... so this huge impression just to speak, like I was not the one speaking...

Dear Family I am so Thankful for,

Man what a great week it has been to be here and to be serving to the most AMAZING PEOPLE on the Planet!! This week has been a blessing for me! I have found a renewed vigor to do what is good and to focus on what was right! The investigators and members here are so amazing! It is so different here in this part of the city! The people are wanting to know the gospel and are willing to apply it as well! Just a blessing from God! 

So it was Thanksgiving! And here in the Philippines I had a REAL Thanksgiving!!! We have our usual dinner appointment with Sister Marty who's husband is an American and they use to live in America. The Brother is abroad, but she still celebrates it! It was good! So don't worry I got my Thanksgiving! 

So to start with some of the amazing things that happened this week! First, last Wednesday we had some of the best finding opportunities ever! So we went on splits with the members so we could hit all our appointments in the whole area. Well I went to the least productive side of the area, and after about 2 appointments and 3 times getting punted and having no where else to go we started traveling back to meet with my companion. So as we were walking I saw this man in a wheelchair and his family sitting outside so this huge impression just to speak, like I was not the one speaking it just came out of me. We then sang to them and gave a good lesson on Families. Well we got a good 5 new investigators from that and they are soooo open to the gospel!

 

After which we kept going down our normal path and then I see this other small path and I ask the members where that takes us. They said they didn't know. So I said, "Adventure!!!" And we did. as we were in this path, I hear a little girl say "Elder!" And I was like "Huh?" So I talked to her and found out her mom is a Less Active, her Sister is a Recent convert, she is not a member and neither is her Dad. Well we taught them and Sister Ducay says we were an answer to her prayers because she wants to become active again and her husband to join the church! And yesterday they did go to church, well the Mom and her kids, we have yet to teach the Father he is not home often! This week we will though for sure!

 

Next after that appointment we walked down another random path, guided by the spirit, and found a great family of 6 willing to listen and right next to them a Less Active father and none of his family is members and he said we can come back and teach! All in all a great finding experience. 

 

Saturday Brother Francis Agtoto and Sister Rosita Artos both got baptized! They are great investigators of ours, that I love, and see a whole new side of them now that they are baptized and have the Holy Ghost. Tonight we have a family night with all of them, and I am going to cook them all adobo and they will provide all the rice! :)

 

Next this last week we taught this less active, Brother J. His sons and nephew always work with us and the whole family is super active. He is the only one not. Well When we were on that splits last wednesday we also went and taught them and well... HE WENT TO CHURCH! His family told me he would not come. Well he was a little late to church and his family was already seated and when his wife saw him walk in her face was PRICELESS! She was blown away and so was everyone around her! HAHA! Just one lesson, just one act of love, one powerful commitment from the missionaries can turn the world around! 

 

And last, but not all, about our Surprise Baptism we have this week! So this brother was taught by the missionaries a year ago. He then left to Saudi Arabia before he could get baptized. Well he came back on vacation and went to church. He then came up to us and asked if he could be baptized THIS WEEK! He is going back to Saudi Arabia next Monday and because the church is not... well able to be there, he wants to be baptized before he goes back! I talked to President Lopez and the Bishop and they said he could but we have to teach all 5 lessons in Preach My Gospel in 5 days!!! So what a great task and what a great blessing! 

Well that is my great week! I know this gospel is true! I know that God is watching out for us and making us instruments in his hands! I am so blessed to be a missionary at this time! I am striving hard to magnify myself as a missionary to best serve all those around me! I work hard and am trying to keep my shoes on every day! I love you all your all amazing! 

Love,

Elder Minson 

This bat flew into Brocks Apartment.
I am pretty sure that isn't Brock holding it.

Brother Francis's Brother

I am just trying to be my best for my Savior because he did His best for us!

Dear Family that is Trunkier then I am, ;)

Haha! Hey it is the truth!!

So this week has been a great week. I feel so enlightened and renewed this week! I have been busy with my studies and I am trying to magnify my calling the best I can! I am just trying to be my best for my Savior because he did His best for us!

So this week started with a great beginning. Wednesday was District Meeting and I absolutely loved it! It was really funny, both my companion and Elder Babida got really sick so me and Elder Wade became companions. We went to district meeting and set up for the 2 districts that I would be teaching (because elder Babida is also district leader), well it turns out there is only 2 districts in this zone... SO I TRAINED THE WHOLE ZONE! It was so good! I loved it! The training was on Charity and that has been my goal the whole week to become more charitable! It just felt really good and I got lots of compliments from it.

Well next thing that happened is now we have 2 baptisms this week!! Woohoo! Theya re both great! Brother Francis who as you all know is awesome! And Sister Rosita who is an older lady that has been an investigator forever! We are super stoked for them! Please pray that they will pass their interviews tomorrow! They are so good and have been looking forward to their baptisms!
So I found some good news out yesterday as well. 

