Week #53 - “Preach the Gospel At All Times and When Necessary, Use Words.” St. Francis of Assisi

August 3, 2015

Hi Mom and Dad!  The house is full of Diamonds that's pretty cool to see! Tell everyone I say hello! I miss those goofball Uncles and Cousins of mine!  So I officially hit my year mark this week. It feels very surreal reading through my journal from moments exactly one year ago. So much has happened in the past year and like we've said before it feels like it has lasted forever *AND* gone by in a flash. It's so weird! One year ago today I was set apart as a missionary, and I remember that day so vividly!

Well, this week was a good one! We had a lot of fun things happen. Our area has really picked up this week and we have 5 new awesome investigators who even came all the way to Roxas yesterday to go to church. My companion and I only attend church in Roxas on every-other Fast Sunday and all the other weeks we attend church in Panay in the bamboo hut chapel that I sent you a picture of last week. Our area is really far away from where we live.  We spend about 50 minutes each way just in travel to Panay. Plus our new investigators live in the outskirts of Panay about another 15 min trike ride from Panay and we have to cross the river to get to them. I'll admit I really like to cross the river, so I'm not complaining, but it does take a lot of time and we spend a lot of money on travel, but you do what you gotta do. Our new investigators are a referral we got from a member--and that's kinda of a funny story. We got a text saying that they had some friends who told them they wanted to "become Mormons" haha  They also said the wanted to meet the white guy (me), so in all honesty I wasn't expecting much from the referral, but surprisingly they were really cool people and very interested in the church, so that was pretty cool. 

 

 

 

Another thing we have been doing is spending a lot of time working with the less active and inactive members. We met a new older guy who is an inactive member. He was a pretty nice guy even though he liked to chat our ear off about conspiracies and corruption in the world. We finally got a word in and asked him to get his scriptures. He got them and I looked inside to see if there were any names of Elders and there were a lot but in the top right corner I saw the name of Elder Steve Weller from West Jordan, Utah.  That is Mr. Weller my 8th grade English teacher from Ephraim Middle School! I was way surprised and couldn't believe what a coincidence that was. I'm pretty sure it was him too because it had a little cartoon face above the name and Mr. Weller was always drawing stuff. I had no idea he served his mission here! That is the coolest coincidence! 

On Friday we did service with the LDS charities that have been here on the Navy ship.  We went to some schools and gave the kids hygiene kits and school supplies. It was really fun and great to be able to do that. The Navy ship left yesterday but all of the LDS people on the ship came to church, so our church was full of "Kanos". It's weird to talk to people who are white and speak English and aren't missionaries. haha

 

We had lots of rain this week. A few times it was just miserably hot, but I really think I am getting used to sweating a ton in my church clothes haha and I thought I sweat a lot back in Utah!

 

Have a great week!

Love, Elder Rasmussen

Week #52 - "Onward, Ever Onward!" “

July 27, 2015

Michael's release date is July 26, 2016, so we are officially on the down hill side! 1 year left to go!

Hi Mom and Dad! This week we did a lot of really cool stuff, so I have lots to tell you about.

