8.31.14 Baptism + 3 weeks left = One Excited Mom

ALOHA!

How's my family and friends doing this week? I hope all is well and fine and dandy with y'all. This week has been booming with excitement that's for sure. I had the opportunity to go to Manila by myself on Friday. I left here at 4am and was home by 3pm. I had someone pick me up and drop my off, so I had someone with me, but at the airport I was just by myself. Weird feeling for sure and it really made me a bit upset. I was on a airplane, but I wasn't on a airplane to go home. It was the weirdest thing, almost like I should be going home, but I'm not. Manila was nice though, lots of people probably talking about me and I didn't understand anything they were saying so that's a plus. I met 2 Sisters from the Olongapo mission at Immigration. One was an American from Michigan. Her family is from Utah. Nice Sister. Her companion was going home, so they were doing the immigration things as well. They were the only others I saw in Manila. I met a couple of members at the airport coming back to Bacolod, they were from Leyte, so they speak Cebuano, so I was able to just hang out with them for a couple of minutes. Most people wouldn't be shocked at an American speaking Tagalog, but when you get to the other languages, they don't understand what you're saying and they start to wonder, so people were just laughing at me... Or shocked I suppose. One of the two. I got all I needed to done though and now I'm cleared to enter The United States of America again ;) 

President Lopez came and interview our investigator for baptism. The couple that is cohabiting and it's super awesome! He passed them! The mom then said that she feels like the biggest burden has been lifted knowing that she can be baptized. So they'll be baptized along with their son this upcoming Saturday at 6pm. You guys wanna come? ;) haha. They're doing really good and the mom asked us how she can share to others about the church. She's self employed, really good business woman actually, and so we're going to give her pamphlets to give to her customers. She's really excited, I'm excited for her as well. 

We had a baptism this past Saturday! Of Brother Inocencio Murillo. His nickname is Bombom! Which is the 2nd bombom I know on my mission. The other one was Bro. Lumacad from Kabankalan. Baptized him as well. I guess Bombom is a good luck charm. I should find some more Bombom's. His baptism was really good though. We had our ward mission leader baptize him because it was his referral originally. His mom was super happy for him too, although she didn't attend. We're going to try and teach his family this week. They have a really busy schedule, but I think we can catch them sometime. His brothers are all in bad situations and he's super stoked that he's gone down this new path of life for the better. It's so nice to see people change their lives right before you eyes. It's such a blessing! I will surely miss it, that's for sure. But the mission still continues, it's just about applying the things I've learned to my own life and to my future family. Which, I'm rather excited about to be honest ;)

There are 3 fiestas in our area is week which was a bummer on our work. Super loud, they go all day and night, the speaker blare with crappy techno music that isn't even close to as being good to dubstep, so it really is just a hindrance to our work. We can't even teach people because it was so loud. We tried to and there was no spirit, the investigator couldn't hear what we were saying, it was just a bum deal. But we still had a baptism none the less, so our week wasn't a total bum deal after all. Successful gihapon sya. Everyone keeps reminding me I"m going home. Members too. I tried to keep it a secret about when I go home, but they as and I just say, I still have a while to go, then they safe when? What month? I say September... then they're like... that's next month! But it's September right now to us. Weird... I go home this month. I never though this month would ever come. Now I have mixed feelings on if I want it to stay or just go away. HA! I'm sure y'all are excited to have my home though. Just be patient with me okay? I may take a couple days to get my English back up to speed. Writing my letters I still have to say all the words in my head until I type them out and even then the spelling wrong and it takes me awhile still. So, just be nice. And let's eat some good food alright? Things are going well still here though. 

We've got tons of investigators that are super hard headed. They'll take months before they finally crack, but then those are the ones that will stay as long as the missionaries keep teaching them. We had a lesson this week where an investigator said there's no way there are 3 kingdoms. We're like really? Let's go to the Bible; We asked the question, Where in the bible does it say there's a Purgatory? No answer. Didn't know. Then we said, however, the Bible does say this, in 1 Cor. 15. So then she's like... "oh..." It was kind of interesting to see her change, but I don't think she accepted it really. She's super hard headed, but they're still a fun family to teach. The youngest one of them who is 20 is a member. He's preparing for a mission and I think I'm going to give him my quad scriptures, the small one that I bought here. He only has a triple paper back. 

