Week #25 Philippines Tangub Ward Bacolod South Zone

Dear Lovely Amazing People that I Miss,

Well family this week has been interesting and a huge eye opener about this area. We have been working hard to build more relationships with the members, Less Actives, and Investigators. Honestly if they don't feel like you care about them, there is no point to teach them! We are representatives of Jesus Christ and we need to make sure we are showing his love for them! Our investigators are doing alright, but the instant weather change from cold to hot is making people sick and none of our investigators came to church... We will work on that. 

 

... I really love the people here and the ward is strong and I can see progress happening....

 

Well this week had exciting things that I ate like cow skin, which is good but not preferable for me! I had a sup-as that had mini squids in it, it was good but kind of gave me a bit of a stomachache still awesome! I learned how to cook some great meals by Elder Dalumpines! I will be a chef when I get home! Heather will like that I think ;)

 

So our investigator H didn't go to church, but she is doing way better then I thought! We asked how her reading was going in the Book of Mormon, she said it is going alright. We asked where she read and she said Helaman, we thought she was just randomly reading through where ever like most investigators. The next lesson we asked again and she said she only read 2 or 3 chapter sense 2 days ago!! We then asked if she start from the beginning she said YES!! What?? I have never seen that my whole mission! We gave her the Book of Mormon less then a month ago and she is 3/4ths of the way through!! I had to make sure she knew that that is the coolest thing I have ever seen and she was a bit confused so I think we need to talk about the importance of the Book of Mormon in more depth! I am just pumped for that! 

 

Well other then that nothing much more exciting happened. Oh my companion used Filipino methods to heal my athletes foot and it is almost fully gone! He really rocks! I am learning more how the culture works through him and it makes me feel so much more useful here! I feel like I could teach an American what some plants do and how things work! I love it! 

 

Well it has been hard... But my birthday rocked due to the fact that all of Bacolod was having a fiesta that day! Woohoo! Everyone celebrates my birthday ;) I am so happy and excited to keep working and learning more! Glad to see you are all happy and doing well! You are all in my prayers! I love you and miss you!!

 

Love,

 

Elder Minson

Members Treated Brock Well On His Birthday!!

We just got a gift for Brock's Birthday. Brother Balintay shared these pictures from Brock's Birthday Dinner. We are so glad he has been taken care of by some amazing people. Here is the short message Brother Balintay sent with the pictures.
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Just gave his testimony with a teary eye, talked about how he is as a brother and a son!

A P-Day Birthday!!! Awesome!!!

Dear crazy people who for some reason love me,   ;)

    HOW Y'ALL DOING!?! I am doing just fine, I feel no older... okay maybe a little... but not really! Thank you all for all the great birthday wishes and photos and other nice things of happiness in the short life of this here Elder! I am glad to have all of you in my life! Family I love you so much and I miss you! I am keeping strong and trying to keep that smile on!

     So last week we had Transfers! I feel so much better now! I miss Elder Mata'utia, we got along really well as friends and we never really had fights, but now it is time to work. I am with Elder Dalumpines. He is a Filipino, and is a freakin amazing cook! I am so happy, we work well together and haven't had any problems. It is taking some getting use to, to understand his teaching style, but it is nothing major! We have already started to find more investigators, our schedule is actually a schedule and not randomly going to our investigators when we feel like it, we are working with members a lot more and are finding success with our relationships with the members. I am super excited to continue and hopefully get a few baptisms in!

     So this last week was really actually normal besides some new investigators, new companion, and harder work. The language is coming, I will admit I can teach and speak, but I am not nearly perfect. The great thing about having a Filipino companion, besides everything, is that the language is just natural to my ear now. Elder Zobell has been in the mission a lot longer then I have, but has been with a lot of Americans, and he sometimes doesn't understand the language and I do!! CRAZY! I think it is just amazing how the Lord works in mysterious ways.

      SO people to pray for this week: Sister H- that she might find a desire to go to church, Sister M- That she will go to church as well, Sister R and Brother O- That they might feel better and have courage that there baby will be fine... at church! ... We are getting members to help and things to happen, but it is coming slowly. The Lord has his time schedule and he will help if called upon! 

     So today we are going to a place called 888, it is pretty much a giant market with some awesome deals on things. Though not really anything is truly real, they are good fakes and they are cheap. Elder Zobell said that last time he went he got a pair of Marrells cross training shoes for 900 pesos, or 25 bucks... I am going to see if I can get some Adidas Basketball shoes! I am actually getting good at basketball! We will play later on with the zone like we usually do! We then have a family home evening at a members house with the Sano and Balintay families... I will have pictures next week. 

