Hey you guys!
So its your son here emailing from his FIRST AREA!!! We're on a little P-Day vacation today in the City. We went to the temple because today was our temple P-Day
So here's some answers for mom. The package isn't here yet. But packages come to us more frequently for two reasons. One, we have the senior couple in our zone and they go down to the city all the time. So they always check if we have anything and then bring it to us. And then we go to the city to go to the temple once a month so between all that, packages get to us quickly. Letters come every week through the LBC which is like FedEx here in the Phils.
About the whole thing with Elder Seupule, he has some kinks he needs to work out in the attitude/patience area. He went OFF on me the other day because he thinks that "Greenie" is a derogatory term and shouldn't be used on him. I tried to explain that that's just life and then he said that if it isn't in the scriptures, that I shouldn't say it and neither should anyone else. Yeah...I just figured I'd hold my tongue. He could snap me in half in his thumb knuckle. He's gets aggravated very easily and by anything so I'm VERY careful. But its interesting. I can see how much I've grown because in my first area I was very similar to him. Angry at people, loud laughter, not too serious, fired up to work. Good times. I'm pleased with my progress and just hope I can help him progress like Elder Arbado helped me to progress.
So I can't remember if I told you this but Sister Reed, the one in charge of packages, told me that Christmas packages take FOREVER. Just letting you know. I'm not being greedy or anything. I just wanna help you guys out so you can plan ahead of time.
The work is going well in the area. Last last week we had a baptism. He was the only investigator that the Elders before us left behind. So now we're at zero investigators but things are filling up quick. We have been tracting hard! I started using a backpack rather than a shoulderbag. It's much more tracting effective.
Something you might find interesting: One of the main focuses of our leadership training was committing to baptism and being bold about it. They told us that we should commit on lesson 1. And we practiced it alot. So on the way home on the bus (its a 3 hour bus ride to Bogo from the city) this guy came and sat next to me with AAAAALLLL these other seats open. I was just getting ready to read a lil Cebuano Book of Mormon action when this guy cramps up my seat! So I figure that I'll just start talking about the church to him and maybe he'll move over a seat (I know, I know--a moment of natural manism). So I start talking about the Restored Gospel and about the Book of Mormon and then I talk about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. He tells me that he's Catholic and not interested. So then he doesn't move. Plan failed. But after a minute or two he asks what is in my Book of Mormon. It just so happened to be a pamphlet about the Cebu temple that I was going to give to a street contact of mine on a follow up appointment. I pulled it out and shared with him about the temple. I told him about how families can be together forever and that I knew it was possible but only through the temple. Then I shared about baptism and confirmation. We talked for about an hour about the church when he told me that he had never been baptized before. So I asked him if he remembered about the principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that I shared with him: faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end. He did. Then I asked if he had faith. He said yes. I asked if he planned to repent of the mistakes he's made. He said yes. Then I said " Brother, if you do these things, will you be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints through the proper priesthood authority?" He said yes.
Yeah. I committed a guy to baptism. On the bus. hahahahahahaha. I could hardly believe it. It was all because of the training. I never would have done it otherwise.
Alright. We're gonna go bowling. Love you guys!