Me & Elder Alpon

Monday after I emailed you we went bowling for P-day. The bowling alley was pretty cool. The pin machine is a Filipino kid and he throws the ball back down the isle. haha It was fun!
On Tuesday we were able to go aboard the Navy Hospital ship the USNS Mercy and do a tour. It was coolest activity I have done on my mission so far. I was a little worried President Aquino wouldn't let us go since it wasn't P-Day but sure enough the ones that were invited to go on the boat were also invited by President to eat lunch at a very nice restaurant with him! There was a ton of really good food and even shakes at the end I felt like I was in heaven :)
Then we went to the port and got on a small boat that took us out about a mile or two to the ship. It was so cool to see it while in action ha there were about 900 people on board. All of the Filipino Elders and President looked wide eyed and commented on all the big, huge people as we walked through the ship. It was funny. The Chaplain who is LDS took us on a tour. We went through all the surgery rooms and basically most of what you would see in a normal hospital. The feeling was like being in America again and you know that when there is a drinking fountain that is 100% safe to drink from! HAHA President Aquino really liked that haha. We even got to eat in the cafeteria and even though it was cafeteria food it was USA cafeteria food and that was awesome! I really had a great time and it was so cool to see all that the U.S. is doing to help others on this planet. The U.S. does so much good humanitarian service for people. My pride in my Country about shot through the roof!
So that basically took the entire day to do so when we got home we just showered and went to bed. It was a really cool experience!
My companion and I have been working hard with a guy named Tomas who is awesome and is helping us by showing us where all of the less active members of Panay live [unfortunately, there's a ton of them]. I've learned a lot with the language because they speak it the whole time so its been nice to be away from the English so I can learn more. Even Elder Seeds and I speak a lot of Ilonggo to each other most of the time.
One of the areas we visit you have to cross a big river twice. The first time we took a construction boat and then the second time it was a little bamboo boat that is way low so a little sketchy going across and I didn't quite make it getting off and stepped right into the water haha so I walked around the rest of the night with a soaking wet shoe. Crossing the river is way exciting though :)
Church services in Panay start at 1:30 which is a bummer because they won't let us go to church in Roxas in the morning so we just stay home and try to study until it's time to leave for Panay. That's a long time to try and keep studying, but we've got our work cut out for us there, so we are working hard to come up with ideas to help them. The meeting house is very humble and very hot and sweaty. It *really* makes the whole church experience a whole lot more enjoyable (NOT) haha :) The members are very unprepared and the two times we have gone to church now they basically have a meeting about what to do with the group since it has been closed down many times and they are at risk of being closed down again. It's a little weird but I sure hope that we will be able to help them so they can build an actual chapel. It will take a ton of work and I'm not really sure where to start, which really stresses me out, but we will try our best to help them. Like I said, we need lots of fasting and prayer--so send some prayers our way for the little group in Panay.

I did get the package you sent. Thanks! Elder Seeds and I are going to celebrate our year mark on the 6th. We celebrated yesterday a little since that will be our go home date next year on July 26. We were both a little trunky yesterday but we're doing good now :) 


Thanks so much for always thinking of me! Have a great week! Glad you made it safely home from your motorcycle trip. I can't wait til I can go with you :) Love Elder Rasmussen

Lunch with President & Sister Aquino

The Famous "Milkshake"

Chapel in Panay

Week #51 - “Hope on. Journey on."

July 20, 2015

Hey Mom and Dad! So I transferred out of Passi this last week after being there for 4 transfers! It was really hard to leave - I felt kind of like I did when we left Sterling a few years back. It was like leaving home. It was a weird feeling. I was so surprised how close I've grown to the people here in such a relatively short time. We said goodbye to our investigators the Panes family and they didn't want me to go haha they said I was part of their family. They are such nice people. I will miss them lots. The members in Passi treated us to a nice fish/chicken/pork dinner the night before transfers and it was a little hard to say goodbye to them.

 

Thursday morning we headed to the bus Terminal and the other Elders all headed to the transfer meeting, and I rode by myself up to Roxas City. I was excited to find out that Elder Seeds, one of my batch mates, is one of my housemates now! We've had lots of laughs and we'll get to celebrate our 1 year mark together. My new companion who came from transfer meeting later in the day is Elder Alpon who is from Bacolod. He's way nice. He doesn't speak much English which is going to really help me get better at the language. There are 2 Americans in our house and two Elders from Bacolod so we speak a lot of Ilonggo which is fun.

My new area is called Panay and it is a very difficult area from what I have heard and seen. It is very far away from our house and there is only a small group of members and lots of the members are less active or inactive, so we have our work cut out for us. Yesterday we went to church twice. Once in Roxas and then in Panay later in the afternoon so we could get to know the members. My companion and I are white-washing the area, meaning that we are both new to the area. I really like Roxas City so far. Roxas is called the seafood city of the Philippines because it is so close to the ocean. So I'm going to enjoy getting lots of fresh seafood while I'm here! Our house is really cool. Its a nice apartment. It overlooks a really noisy street which is a downside but other than that it is a very nice building. The water pressure is really nice and there aren't too many houses I've been in with good water pressure. Plus I'm no longer sleeping on the floor anymore!! BONUS! I have an actual bed now to put my mattress on so that is way nice.

Even though I've only been to my area 2 times so far I really like it as well. Like I said, we will be doing a lot of "Less Active" work in our area. We're going to need a lot of  fasting and praying that we will be able to help reactivate more members in the area because they are thinking about closing it down and just having the members go to church in Roxas--which would not be good since it is a long ways away.  The members just want to keep their meetinghouse in Panay, so we have lots of work to do to get people coming back to church.

