where did september go?

Man!!!!!! Things are going by quick! Septembers already gone! Wheres the time going? Transfers are next week. Im a little nervous, Elder Zacarias has been here a while, I'm scared he might leave me. haha I want to be with him at least one more transfer! But we will see what happens. I dont really wanna think about it! Well this week was great! So many things happend, first we had zone conference up north close to Manila. Which was way sweet, I got to see Elder Christensen again, my homie. And the training from President Tye was great! I was so grateful for it.Then this last Saturday we held an open house in our chapel, and it was stake wide so a lot of people were there, they asked the missionaries to teach at each exhibit. Me and Elder Morales, (my kabahay) were able teach about the sacrament.The most important thing we do inside the church every Sunday. Man what an honor it was to teach and explain such a sacred thing to so many people. Helped to remind me of the blessings of the sacrament, to make every sin wash away, and every burden light. It was a great spiritual experience. And last I was able to go on exchanges with the APs. I was able to go with Elder Durfee, man it was wierd for the first time driving to an appointment instead of walking to it! haha But it was great, I learned so much from him. He's a great guy and helped me out a lot. But other than that we have been working hard, and lovin it. We are still hoping for that success we need and that promised blessing of obedience for this area. We hope to have baptisms this October, but life is good, No worries. Love you!

Elder collins
                                                                 A Hanging Bridge

         

That missionary life...

Hey Family!!! Hows everybody? Well this week was good! Pretty busy! Well dad wanted to know about our everyday life as a Filipino Missionary. Well we wake up work out, and wash our clothes by hand if we have extra time. Then study, after studies we usually have to do something with numbers or paper work and all that. Then we make lunch and go out to work. Lunch consists of rice, rice and more rice. Man the diet here is rough, I miss my moms spinach salad. haha Then we go do the work of the Lord. Here we get a lot of acceptance, but some just have a hard time following the commandments. The knowlege of some of the other churches is very twisted, so we just focus on building a testimony in their hearts. We will teach lesson one 5 times until they understand, because thats whats important.  We usually dont get home until exactly 9:30 because we are far away. So we dont usually eat dinner, haha. Its nice being in a big city because they have a big shopping mall and stuff, in Naic we had to travel 2 hours to find one haha. We get to do an activity today because we hit standards of exellence for work and our reward is that we get to plan an activity, so we are going bowling! haha its a ghetto place but im excited! haha So we have just been finding like crazy, and slowly we are seeing progress, man we have had so many spiritual experiences in this area its amazing.

I had my first zone meeting as a zone leader, it went really well. We also had interviews with president Tye! It was good, zone leaders have to plan it and conduct it all so our interviews with him were like 5 minutes each, haha we just talked for a bit. 

One experience we had this week was when we were finding people to teach, and we were not having to much success, so this boy was walking and he said hi to us and we started talking to him, and he says" hey wanna teach my mom?", and we were like yeah of course. haha so he takes us to his house and his mom was so suprised but being the Filipino she is, she kindly lets us in. We found out its just the two of them because the father left. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, and asked her to pray and ask God and that if she felt something in her heart, we asked her to come to church the next day. Well we prayed like crazy for them, and to our amazement she walked through the doors on Sunday! After just one lesson! It was great! Just one of the many experiences this week! I Love being a missionary!

Elder Collins

Hola~wait wrong language haha

Hey family! YESS you finally got my letter! 4 times the charm! Sorry its kind of an ugly one cause I didn't think it would make it haha. But I'm glad you got it! Well this week has been a good one, I'm back to the stage where im always tired! But its a good tired. We have just been working hard, my companion is awesome, and a great teacher so I have been learning a ton from him, he's like an Apostle haha. I got to go to my first MLC at the Tyes which was pretty sweet. It was great, it was so spiritual and it helped me out so much. And the food was pretty dang good too haha. I've learned so much these past 2 weeks, when your at MLC it just reminds you of the example you have to be to others through work and obedience. We have had a lot of pressure to find new investigators, thats been the mission focus. Our area was a little bit difficult but through long prayers with Elder Zacarias we have found people to teach, enough to hit the standard of excellence.I think I have made more improvements in myself in these couple weeks then I have in a while. I still don't fully know why I was called so early but I remember something that Joseph Smith said " When the Lord commands, do it" Thats what I go by.
We had an amazing experience this week we saw one of the investigators we found experience a real change of heart. She started out by really not wanting to listen to us.But We were teaching her neighbor at the time and as we started teaching and testifying, this woman slowly moved closer to listen to the lesson. She felt the spirit strong from what we taught and I could see her in the background with tears filling in her eyes. At the end of the lesson we felt really prompted to ask her to offer a prayer. As she offered the prayer she cryed like a baby, shes had a hard life and was so happy. Her whole countenance changed, as we walked away she said,"Hindi kayo nagkamali pumunta dito" (You didnt make a mistake coming here) she now is happy to see us everytime. Its crazy that a simple strong testimony of our Fathers love can change someone. Ill remember that day for a long time. Love you family.
Elder MC

                                                           couple of gwapos

Imus Life.....

