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Week 20

Hello everyone. 

I have had another good week here in Stop Aguinaldo. I feel like I am in a different world here in the Philippines, ever since I got here, not in a bad way but it is just so different here than in America. Sometimes I feel like I have been here forever - like this is my home, but also time goes by fast too and it is crazy that summer is almost over. That probably doesn't make much sense, ha ha, it is like graduating from high school - it goes slow each day but once you finish you’re like wow I can't believe it’s over. Time goes especially fast when we teach and I feel like there just isn't enough time in the day to teach all of the people. They are great and a lot of them have such simple lives here in Stop.  Many are farmers of rice, sugar cane, corn and charcoal is big here too. The people always give us fruit - like mangos and bananas and coconuts. They also give us corn and I have been eating the sugar cane - you just chew it and spit it out. It is sweet. Sometimes I feel like this place is just so disconnected with the rest of the world. It is like the people have their own home and town and nothing else matters,   where as in America everyone is up to date about everything. A lot of the people here struggle with money but most have cheap cell phones. I'm sure the people have hobbies and do stuff for fun but whenever I ask it is only basketball and work - so ha ha like I ask “what did you do today?” ... “nothing or work”.  “What do you like to do?”… “Work, basket” ha ha The people here are great though it just isn't as developed or experienced as America but people here still enjoy life which is all that matters. Some families have TVs and watch movies and there are some computer games the kids like to play too. Just like Canlaon everyone here rides around on motorcycles. We also ride the jeepney a lot which we didn't in Canlaon.  It is true how they fit everyone on there who wants to ride. It is also funny the way the people look at Americans here. They call me Kano. Sometimes I feel like a celebrity when I walk down the street and everyone is looking at me and wants to talk to me. ha ha  It is funny but also a good way to talk to people. One way I feel connected to home is through music.  The people who live by us blast American music and songs I like too each day.  My favorite is Hotel California. Every time they play it I think of my dad and my family. Well this week has been a good week and went by way fast. Again last Monday we played basketball with even more kids.   It was way fun and for Family Home Evening we helped prepare a family for the temple and had the usual games and charcoal fight.  This week we continued to focus on the people we have been teaching. The members here are so great and so willing to help - we got like ten members (leaders and branch missionaries) to teach with us twice this week. We went to the family out by the river. There is one less active there and the rest are investigators. They are so nice and open and listen intently and accept our message, we hadn't been able to get them to church but this week most of them came.  It was awesome and they had a great experience. The less active hadn't been to church for eight years so it is a good start. We also fasted for them so I know that God helps us and is involved in this work. The investigators are still hesitant to be baptized but I know that if they continue to listen to us and go to church and read the Book of Mormon and pray, they will come to know the truth. It is hard to get people here to read from the Book of Mormon, but we need to help them because it is crucial to getting a testimony to read and pray and then use the promise for all in Mor. 10:4-5.   They are the Jepiala family and the Cabungcag families. Some of our other investigators, Orly and Alma are doing great, he is the one I teach in English and he is on 1 Nephi 10 and really understands the gospel. Their problem was that he had a previous wife.  They were separated but you can't get a divorce here, you have to get an annulment which is expensive and he doesn't have that money. So we were worried they wouldn't be able to be baptized but I guess they can because of their situation.  He has been separated for 18 years and with this new girl for 8 years so we are excited that they can be baptized.  In order to go to the temple they need to get married which will be long and challenging but worth it. Anyways that is a big problem here – people live together but don’t get married. Some of our other investigators aren't married and they want to be baptized so we are helping them get married first. Some of the less actives we worked with came to church this week too which was good. The Bacani family and Tigulo (the part members with kids with baptism dates) have been struggling and we had to push them back. We won't give up on them this week - we are having family home evening and having the branch help us too. There are also a bunch of faithful kids here that come and find us and want to be baptized in between ages 10 and 18.  It surprises me how faithful some of these kids are.  We plan to follow up and try to teach their families too.  On Sunday I was really busy just helping teaching in the classes and I also had the opportunity to speak in church. I focused on the Book of Mormon how it brings us all to Christ and how all can know the truth.  I then told them about me - how I got a testimony and it is the same for all - through reading and praying. The branch is way good, it is just less experienced here than in America.  Sometimes we just have to help the people learn their duty and do it but they are willing.  I tried my best to help these people have a good experience at church and feel the love of Christ. I like a memory from Spencer W. Kimball from a story talking about how his full time mission was a period of growth. He had many challenges, but one story was about how he used a funny way to teach someone by playing her a song on the piano. He said so far as he knew she never joined the church but it was not because he had not tried. I like that and we can all use this and try to do our best always.  I am trying to do my best to help these people come unto Christ. I am not perfect either so I know that as we trust in Christ we can do anything and have true happiness. Spencer W. Kimball also says, "Is not there wisdom in giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls, are we not exposed to temptation to test our strength, sickness that we may learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience long suffering and self mastery... In the face of apparent tragedy we must put our trust in God, knowing that despite our limited view his purposes will not fail. With all its troubles life offers us the tremendous privilege to grow in knowledge and wisdom, faith and works, preparing to return and share God's glory."  I know that true happiness comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Have a great week. Love you all

