Week 15

This is been another great week here in the Philippines.

I am enjoying my new companion and working. It's been a little harder to work here at this time of year because it is officially rainy season. For the past 3 weeks there hasn't been a single day when it did not have a thunder storm. The power is constantly going out in the whole town, it is harder to go out and teach because we get stranded out in houses during a mini flood, and people don't seem to want to go to church if it rains. Obviously Elder Barredo and I continue to work hard and do the best we can, especially with building up the branch here. It is the best branch, but has a lot of work to be done and most members don't know how to start a branch because they are all new members. President Deyro gave us permission to direct the branch and the branch president ( no counselors ) to help really stabilize how the branch should run. Really excited for this once in a life time opportunity and I hope that through help from members, my companion, and of course through lots of prayer.

I was put in charge to set up everything because no one knows how to. We had a meeting after church yesterday and I talked about how we have a tiny little branch only 6 active priesthood holders and 50 sacrament attendance and our goal was to get 20 active priesthood holders and 100 sac attendance. after the success president Deyro promised a new actual chapel. We also talked about how they (the members) need to invite people to church and to talk about the church to others so it can grow. Also that we were setting up home teaching and it would be announced next week. The branch president wants to work hard but he has no idea how everything should work so we are going to meet with him a lot to help him out with callings, home teaching and how to interview people. This is the smallest branch in out mission so this will be an interesting, once-in-a-life-time experience.
PS this was all in Tagalog and afterwards the whole branch was motivated and was like dang Elder Terry is awesome, so I felt pretty great after.

Have my first baptism next week and I hope it will turn out successful and awesome.

Here are some pictures of the week

Teaching them in large quantities