The Last 8 Months in Review

We got a letter from Brock today!

It's always nice to get a letter from your missionary, but today was extra special because that letter had two SD cards in it with hundreds of Photos and 2 or 3 videos he recorded over the last 8 months. Many we have seen before from his weekly emails he has sent home, but there are so many more that we had not seen. So we are excited to share them with you.


On February 19th Brock will be 1/3 of the way through his mission, and time doesn't seem to be slowing down. He is anxiously engaged in the work and we can see his growth through his weekly emails home.

He took time to write personal letters to his two little brothers as well as his mom and dad. They each came with a tailored message for each of us. His letters to his brothers were exceptional, and they brought tears to our eyes as we read them. His messages were not only heartfelt and uplifting but each seemed to be crafted to meet our individual needs. There was no doubt he was inspired in what he wrote.

He is growing in many ways that we prayed he would, but even more so in ways that Heavenly Father needs him to. Watching his growth seems to magnifies the promises of his patriarchal blessing and we can not wait to see what Heavenly Fathers does with the rest of his mission.

We love our miracle baby boy. If you would like see what he has been up to the last 8 months Click on the picture above for access to the album. We have also provided the video clips below.

Week# 27 Philippines Tangub Ward Bacolod South Zone

Dear Family and Other Lovely People,

Elder Minson Progressively
getting better Looking in the Philippine

Well... wassup? Haha!! Man this week has been a doozy! I have been going through a lot of trials this week. Sadly nothing having to do with me personally...

The Sano family is leaving in march which has been hard. Hopefully I will be gone as well so the void of them not being here doesn't make me sadder. I am almost hoping I get transferred to the area they are living in to enjoy their  company for a good portion of my mission! HAHA

So yeah I am living the life here. I have not found pants yet, but don't worry about me I can find them. I just got a pair fixed so I am switching between these 2. Honestly I think if I looked harder I could find some! Which I will do today! Don't worry Mom I am all good!

I hope you know that I have a strong testimony of this gospel! I have been out here, there have been trials (such as the hot season we have been having), but God always lifts us up in the end!

 

Yesterday at church I had this experience. All the way through priesthood none of our investigators showed up... I was terribly depressed. I was upset and was wondering why at least one didn't come! Well I prayed hard and I look up and I see Sister Hazel with her children and other neighborhood children we have been teaching for a while!!! They came!! With no fellow-shipper (which we tried to get)!! She came and she got to feel the spirit! I feel like this is a huge step! She is a great women and she will be baptized as soon as she hits her 4 weeks! I have never had such a great blessing from prayer! It works, you just got to have faith that it will!!

I love you all I am here for you! If your testimony starts to fail lean on mine till you can get back on your feet and put those shoes on!! Keep strong be happy and keep loving life!

Love,

Elder Minson

Brother and Sister Balintay!

Samual and Bliss Balintay
and their Children

Elder Minson and Elder Dalumpinas 
With the Balintay Family!!!

Week # 26 Philippines Tangub Ward Bacolod South Zone

Dear People I Love which are probably sad from the Super Bowl results,

How are all you doing? I have not realized how much I really love my time here in Tangub. I found out that the Sano Family is moving in March and I realize now how much I love them. I have grown to love them so much It is just amazing! They take care of us so well and they are always willing to help if we need to rest or need someone to join us in lessons. It is just an amazing blessing!

Well this week has been a slow week in teachings. I mean we were punted a whole ton of a lot!! I mean it made me sad a bit. The thing I realize is how slow time goes when you are not teaching!! We had 2 slow days and they took forever!! And then 2 great days and I was seriously running out of time to get to everyone I wanted to! It is just a total change when that kind of thing happens! I understand now what I want to do now though and that is teach! There is no point in not teaching unless I want time to go slow! 

Well the great thing is we are getting to know the members more and more. That is kind of our companionship focus. I found the reason why I had no success with Elder Mata'utia. He literally just let me go on my own without telling me about the members. I am just barely starting to figure things out. I have realize how important they are! So lately we have been getting to know. And we have found so many PM and LA families since I have started this focus! It is crazy how much rescue is needed here in the Philippines! 1 in every 30 LA members in the world are Filipino! That is what we have realized! They have a good belief in Christ, but they only act like his priority. If it was between money and going to church they would chose the former. They just don't understand and that is why we are here! We are the people who help them understand that Church attendance does more for them then any money could buy!

Well I am lucky now though! The RM's are coming out more and helping. One is the Elders Quorum Pres. and he is trying to assign a home teaching companionship to go on splits with us every week!! I think this will help us gain knowledge of LAs and the area and help us to get to know the members!! I am excited for this area! I am not sure if I will be here to see the baptisms, but they will come soon enough. Once the ward gets in motion towards the mission work the baptisms will start!!

Well I love you family I hope you are all loving life! I miss you a ton! I will see you soon! I know how fast time flies! This week blew my mind when it hit Sunday again! I really think I am always emailing you with how fast it goes by!! Well I love you so much stay happy!! Keep smiling and keep those shoes on!! 

Love,

Elder Minson

Pics From Last Area..... Yuck!

 

 

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.
----------------------
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