HEY FAMILY!

Man what a week. This week has almost been as long as my first week in the Philippines! haha So many changes! This past Wednesday I was transfered to Imus Bacoor to be ZL2 with Elder Zacarias. Yeah son, Im back to the city. haha it was different going from Naic to Bacoor. Everything is so much closer, haha and The traffic is a lot worse haha, there is even like people traffic haha. My new companion is Elder Zacarias, hes a stud. I thought I had gotten to be a pretty good teacher, Nope hes an amazing teacher. haha hes an all around good missionary. But he is super quiet and spiritual all the time, but its chill with me. He was supposed to be AP but it didnt happen and he got a little discouraged because instead hes training me. hahah But Im super stoked to learn from him, theres a ton of things that he will help me better at in teaching and leading. Well heres the harder part. When I got here it turns out they had just split this area, and Elder Zacarias had to give up their 2 strongest progressing areas to new missionaries. So we were left with an area that hadn't been worked in like at all. Sooooo were pretty much shotgunning again. haha oh man its okay im used to it. So he gave away all the baptismal canindates, and recent converts. So we have not to much. But its all good, Heavenly Father knows there is an area that needs strengthening and he called us to do it. He wont let us down. Well also being a new zl is very busy haha. Just more paperwork, calls, and other things. We usually dont finsh till like 10 or 10:15, so right after its straight to bed. So its been very tiring, and very humbling. I have so much more to learn. Thats all I wanna do is just learn. Learn how to better teach the gospel, learn how to better be a servant and leader of  Bacoor Zone. So great things are hard and tiring sometimes and your always sore, but while your serving none of that matters, I love it! Also I want to give a shout out to the Millers! I got your package! Thank You! You guys are keeping me alive out here! I love you all!  

Elder MC

Letter From President Tye

Transfers again!

Hey family!!!!! Well this week was pretty normal!! Until today hit haha. Well this week we applied what President Tye said about the finding new people to teach. The new revelation from the lord is that we should set apart time from 4 to 6 in our day just to find people to teach! So we knew if it was from the lord then we should do it, and WOW we saw the blessings! We were able to find 14 new investigators this week, half already progressing! Its awesome, and its good for Elder Leaupepetele since he is going to be training. We set him up with a good teaching list! Well if he is training then of course I know im leaving! I'm a little bummed about that because we have scheduled 6 baptisms for the first and second week of September! So I was worried about where I was heading next. Well we woke up this morning played some basketball, came back and studied, right after studies I got a call from President Tye, I was called to be a Zone Leader in Bacoor! What??? haha im freaking out, but super excited! Baccor is like right next to the office. So thats my future for next transfer, I'm super nervous cause its early, but if thats what Heavenly Father wants, ill do my best! Man tranfers are always so bitter sweet. Ive had some hard but very spiritual experiences in Naic. Especially this week when we were able to teach a lady with a bone disease about the plan of salvation. Ive havent felt the spirit stronger then when we heard her pray. Great week! Man I love life.

 Love, Elder MC
                                         Family Home Evening With TheRosales Family

The little things

Hey family!! How the heck are ya?!?!

Well this week has been pretty normal. We have just been working hard! We have a family that we are working with that we just love! The Rosales family. They are the family that I told you that we found and taught just the kids because their mother is in Hong Kong. Well after our second visit we found out that their mother was just recently baptized a member of the church! And she wants her kids to do the same. Its awesome how missionary work in another country can affect us in our work. I am so grateful for those missionaries in Hong Kong doing great work. Well this family started out a little hard because they were only listening because their mother wants them to. But through our lessons they started to really feel why their mother was so happy. They felt the love of the members at church, and they are doing very good now. I hope I will be there to see them get baptized! But who knows, because 10 minutes ago my companion just got a call, and he's training!!!! So now we will be splitting this coming transfer! Im going to miss him, we have gone 18 strong weeks together, and havent fought once! We have had some hard times together in this area, but we have done well, and I am grateful to be his companion, to be his Samoan brother. 

Well We have had two baptisms this past two weeks, and 5 more in Sept. so we have felt pretty good. But theres always more to do. The missionaries got a message from President Tye saying that we need to do better with finding new investigators. And at first I was like we just got a baptism cmon, but the spirit humbled me, and said, theres always more work to do. That is so true!  We were working so hard with the people we already have that we lost our focus on the other lost sheep. Reminds me of the words of my favorite hymn, 221 Dear To The Heart Of The Shepherd. Green are the pastures inviting: Sweet are the waters and still. Lord, we will answer thee gladly, "Yes, blessed Master, we will! Make us thy true under-shepherds: Give us a love that is deep. Send us out into the desert, Seeking thy wandering sheep." There are so many people walking around I would be selfish not to tell them the good news. Well we are going to Tagaytay again today, this will be my 3rd time ha ha I'm still excited! Love you all!

Elder MC