Where is the time going?!

Hey FAM! HOW ARE YA? This week has gone in one way soo good, and in another rough. haha. We had a good set of exchanges with our zone leaders. I went with them in their area, and oh man their area is beautiful!  It is straight up beautiful mountains and rice fields and stuff, but its also a super hard area. The other zone leader went in our area. It went really well because together we are starting to fix a few problems that are going on here in Naic. You know how we had that big thing with those disobedient missionaries. So what I didn't tell you is that its because of this branch missionary who is 33 and needs to get a life. I don't know how to explain him, but whenever he comes over missionaries just get disobedient, and this guy gossips worse than a Draper mom. hahaha and he has been saying some big old lies about me here to others. But anyways long story short that is why this week was hard, but we fixed it. Sometimes being a district leader is hard, cause your the fun sucker, and you stand alone sometimes. But I have also seen the blessings come from doing what your supposed to and this week was great with our work! We just taught like crazy! The new area we took is under control and were just killing it now. haha We hopefully have a couple great baptisms this July! I'm stoked this one lady Juliet is just awesome. I've told you about her before, she was our oym when we were shotgunning, and she is progressing really well! she has a date for July. We also just got this referral of a 14 year old boy  who was taught by missionaries before but he didn't have time because of basketball. haha but now he wants to be baptized and hopefully serve a mission! This kid is awesome. And reminds me of Max haha! Anyways, we are finally getting people to church and getting things going. The only thing I am scared of is transfer date is July16 and all of the Baptisms are July 19th! haha I don't wanna miss them! Well Love you ALL!

Elder MC
                                                     Elder Leaupepetele Birthday!
                          They let us go to McDonalds and this is what he bought everyone!

Ulan na naman

HEY FAM!!!! First off Happy Fathers Day dad! I freakin lov ya! I hope my present can be me just working hard out here, I know thats what you want anyways! haha Being out on a mission I realized is sometimes like being a dad, having to deal with companions, is kind of like having to deal with your son im guessing, so ill just apologize upfront for all that crap I pulled back in the day haha.

Well this week was a quick one. we lost those sisters in my district, so we had to take their area, and it was like shotgunning two tranfers in a row! Again lots of area, little people! haha You can imagine the walking we do here. It's also starting rainy season so some of our area floods pretty good haha, and when its not raining it just goes back to 100 degrees! So we either walk a lot and are soaken wet with rain, or walk a lot and are soaken wet with sweat! haha 

But I can truly testify that after trials come blessings, becuase it has been hard, I thought my first area was hard, this beats it haha. But one day we were walking a ton, and the day was almost over, not getting what we thought we would, and as we were walking there was a sign that said.. " Slow Down, Men at work".. haha   I just thought, maybe I should just slow down, and just remember as long as I am working blessings will come. And they have! We had our district conference this week, and our investigators came! It was great, they were able to here great messages from the 70, Young Women's President and Elder Cook of the twelve over braodcast, and it was great for them!  When things get rough, your feet get blistery, your mind goes wild on what you can do more and what you can do better, we just need to slow down... and WORK and the blessings will come. I think most the reason I have that patience is from the great example of my dad! 

This week is also my companions birthday, and you know how Samoans party! haha so he is getting excited, and so am I beacause he's planning to buy a lot of food! haha 

Well I love you all. Especially my dad! 

Elder MC

WHATS UP!

HEY FAM!!