Right now there is a Navy Hospital Ship "Mercy" docked in Roxas and they are spending a couple of weeks here doing surgeries and all kinds of medical help for the people. Some of the ship's crew are LDS and they came to church and spoke yesterday. It was so awesome to meet and talk to so many Americans!
Here's the answer to your questions this week Mom:

#1 - What made you laugh this week? All of the ELders in our house are funny guys and we all have really different personalities, so it gets pretty funny. LOL There was also a snake that Elder Seeds and I caught at the church and this little boy was crying on the inside of the church when Elder Seeds picked it up haha us two white boys were surprisingly the only ones that would attempt to catch it.

Elder Rasmussen & Elder Seeds and the Great Snake Adventure

Looks like a python to me....eeek!

 

#2 - Have you eaten anything new/different in your new area? I ate squid the other night and it was pretty good. 

#3 - Do the members there get to go to the temple very often? I think I read that they will ride a ship to go to the temple in Cebu? Lots of people go once or twice a year. They go in groups and it usually ends up being about a 4 day trip. 

#4 - What's the landscape like in your new area? Its flat but we are pretty close to the ocean. Roxas is a big city though and that's where we live but our area of Panay is on the outside of the city in a more rural area.

 

I finally figured out the picture Dad! You moved the chicken coop! haha I'm going to really miss being home on the 24th, that's one of my favorite times of year. I guess my "Utah Pride" has really skyrocketed since I've been here. Have fun our your motorcycle trip and be careful. You and Mom don't be racing those motorcycles! LOL Sure wish I could be there to go with you, but I'm loving my mission regardless!
Have a fun week!
Love Elder Rasmussen

Week #50 - “Rise up and Become the Person You Were Meant To Be.” Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

July 13, 2015

Hey Mom and Dad - Thanks for your email! and thank you for the story from President Uchtdorf about becoming like the Apostle Peter. I love Pres. Uchtdorf I don't know how anyone couldn't love him! That sounds like a really cool talk and I'll look forward to reading the whole thing--thanks for sending it! I've noticed how much of a learning lesson our mistakes are in life. There are a lot of things that I have learned by falling and stumbling the first time.  But getting back up again and doing better the next time. 

We went to SM again this week which is really weird since It feels like we were just there. Had a great McDonalds lunch and did a lot of lagaw lagaw at the mall haha it is fun to go there once a month. (Note from Mom: It took me awhile but I finally figured out what "lagaw lagaw" means - it's "strolling" haha)

 

This week we had a lot of good lessons with our cool investigators. W.P. has always been fun to teach and she was able to meet with us 3 times this week which hasn't happened in a long time because she been so busy. We read with her in the B.O.M. and answered some of her questions she has from her studying. Her husband told us this week how he feels about us teaching her. He is [another prominent religion] and his family has been [another prominent religion] since the beginning of time and he basically told us there is no chance of him ever being baptized because of that. He's an awesome guy, but he's not real excited about his wife investigating our religion but he likes us and likes having us come over. So there you go. But we've planted a seed and hopefully some day something will be able to happen there.

We also taught our other super cool investigator family who are also [another prominent religion] as well. They seem to really enjoy learning about the gospel and also really enjoy having us at their house. Surprisingly the mom sends her kids to church with us and she has even come a few times herself. They always treat us like kings when we visit and they won't let us leave their house unless we eat all of the food they put in front of us. haha They are such a super nice family and we always have a lot of fun with them. 

I got sick on Wednesday which sucked. So we had to stay in the house all day.  My stomach wasn't feeling well at all and I had a headache big time. Luckily the next day it faded off and we were able to get back to work. One of our inactive families we've been working with who haven't been to church in a long time and kind of turned us down a few months ago, actually let us come and visit them twice this week! And they were really fun to visit and invited us to come back again. So that was cool.  Later on we ran into another of our inactive member's who hasn't been to church in a really long time She was walking to go get her water and she didn't look very happy. So we stopped to chat with her and we offered to help her carry her water up the hill to her house. It is just her and two kids. She is a really nice lady, but very busy so we only get to see her every now and then. I'm so glad we ran into her when we did and had the chance to help her.

Other then that I can't think of anything else too interesting to write about.  I'm looking forward to the transfer this week. I'm ready to experience something new in my mission. I've been with Elder F for 3 transfers now and also been in my 2nd area for 4 transfers, so it's looking like this will be my last Monday in Passi. Transfers are on the 16th--so I'll let you know next week what happens!

