October 28th--No Monkeying Around Here....just pure JOY!

Dear Friends and Family, 

This week has been super awesome. We've had so much success in finding, working, our baptism was great, we've got 2 new sister missionaries in our branch and so the branch can now do twice the amount of work, Elder Sobreviga transferred, I have a new companion, I'm now ZL1, we've found some awesome new investigators, 5 now have a baptismal date, we had tons of less actives at church, and our district is now leading the zone.

Monday we had an amazing P day. We wanted to do something different for the last p day of the transfer so we went with Elder Pulsipher, Elder Deguzman, Elder Wilstead and Elder Cudac to see the monkey's in Calatrava. There is a monkey sanctuary there that has all these wild monkey's. We were able to feed them and play with them and they jump all over us. It was super fun and definitely an adventure. There are some way awesome pictures that I'll send in a little bit. Then on Monday night we taught Sister Crisencia. The maid of President Dellomes. She's doing good, has a date for baptism on November 9, but it depends on if her husband says she can get baptized. She is super good and progressing. She can't really read much, but should be continuing on her way towards progression. We then went to Roberto and taught him a quick lesson, I forgot what we taught him. He's pretty much just started lying to the new sister missionaries and to us about all his vices. He still has them, never dropped them. Just lied right through his teeth to President Lopez, us, and the Branch President, and now is a member, so it's even worse. So we're just going to keep helping him, but nothing we can do now. He's in the sister's area now, but I'll explain that later. The San Carlos Branch 1 missionaries also just moved into our apartment to give their apartment to the branch 1 sisters. So now there's 4 in our apartment. More fun for sure, but hard to concentrate sometimes. But nonetheless, still a good time and we have lots of joy, not fun, just joy. 

P-day with Elder Sobreviga

Crazy Monkey wants in my pocket when the food is in my hand

Tuesday we had our district meeting, which is super weird, again... only 4 people. But now there is 8 in our district. After that we were just studying and then we ate lunch... then the Transfer phone call. We were not expecting it because Elder Sobreviga had only been in the area for 2 transfers, that's not long at all here in our mission. Usually 3 or 4 transfers in an area. We had tons of transfers in the zone, it's like a totally new zone. Elder Daplin is back here in the zone, he's in Calatrava B. Elder Pulsipher is now training. Elder Moody transferred to my zone, so we've pretty much just got the best zone in the mission right now. We've got the top missionaries and it's super fun (joy)!  So for the rest of the night we said goodbye to the members and I helped him pack his stuff. I'll be honest at the beginning of our companionship I didn't really like the guy, he was such a punk, but I started to like him by the end. I was hoping he stayed because then that made sure I was here for Christmas because he would transfer before me. But now that he's gone, there is a chance that I transfer before Christmas... and I do no want that by any means. I want to Christmas here, in San Carlos. I love San Carlos. I found out my new companion would be Elder Barangay! He was in Escalante with me when I was in that zone. He's only been out 9 months, and this is his 3rd area. He's super good a teaching though and just has a way with people that it's really good and we're doing great. Also we went to the terminal and picked up the sisters and showed them where they lived. The sisters assigned in our branch, Sister Lara (from Davao) and Sister Serrano (brand new-from I don't know where). They're super cool and way hard workers. Sister Lara's first area was VICTORIAS. And you want to hear the best thing, Sister DeCastro, now in San Carlos Branch 1, was in VICTORIAS as well. IN WARD 2! She has given me news that all the investigators that I started to teach, she baptized! Families, part members that weren't progressing, all whatever, she baptized them! Cool huh??? So I didn't fail in Victorias after all! In Mabini, the Diana family is all baptized too! How cool is that!!!!!!! I guess you just never know what the Lord is going to do. I guess I just needed to have the faith to keep going and going and going, now look what happened. 