Love Elder Mifflin aka Nature man 

ps we went on the same hike again today I wanted to see the sunrise but I slept through my alarm to go way early I will do it next time. It was still sweet and nice to enjoy nature of course. 

Week 19

Hello everyone,

This week has gone by fast and been a good week but there have been a lot of ups and downs too. To start off last Monday we played basketball again and this time there were a bunch of kids there. I am trying to learn all their names and teach them to come to church Sunday.  We are teaching one of the kids that plays. It is so funny the way they play basketball here.  They play cherry pick and fast breaks - it is fun though, to get in some good basketball. Last Monday we had a family home evening with the Nuevo family who is preparing for the temple - they are a way good family. The father is our Branch Mission Leader and he works with us like every single day. Also a bunch of people came from the community around and joined in. Around here everyone knows each other and families live close by to each other. So we taught about preparing for the temple and then played simple games again and it turned into another charcoal fight where everyone tries to put charcoal on your face. It was fun - the people here are such nice and open people. It is funny how they have such a simple lifestyle and yet they are so happy. Just simple games like that where we go around in a circle and ask a number between one and fifty and if you say the same one the person in the middle wrote then they dump water on you and put charcoal on your face. They get so excited and it is so funny. So this week we have just continued the work from last week. The less active Yusores family came again and her son was called as a branch missionary. We have been re-teaching them the gospel of Jesus Christ and are working with some other families preparing their children for baptism. We want the fathers to do it. It is the Bacani and the Tigulo family but neither came to church this week. I think they have problems that we need to help them with - maybe money and also maybe just busy and don't fully understand yet. So as I said last week it is kind of hard when people you teach all week don't come to church but you just can't give up on them.  So we will continue to help them this week and hope for the best. We found a lot of new investigators this week too though. So remember the family we are teaching by the river we hike through out in the jungle, we have continued to teach them and there is another little community near them with a less active member and we are teaching her family which is like ten more investigators. They are such good people up there the problem is it is far and they haven't come to church yet. There is a jeepney on Sundays and it is 20 pesos so I know it is possible but it is really hard for them I think that is a big sacrifice on money, so we hope we can help them this week get to church. They really are so nice and open. It makes me really appreciate how many churches there are back home and how close we were. Here it is hard sometimes for the people just because it is far and they don't have money. We have continued teaching the same people as last week but unfortunately most of our investigators weren't at church so we will just try harder on them this week. We found more new investigators due to referrals and this one family that lives by our investigators just asked us if they could listen and were so open and accepted baptismal dates. Also some of our investigators decided to stop listening to us which is hard but you just have to keep going. I have learned that change isn't easy or wanted usually.  In order for people to want to change they have to have real conversion so I am trying my best to help people get there. I have to be on top of it and be bold and do my best. There is another talk that my zone leader Elder Tukolovatu gave me – he’s the football player from the University of Utah. It is a great talk and it tells about how to be successful in life and have true conversion. President Lee said, "The Lord expects you first and foremost to be spiritually in tune with Him, to read your scriptures, to pray, to magnify your calling in the kingdom and to live close to the Lord. This is your first and foremost responsibility because it is the foundation for all else you do in your life." The other areas are our families, our work, and our community. The story is about this man was who felt overwhelmed because he felt like he couldn't do everything his best in all four areas. President Lee said, "I gave him this promise that if he would try with all his heart to excel in these four great responsibilities of life, that the Lord would increase his capacity to do and he would be wonderfully successfully in all four areas." I tell this because I know this applies to everyone and it can help us all. Also Richard G. Scott said, "The membership in the church can be broken down into three groups. The first had a testimony and was converted, the second group had a testimony but was not converted, the third group had no testimony and no conversion, this group was totally inactive and we never see them at church.  Converted means to have been born again as the scriptures describe it to have tasted of the forgiveness the atonement provides, to have been changed in the inner man, to have lost the disposition to commit sin." The conversion process, this process of being born again has much to do with the spirit gaining control over the body, with the spiritual man winning the battle with the natural man. When we live the gospel of Jesus Christ your spirit begins to win the battle with your body and you gradually become converted or born again, you move from being a group two person to a group one(in testimonies from earlier) You will have become finely disciplined. Your spirit will be able to say to your body, you will do what I say. When that conversion has taken place from that point on you will be driven from within to do your very best you can possibly do, no one will have to tell you to do it, you will have no choice. He talks about how we must have this conversion take place in our lives - it is crucial. I know that our goal is to all be in group one and that is the goal for the people we teach. Conversion is a process and takes time though since we are all imperfect. Me too - I still need to improve each day. I know that through faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel we can all have this true conversion and have happiness and blessings now and many in the future as we can return to God's presence and kingdom with our families. Today I also had the opportunity to hike a mountain in our area. It was so nice to relax and enjoy some nature. At the top you could see the ocean and Cebu and a great view. I love you all have a great week. 