Yesterday we had to go to the hospital to give a member a blessing. He's a ward mission leader from a different unit in our stake, but our area has the hospital in it, so we were the ones called. So yesterday we're trying to find this guy and nobody knows where he is, he's not in his room or anything... it's because he was still in the ER, no clue. We finally found him though, gave him the blessing. He's getting his appendix removed. He's also waiting for his mission call. We're happy for him, hopefully the surgery goes well.
I get more and more excited by the day for y'all to come and play with me and make sure that my converts are still going to church! I think Mom is super excited! haha. Love you mom!

This week was good, which me another good week. We'll have a baptism on Saturday! 3 of them! ;) I can't send pictures this week again, sorry. I'll try later tonight if I have time at a different computer shop. This one isn't that good for sending pictures, it won't let you put it a USB or SD Card.
Love you all! Thanks for all the support and prayers! :) 4th quarter y'all. 1 min left to go. Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Ellis

August 24th

Sa akong barkada kag pamilya,

Alright, the first week of my last transfer in the Philippines has come to a close, it was a super fast week. I hope the other weeks will be just like that and then this will be the best transfer ever. It was super fast. Honestly I can't believe I'm sitting here at the computer again. We're in a different computer shop right now so there's tons of kid looking at my screen and trying to read the English that I'm typing. I'm just laughing at them because they can't understand a single thing I'm typing. They just like looking at other people's screens. The place we're at is a lot cheaper than the other one, no air con either, so I'm drenching in sweat right now. There's a rotating fan, but... it's rotating, so I only feel it every couple of seconds. haha. It's all good though, I'm not complaining. It's nice here! I'll for sure miss it. The ward is doing pretty well so far. The activities are keeping the recent converts active and getting them the friends that they need in the church. We've got baptisms for the next 2 weeks lined up pretty well. On the 6th we'll baptize a family. The first family I've baptized in my mission, with kids. I've done the couple thing, but we'll baptize one of their kids with them. They love the church and have completely fell in love with the doctrine. I love it! It's just proof that God really does love us missionaries and he's preparing people. People just show up to church, I mean, it doesn't get more golden than that right?

The computer I'm sitting at right now is like Windows 98, I swear, so I can't upload pictures for some reason. Which is terrible, because I took pictures of my house for mom to send to you today, so hopefully I find a different way to send them. Sorry mommy ;(

So there are recent converts in this ward, twins actually. Their mom and dad aren't members and they have a step sister who isn't a member either. However, we've been teaching the mom and the step sister. They both have different schedules, so we teach them at different times. The sister is doing really well, she read some of our pamphlets and then said that she really wanted to go to church because she really likes the things we teach. The mom talked to us for about 1 1/2 hours on Saturday night. It was so cool. She started saying how she didn't want to talk to the other missionaries because she thought they were plastic and didn't really care about what they taught and stuff, I don't know, I know the missionaries that have come through here and they're really good, maybe she just had a change of thought. She talked about how hard our life must be a stuff and she's like, "I've never heard you guys complain once". Then she said, "I believe you". haha. WHAT! Just like that, she pretty much just taught herself! Cool huh? She still didn't come to church, she's super busy every morning, but we'll get her to go sometime. The step sister, didn't come either because she has school on Sunday mornings. Yeah... talk about something super funny. A church that believes in the Sabbath Day has schools that make you do things on the Sabbath Day and then just say, well just pray at your house or something. hahaha! Love it!

Update on the Narciso Family. Doing great! They'll be interviewed on Saturday by President, so far I see no reason why they shouldn't pass and then they should be baptized next Saturday, the 6th. They're just super prepared people! I'm just one happy missionary when I teach them. I just wish all could be like them. The mom is so good at the bible and asked me yesterday, Elder Ellis, how come the catholic church does exactly the opposite of the things that is in the Bible. I just laughed and said... because they don't have the restoration. We have the restoration and fullness or truth. The Dad is super quiet, but still really good. They read and reread the assignments that we give them! Our tithing lesson with them yesterday was awesome. The mom said, this completely makes more sense than any other church, I wish I would've known this sooner. haha. Good timing I guess huh?