Wednesday I went to Escalante to pick up Elder Barangay. Then when we got back I pretty much gave him the run down of what a zone leader is and what our responsibility is for the zone and the mission and he's stoked! Then we just visited the members and had a meeting with President Dellomes to split the missionary areas for our work. We've taken Punao, which is super far away, Stampar, far as well, Kaingat, which is close, and Sipaway island, far away. So we've given the sisters the city area so it's safe and we've taken the dangerous and more "adventurous" stuff I guess you could say. It's going to be even harder for baptisms, but we're determined! 

Transfer Day

Thursday we went to Sipaway Island. We found 5 new investigators, taught 3 lessons to investigators there, commited all of them to come to church and read the Book of Mormon... and... none of them showed up to church. That's going to be the trial for that area. It's expensive if they want to come to church, but it depends on their faith I guess. It's a super beautiful place, but won't progress until we get enough people to be baptized to start the church on the island! Then it'll take off for sure! The only problem is the people are willing for real, but can't come to church because they can't afford it. Then we came back that afternoon made fried chicken then went back to work. We went to Kaingat, that's pretty much where we only work at night because it's the only place close to our apartment. We were punted all night long, but contacted a referral... that turned out not to be interested at all... 

Sipaway Island

Friday was a good day. We did our weekly planning and then went to work. We made a baptismal program. Then we fixed some stuff on our facebook and put of pictures of recent converts and things. Then we went to work. We really just worked with Less Actives, but we found a new investigator. It's the husband of a less active member, who is a return missionary. His name is Edmond. We taught them both and she said she wants to come back to church, but wants her husband. We taught him and he was super interested and seemed like he wants to really know more about the church. Super awesome. We didn't feel the spirit to give him a date for baptism or challenge him, the next lesson we will. There's a little more background that I can't put in my email, but I'll tell you when I get home because this story is long. Anyway, they didn't come to church, but they did text me and say next week they'll come. We have an appointment with them tonight. He's super cool actually. We also taught some other less actives, and we met one that nobody even knew and she came to church on Sunday, with her mom! They have 2 kids that aren't baptized yet. 8 and 9. The 9 year old will be a convert and we have to teach him, but the 8 year old is the branch's baptism. So I'm super excited to start working with them. 

Saturday the baptism was super awesome! And that pretty wraps up my Saturday! But there's more! We taught Sherwin's mom! Before she's never wanted anything to do with the church, nor listen to us, nor read, or pray! However, the Lord is super awesome and blessing us so much right now that He has changed her heart. We taught her, committed her for baptism, and she came to church yesterday with her other daughter that isn't yet a member and now both of them have dates for baptisms! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! We also met a less active at the baptism who is a aunt of the boy who's 8 that got baptized. She came up to us and said I want you to come and teach my husband. He's interested and we'll come to church. So! We did on Sunday. I'll tell you about that on the Sunday part.

Wishley's baptism

Sunday we were the only companionship in the zone that had investigators at sacrament. Which is sad... but next week! Nobody needed any interviews so we didn't have to go anywhere. We had a lunch appointment at the Ladiwans/Roberto's, so we ate there for lunch. Then after went to Punao. We wanted to go to the Less Actives husband asap. So we did. He's only home on Sundays turns out. He works in Escalante, so we comes home on Saturday night and goes back Monday morning and stays there during the week. After teaching him he said, "Elder's that makes sense." So we've committed him for church next week and to be baptized on the 24th of November! We also went to a lot of less actives in Kaingat and taught all of them! And committed them for church next Sunday and to repent and to come back to the fold. 

Joan's laundry spot.  

This work is real. Nobody can stop the work for going forth. This week we're going to Bacolod/ Talisay, so see Elder Anderson of the 12 speak to us. We're super stoked and excited and I'm just thrilled for this opportunity. I can't wait. I love you all back home and I miss you so much. I don't know how I haven't died already from missing home, but the Lord just takes care of it I guess. Success has been finally coming and we're excited and going to continue to just work as hard as we can. Elder Barangay and I are doing good and getting along so far. Just keep praying for us and our success and I think we'll be able to do the right things. I love you all and thanks for everything. I'll let you know when I get those packages. 

AMPING KANUNAY!

Love,
Elder Ellis