Love Elder Mifflin

Week 18

Hello everyone, this week has been a good week.

 To start off, last Monday I played basketball with some of the members and our investigators.  It was way fun and I love to play but it was too easy though, ha ha, but actually some of them have got some skills.  The problem is they are so short I can score down low every time.  I also played ping pong with my comp, but the ball was broken.   We plan on playing every Monday.  Also last Monday I felt like a true Filipino because there was a brown out (meaning we have no power) and we were also out of food because we had not gotten support money yet.   So my companion went and got this live chicken that he bought last month and we killed it and cooked it.   It was pretty disturbing but I helped and got pictures and we ate in the dark.   I will have to send some pics next week.   Our apartment it is way cleaner now so that is good.   For the water problem, we are getting the sink and shower fixed.  There is also a bathroom upstairs that will be fixed. But right now there is no water pressure so we still just have a pipe that feeds in water each night.  I just buy these five gallon water tanks which are supposed to be pretty clean and then put that in my filter. So far I haven't gotten sick so it has been ok.   If all goes well though we will have a filter soon and the water fixed.  This week has been a good week.  We are really busy and trying to balance our work between the less actives and investigators and do both at the same time.  We are trying to use time better and teach shorter more powerful lessons so we can do more work.  On Thursday we got eight lessons in, which is the most I have gotten on my whole mission.  Some of the less actives we are working with are the Sardido family who we are preparing for the temple, and the Yusores family.  They both came to church so that was good.  We are also teaching the Bacani family, who are part members and their kids have baptism dates.  The father is less active and we are trying to get him to do the baptizing, but they didn't come to church on Sunday because they have problems with money. It is hard when you work with someone all week and then they don't come to church but we will be patient and not give up on them because that is how God is with us all - patient.   Also, same situation with the Tigulo family - there is a kid with a baptism date and the father is less active so we are trying to rescue him to baptize him, but the father didn't come to church.  Well, this week we will try harder.  Some of our other investigators that we found from referrals are Orly and Alma, the guy who speaks English.  I love him, he is so cool and they came to church and had a great experience and he is progressing in his reading of the Book of Mormon. Also Jonathon Arguillon - he is the brother of an active sister branch missionary in our ward that is so faithful and has given us many referrals.   Alma is her cousin too.  So with this family they are progressing and have baptism dates and another miracle is that their parents are less active members but this is an opportunity to get them to return.   We want the father to baptize the family and they all came to church.  The father is so funny he loves me just because he was baptized by an American but they hadn't been to church in like forever so it is good.   Also we have this big family who all live by the sweet river we have to hike through.   It is just like a community of four homes and it is the parents and their kids and all their spouses and kids.  So we have like twelve investigators there and the one less active member.  It is so awesome how nice and open they are.  They all listen intently and are so interested and really understand and accept the restoration.  They give us way good mangos and coconuts and coconut water which is way good each time.  We teach them in this little bamboo hut. It is so third world but it is awesome.  It is possible for them to be active, it is pretty far but only 20 pesos to church.  They didn't come last week but promised this time so we’ll see.  We also have the Buloc Buloc another great family referral from our BML who works with us every day and they have baptism dates.  There is another family where the dad was way hard in the past but we got him to open up and will return.   So as you can see we have a lot of work and are trying to stay balanced.  It has been good and I have adjusted to the life here.  It is so so so hot though.  After my fast yesterday I felt so dead and feasted ha ha it was hard to not drink water in the heat.  Also yesterday I taught the Elders quorum class.  It was funny because they handed me an English book and I just had to translate into Cebuano. The language is coming line upon line but I really am improving and have learned that asking people about their families and testifying of eternal families has really helped people open up.  I want to share some quotes from a way good talk called "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox and advise you all to read it.  It is about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  "The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but that we can feel at home.  The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly, not just to be cleansed and consoled but we can be transformed.  Put it simply if Jesus didn't require practice we could never become saints. There should never only be two options: perfection or giving up... growth and development take time.  Learning takes time.  When we understand grace we understand that God is long suffering, that change is a process and repentance is a pattern of our lives... the blessings of Christ's atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness.  Continue in patience until we are perfected." D&C 67:13. "Grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted.  Rather it is our constant energy source.  It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel.  Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road.  It is achieved right here and right now." "God's grace is sufficient, Jesus' grace is sufficient, it is enough, it is all we need, don’t quit.  Keep trying.  Don't look for escapes and excuses look for the Lord and His perfect strength.  Don't look for someone to blame. Search for someone to help you.  Seek Christ and as you do you will fell the enabling power and divine help we call the amazing grace."  I know that the atonement gives us the strength we need to overcome any challenges.  I am not perfect and need this just as much as you.  I am trying to improve each day and do my best and understand that when we trust in God and Christ they help us.  Whenever it is hard for me the love for my family and the hope for eternal life and the atonement push me through.  I Love you all.