 

I went to do and interview for our zone leaders and guess who was there? SISTER SANO!!! They moved into that ward! They were there and we took pictures (check their facebooks)! I then went in to do the interview and when I came out the whole Tangub Gang was there! The Balintays (well sam wasn't there) and the M family! It was so cool! And the best part of it was this. The M family when I was there was struggling pretty bad, Brother M had some Word of Wisdom issues. They were trying to get to the temple, but brother fell into lots of temptation! Well yesterday I heard they finally made it last September!! And they gave me one of the nicest things ever, they told me that because we came to their house and gave them the picture of the Temple and taped it to their wall, they were motivated to make it!!!! It made me feel so good that the efforts there were not wasted! It just brought a whole new sense of accomplishment to my soul!

Well also when doing interviews I had another great experience last Friday! I went to do an interview for the Assistants. And they are Elder May and the new Assistant is the one and only Elder Mu!!! We had to walk to their investigators house to interview and it was such an eye opening experience.They have such an amazing area filled with great help from members and of course, them being the assistants, they also have the best missionaries. I have learned so much with just an hour of being with them. To be humble and to be kind and charitable and virtuous! And it is something I am striving so hard to be.

It is weird being the Assistants District Leader. It is also such a great calling. I think it is the best in the whole mission! I learn so much from them and they just compliment me and lift my spirits and it makes me want to be a better person and missionary! I love it so much! I am so proud to be a missionary at this time in this area of the world!

I love my mission! I am so thankful for this calling as a missionary! I hope I can show that I am a disciple of Christ. I am thankful for all of you as my family and friends the support you all send me has made me want to be a better person I love you emails and the pictures, and am so grateful even if I can't respond you send this support! I am thankful for the gospel and the blessings it has bestowed upon me! I am thankful that my Savior atoned for my sins and gave me a way to return to him! Thank you all so much! Keep strong, keep smiling, and keep those shoes on!

Love,

Elder Minson

ps- dad if you want to say that last portion at thanksgiving

More Cool Craftsmanship By Filipino Artists

Elder Minson and Sister Angelia Sano

MIssion tour with Elder Adern

We woke up to another small gift this morning. We so appreciate president Lopez for his thoughtfulness in posting pictures of the missionaries.

I know this Church is True!

Dear Miraculous Family of Mine, (I bought a dictionary to help me find adjectives I haven't used yet)

These are members of Elder Minson's MTC District
The sisters will be returning home next month.

Man this week was good! It wasn't the easiest week of all time, but it definitely was good and I am happy! We had a great spiritual experience of being in the presence of a general authority, Elder Ardern. We taught and got some great new investigators! I also got to hear how Cadiz 2nd Branch is going from other missionaries and I am stoked!! 

So to start we will focus on Elder Ardern! Man, this was a man chosen from God to do his work! We had some great teachings by him, all which were on likening the scriptures unto us and using them as a powerful tool! He repeated what Elder Andersen said last year on how we should not flip a page in the Book of

Mormon without learning something about Gods plan! He then had a great question answer period for us, but the cool part was He would ask the question and we would answer! All of it was focused on "How is our mission doing what it is doing?" He said he can't deny us the fact that our mission is the top of the Philippines area. He said not to get prideful, because the Lord does not work with Pride! He was trying so hard to figure out what was different about our mission! Well with a mixture of Our Vision (Weekly Baptisms, Preach My Gospel Scholars, Exact Obedience),  and the joy (D&C 50: 17-22) that comes from the Work of Salvation, that is how we accomplish these things! He strictly talked to us though about Quality teachings and baptisms over just baptizing who ever and just help them memorize the Baptismal Interview Questions (which happens a lot). I have been saying those kind of things my whole mission and it was so nice to get the reassurance from a General Authority of God. 

So because we had Mission Tour all the other Elders slept in our apartment... There were a lot! The cool thing was I got to hear from the Elders in Cadiz and I have never been filled with more joy then anything! So do you remember my favorite family the Demapenden family? You remember how we opened that area and we were the first ones there? Well now there is a special sacrament there of an attendance of 45 people!! WOOOO HOOOOO!!! I am so happy to hear that the work that we started has grown and many souls have now been brought unto Christ! I just thought that that was a cool things to share! 

This week really has nothing super exciting other then that. We are teaching, working hard, trying to get the work progressing as much as we can to accomplish Our Vision. Time is going fast and we cannot just sit back and relax! Everyone needs to work in this cause so that we may all be able to rejoice in the last days! 

I know this Church is True! This Church was restored on this earth because God loves us as his Spirit Children! We can all return to him! We must follow his commandments and do all we can to become more like him and we will be exalted in the last day! I love you all keep being the people you are and keep working hard to keep those shoes on! 

Love,

Elder Minson

 

Brock found this one funny.. a "tri"serotops.

Elder Minson and his trainer Elder Crosland
before Elder Crosland returned home this month.