By-the-Way thanks Mom for all your help with my debit card and everything else you do for me. I hope you aren't getting sick of having to do all this stuff for me haha cuz I sure need your help a lot! Love you and appreciate you tons!

Love Elder Rasmussen.

Week #49 "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less".

July 6, 2015

Hey Mom and Dad - thanks for your emails and the details about your awesome 4th of July week at Fish Lake without me... :) haha just kidding! I'm way jealous you got to go fishing and probably ate a really nice perch dinner! That trout Hayley caught looks like a monster! I'll bet she was way excited.

I had a good week too, even though I wasn't at Fish Lake. It did go by very quickly. We had a Zone meeting on Tuesday and those are my least favorite meetings for some reason and I always get a little homesick when we take the bus back to passi ha Weird. But thankfully it passes quickly.

The following days we found some new people to teach in an area that we thought was dead. So that was really cool! This old trike driver, who is a super nice guy is always waving at us and talks to us when we are at the terminal, got a flat tire so we stopped and helped him fix it. He thanked us for helping him and then said he was going home.  Well, later in the day as we were teaching a family in that area we saw him walk by, and it turns out the family we were teaching was his brother! haha So then he told us where his house was and after we were done teaching his brother's family we went up and we were able to have a lesson with him. He is a super nice guy. His house is very very run down and I felt bad for him because its just him and his dog at the house (he isn't married.) I was very glad we found him and got to visit him and hopefully he will let us keep coming to visit.

It rained a lot again this week. I think I will end up saying that every week now since it is rainy season! Our member who always works with us fed us this week and it was a really good meal. For the 4th of July Elder Crooks and I decided we wanted to bring some American tradition to our house, so we cooked up hamburgers and fries. It was delicious and we also at Doritos and rootbeer. The Pride of America was powerful that day! haha

We went to the home to see a less active member yesterday and her neighbor was playing his music really, really loud. She told us he always does it, but she could not stand up to him and ask him to turn it down for her. So I walked over and asked him to please turn his music down as we were trying to visit with his neighbor, and he turned it down. She was so happy and so were her other neighbors. I was glad I could set an example to that they shouldnt be afriad to stand up for themselves and ask people to turn down their music. Its a common problem in this country-- you really can't go anywhere without hearing loud music playing all the time. haha

Yesterday we got a text about an activity in Lapaz to play sports for P day today and I really didn't want to go. I was just so tired and really wanted to stay home today and just relax, but my companion really wanted to go.  He was a little bit rude to me about it last night when we were discussing it, but we talked it over this morning and I felt a lot better about the situation. It's just that we go full blast all week, so when P-Day comes it's just nice to relax for one day. So anyhow, it was a huge test of patience and humbleness for me to compromise and do what my companion wanted to do. In the end it all worked out and the activity ended up being ok and I was able to see a lot of Elders I know including my MTC comp. We had some good laughs about the hard times we had in the MTC haha. Companions are the hardest thing on a mission sometimes and I have worked hard and have improved my patience substantially and I really feel like I have become a lot stronger person from dealing with some of the things that I have experienced over the last 11 months. "All and all, its a real fun day..." haha (another classic Andy Griffith quote) 

I sure miss you guys lots. Thank you for your good examples to me. I know it's because of my parents that I made the good decisions I've made so far in my life. I've thought a lot about when we moved from Sterling to Erda  and how unhappy I was about it, but I know now that it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Mom you were right when you told me that everything would work out for the best if I just have a good attitude and stay positive, and I know I didn't believe you at the time, but you were totally right.  

About the college stuff, I know you pressed me really hard to apply to lots of different schools and I know 100% that I was too stupid to listen to you and of course now I'm paying for it! Thank you though for looking after me and helping me with my future.  I'll work on the BYU application stuff and get that to you over. I know I remember applying for a deferment for my scholarship at Snow, and the Regent scholarship. I sure hope they went through o.k. All these decisions I have to make sure are stressful, but I will stay positive and I'm sure it will all work out all right. 

Thanks for all your support and prayers! Have a great week! Love Elder Rasmussen

Week #48 - "He Who Kneels Before God, Can Stand Before Anyone."