Love Elder Mifflin aka nature man

Week 17

Hello everyone.  

I am starting to get used to my new life here in STOP Aguinaldo.  Just to update you all I was transferred to here last week.  It is still a Cebuano speaking area and my trainer went home and ended his mission.  I now live with four people - the house was so dirty at first and disgusting but we cleaned it up pretty well.  There are still some rats in the house.  It is a really small, less civilized area than Canlaon and for food we go to Escalante City about 20 min away.  Our sink and water filter are broken but I have been getting clean water still so I am ok.  The other three kids are Filipinos so I am really adjusting to them and we have one bathroom for four people and the light doesn't work.  Gotta love a cold dark shower ha ha – no, it's refreshing.  At first when I got here it was like a bad breakup because I came to love Canlaon and the people there so much and missed them so much. I really developed charity for them and just wanted to go back. I had learned so many life lessons from their great faith and humility.  It was hard to trust that this is where I needed to be, I felt new again, like being trained again, and right after I learned everything about Canlaon and was way confident, I just had to start over.   So it has been a challenge and a new mountain to climb.  But I know that God knows and loves us all and has a plan for us and I need to be here.  Our attitude determines our altitude.  And I know I am here for a reason.  We may not know all at once why things happen but if we trust in God, we will learn one day.  I know that God needs me here and the people need me here too and I need them.  Last Monday we had a family home evening with this great family named the Baraga family.  We had a great lesson on the Atonement of Christ and after played fun games where if you lose they put charcoal all over your face-I had charcoal all over my face.  The way of life here is so simple- they play such cheap simple games but yet they enjoy life still and enjoy the presence of their families.  It really is so so so so hot here.  I have been constantly drenched in sweat all the day long. And here in my area is less civilized than Canlaon, because Canlaon was a small town and then as you went farther out you got into rice and sugar fields and jungle, but here it is like just a tiny market place and just sugar cane fields everywhere.  I call it the rolling seas of green.  It looks like an ocean because of the sugar cane in the wind and then you can see the green mountain hills in the distance. There are also a ton of trees - mainly palm trees, it is definitely a jungle.  Most of the people here have bamboo houses which are way cool but pretty small. Surprisingly it is actually pretty comfortable to sit in the bamboo huts, and I am getting used to sitting Indian -  style this isn't new I have been doing that in Canlaon too but more here.  We taught in candle light in Canlaon sometimes but most nights here we are teaching in the candle light. Like I said last week this 38 year old branch missionary is so awesome and has so much faith he works with us every day and he knows all about this place so he is a big help and I like him a lot.  I feel like I have two companions. We are actually working in two areas too.  The other area is Toboso which used to have missionaries but doesn't anymore. We go there twice a week and have an investigator with a baptism date from the last elders.  We have also been working with referrals too there and less actives.  For STOP some of our focus families are the Bacani which have less active parents so we are helping them return and the two girls have baptism dates and we want the father to baptize them.  Also the Tigulo family, same situation there is a ten year old boy with a baptism date but we want the father to baptize him.  There is the man named Victor Pasanun who had been taught by missionaries forever and finally was baptized on Saturday.  