Our Week Was Pretty Good Too

From the pictures it looks like Girl's Camp was much more relaxing than Scout Camp in general for everyone. In all the pictures everyone was just sitting around. Looked boring if you ask me! Scout Camps is always fun and there is always something fun/cool to do.

Um, you're welcome for the letter to the ward. I'm glad it went well.

Well, our week was pretty good too. We had 12 lessons with a member present, thanks much to Marvin. YM that likes to work with us. All of our lessons went really well. A lot of the people we talked to in the last couple of weeks are doing really good, now that we are seeing how they are reacting to the message. There's one, Junior, he came to church this week, missed work to try and come. He's going to talk to his boss to see if he can be able to continue to come. When we taught him for the first time his dad was there too. His dad did all the talking for the two of them, and he's a tough guy, very firm where he is, so we didnt really know what Jr was thinking, but clearly he is awesome...so far. I have high hopes for him. His dad isnt listening any more, so the lessons go well.

Brother Remata is doing awesome. Still working on quitting drinking and smoking, but he keeps coming to church and wants to be baptized. We set a goal for Aug 28. Those are two of our best investigators right now. There are other good ones still, quite a few.

The Kuan family. Their last name makes me laugh. Kwan is the same pronunciation but means "whatchamacallit." So you use it when you can't think of the word. Nag-kwan ka ba? Tapos mag-kwan ka sa iya. They are the one we met from the referral. They are doing well. We've been there three times now, number four is tomorrow. They have a Book of Mormon. The daughter is good and has a lot of questions. Right now they are still at the stage that they think we are just going around sharing the gospel to helps people get closer to God, which is also true, but our eventual goal is that they will be baptized. She has a classmate that is a member, convert, so that's good too.

Romero. Kristine and Brother Romero are both doing well. Nanay said to us the last time we were there that she'll just stay at the Catholic. I really think that is fine just for now. Not her time yet. She'll be an awesome member when it does eventually happen. We still visit, but not focusing on her.

Friday we had Zone Conference in Bacolod. That was really good. The trainings went awesome. All about the Book of Mormon and the importance of just reading it. Which we need to convey to the investigators.

"Sister, were you able to read."
"Yes Elder."
"Cool, what did you read?"
"I forgot."

She didn't read. That happens way more often than not. If they just actually read it makes all the difference in the immediate lesson and in the long run.

Looking forward to this next week! Next Monday is transfer announcements, so we'll know if I get to stay in Cadiz still, or if I am out of here... I hope to stay again, but I will probably leave.

Okay, pictures na!

Elder Phelps

Young Men, PREPARE YOURSELF NOW

7/19/10 (Delayed posting so Kristeen could read it in church today (7/25/10)

Boring (Scout) camp talk? Such thing doesnt exist! I love hearing about camp related things. First thing, to mom, when we talk to members it is in Ilonggo, remember, I dont speak Tagalog anymore. Well, it was certainly an interesting week here in Cadiz. The trainee in the Cadiz Branch is having problems with his ankle so they moved him to the office. It was really strange and surprising when President and the APs showed up at the apartment Wednesday morning. So now he is gone and was replaced. I am now the only American in the apartment. Not as hard as I thought it might be. Things are really just normal still. Though it is still an interesting thought.

Our investigators are doing great. We have two that are consistently coming to church. They are doing really good. Trying to get one to lose his drinking and smoking, but the other is really good. Both are referrals. That just goes to show how much better referrals are than when we find on our own. Though we were given a referral from an investigator in another area, when we found her she wasnt interested, but the people we talked to to find the house are really good, and that was quite the surprise. Because we talked to her just as she was coming from school, she attends the private Catholic school in Cadiz, which we were standing right outside of. She said we could visit them because they are "very religious." That made us kind of nervous. Things were either going to go pretty good because of that, or really terrible. We have now met with the family twice and given them a Libro ni Mormon. They are doing really good and had tons of questions. Answered some but had to say to a lot that we would answer them in our teaching.  So, even though the referral was a dud, we met someone who goes want to listen. That was an encouraging experience.

Letter to the ward (but mostly the YM):

Primary: I got your letters about a month ago, but just kept forgetting to mention it. It was fun to look at the pictures and the little notes written, some I had to try really hard to read, but that's all right.