     Well I don't have much to say. How is home? A member was telling me about a Polar Vortex near New York? Is the world freezing over? It has been a little COLD here too! Which is crazy! Every body is kind of panicking haha! It is suppose to be hot season! It rains almost everyday just a little bit. We have a ton of Low Pressure here right now. They say there might be another Typhoon in June. We will see.

     Well I am sorry if I missed other questions send me if I did! I love you keep strong be happy and smile on!

Love,

Elder Minson

Transfers brought a new companion, Elder Dalumpinas!

Transfers came and with it came a new beginning for Brock. He got a new companion, Elder Dalumpinas.

 

Working hard pays off... always!

Dear ole' Tatay, Nanay, mga utod ko, kag mga abyan ko,

Well this week is transfers! I am so on the borderline of whether I am excited or not. I love Elder Mata'utia and it is so sad to start realizing that towards the end. Though he drives me nuts sometimes, I love the guy! He has taught me what is needed to be a better missionary, ... I realize I am 3 times more prepared then I was before this area. I can speak (comfortably), teach, and refer to scriptures pretty easily to answer questions and concerns. Been a great experience here and I can't wait for a bit of change in scenery whether it is my companion or area.

So I had the great experience of going on 2 exchanges within this week! One after our ZLT (zone leader training) I was with Elder Ramonez, he is the one right next to me in the zone photo with the orange tie, he is a great elder and great companion to have. We were in my area for this exchange, and even though we had 3 hours taken away from our average day work schedule due to ZLT and mission office business, we accomplished a great amount of lessons! It was then that I realized I am doing better then what I thought. I led the area strong and we got many teachings in. We taught a great lesson to a Less Active brother who has returned catholic and is strong in that faith. We answered all his questions with great spiritual strength! We referred to the Bible, and to the Book of Mormon. We taught a few other lessons that were just as strong and powerful. (sorry I have been terrible with pictures and was a failure on that side this week) 

Next me and Elder Ponseca worked on Thursday! It was great! Elder Ponseca is companions with Elder Zobell. We went to their area in Sum-ag. We taught strong and great-full messages. It was a bit differant techinque then I am used to but I liked it in a way. Depending on the person is how you teach. If they are quick at learning and have faith. It is okay to go through full lessons. If they are slow take it one principle at a time. Well all in all that day he worked me hard. Their area is huge and he had me speed walk every where haha! It was exhausting! We got about 10-11 lessons that day. 

A great experience was when we were asking around for where a referral lived. We were sent in a direction and decided to ask a younger women that was outside cooking. She told us where this person lived and that they weren't home. As we were walking away this young women called us back frantically and told us to enter and teach her. It was CRAZY! She was newly married(or living in) and one of her friends where she lived before told her if she ever got the chance to learn about God she should. So we taught her and after words we freaked out! She was so elect and prepared it was amazing! She has such a desire to learn about what God has planned for her. It was crazy amazing! Working hard pays off... always! 

So the worlds weather is changing. It is cold here! It hasn't stopped having gray clouds and rain and strong winds for a week. There are rumors of another typhoon soon, but don't worry it wont nearly be as strong or president would have let us know today. It is weird! So I might use my birthday money for a good jacket haha! 

Well I talked to you about Sister H. last week. She is doing great please pray for her she needs the help she can get. Because it rained, our attendence dropped a ton yesterday! She didn't come because of it. We are trying so hard with her and last night she told us that she believes in the Book of Mormon (yes she reads), in Joseph Smith ( she said "Of Course" when we asked), and she has a desire to go to church! Please keep her in prayers! 

Well family I love you! Please send your questions I might have missed right now so I can make sure to answer all of them! I love you all keep up the good work and stay happy! Have fun, be safe, you are in my prayers! 

Love,

Elder Minson

PS
Thanks Mom I love you too! I did get the letters, bells and the USB! I now see why you were so nervous about me getting it or not! I loved them all! I also got a bunch of letters from the other couples in our ward. Tell them I love them (Draper, Huff, Sills, Thurgood), especially tell the Drapers thanks for the gift. It was really kind. I heard from sister Bliss Balintay that you and Paula are going to try Ado-bu! Have fun with that! There is no actual recipe and it just depends what you like (spicy, soupy, sweet). Thank you again you rock! 

This is a mallish store that we get the privledge of shopping at here in the Bacolod South Zone!