October 4, 2011

Hey family!
So this week has been pretty dang great! Thanks to everyone who sent me birthday money via my parents. It has really helped me. It also helped some other stuff out but I'll get to that later.
Things are going super good for our investigators at this point. We have all of them working on one thing or another. Most of them are ready for baptism, they just have to go to church all 4 Sundays. They are:
Jonathon Para-asi. A mild mannered security guard axed from his job in Lamac, Cebu. Met by two Elders out in Lamac, he listened to what they said and it clicked with everything he had ever wanted in life. He returned to Toledo, Cebu in the summer of 2011 to retreat from the pressures of his work life only to find out that his father was against any church that was not Catholic. After many arguments and quarrels, his parents moved out--leaving Jonathon a lone man on his tiny island home. However, he has a book--The Book of Mormon. And in his spare time he reads this book in order to feel closer to someone--to feel closer to God. He is awesome. He is getting baptized on October 22. He's got a great testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith. He's gonna be great.
Then we have Rowena and Ernie Macapobre. They aren't married yet which has made it pretty tough for us to get either of them baptized. Rowena is definitely more converted though than most of our branch. She does her home teaching, goes to church every week with her family and then reads the Book of Mormon daily. Ernie is just a humble, loving guy who wants to do what is right. He's had a tough life and his brothers are just a bunch of lazy alcoholics which makes him the example. The problem that they aren't married is seriously the only thing keeping them from getting baptized. That's why I'm so happy that some people sent me some birthday money because I was able to pay for all their papers to get them married. Now they are getting married on October 22nd and then going straight from their wedding to the baptism! They are getting baptized with their 8 year old son! My only family that I've baptized my entire mission but it has definitely been one of the sweetest baptisms I've prepared. Last night we were teaching Ernie about the Book of Mormon and Rowena bore the coolest testimony of the Book of Mormon. She cried and just testified of how it has helped their relationship and they don't fight anymore because of the Book. So excited for their baptism. Thanks for all the cash you guys sent for my birthday! Its how it happened!
We have other investigators that are getting close. We have the Bontuyan kids whose mom is a member and all their older siblings but because mom was inactive for 3 years, no baptism. Well, now Mom came to church last week and we set up a sweet service project building them a window and door for their house so they can all go to church and now we're having them get baptized on the 22nd as well.
All in all, we're looking at probably 9 people getting baptized on the 22nd. We're really working hard to get them all ready. We're visiting everyone pretty much everyday. Its exhausting.
SOOOOOOOOOOOO stoked for Conference this weekend! I know you all saw it and you got to see whats up but we are so stoked!!! We're doing a big District breakfast at this restaurant we go to (when there is money) and then going to watch the first Session on Saturday. We've got a bunch of investigators coming. Ernie Macapobre is stoked to go to Priesthood in his new white shirt and tie that I gave him. He's a stud.
Thanks for all the love folks! I'm going to be sitting in the mission home 5 weeks from TODAY!!!
LOVE
BRANDON