BomBom, another investigators will be baptized this upcoming Saturday! He's been doing well and we talked to his mom yesterday. He's 15 years old and his family is just a bad situation. His 3 older brothers have just gotten into some bad stuff and their in prison and now he's just like, well that's stupid. He works with his dad to provide for their family just a good kid. We talked to the mom yesterday and she said, you bet he can be baptized, if that's what the wants, we'll let him do it. You'd be shocked to see how many parents here just let their kids do whatever they desire. Things that you don't see back home. I don't think if a different religion was teaching my kid and he was 15 I'd let him be baptized. You know? But it's just different culture here. Kids do what they want... thus when they grow up they don't change that much. It's just funny.

Well, not like I'm counting, but I'm excited for y'all to come here in 30 days. haha ;) I love you so much! I miss you more than anything! And it's going to be a great adventure with you here!

Thanks for all the prayers and support! Love you guys!

Love,
Elder Ellis

8.18.14 Farewells + Golden Contacts = Bittersweet Memories

Alright everybody.

The wall we helped build last week.

Saying good-bye to Elder Reynolds

Saying "See ya at home" to Elder Garner!

youth are amazing!

Today just started the first day of my last transfer on my mission. Everybody let's give a round of applause! BOOM PANIS! ;) that's just a Filipino thing, I don't think you'd get it. Oh well. This week has been good. I've taught more lessons this week than I have any other week my entire mission so things are looking up. We've been working close with our recent converts and they've given us some pretty solid referrals and 3 out of the 4 referrals that we received came to church yesterday. Speaking of church, we also had 13 investigators at church yesterday. Mission record for me. I know other missionaries and areas get higher than that, but 13 for me, I'll take that. We're trying to maintain it though, that's going to be the hard part. There was a lot of first timers that came and I really hope that they liked church. It was a good sacrament meeting too. One of the topics was on the Sabbath Day and it was pretty straight forward, I really liked it. An RM gave the talk, he's also the Elder Quorum President. There were 3 investigators that were there that we've been working with and they've been former investigators as well for years actually. They've finally come to church! WHOOO!!! We have an appointment later tonight with them. They have 1 member in the family, one of the kids who's 18 I think. I asked him after church what they thought and he said that they have a lot of questions, but they liked it overall I think. So things are looking good with them.
 

The Narciso Family is doing amazing and still progressing. They'll be interviewed by President Lopez on August 30 because of the Cohabitation thing, but they'll for sure pass I'm pretty sure. Then they'll be baptized on the 6th of September. The mom is just super solid. She's just like, I feel like this church is where i belong and it's my home and stuff like that, things that I've never heard anyone say before in my life on my mission. I guess I will finally have a chance to baptize someone golden. All my baptisms have been super hard to get and things like that or children, but I prayed to baptize a family before I go home, looks like the Lord works in crazy ways. Testimony builder for sure!

BomBom, our other investigator was progressing well enough and we've moved his date to the 30th of August so he'll be interviewed next Sunday and then we'll baptize him the following Saturday! ;) Things are looking up and all is going well right now in our area. Sacrament attendance was booming yesterday. The Bishop had to quiet everyone down. I felt bad, but still, it's nice to calm people down because there's a lot in the sacrament hall. 

I don't have much to report. I keep getting reminded that I only have 38 days left till you guys show up here! We're working hard and getting a lot of stuff done. Still loving being a missionary, but I'm really tired. Still, I will push to the finish line. I don't have time for games. Love you guys back home! Y'all take care okay? ;)

Halong kamo pirme!

