Mission Split, Area Split, Two More Elders!

Hey family!

Well, I guess I should start with the news you are surly all waiting to hear, or I could just save it for the end. Nah, I can't wait. So, since District Meeting is now held on Mondays, we already know what will happen with transfers, and which mission we will ultimately be assigned to. Could stay here on Negros and in the Bacolod Mission, or head to Panay and join the Iloilo Mission.

Elder LeCheminant will be becoming a zone leader somewhere else, but at least still here on Negros too. Good news, I will still be here in Cadiz (and in the Bacolod Mission), sort of.  I'm still in Cadiz, but just in Ward 1. That's right, our area will be splitting. Whitewash into branch. Branch will get a trainer and his trainee. The split is such a good thing! That's what is needed here. All this last weekend members have been asking when we were gonna get four missionaries here. We thought it wasn't going to be until August. I'm gonna miss the members in Branch 2 though. I'll still get to see them at church though. And I'll actually start going to more than just sacrament meeting! Instead of just two sacrament meetings.

Now that that is out of the way, on to the rest of the week. Tuesday to Friday was just amo man gihapon (just the same, just how it is...). But it was good too. Progress continues in Tiglawigan. Though it did kick us where it hurts one day. Just one of the families that we are teaching out there was home. But those kind of days happen.

I have been out for six months now. It feels so weird to say that. As it happens things seem kind of slow some days/ weeks. But the months go by fast. Looking back it's like, "Wow, it has been six months," then it's also, "Wow, it has only been six months." Though in a flash I will be where Elder Lecheminant is, four months, two transfers left. Then have come home to cold.

So, on Saturday there was a missionary that served here in 1992 that came back. He actually spoke the language while he was here, and he still can. The reason he still can is because his wife is from Bacolod. His kids only know a couple of phrases. So he baptized Lola Guronga, every missionary's grandma here in Cadiz. We were invited to the return party and that was a lot of fun. Tons of food too. But it was fun to see how happy everyone was and hear his stories. After that we headed off to a wedding reception. Mario Ceniza and Iris Dela Peña. They were waiting until the Cebu temple was dedicated to get married. Now it is and so are they. The reception was nice. Words of advice were given, there was a lot of food, we watched a video of pictures of the two, including pictures of them at the temple.

You all had a crazy week. And it's summer! It should be relaxed. But I guess that can't happen while a child is getting ready to leave for college. And Nat is starting all the stuff for dance company. I suppose that means no more USANA or E Center, but I'm sure they have their own way of getting money.

Car expenses. That reminds me that the mission is down a car. It was over a week, almost two, ago that the Escape got in an accident. Other car's fault. Roads were a little slick, not much though, and he lost control, slammed into the Escape. Everyone is fine. Elder Potter was spitting out glass for a couple minutes though. Just the Escape is no more.

Toy Story 3! I want to see that sooooo bad! But it will have to wait obviously. There are a lot of good movies that have come out and will be coming out. I guarantee that I can find a pirated copy of Toy Story here already. Original disks don't really exist here, basically pirated is the only way.

Well, since we don't get to do anything special for Father's Day, I nearly forgot about it... But I remembered! So, Happy Father's Day Dad (Tatay, Amay, Ama, Pere, Padre)!!! I hope you enjoy your massage that Mom got you and I assume you got a car wash too. It's still kind of strange not having the third Sunday to look forward to. That I certainly miss. Hanging out with Stu and Brandton... good times.

Well, this coming week will be interesting. We have to get things ready for the pag-abot (arrival) of the two additional elders. Tomorrow the mission office will be bringing us new beds and stuff like that. That will be fun. Elder Lecheminant's prediction for my next companion is that he will be Filipino. And that is so possible. It will be WAY different, but I think I can handle it. I'm pretty sure that I wont be the only American in the house though. It's very likely that the trainee will be American, there are 31 Americans coming, and some Filipinos. Well, for that we'll just have to wait until next Monday.

TTFN!
Elder Phelps