis 

P.S. Did you get the things I want sent to me, please send all of it. Agyaman ti adu.