June 27, 2015
P.S. Mikey emailed this week from a computer hut that they don't generally use and those places are notorious for having viruses on their computers, so for that reason he didn't send any new photos this week, so I'm recycling a few from the past.

Hey Mom and Dad! Thanks for the email! I love the pictures! It's so good to see Utah. I love it! You both talked about the heat there in your emails haha! Sorry I'm having a hard time feeling bad for you haha! Just kidding. I remember thinking it was too hot in Utah, so I know how you are feeling. Now I know better! Just so you know I am suffering too and the sweat never ends ;)

 

I was just talking with Elder Crooks this morning about how times has never gone by so fast and yet has never gone by so slow in my life like it has on my mission. I know that sounds weird, it's hard to describe!

 

Thanks Dad for the encouragement and the reminder about every generation of Rasmussen men being a little better than the last. I remember Grandpa saying that to me over the years. I hope I can continue to become a better person. I've grown so much closer to the Savior and the Gospel in the 11 months of my mission. I think back to High School and how I never took any of my scripture study and the gospel teachings seriously. But now I see what it means in my life and I want to learn everything I can. It says in my Patriarchal Blessing that the Book of Mormon will become my friend and that has already been fulfilled! I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the Bible and I truly enjoy studying about the life of the Savior and all he did.

Thanks for mailing me the package and the socks for me Mom. About what to send me in future packages....I have no idea what I really need. I think of stuff every-once-in-awhile, but then I forget to write it down. But I will make sure to remember and put a list together for you.  That "cold" towel actually doesnt work real well here, sorry :( it's like a swamp cooler in a rain storm. I'm sure it would work really well in Utah though since the air is so dry so I will hold on to it for future use.

It rained almost every day this week. Just like Utah the rain always comes in the afternoon. I went on a split with Elder Tanto in Calinog which was a lot of fun. It's always nice to experience a different area and meet new people. We found a new couple that we taught who are very nice. The husband works at Gaisano (supermarket) and he told us he'd give us 50% off on chicken so heck yeah to that!

 

On Friday we visited our investigators the Panes family, who of course would'nt let us leave after the lesson until we at dinner with them! They served us some kind of fish dish and it was really good!

 

On Saturday the other Elders had a baptism so we attended that. And on Sunday Passi had its first Ward Conference (they just became a Ward last December) and so a ton of people were at church including President Aquino, so we were very happy that we were all cleaned up and looking sharp, and most importantly we didn't have any mud on our shoes! (that's President Aquino's pet peeve ha). Afterwards they served lunch for the ward. There was lots of food and it was fun to hang around the members and we even had several of our investigators also attend. Afterwards we went on a split with the members, but it started pouring rain so it was cut short and we stayed at the church for a little bit longer. Afterwards Elder F and I went to a guy named Tatay Bautista (a less active member) and shared with him. Then last night we had a very nice dinner at the Robles family that was pure adobo and BBQ chicken with rice haha not a very healthy meal, but man it was good! So we were fed well yesterday both literally and spiritually!

Our favorite computer place was closed this morning so we are in another computer hut that doesn't have A/C and I'm totally sweating......

Here's the answers to your questions Mom:

1 - Sorry, but I"ve got to ask....what made you laugh this week? haha I always want to know that my boy is laughing! Pres. Aquino spoke in Sacrament yesterday about paying tithing. He said "I don't like to compare churches, but in the            church [he covers his mouth like he accidently said it...lol] you know where your money is going...". Anyways, It was really funny because of his facial expressions, but it was a little awkward at the same time because some of our investigators are members of that church, so we were hoping they weren't offended, but I don't think they were because they were laughing about it also. 

2 - What new fruits and/or veggies have you tried?  I eat lots of Mango, several different kinds of banana (I didn't know there were so many kinds of bananas!), coconut, and there's a few others that I don't know their names. You know me--I love just about any kind of fruit and I have a lot to choose from here.

3 - Do you teach in church or do you just attend like the average ward member?  I've had to teach Sunday School and Priesthood a few times, but not lately. Mostly we just get to sit there like a normal member :)

4 - What service have you been doing? We're hoping to help a member to build a new house soon. He's got some of the supplies that he has ordered and we're just waiting on that.

5 - Did you learn anything new this week? I finished the Book of Matthew for the first time and I loved it. It is packed full of such good stuff and has built my faith in Jesus Christ so much. I love when he confounds the priests---there are times on my mission when I wish I could do that! That would be so awesome! LOL But I've really enjoyed studying the life of the Savior.

