Elder Parker Reber: Las Piñas 1st

Good mornin

This week was super fun here in the Philippines! Monday and Tuesday I continued to train Elder Cram for office things and I'll just say i feel bad for him haha! There's a ton of random things he had to cram into his head (haha get it?) He'll do really great though. Tuesday was my last "departing day" in the office and it was pretty crazy. We got home at 12:30 because we had to return to the airport hotel since someone left some luggage at the office. I hadn't had any time yet to pack since we had lots of appointments the few days before. I literally threw everything into my bags and we got to bed at 1. Then 4:30 we woke up to pick up new missionaries at the mtc. As we were getting ready a departing Elder over at the airport called Elder Webster and all I heard from the other room was Elder Webster yelling "nooooooo!" haha. It was kinda an emergency so we booked it out the door in our white polos, sport shorts and flip flops. Elder Webster even had half a beard. We somehow made it to the airport, back to our house to finish getting ready, then to the mtc in time. Need for speed driving isn't really against the law here:)

I'm here in Las Pinas now!! This area is AWESOME. My companion is Elder Moster from Mendinao, Philippines. He's a funny guy haha it's been super good. Everyone in the house is filipino again so it's kinda nice to get engulfed in the language, culture, and food again. Our house is actually in a pretty nice little village I'd say it's the nicest house I've been in so far. Las Pinas is considered the nicer part of our mission- there are a lot of neighborhoods and trees. Our area however is a huge barangay in the middle of these neighborhoods that's filled with tons of people with a little tougher living conditions. It's an area set up for success I'm really excited. There have been lots of really great missionaries here in the past so I'm just trying to do my best to be a good missionary.

Before I left the office i input a referral for this area! I was excited because because i knew it would be my new area. The first day I got here we went and found her. She's a super nice older woman and met a mission President in a different mission. We're returning to her tomorrow so that will be really fun.

The Las Piñas ward is awesome. The ward mission leader is named Nephi and he really has things movin. They are super missionary focused here and I've noticed lots of people we've been teaching are part member families or neighbors of members. Saturday night we went around inviting investigators to church then going to members nearby and reminded them to stop by the investigators in the morning. Then on Sunday we follow up with the members if they were able to do their assignment. It worked super good! We had 8 at church yesterday which was the most this area has had in a few months. 4 of them were there for the first time. I'm lucky to be coming in right now haha!

It has been raining like CRAZY here the past few days. Every single day it's been pouring and our area here floods a ton! More than any of my other areas. It makes for a sweet adventure.

A highlight of this week was being able to bless the sacrament. It was my first time doing that since my first area. My view of the sacrament has really changed a lot since I've been on my mission. It's a really great time to sit and think of the Savior and what we can work on to become more like Him. I'm thankful that we can be made clean every single week. We shouldn't let anything keep us from receiving such a great blessing. I'm thankful for the Savior and his atoning sacrifice. He is the only way we can be made spotless and prepared to return to God's presence.

Have an awesome week! I love you all.

Elder Reber