I only taught him for like a week but I was the one who baptized him.  It was my first baptism here.  It was a great experience and very humbling to help someone progress on the pathway to Christ and eternal life and I am thankful for the opportunity to do it.  He is an awesome guy - way ripped and way funny.  We also found these new investigators this week from a referral and they are so awesome and open and ready for the gospel. The dad's name is Orly and the mom is Alma.  Surprisingly he doesn't understand Cebuano because he is new here and from Quezon City and he went to college in America so he prefers English so we have been teaching them in English - ha ha man I love English it is awesome to teach him in my own tongue.  He reminds me of an American and they are such a funny and humble family.  He is a truth seeker and understands well what we have been teaching about the restoration of the gospel.  He read the whole pamphlet and understood very well and also started the Book of Mormon from the title page and is now on 1 Nephi 2.  We promised him through reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know that he will know our message is true.  I am excited to continue teaching him.  We have found many new investigators from referrals this week.  Yesterday we went to find a referral.  We had to hike down this river and then hike through the mud and rocks in bare feet.  I really felt like nature man was at home ha ha.  But we taught their little community near the referral out in the middle of the jungle and found a lot of new investigators and some more in a later referral yesterday.  So we are busy and trying to stay balanced between the rescue and less actives and recent converts and investigators.  Even though I am the new kid in town and it hasn't been so easy to start all over again, I am learning faster than in Canlaon and trying to apply the things I learned here, it needs to get more organized.  The language is so much better.  I still struggle and am not perfect - it is the line upon line, precept upon precept… just try to learn as much as you can each day, but my understanding and speaking is getting better.  I have started again to write down words I don't know in my little notebook and look them up later or ask my companions.  Also we made this thing where I can't speak English each time I do it is five pushups and at the end of the night I have to do them before I go to bed.  Also to get to know the people in the ward I have been writing down everyone's names in my planner.  It has helped a lot and sometimes I am tired or just feel out of place but I have to force myself to talk to everyone and get to know them.  The kids like me here because I am the first American here in six years so people are pretty impressed when they see an American ha ha.  Also we plan to play basketball later today and ping pong with the members so I am excited for that.  I bore testimony in church on Sunday and testified of the family as the most important thing and the gospel is our foundation.  It is our source of happiness and strength to get through each day and we can live with our families forever.  We are trying to teach people here this same principle. I know that the gospel changes lives for the good - it gives us true happiness and is the foundation our strength. The Book of Mormon changes lives and brings families together.   I do this thing when I teach about the Book of Mormon where I have everyone put their hands on the book and tell them how we are all united and the Book of Mormon is holding our families together then I drop it and all the hands fall too.  I know that without the gospel which is contained as its fullness in the Book of Mormon we will fall and true happiness comes from the gospel and there is no other way where we can be saved and return to God and Christ and our families - only in and through the gospel.  I love you all and hope all is well.  I have to go. 

Love Elder Mifflin aka Nature man 

Week 16

 Hello everybody

 