Elder Ellis

8.11.14 New Area + Baptism = Hard Work & Blessings

Hey Everyone. How's it going today? I hope this email finds you well and safe and feeling the spirit. I've been blessed so much this week by the Lord. He's been helping us so much in our work and in our teachings. I've had 2 special experiences that I would like to share this day:

1. During a lesson on Thursday night we were teaching a family. The son, who is 19 years old is the only member and he's super strong. The rest of the family is devoted Catholic, but so is everyone here. During our lesson we were explaining that in order to know the truth they need to read the Book of Mormon and Pray about it. One of the sisters then says," I don't want to read a book and pray about it." She then goes on to say that we are too young, inexperienced kids, and the only thing that people want in life now is money. And me as an american they just look at me like I'm just super stuck up and things and have tons of money. Anyway... my companion and the member that was working with us talked with them for about 20 minutes. Usually I'm the guy to would just try to argue back, but I did something different this time. I just sat and listened closely to what they were saying. The Sister also said that she wants people to be frank about the teaching, eloquent works, and jazzed up lessons. Just almost as to persuade her to join our church, not because of the Holy Ghost, but because of us an missionaries. While they were talking I prayed. I asked God if I can for once be a little bold with this woman and just tell her how it really is, straight up, our church is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, all other churches are false, the whole deal. As soon as I said the Amen, I was overcome with just this feeling of peace and hope. I'm not sure if it was a real voice speaking to me, but almost as if I just heard someone say, "Go for it Elder." When it was mine turn I just opened my mouth and it was literally filled with powerful words and strong testimony. I've never taught so boldly my whole mission or felt like that before. I testified that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and he saw God The Father and the Son and they told him that none of the other churches were true, including the one that this family belongs to and that's why there was a need for a restoration. Then I told them that the Book of Mormon is from God and it's true and the most true book of the earth. Other things were said that I don't remember, I just really remember telling them that their church was false, which I've never done before in my mission, nor would I usually say that, but the spirit said that I could. So, I obeyed. I don't know, it was just an unusual experience that I don't normally have, but it was amazing.

2. I wanted to give an update on the Family that we're teaching. The Narciso Family. The mom is always super busy working from morning until night to provide for their family and the dad takes care of the kids. It's both of their seconds marriages and they're really trying hard to make it in life. I'll actually say this is the MOST GOLDEN family I've ever taught in my mission. I've always wanted to baptize a family, with a kid, not just the parents, and now it's finally going to happen on September 6. We were teaching them yesterday and the mom just goes off on how much she's been searching for the truth. She said that she's been to so many churches, been members or just joined other groups, everything, but all of them were lacking something she said. She said that her son was afraid to go outside and hang out with people, he was bullied during high school and dropped out, but ever since we came and introduced the church to them, he has tons of friends and he's always at the church with the young men for activities and things. Their son even came with me on Splits this past Saturday. While I'm listening to this mother, I'm just thinking about how amazing it is that God has just prepared somebody so much. Almost as if it's fake! I was shocked at how prepared this family was. I'm still shocked. I was so happy yesterday when they all accepted to be baptized on September 6. The mom, dad, and the son who is 15. They have another son who is 7, so he'll just be baptized when he's 8 years old. I introduced the father to the Bishop yesterday and the Bishop was thankful, I don't think many Elder's do that I guess because he complained about it last week, so I just introduced Brother Narciso to Bishop yesterday and he was happy. Sister is making some other friends with the relief society and it's just working out so well. The son is in young men and doing great and has friends! I'm one happy missionary right now.

We had a baptism this past week of Sister Reselle. I baptized her. Then I also baptized the candidate of the Sisters as well. Sister Reselle is 15 and at first didn't want to listen to the missionaries, but she slowly wanted to and now she's a member. Her mom and Sister are members too, they're really cool. We like visiting them. My goal is to go for the dad. That's what I want. I don't have much time left, but I'm going to try to at least get him to church before I go home. He's not super interested, sort of just, belief in God is all you need type deal. We call it, "Dios man gihapon" Which means, it's all just about God. People say that to us all the time like, look we all believe in God, that's all that matters. But, little to they know, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father actually have a church here on the earth that's been established! I love it! ;)

I miss you so much and I hope that you're all having a great week. Elder Reynolds who lives in the house with us goes home this week... which sucks to see, but I'm right behind him. And Garner goes home too this week. I probably won't see him before he leaves the island, unless he's here at the mall for p day, which I don't know. Sorry mom, I didn't take pictures of my house this week, I'll do it next week though and send it to you. This week is transfer week so my companion could get transferred, but we don't think it's likely. He's only been here 4 weeks longer than me so we're both fairly new to the area. Things are going well and we're working hard. I love this work. Sometimes, I don't even want to say goodbye to the work, but life needs to happen. I can't just be single and do nothing with my life for the rest of it. We call it, DO WORK SON!