Young Men. First, you should all have a desire to set aside two years of your life and give yourself to the Lord. Second, PREPARE YOURSELF NOW. Yes, you still have a long time before you will be able to serve. But every step of preperation you take now will benefit you in the MTC, the field, and in life afterward. Read the scriptures daily, especially the Book of Mormon. And apply what you learn. That is something I wish I would have been better at. Increase your faith and build your testimony. Share it with others, even if they are members! Both of you will be strengthened. (D&C 50:22) Be hard working and diligent in all that you do! It will benefit you in what will come.

Missionary work is great, but it is just that WORK. And it is hard work. Many times physically, always spiritually, and certainly mentally. Your mind is always working. But always remember that you are never alone, in anything you do, especially in missionary work and the work of God.

Read Preach My Gospel, practice what you learn and live the principles it teaches. That book is an inspired book.

I know you know that the church is true. That you all have strong testimonies. We recently got the conference edition of the Ensign, one big theme I noticed was the importance of living the gospel. It was directed at parents but is good for us all. You know what you know, you know the gospel. Through your actions and life let others know what you know. They will have respect for you and you for yourself and all the blessings the Lord has given you.

I know that this Church, the Church that bears Jesus' name, the name I wear on my chest every day, I know this Church is true. It was restored through Joseph Smith, chosen to become prophet and lead and guide us. I know that Pres. Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet today. That he recieves revelation from heaven, from our Lord Jesus Christ, and guides us in what we need to do. I know that Jesus Christ lives. He preformed that wonderful Atonement for all of us. Allowing us to obtain eternal life. It also gave us the gift of repentance and the miracle of forgiveness.

I know these things, but there are those that don't, that is why I am so far from you all right now, so that I may bring others of our brothers and sisters unto Christ, that they may receive this knowledge and be blessed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I leave these things with you in the holy name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.

Elder Phelps

There were going to be pictures (Pictures from Seminary/ Institute/ LDSSA Acquaintance BBQ), but the cafe we are at right now doesn't allow you to plug things in. Sa dasun na lang (Next time!)

Never a normal week here

7/11/10
Well sounds like a normal week back home, mostly. There is never a normal week here. Our week started out really well and I had high hopes for the week. But Thursday our lessons dropped. No one was home. That continued for Friday and Saturday. We will be trying to get back into it this week.

That's cool about the baptisms in our ward. I never really knew about the missionary work happening in our own ward. The members here are always asking where our investigators are and if we have any at church. That's just so cool. It's nice to have the missionaries over for dinner, especially when they talk! Of course that's what we do! We just talk and get to learn more about the members while they get to know us. Being foreign they always ask what it is like back home. Especially being from Salt Lake.

Drum and bugle corp (Corps Encore at WSU). That stuff I miss seeing.  Amazing sounds and music with a wonderful presentation!

So I got Stu's letter from the 22 of June, about him having just six months left, that means I have six months to my year mark! Then it is down hill from there. Kind of excited and yet not. I know it's still a year and a half away, but we are going to need a bigger rice cooker when I ger home. And you can never tell me that rice isn't a breakfast food. Because it is an every meal food here!

Canoeing (Andrew's trip to Uintas with Craig, etc.). Man I miss doing things in the water! That has been on the list of things I miss since day one! Water...ocean...beach...

Um, one question for Kat, what are you going to school for? I cant remember if you still want to do physical therapy or if you changed to nutrition.

Well, running out of time. Got a lot to get done today! Including laundry, which we do by hand, I dont know if i ever mentioned that or not...
Elder Phelps

Cadiz City Charter Day

Sounds like you all had a really fun 4th. The fourth here was interesting too. It was Cadiz City Charter Day, the anniversary of the day we became a city. So its been a carnival like West Fest for the past week and a half and all culminated to a head in the last two days. Everyone in the city was out walking around. Which meant many of our appointments weren't home. But we still had some good work yesterday.

So, because of the area split we have been spending a lot of time trying to find new investigators to fill up the days that we used to do work in the Branch. That has been going alright. Our investigators in Tiglawigan are doing well and they have increased in number, while some others have been lost, but that is how it goes. Yesterday we had just one investigator at church, but it was one we had really been working on and is one of those from Tiglawigan, so that is awesome.

Things are going well in Cadiz. It's still interesting with the area split. I miss the members in the Branch, and a lot have said that I am missed too. Even though the transfer has just started I have already asked President Tobias to let me stay in Cadiz, although it seems very unlikely. I really dont want to leave, but it has to happen some time.

This email is really short, but we are in Bacolod, just finished a Zone activity (bowling), now we are going to go eat somewhere that we dont have in Cadiz, then head to SM. We only get to do this once a transfer now. Well, I hope you all have a good week!

Elder Phelps