Wow this week has been so so crazy I don't know where to start.  We left Canlaon for Bacolod on Monday evening. It was sad to leave because I may never come back.  Monday night we just in Bacolod with the APs and I got some last time to hang out with Elder natural.  On Tuesday they had their departure meeting so I just hung out with the other missionaries who weren't leaving for home. I also updated my journal. Elder Natural gave me his recipes too.  Then I said my final farewells to Elder natural and all the other missionaries who were going home.  It is crazy that one chapter of my mission is already over.  On Tuesday night me and another Elder from my batch meaning he came the same time as me to the philippines, stayed in Bata south Bacolod city and worked with the Elders there. It was funny we went to a dinner appointment and I aceepted a  challenge from one of the Elders who is a way sick New Zealander. He won but I put up a good fight ha ha so just in that night we got more food than the whole time in Canlaon but it is ok the people in Canlaon may be very poor but they are so awesome.  That night we played some checkers and chilled.  Then on Wednesday I found out my new area would be in STOP Aguinaldo which is in Escalante Zone which is the next zone over from my old zone San Carlos zone.  They still speak Cebuano there so I don't have to learn Illongo yet which is good.  My language is coming along in my new home I have spoken less English and am getting better at understanding the people.  My companion is Elder Reyes. He is also a philippino from around Manila and actually used to be companions with Elder Natural before earlier in his mission.  He is a good missionary who understands his purpose here to bring others to Christ.  On the bus ride to my new area I went with this big football player missionary from Salt Lake City, He played football for East High School and Also for the University of Utah before he came on his mission and will play when he goes home.  He goes home in November and will be my new zone leader.  He is a way cool kid though.  There are four people living in my new apartment. The other two Elders are philippino too so I am trying to just speak Cebuano.  They are nice though.  It will be different getting used to.  When I first got here I saw a huge rat in the house next to ours which was scary but none in our house so far.  Our house is big and was so dirty when I got here.  It was gross. There was like rotten food and it smelled way bad.  It looked like it hadn't been cleaned forever and my dresser was full of spider webs and other stuff.  We have cleaned up a lot since though.  Also mom don't worry but the sink doesn't work here and the water filter is broken, we have running water but it only comes in at night and we use that to wash dishes and clean our clothes and shower, i tried boiling it and it still looked gross, but I just bough big 10 liter things of water in the city of Escalante which is about 15 minutes away and where we get all of our food.  It was also weird at first because the people I am with don't eat meals for breakfast or dinner but I am used to getting my meals in so I have still been eating and they have actually started joining me ha ah.  It is so so hot here. It was way hot in Canlaon too but it is way hotter here.  I am constantly drenched in sweat ha ha.  Also we only have one bathroom for four people so it has been an adjustment.  Once I left Canlaon too I really fully realized how much I love those people that I taught.  I have really developed charity for them and am so thankful for the opportunity to teach them and help them come unto Christ.  They have also taught me lessons too from their great faith and humility.  I miss them and Canlaon so much and now realize why missionaries love the people and the areas the teach.  I hope one day I can return. This new place is more Bucid or less civilizied than Canlaon.  There are way more rice fields everywhere and it is flatter because it is lower down.  There are some nice way green mountains in the distance though and there is this nice river that we cross every day so good thing I got new shoes.  So it is still a nice area but it is a change and has been hard because I finally had everything down In Canlaon, I knew where everything was, I knew all of the people and had developed friendships and now I have to start over. I feel brand new again here like I am being trained again and it is hard to work with a new missionary too and new people. The first couple days I just missed Canlaon so much and wanted to go back so bad. God is teaching me patience and more faith. Just like last week we have personal mountains in our lives. I had gotten pretty high up Canlaon so to speak and now I need to start over again with a new one. Me and Elder Natural did our very best to leave as much information as possible so the work will continue in Canlaon and I know it will. So it hasn't been the easiest week for me to start over and have so many challenges but I know that God has a plan for me and that I need to be here in this area.  God loves us and and the transfers are all inspired by the mission president. I just need to trust in God and have a good attitude because our Attitude determines our Altitude. At first we don't always know all of the answers or why? So I am not completely sure why I am here but know that God need me here and there are people I can help out. So I have felt the love and comfort of God that this is where I need to be.  The people here are really great too and we are teaching some great people. The work here is doing well and we have some people with baptism dates and there are some people I really like. This one branch missionary has so much faith, he has worked with us every day so far I have been here. So I have learned that in our lives we may not always know why stuff happens at first but if we trust in God we will realize that it is all part of his plan for us.  The assistants to the president stayed at our house on friday and they were surprised by how dirty it was ha ha. they gave me some advice they said to first find out why the lord want you here then figure out the how you can accomplish what he wants. They told me that every transfer happens for a reason and the Lord has a plan for me and I will figure that out one day. Even if you are put in a Black Hole be that SHINING LIGHT and turn it around Proverbs 3:5-7. So I am doing my best to apply the things I learned from Canlaon and Elder Natural and make the most out of it here and I know that it will be great. The people here are nice and it is a good area.  I love you all and I need to go

Love Elder Mifflin aka Nature Man