Two weeks...with pictures!

This week (week ending January 14th) was not really all that good. Monday started it all. Just never try to kick frogs in sandals. You might miss and might damage a toe quite bad.

But there was an Elders Quorum party. Tables, banana leafs, rice, grilled meat and fish. No forks, plates, spoons. Just hands and eat. Awesome.

Tuesday, we were invited to a wedding for Sister Aiko, our investigator. Probably the fanciest wedding I have ever been to. But it was really nice. Somehow though we got enlisted into escorting people who didn't have umbrellas from their transportation to the covered pavilion. (it was raining go figure). Lot of Filipino traditions that I like. Like an auction of stuff, the couples dance where the guests pin money on the couple. Just some really awesome things. But oh man was it long.

just learned the story behind this picture...this guy was passed out drunk on Max's porch ...they found him like that when they got home from church...said he had to take a picture!

 Wednesday we had exchanges. It was pretty good, got to work with the District Leader. He had a lot of positive useful advice on how to improve the area. It was pretty cool. The only problem was that I could not walk for extended periods. I was told to rest my foot. But resting is boring and work is fun and fulfilling. 

Thursday we got punted. No one home. So not being able to tract so much, we went looking for a less active who I guess lives in the area. We couldn't find her because all we had was 
a name. So I decided to go to the Barangay hall. We go there and get invited right in to where we need to be. We explain why we are there and who we are looking for. Then we are handed a piece of paper and a pen. They wanted us to write who we were why we were there and how we got the name. I delegated it to Elder Molina,(who is awesome) to write it. He was kinda blocked, so I started to read 3 Nephi Chapter 3, the letter of Giddianhi to the Nephites. He said no and decided what to say. As we are leaving we he says Elder we forgot to leave pamphlets, which we did forget to do. So when we go back to see if we can get something we will leave pamphlets for sure. Friday we had a training meeting. That was pretty good. We got the information to start going back to investigators and to start by talking to EVERYBODY, rich poor, Tagalog or English. So that is what we are going to do. 




Saturday we had a Baptism in the District, where we invited Sister Aiko to go and to have her interview. She passed. It is so exciting to prepare an investigator for baptism, it's been a while but it is the best to see her progress. Elder Molina has told me, it's just too easy with her. Which is true, when we do what is required of us and when we do it the Lord's way, missionary work is easy. 

Sunday was boring and not all that fun, just met some people, convinced one of them for a little bit that I was an albino Filipino. Just eh of a day.

Well, hope all is going well at home, remember that the Lord wants to bless us, he only will if we keep His commandments.

That is all for this week...

and then the letter dated 1/21/13:

Yeah, not a great week. All time low for lessons for like all time. Even the office staff got more than we did. Not fun. No one was home at all, and when they were they were doing something. kinda frustrating. But we did have a white fields to encourage us. 

 The high point of this week was the baptism of Aiko. It was awesome. First we needed to find a suit that could fit her, because the ward had none. But as we were cleaning our apartment we came across one that an elder must have left, because it was big, and it fit her. Then after that all was set. So we get to the baptism, not a lot of people there, I mean there was a good size, but not what we were hoping for.


When it came time for the ordinance,  I look into the font and the water had a green tint to it, I guess we have some dirty water here in Naga. This baptism was probably like the easiest baptism I have ever done. No fumbling for the words, no problems baptizing, nothing. Then after ward I felt as explained in the scriptures that indescribable joy. I was just so happy, but no real words to adequately describe them. Then the actual best part. When she bore her testimony, it was a solid and complete testimony. So much so that the bishop was surprised by it. But the funny thing was the night before we dropped by to see if she had questions. She did. What happens if she doesn't cry during her testimony. We were glad it was just that, but told her it was fine. She almost did though. 

Then the next day I got to confirm her as well. That went well too. But then I gave a talk and I almost started to cry as I bore my last testimony.  Mostly because I am transferring, so I might never see them again though, so that is probably why I was starting to tear a little bit. 

Well that's about it for this week.

Love, 

Elder Westenskow