Monday, June 6, 2016

Week 49...Lasam Philippines


Chris Mark Daquiwag 

 

Good week here with the Lasamites.  So there was a bit of a surprise this week. There are 2 new missionaries in Lasam, so there are 4 of us again, which means my area got cut in half and we lost half of our investigators, all of our  focus areas which is where we planned to do finding, and 1 of our baptisms to the other area.  (It is really flipping annoying cause this is the 4th time this kinda thing has happened to me here in Lasam). It is like I have opened 4 areas 4 cycles in a row. IT SUCKS. 

My first cycle in Lasam, I was assigned in Lasam B with Elder Camero. When Elder Camero was transferred, I got transferred to Lasam A or the other half of Lasam, so I lost all of my investigators to the 2 new Elders in Lasam B, in my old area. Then me and Elder Roberto opened Lasam A and we had to build the area from the ground up from where the other 2 Elders that got transferred left it.  So at the end of that transfer, those 2 elders also got transferred and President gave all of Lasam to me and Elder Roberto, but I didn't have much to work with cause all my old investigators from Lasam B weren't taken care of and by now were no longer interested. So then me and my comp rebuilt that area last transfer while still maintaining our area, only for President to place 2 more elders in Lasam B this week, meaning all the rebuilding we did goes now to them. HAHA. Pretty annoying but its all good. I think President just doesn't want me to get comfortable haha! 

It is not that I don't trust other missionaries with my investigators...but I kinda don't haha. So it is kinda hard for me to leave my precious investigators to other missionaries because of the lame experiences I have had so far.  But I know these 2 new Elders are different and won't do that (at least I hope and pray that they won't), so that is good.

But anyway the 2 new elders are cool. Elder Sivo from Fiji who is training Elder Ramiso from Quezon City Philippines.  Haha all the filipinos call Elder Sivo Lebron James cause they kinda look alike I guess.

Also we had a baptism! My boss investigator whose name is Chrismark Daquiwag (Dah-kee-wahg). He is 9 years old and is super smart and mature. He acts and talks like he is 16 or something.  He is visiting his grandparents here in Lasam and after a couple Sundays of going to church in April, told his grandma that he wanted to be taught by us. So we started teaching him a while back and he is such a BEAST!  He keeps his commitments by reading 2 to 3 verses a night  from the Book of Mormon and he prays at the end of every single lesson and asks God if the Book of Mormon is true haha. HE ALREADY KNOWS IT'S TRUE he just keeps forgetting that the Spirit already told him and we keep reminding him almost every lesson haha! Oh and plus he loves coming to church but he doesn't like being with the little kids during the classes.  He is loves me and asked me to baptize him which made me want to cry :,)  His parents live in another part of the Philippines and they are Jehovah's Witness' but they said it is fine that he is baptized in our church if that is what he wants. The sad part is that he might be going home to live with them again soon so it might be hard for him to go to church if he is only 9 years old. But I made him promise that he would talk to his neighbors who are Mormon and to go to church with them every Sunday. Chris Mark is such a boss and he said he wants to go on a mission when he is older just like Elder Andersen :')

Me and Elder Roberto have 2 baptisms coming up this week as well but after that our work is gonna die so we need to really step up the finding this week. We made goals to set 10 baptismal dates for July 9th at the end of the transfer so we have lots of people to find :)

I love being a missionary even though it can be hard and frustrating sometimes, but I learn so much every week and I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.
I love you all and I know the Book of Mormon is blue (and true) :D

-Elder Andersen


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