 

6 - How are the bugs there? I saw on the Missionary Mall website that they have those mosquito nets that hang over your bed - do you need one of those? The mosquitos are WAY bad here. They bite through my socks and even my pants sometimes. Thankfully, I never get bitten at night though because we have the fans blowing on us.

Thanks again Mom and Dad for your emails. Palangga ta ka!

Love Elder Rasmussen

Week #47 - "Great Things Never Came From Comfort Zones."

June 22, 2015

Hey Mom and Dad! Happy Father's Day Dad! I love you tons and thanks for always supporting me and still loving me even when I was a punk sometimes! haha I hope you had a great day!
 

Thanks so much for the pictures. Seeing real American trucks and camp trailers is a lot to take in. haha  It looks like you had a good week! Everything looks so green there in Utah!  Glad you are still having fun at work and enjoying all the stress ;) I wish I was there to work out with you and enjoy the cold weather you're having in Utah ;) LOL mid 90's with relative low humidity sounds really nice and cool to me! We played basketball this morning and I of course had a bath in my sweat! I was completely drenched within minutes!

I'll start out answering your questions firsts:

#1 What made you laugh this week? This is always the hardest question Mom! haha O.K. Our investigator Gio is a pretty funny guy. When he came with us to visit the LA's he wasn’t shy at all and was talking with everyone and keeping us laughing. It really surprised me. 

 #2 Bare your testimony in Ilonggo (just a short one) and  then give it to us in English. “Kabalo ako nga ang Gospel ni Jesucristo amo ang dalan para sa aton sa pagbalik sa Dios. Paagi sa pagbasa sa Libro ni Mormon matunan naton ang ebanghelyo kag mangin mas malapit kita kay jesucristo.”

“I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the way for us to return back to god/Heavenly Father. Through reading the Book of Mormon we learn the Gospel and become closer to Jesus Christ.”

#3 Describe the house you are living in. We have 4 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, in a 2-story apartment.  I guess there is kind of a yard, but not really. There is grass but it’s out in front of the 3 houses that make our apartment complex deal. They are adding 2 houses to it right now. I'll take a picture of it next week. It’s a small house for 4 people, it seems that sometimes anyways, but it’s alright. Everything in the Philippines is smaller especially the houses ha 

#4 Dad and I were looking at the crescent moon, and the converging of Venus and Jupiter last night and wondering if you see the same sky we do from your side of the world? Have you noticed the moon and planets recently? I’ve noticed that the moon looks *really* big here when it is full. I haven’t seen the stars in a while because of the clouds but when it’s a clear night I can always find Ursa Major, The Big Dipper. J

This week was a little slow. The past few weeks have been that way. We had interviews with President Aquino on Wednesday, which took forever but it was good to see a bunch of my zone and some other Elders from my batch. It rained nearly every day this week which has been pretty nice since it cools things down a notch.
Yesterday we had Gio and Ann Vian come to church. They are two children from a family we are teaching (The Panes). They are a really cool family. Their Mom likes the kids to hang out with us and go to church, but as far as baptism goes it could take a while haha.

 

This guy was digging this hole (a well?) by hand with a stick

Fish for lunch, anyone?>

On Friday I went on a split with Elder Noleal because I had to do a baptism interview. It was fun to meet people on the other side of Passi and the the interviews went really well. We were hoping for a baptism in our area too but school started about a month ago and made it very difficult for us to meet with our investigators.

 

On Saturday we did an activity with our Ward called "Half-Day Mission". Luckily Elder Crooks was in charge of the activity and he was the one responsible for teaching and putting on the workshop so all I had to do was participate! haha After the workshop we all split up and each missionary took 4 or 5 members to visit the less active members in the area. It is fun to work with the members and have them help us with fellowshipping some of the people who don't go to church very often. I really love this Ward here. What a great group of people and what great friends I've made. I can say that my time here has gone by very fast and when the time comes for me to transfer I will really miss them all. 

 

Yesterday (Sunday) we taught these two older people. The old man was really cool and funny. We had two members working with us (Bro Efren and Sister Marites) and at the end of the day it started pouring rain. Luckily a trike went by just in the knick of time, so we got a ride home. It's really fun to ride in a really small tricycle in a really good rainstorm! haha

Thanks Mom and Dad! Have a great week!
Love you!
Elder Michael