Love you and miss you all! Have a great week :)

Halong Pirme,

Elder Ellis

8.4.14 Baptisms + Birthday = Busy but GREAT Week!

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, I'd like to thank y'all for the birthday wishes. I had an interesting birthday. Since I was transferred this week, I just kinda kept my birthday a secret. I didn't want to do anything for it. But there's this magical thing called facebook that the members use any time I guess there's a new missionary and they found out right away. So, my birthday was good. We had a baptism this week, 3 people. The other small girl is a child of record that was just put on the same day as the baptism of the converts. I'm with Elder Urgelles again, my companion from San Enrique. Everyone in Kabankalan was super bummed out that I was getting transferred. I'll really miss Sister Lucerna, the Cornelio Family, and the Lumacad's, and Bro. Whenie. It was a really good area! The members were fantastic! I like my new area though, things are well and it's really nice. TONS of people and tons of work to be done. There's a companionship of Sisters here too. So there's 4 of us in the ward. It's nice. One of them goes home next week, so we'll have a new Sister in our ward next week. Work is going well. 

I don't have much time. We had to pay our water bill earlier and that took 2 1/2 hours to do. There was just tons of people. I hate Bacolod for that reason. haha. Everything is in my area. I've got all the malls, shopping centers, 7/11's, Ice Cream shoppes, everything. It's great! Let's pray I don't get super fat. haha. Just kidding.  Alright, I'll share some short stories though really quick:

Two weeks ago I guess there was a family that came to church. Not by being invited by the missionaries, but a member just invited them. They showed up. The missionaries didn't know that they weren't members so they didn't really talk to them much then this week they showed up AGAIN! So this week we talked to them, found out where they lived and everything. Family of 4 we're talking about here. Last night we went over to their house and taught them the Restoration and the Dad was hooked right from the start! We invited them for baptism on September 6 and gave them a Book of Mormon and they were just interested right from the start! I'm stoked right now!

Last night we were in a different lesson and one of the investigators that we were teaching at the end of the lesson asks if she can ask a question. We were like, go! Her question is this, "Why did one of the women of the church get excommunicated? I saw it on Yahoo.com" I can't believe I've now got to explain to investigators about how women want the Priesthood and they started a group and went against the church and why she was excommunicated. Never in my whole mission did I think I would have to explain that. Guess it's world wide now... who would've guessed. 

Young Women in this ward are AMAZING!

Things are going well and we're doing great! Work is going fantastic, I'm not trunky ;) BOOM! I won't let myself get trunky!

I love you guys! Have a great week!

7.27.14 Great Training + Transfer = No Baptisms for Elder Ellis' bday ( Sad)

Dear Weekly Readers ;)

Kamusta na kamo tanan? It's been a good week in the Philippines again. We're just battling the rain every day, typhoons, storms, rain, dogs, crazy people, less actives, angry members, no power sometimes, Bacolod trips, trainings, getting to the mountain in a rain storm just to do sacrament, having 8 investigators at sacrament, trying to do our best given all circumstances, and I'm wasted tired and just want to sleep. But, it's not like my bed is that comfortable anyway, haha, so no real point in doing that. I can sleep when I get home. This week President training was really good. He talked about how God is preparing all the people to receive the message. Not just some people. Why would God only prepare "some" of the people? Why wouldn't He prepare all of them. It made sense after I thought about it for awhile. I just then wonder why everybody doesn't accept the message if they're being prepared. I guess that everybody has their agency. We've still had a pretty good week. I guess you saw the pictures on President's facebook and the video of us teaching. If... you even understood it. haha. 

