Birthday Week

Well, it was good bye to Elder Delima this week. He left this morning about 6:30 to go to Bacolod (by himself) and I am with the  Tabugon missionaries until I get to go to Bacolod and pick up the real greenie of the mission. Yep, I am training again for my last transfer. It is going to be a challenge but President talked to me about that and said that he wanted to make me tired before I go home. I think his plan is going to work. I don't know anything about my companion and won't until Thursday when I pick him up.

My birthday was good. It was a little sad because it was also Elder Delima's last day so we celebrated my birthday put in the end everyone was crying that Elder Delima was leaving. It was ok though.

We did get a good week of work though. I am excited for the work that is going to come from our efforts this week.

Baliguat family is doing great. Brother has stopped his smoking and they are doing really good. They will be baptized on October 4th. They are really prepared and love the gospel. Their granddaughter, Macie, is going to be on the 18th. She is doing good as well. She just needs to come to church and then she will be good. We are teaching Brother Sabico as well. I think we got a spark going with him. He seems more interested in what we teach now and he was a little sad because church was in Binalbagan because it was stake conference. They didn't have the money to get there so they didn't get to come. This week they should be coming. The same thing happened with Brother Carbadilla. He loves to listen but couldn't come this week for the same reason. Gaston couldn't come as well. They are really thinking right now if they are going to change religion or not. That is something we are waiting for and trying to get them to pray about. If they convert they will be really strong. We are just waiting to see what happens with them.

Hmmm... what else happened this week. It went by so quick I am having a hard time remembering.

I think that was about it.

My birthday was good. I bought a cake and we ate it. It was pretty good but not as good as a carrot cake. I am still expected one of those when I get home.

Well that is about it.

Love you all,

Elder Nielsen

More Rain and Mud

First of all, we got a little scaried because Baliguat said they were going to Manila for a couple of weeks. We didn't know why but they were going. We found out later that is was because brother wants to stop smoking so he thought he could do it easier in Manila. They are going to stay here now but we will have to wait for their baptisms until he stops. He didn't smoke on Saturday so he might have started already. We still aren't sure when the baptism will be. We are teaching Adrian and Bryan. They are doing great and love the gospel but we will have to wait a few months before they can be baptized. Our bishop wants to make sure that they stay active so we will have to see if they continue coming to church after their fellowshipper has gone on his mission. We don't know when that will be either. The Gaston family is doing great. They love to listen and we have a good relationship with them. They really wanted to come to church this week but didn't make it. It would have been hard for them this week because it rained really hard on Saturday and Sunday making it really muddy and hard to bring the kids to church. Maybe next week they will come. We are also working with Brother Sabico. He is probably in the same position. That was a lot of our week.

It was a little hard to work. It rained so hard that we couldn't go out at some points because it rained so hard and then some places we coudn't go because the mud and one area flooded. It was a little bit trying but we should be good for this next week. The rain is hard but it should be better this week.

Elder Delima is still working very hard. He is great and is a great missionary. I will need a new cook when he goes home. He cooks so well that I am gaining weight!

Love you,

Elder Nielsen

In the Mountains

This has been a very good week and I am very tired because we are always walking. It takes a long time to go from house to house and it is a very mountainous area. Mabini wasn't even close to this. To get to Kabankalan it takes 3-4 hours and then it is another 30-40 minutes to get to Tapi. It is fun!

Elder Delima is great. We were in the same apartment for a short time while we were in Escalante. He is a great companion and has already taught me a lot. I am kind of sad that he is going home in 2 weeks.

The weather has been a lot of rain. We are high enough in the mountains that we get fog sometimes. It has been pretty cold were we are. I just have to say the water is freezing. I am looking forward to that warm shower waiting for me when I get home!!!

Tapi is a very good ward. Everything is set up and the bishop is great. He is an return missionary and does everything he needs too. Tapi became a ward last March is it is a pretty new ward.

We have lots of good investigators. Lots of families. It is amazing to see the work happening here. We had a baptism on Saturday of Reynaldo Rose (Roo- see). He has a great testimony. His wife was a member so it really helped him. We will be having a baptism on September 20th. The Baliguat family has been preparing and are doing great. They are an older couple and brother wanted to be closer to God so when the missionaries went to him he was so prepared to listen. They also have a grandchild that will be baptized on October 11 named Macie. Then we will be having Adrian and Bryan being baptized on September 27. They are 9 & 8. Our ward mission leader is really helping them. He is their support to come to church and they love it. He says they ask him if they are going to the church everyday they are so excited to be at the church. We also have a lot more investigators. I will tell you more when I can remember them more and can tell you more. I don't know the area very well yet so it is a working progress. I will send you pictures of a family that we are teaching. They were making smashed bananas with sugar which was really good. I will show you how they make it. We are also working in one area called Balicotoc. It is pretty far. We have to walk 30 minutes to get there after a 10 minute motor ride. They motors are called habol-habol. It is a pretty fun ride. In that area we are having a special sacrament and are hoping to start baptizing there so we can have a group there. A group will allow missionaries to be there so they can then progress to be a branch. It was an amazing week. I look forward to the coming weeks to see what the Lord has in store for the area and for us.

Love you all,

Elder Nielsen

PS I just want to be the first to wish you all a Merry Christmas. The season has started here in the Philippines.

PSS I expect to hear Christmas when I get home!

Week Full of Surprises

Well this was a better week and it was full of surprises. You will never guess but I am transferring today! I wasn't expecting it but it happened. I am with my new companion right now. Elder Delima is my companion. He is pretty new in the mission. I think about 23 weeks and 1 week. Yeah he goes home in about 3 weeks. He is the district leader so I get to be junior for the next couple of weeks. By the way I am in Tapi in Kabankalan zone. I can't tell you where I live, I haven't been there yet.

This week we did a lot of good work. It didn't show all the way but that was alright. We found a part member couple. Brother Jonathan is a member and his wife and her sister aren't. We started teaching them and they were very receptive. We gave them a date for October 6. They will probably continue for that date. We were so excited to find them. Then we went to some formers that were pretty interested. They just stopped because the missionaries got transferred and no one returned. We were going to go back to them this week. Spencer was going to come to church this week but his head was hurting. We gave him a blessing. He will be baptized soon. Sister is no longer working so they will be able to come to church. Earljon got shy right before church so he didn't come. He needs member support in order to progress. Jona has work now. She is 2 months pregnant. We didn't get to go to her because she is working 7 days a week now. It makes things hard for us. Hopefully it will work out for her.

I don't know what else to say. I haven't gone to the new area yet. We are e-mailing then we will eat and then head down there I will tell you a more next week when I know more about the area. I hear it is in the mountains so I am pretty excited for the area. I like the mountains better then the city.

Love you all,

Elder Nielsen