Well this week has been pretty normal. haha Nothing changed for me and Pepetele. We are still here. In our district we had a few changes, one of the sisters is training a new missionary who is super quiet from legazpi. Elder jackson from Emery Utah is now in our apartment. And we lost two sisters! So theres only 6 of us now! It stinks! haha. But its always nice to have another American in the apartment. With the sisters leaving we took their area also. So now our area is twice as huge! Which means lots of fields and beach, and not a lot of people hahaha! But im excited to work with their investigators too. We are still struggling with the church attendance here in Naic, its definalty been hard, but it is progressing little by little. We do have some baptismal dates set for people, they just gotta get there butts too church!! haha But I know  week by week were changing things here:) 

        I had a very spiritual experience with actually two of the sisters ivestigators who I was able to interview for baptism. We had to go to their house to do the interview, and they live deep in this alleyway of a poor part of town. As I started the interview with the mother, it was hard for the spirit to be there because there were kids playing around and of course with two islander missionaries you could here them outside laughing and joking. I just prayed to for the patience to listen. And this lady has a great testimony, she bore it to me about how the gospel changed her, and how it mostly changed her husband. She explained to me teary eyed how her husband used to drink and get into trouble a lot. So much that he almost died twice. Then after he met the sisters he stopped drinking and getting into trouble, and now he does not let them miss church on Sunday. So of course she passed the interview.

 Then I interviewed the father.. haha and lets just say he has lost a lot of brain cells. Its like talking to a 5 year old. He had real troubles answering the questions, and remebering things. So I almost wasnt going to pass him. But at the end I asked him one simple question, why do you want to be baptized? He sat there for a second, looked me in the eyes and said simply,"I want to change." And I passed him. I realized that you dont have to be a rocket scientist to enter into the kingdom of god. you just have to have a desire to change. I learned a lot from that man and woman. 

      We also had a funny experience with a drunk guy yesterday. We were teaching this old lady whose son was outside partying with his friends and getting drunk. And right in the middle of the lesson he comes barging in and just sits down and starts preaching to us about moses and the "12" commandments hahah. And he was like tearing up and stuff. Ahh it was hilarious. And we got a return appointment with him, so well let you know how that one goes haha! Love you all have a great flippin week!

Elder MC

                                                            Just A Couple Of Kids!

Together Again! My Batch From The MTC 

The knowledge Of A General Authority.....

Hey momma!!!! thats hilarious about Max haha TELL HIM TO GET A FLIPPIN JOB!

Did he go to any dances this year at school? If yes id like to see pics. Thats sick your learning about the Philippines, you probably know more about the history of the Philippines than I do.haha The devotional was amazing! Craig Christensen is the MAN. haha It was a great spirit booster for me. He had some great insights on things. And we had a question and answer thing, and every question he just answered it with ease. Man the knowlegde of a General Authority... im gonna be like that some day!! haha. He said something that I really liked. He talked about giving pity or looking down on others.  Here in the philippines you see a lot of heartbreakking things and so much poverty. And sometimes we think we are better than those people, and we show pity. But elder Christensen said, "Don't show pity, show respect." " Remember, when much is given much is required, they can make it to the kingdom of god with ease, you however have to work for it." He got emotional. I loved it and it really humbled me!

Our work is going well we didnt have as much time this week because the day of the devotional we had to travel to Los Pinas. I also had exchanges with the zone leaders so that was another day of travel. But we have been working with a great lady who I talked about last week, and shes been doing great! along with a few others. But your heart always breaks when you sit waiting on Sunday morning, and no one comes through that sacrament door. haha its rough, but theyll pull through. I just know it:) Transfers are this week so we will find out today if there are any changes! probably nothing changing here, sice we just got here. But its exciting and im the first to know who goes haha. Well love you! have a great week!

ELDER MC

Oh LAKE POWELL HUH?? ALRIGHT............