Tuesday and Wednesday we worked super hard because we knew that we were going to be gone on Thursday and then half of Friday. Tuesday we left as early as we could, and we were just totally wet by 2pm. I was just miserable, but we just continued on the work. I love it though. Nothing better than showing up to their house (investigator), you're totally wet and they're like, you still came even though it's pouring rain. Then I just tell them, "that's how much we love you." They just laugh, but it's true. I've honestly just grown to love some people here. I know they're all children of our Heavenly Father, but it's just weird. I guess nobody could understand unless you've experienced it. You can have tons of trials and things, but when I visit people, I just feel like, everything will just be good, work out, and that these people love me back too ;) It's funny, the Filipinos are just great people. Even with the messed up traditions that they have. It's still cool. We met a school teacher who's just finishing up college and she seems super interested in our message and we spoke some English together. She's the one hiding in the back in that picture that I sent. Wearing blue I think. She was way cool, not shy at all, asked questions during the lesson and everything. I hope our follow up visits are good. We've got another investigator that supposed to be baptized in the coming week, but she just won't come to church now. I think there's a little bit missing in the "upstairs" if you know what I mean. Whenever we ask questions she'll start talking about the answer for about 3 seconds, then it ends up with her husband just fell over a rock the other day and her daughter is doing good in school, and they want to go somewhere in a couple days to go do something, it's just really weird. I don't enjoy it, just no spirit because she takes it away! Oh well, just something we'll work on I suppose. She hasn't come to church the past 3 weeks though. Every time we ask where she was it's just weird different reasons that make no sense whatsoever.

Wednesday we were punted up in the mountain in Tampalon, however, we found a cool new family that we started teaching. Not married however, so that's a bummer!!!!! Always happens! It's pretty rough. We found a pentecostal investigator and I don't know much about them actually. I've never taught one, nor studied their doctrine like the other churches. We taught the dad on Wednesday then went back and taught his daughter on Saturday. She's a baptist! We were like... so why are you different from your dad. She said, "Well they're pretty much the same". That just goes to show you how much they know about their religions or at least about those 2 religions. Of what I DO know, they're not similar... at all. Her brother in law is a pastor of the pentecostal church, when we gave her the Book of Mormon, she like, "I'm going to read this to the pastor". We said, "Go AHEAD". So, we'll see what happens. 

Our 2 days in Bacolod were really nice. The ZL's have a truck and they next to us, so we just rode with them. It was free because he somehow clowned someone into filling it up at the office. haha. So that was a plus. Elder De Vera (Wilsteads companion when they were AP's) he goes home in 2 weeks. He's our ZL with Elder Parry (from Lehi). They're way cool. We listened to Bruce R. McConkie talks on the way up. I don't know how much to actually take as doctrine that the church supports or if like, everything he says is true. Because I've heard quite a few things he has said been contradicted by another apostle or something. So I don't know. Same thing with Mormon Doctrine, the preface says that it's according to the things that he's studied and according to what he's learned. But his talks are still really good. We got to eat some food and do a little shopping. That night we had our training and I already told you about that. Hope you really like our video ;)haha. Not prepared for that at all. 

Zone Training

Elder Merciales & Ellis

Friday and Saturday the rain just continues. I love it! Washing my pants every night isn't my favorite, but it's alright, just the sacrifice we've got to make ;) Saturday we found another awesome family! They're a born again family, I think the mom is the only active one though. We met them on Wednesday though, just while walking by. We walk by again on Saturday to go to a different family that we were planning on visiting, then the dad calls out to us! ELDERS! So we go and teach his family! The have 4 kids, married, their daughter is a college student, so we met her because she was visiting, but usually she's not there I guess. We gave her a Book of Mormon to take with her back to her boarding house. We'll give them family one when we go back on Wednesday or Thursday. We've found some good people up there. 

Sunday I was the one who went up to do the special sacrament. Nobody from the bishopric came with us, just me and Brother Whenie the Recent Convert. There's one other priest up there in this group. So when we got there, I was like, who's presiding? Turns out... I would be I guess. I conducted, passed the sacrament, blessed the sacrament, chorister of the music, and presided. Weird huh? Only once in a life that happens I guess! Right when we finished sacrament there was a wind/rain storm. We couldn't leave the house! For 2 hours! And then we had to get back down the mountain and back to the church for a fireside. I was a speaker about the Book of Mormon. I think it was really good and they liked it. We were doing it for Recent Converts and for Investigators, but none of our investigators came, only Recent Converts and other members. It's okay I guess though, it was mission accomplished. Then we just went and worked a little bit after that and it was fun ;) Loving the Philippines!

Love you guys! Hope y'all have a great week! I'm going to kick it here for 9 more weeks ;) Halong kamo pirme!

