Week 14

Good week here in Mabini with my new companion, Elder Barredo, with me leading the area keeping track of all our Investigators, Less Actives, Recent Converts, and Members. It went successful and I truly learned the importance of planning and writing everything down because you will forget it and that would not be very great.

Like I said about Mabini earlier, it is one of the newest and slowest progressing branches in the entire mission so I've been finding some holes about our branch this week. There is no home teaching happening, no interviews by the branch president for anything, such as priesthood advancements and callings, and very few members have been endowed, and most people don't even know what a patriarchal blessing is. Also no one is receiving callings when they become members so the amount of less actives is way way higher than it should be. Out of all the 50 active members we have all are somewhat recent converts so most don't know how a branch should actually be run so It's mostly up to the missionaries to completely set up everything. If we are inviting people to a church that isn't set up properly than it weaken their faith, so our focus here in Mabini from now on will be to teach really progressing investigators who are going to church and basically setting up the branch here. This is not normal here in the Urdaneta Mission, and it will be difficult, but I am excited for the opportunity.

Also thank you everyone for the support and the prayers and the emails. They motivate me to keep working and remember my purpose to invite others to come unto Christ. It really does make me get lost in the work and just work all day every day to be a successful missionary. I am way happy here and loving every minute.

Some Pics From the Week

I love this old Tatay who served in the Navy at Long Beach during WW2 so he has fluent English. He invited us to his 4th of July day party and fed us so I actually got to celebrate this year.