Hey FAM!!! Oh real sweet gotts Lake Powell trip coming huh? Well Im not there to get mad at Kim for throwing me off the tube too hard, so yeah! Haha jk its way better here! Well this week has been very good! Its been the hottest its ever been this week! So hot that I got heat stroke haha, but its cool its over now! Well we havent had a ton of success this week. This area is one of the harder convert areas. But its okay. We did find this one great investigator. We met her at a members house, she just walked in and in a joking way my companion was like, " Hey! come in we gotta message for ya!" And she actually comes in and says okay what is it?  We have been teaching her ever since. She has been through like 3 churches including Jehovah's Witnesses, but she said she hasnt had that "desire" yet to follow. So we taught her about the Book of Mormon, and she came to church yesterday! She told us that one day her son asked her why she keeps listening to us, and she just said, I dont know.. "I just like it, it feels good". Shes golden... we love her! Well as far as the other Disobedient elders go, I just listened to all the advice I got, and every morning and night I pray for them. I got a distinct answer. The spirit just whispered to me and said, just be a friend. I took that advice, I just tried to be an example, and was a friend, and although they are disobedient, I have seen changes, and there is no contention. I learned a good lesson his week. "Real leaders, are just friends." And thats what im going to be a friend.

Anyways Tagaytay was great last week! This next week on Friday we have a mission devotional with Craig Christensen of the seventy. Im excited, We get to leave the boonies and go out to Los Pinas! right next to Manila! Well love you family!!!!!! ELDER MC

                                                            Don't tell my mom.........

                                                                      Tagaytay Trip

                                                    My Samoan brothas and sistas

                   Working with the Relief Society :) Mom go work with the missionaries haha :) 

yooooooo

Hey FAM!! Man skyping was the best last week!!! Made me a little trunky...... NAW im just kiddin I don't wanna go home! haha Well this week in Naic was a rough one. The work here is so much harder to progress with than in the city! Everyone is always out to work and stuff! But we have some pretty great investigators! And we always feel so good with them until Sunday morning... Saturday night we feel so great cause we just know that they are going to come to church! Then Sunday morning....NUTHIN haha its so heart breaking here, but you just have to realize everyone has their agency, and all you can do is build their faith so strong that nothing will stop them from going to church. But its just a hard area cause NO ONE has money and the chapel is so far away! Thats why baptisms come really slow here. But you gotta just keep working hard and being obedient and it will come. Its also been hard because our roomates are flippin Pasuway (disobedient) And so they always just get mad when I tell them to stop and then it just causes contention! But whatever I dont let crap like that bother me! The blessings will come I just know it!

Well later we are going to Tagaytay again! with our zone, were going to a different part this time. So pictures will probably come next week! love you family!

Keep it real!

ELDER MC

HAPPPPPYYYY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPPPY FLIPPIN BIRTHDAY MAX!!!! uhh I didn't forget I promise! haha I would send your belt but I just cant do it because it wouldn't make it there I dont think! Well I love you brother! Dont wreck the civic! I still cant see him driving, haha but well see! Well first of all its like 3 times hotter in Naic then in the city! But it is very beautiful! This week was tiring! Shotgunning is rough stuff. But Me and elder Leaupepetele took it like a champ. We have just been doing a lot of less active finding to look for part member families or referrals! Because tracting here is rough. Because people are never home they are out working in the fields and stuff! haha But it was just lots of walking, and familiarizing and stuff. But we were able to get 4 baptismal dates this week! And 10 new people to teach which was a good start haha! Well being a district leader is not that big of a deal, haha in my district is 4 elders, 4 sisters, and a couple. I just conduct the district meetings, collect numbers, and make sure theres no problems, and that people are obedient, and once or twice a month theres a specialized training for leaders! Thats about it! haha its kinda stressful, giving the fact that we have to shotgun too. But with all these things happening, you just gotta step back and pray. But once I did that, things were just fine:) haha This week rained a ton, and while we were teaching these people close to the beach there house started flooding while we were teaching. So we just took off our shoes and socks, rolled up our pants and continued on with the lessons. We had service project where we painted this ladys whole house yellow!haha and she had no eletric fans or anything, so for 6 hours it was just a sweat shop in there haha felt like 150 degrees haha! Well this week was good! Cant wait to skype you guys on monday! WOOO

Elder MC

                                   This is the Molero family, my pride and joy! I love them!

Professional Painters!!

The beach after the rain