Yes! I survived all three of the Filipino holidays this week. It was kinda exciting, although we didn't get to see much because we had a 6 pm curfew. All of the partying starts after that. But, from what I did see it was pretty cool. They spend like all day at the graveyards honoring their kindred dead, they light candles in front of their graves. I bet it is pretty at night, but again curfew. Also the graveyards here are super cool. They don't do the field 6 feet under, they build up in "apartment" style graves. Just concrete graves stacked on top of each other. Pretty sweet.
But, this week was pretty awesome. We really did a lot of work and have started to see some early fruit from some of our labors.
Tuesday was pretty routine, nothing too majorly exciting on that day. But, most of the people that we do teach that day, were there, so that is a big plus. Oh-except one of our investigators has taken a huge interest in the Bible, so that was pretty exciting, but she had neglected her BoM reading, so we encouraged her to do both. We might start giving her parallel passages for her to study. It is just fun to see her grow in spiritual things.
Wednesday was the first of the Curfew days. That was kinda upsetting.
We went to one of my favorite people here. He was there and everything was good with him. He was preparing a talk he was asked to give. It is fun to see growth from people you have actually started to work with. Then we went to one of our other people-with what we have been doing with them, I want to change future job options to become a marriage counselor-I mean why not? That is all I do with some of these people and I could start doing it to people who will start paying me, and I might actually change some more lives that way. But, we had to start really being patient with them. It is still fun to go to them.
Oh and for Halloween I dressed up as a missionary. Then a basketball player. Pictures will come.
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week. We had gone to our super far area, with the intent to just teach some less actives and call it good. But they weren't home, so we were just going to walk home and try to find someone we could teach. As we were walking home, we both noticed a family that was just sitting outside their house and we both felt we needed to teach them, so we did. They were super awesome. The dad was just wondering what we were doing there, if we believed in the Bible and other good questions. So we taught them all...they actually were willing to listen to us even though they were Catholic. Afterward, they said that we could come back-they just didn't know their schedule, but that was super fun. Then we walked home. Took about an hour but was worth it. We got to pass by the cemetery...there was a lot of people there.
Friday wasn't bad, just had a small disappointment. We had this potential investigator for like ever, she was never at home. So we went to her and she was there! When we finished teaching her, and I know she felt something, I saw it in her eyes. We tried to give her a Book of Mormon, but she wouldn't take it, saying that she was Catholic. I will be charitable to her and assume that she felt that she didn't have the time to give it the importance that it deserves, but still was kinda hard.
Saturday, was kinda the same as Wednesday. So no real excitement there.
Sunday was amazing. We had so many people at Church, mostly less actives, but still there were some that I haven't seen in a while or ever at church. Super awesome. Then we found another investigator who was super golden, (the trick is to envision everyone that way) but she actually accepted a return date. Then, our long time investigator has expressed desires to serve a mission. Just what could be better than that, an investigator who already wants to serve a mission?
So yeah had some pretty good things happen this week. Like seeing all the Christmas things up. Yeah Pasko NA! Love it here in Tiwi, best of the best as Elder Patino likes to call it.
Every thing is good here, just pray for the work to increase. I just thought about how many prayers are offered on behalf of the missionaries, each day, in personal, family, temple prayers all over the world...kinda staggering, but not surprising, because even after a hard day, the next day you just wake up and go again like nothing even happened. It is a great feeling, but thank you again for all that you do for me at home.
With love,
Elder Westenskow
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