Bad Week for All

August 22, 2011

Wow, sounds like we all had a bad week this last week. Lots of unexpected, and for the most part bad, news. Yeah, last week was transfer week. So, I had a similar experience to Dad. Rode (on a jeepney) to Mansilingan for district meeting. We had a really good lesson. Had a meeting with the zone leaders. Really good talk with Elder Hinckley. Then he got THE call. It was the APs. Transfer announcements were (finally) here. We already had all the names written on the board, he just needed to write the results next to the names. Part of the announcement wasn't a surprise, but the other part was. I was stepping up to Zone Leader, and that was my last day in Handumanan... I was shocked, depressed, and a bit insulted. Shocked because I had only been there one transfer, depressed because I already had many friends. And insulted because bad missionaries transfer after just one transfer, and we had done great things! Found a ton of new investigators and brought the number of our lesson up dramatically. And they are good progressing investigators too! So, we went home, I packed, wasn't hard because I hadn't really unpacked much. Then we went and visited a few members and investigators.


The good news from transfers is that I only transferred to Alijis, just one area over. So I will still have chances to visit Handumanan. This first week has been really difficult. People here really loved the missionary that I replaced. Everyone, myself included, thought he would be staying. This transfer is his last. Every new person I met this week was disappointed. It was very hard to feel welcome. Some even cried... I almost cried, 'cause I didn't want to transfer, and now I wasn't wanted here.

AH!! Nothing is going right right now! I don't know what to think anymore... My mind is so clouded and unorganized right now. Nothing seems to fit. Everything conflicts.

Ok, bright side. Always look on the bright side of life. I'm now a uncle in the mission! I'm follow-up training. Elder Felix is my companion now. He is Filipino, and we are totally awesome together. We just have one small conflict.... He wants to gain weight, and I want to lose weight... Our goal is to change body sizes, except height. So the deal is that I cook (as usual) and he ensures that I do some exercising every morning.

Sorry that the email is so short, I just don't know how to put down what I am feeling. I wish I could find the answers that I need. They'll come...eventually...
Handumanan was perfect. Just what I needed after leaving Ayungon.

Elder Phelps
Oh, PS. Transfer day is now on Wednesdays. Just so you know.