Love,
Elder Ellis

7.21.14 Kabankalan Ward + Tampalon area= FUN for me!

Dear Friends and Family,

10! (That's how many more weeks) Weird to think about, but it's honestly the thing that's pushing me to do more work and work harder. Next week I'll be hitting single digits. Crazy. I honestly don't know what to put in my emails anymore. I just have the same thing to say every week, just different people and different places. So, I'm sorry if y'all have just gotten super sick and tired of me emailing you. 

We've been working with this man, named Brother Gordavilla. He's over 60 years old, hair longer than Ashlyn's, has been smoking since he was 9 years old, and he now knows that it's not good. He's super skinny, poor, and doesn't know what to do, till we came along. Yesterday we taught him a lesson, I was actually with a member, not my companion, we did splits so that we could cover more area. I worked with Whenie. Our recent convert. He already wants to serve a mission and stuff. We just had a really good lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the doctrine of Christ) and focused on Baptism. He's never been baptized he said, not even into the Catholic church. At least that he can remember is what he said, so we invited him and excepted a date for Aug. 30. He then went on telling us that he doesn't think that he can quit smoking, but Whenie just bore his testimony because Whenie had a smoking problem too and was up to 20 sticks a day. So Brother now has hope and we're going to help him. But I just promised him if he prays and comes to church, God will help him. He can't read, but he can write his name. So he can't read the Book of Mormon or anything we give him. But we've read with him. His wife can't read without glasses, and she doesn't have any. So neither of them can do much if we're not there. I guess that's just going to be a focus for us now. He's way cool. I won't give up on him. 

My companion and I have literally just started tracting pretty much any where we go. They call it OYM (Open Your Mouth) it's like the new word for "tracting". They like to disguise it... but really it's called, "tracting". We don't have to knock on doors, because most people have them open during the day or they're outside doing something, so it's not just knocking on doors, but it's just talking to people. A lot of people just say, "Oh you're talking about God, here I'll listen". Then in the end they say you can come back! GREAT! Then you go back and they're like, ah, Brothers we're really just Catholic, but thanks. Or whatever else. It's alright now, there's always got to be someone willing to except the message everyday. We found some families this week. A new family in Tampalon that seemed interested, but it sucks when you find out they're not married, one had a previous husband so it's impossible to get married, and that means they can't be baptized. So, it's sort of like a catch 22. We teach them, if they want to be baptized, they can't. However, if we drop them, we just gave up on someone who could possible enter the Kingdom of God. Life's rough. In Tampalon there's tons of people that aren't married, I would say most. Since it's in the mountains they just don't care, they're like, we could do all the work to get married, or just live together, it's free, and... it's just the same thing. So, that's pretty much it. A ton more people would be baptized in the Philippines if they made divorce legal. President is all for it. However, the Catholic's I guess don't believe in it..? If you marry someone, you're stuck with that person. But... they didn't think about the "what ifs" and things like that I guess. The Government has been trying to pass it for awhile, but it keeps getting shot down by a ton of people I guess. I don't know... it hurts our work, but nothing that we can't handle i guess. 

We're super busy every Sunday and nobody listen's to us. They hold 3 sacraments at the same time and only 2 of us Elders. We've asked for one to switch to after church, but they told us no, then ask us to come with them, and we have to say no. Oh well. I've adapted the culture and am super just laid back now when things don't go my way. Nothing I can do about it, so... why worry? Don't! haha. 

We got so wet, but Sister Lucerna took care of us!

Sharing the same birthday!

Investigator Family

We should be having some baptisms coming up on my birthday I think. I don't know if they'll go through, but we're just hoping for the best. You never know here... We found a cool river in Tampalon to baptize them in, WATERFALL, so we'll see how that goes. The way to get to it would be hard to old people, but it's way cool. The water is a little sketchy, but it's a river ;) So, it's clean. 

Sorry not a super long email, just going to keep it short, email President, then go to lunch. Nothing really going on today that exciting. This zone is pretty boring... I'm tired of putting on fun activities, but nobody in this zone would even want to come. So, just hang out on p day, do laundry... do the rest of the stuff. Love you guys! Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Ellis