Another amazing week over hear in Palawan! On Tuesday we got a call telling us that President is sending another companionship over here to green island! It’s official now, I’ve lived with at least 4 missionaries in all of my houses now as a missionary haha. Elder Constantino (from Ilo Ilo) and Elder Somosa (Southern Leite) are now here helping things continue to roll!! They got in Friday at about noon with all of their luggage and a few more supplies.They’re both super hilarious haha it’s been good to have them around. Elder Somosa was in the office when I was there so we’re already really close friends. I haven’t seen him since last transfer so it’s been good catching up with him! He will actually be headin back into the office next transfer to replace elder Mitchell but doesn’t yet know that- haha!
Well we continued to try to teach all those we found last week as well as continue to introduce the gospel to other new people. We found 62 new investigators to start teaching this week so we’re even busier now haha! It’s hard to remember everyone we’re working with- we actually use a notebook along with our planners so there’s enough space to write down people’s names haha. This week we tried to filter who we’re working with and try to focus on who’s the most progressing towards baptism. As I said last week, there are tons of great people here but the main problem is still marriage. I would compare getting papers sorted here to be married to climbing Mt Everest. It’s a huge project and lots of of them don’t really want to start trying to tackle it. We will keep working with them though and will probably see them baptized in a few months.
Looks like June 16 we will have some baptisms. We had a few set for this Saturday but they asked for an extra week to prepare. We’re trying to get lots of people to commit for the 16th so they have the support of others who are also being baptized. Some families we are focusing on are the Salazar, Restificar, Humao-as, Dimegello, Rosales, Moreno, and Poligrates families. Today school is starting here in the Philippines and sadly quite a few of the people we met last week left for Roxas to study in high school and college. It will be a little more quiet outside these next few weeks with school going but I’ve always liked giving hi fives to kids walking home from school in their uniforms haha.
We introduced “Old Maid” to a few families with kids this week haha. Thanks for sendin that mom it’s been super funny to watch these people play it. Doesn’t take more than two seconds to know where the Old Maid is here haha.
A few days it rained like CRAZY! It was super fun walking thorugh puddles and trying to find paths to get to people’s houses haha. Yes you guessed it there isn’t any type of drainage system here haha. There actually isn’t even in the city now that I think about it. I’ve always loved rain though as a missionary because it’s not as hot and people are quick to let you into their homes.
I’m pretty sure the whole island is related in some way. Not only do they all know each other, but they all are somehow tied together we’ve noticed. We found 3 families this week who were related but we had no idea until we met a fourth family who told us of some of their brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, and uncles. By the end of the convo we found out all four of those families were related.
The people keep me smiling and laughing. I haven’t met anyone here who has left the Philippines yet. Things are pretty remote and they don’t really know much of what’s happening in the world around them. They’re just really chill over here haha. Nanay Banching, the member we stay with, won’t let us leave the house without drinking milo- she says we’ll get sick without it. Many people here also believe in ghosts- we had to walk home an 18 and 16 yr old boys back since they were truly scared to do so alone.
Sacrament was super fun again this week! We had 22 attend in the morning service and 52 in the evening. 57 of those being non members. Like I said, we had quite a few people leave for roxas but we were able to see some new faces show up yesterday. I spoke again yesterday about why we partake the sacrament and I gotta admit I felt like a Baptist preacher or something. Since there’s no pulpit we just stand in front of the group holding a book of Mormon speaking loudly so all can hear what’s being said. Thought I heard a “hallelujah!!” but I think it was just my imagination haha.
Have a great week everyone! Thanks for the support!
Elder Reber
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