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
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