03.03.13
Dear.... Everyone!
So just so you all
know, I keep forgetting to mention this but there is no ATM for our credit
cards anywhere in our Zone. The closest one is 3 hours away in the closest Zone
to us. So every two weeks, we have to hop on a bus and ride over here to withdraw
money. President Lopez gives us special permission to stay here for the P-day
and do all of our shopping and P-day activities. The city is called Kabankalan.
It is right in the middle of our area that I am in now. But, it does have a
huge mall in it. So we email, shop for food, print pictures, eat lunch, and do
all that kind of stuff here. It is pretty nice even though this shop has sketchy
email. Oh well. I think it is ok right now.
I thought it was hot
in my last area. But because I am farther south now, it got even hotter. I
looked at my thermometer the other day, and it was 100 F -not including
humidity. Holy smokes! I felt like I was gonna die the other day. Actually,
President Lopez sent a text out to all of the companionships in the mission and
told us "Elders, even though it is fast Sunday right now, I want you all
to drink water. That might sound odd, but with the work you are all out doing,
in this heat, I need you all to be drinking water." Haha so we hopped all
over that. But yes, it is super hot. I want to see Gavin or Gabrielle assigned
here in a mission like this. I even sweat through my shirts. But, want to hear
something funny? I have not had a problem with my feet since I got out here in
the field.... Not a bit. My feet don't even sweat. My socks are always dry. It
is so hard to explain and I don't understand it. But, I see it as a blessing!
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| Siplay Zone Conference |
We do have Zone
Conference this Wednesday and Thursday. And.... it’s a 6 hour bus ride! Stoked
for that let me tell ya... Not! I wish we had a car... but I guess a bus that
stops every 50 feet will have to do. I was asked by President Lopez himself to
sing a duet with another Elder in my Zone as well. “Special musical number”...
yikes! I love to sing and all but I have never done more than ONE note by
myself in front of people... If anyone that reads this remembers "I need
somebody to love" in Extreme Choir last year... now that was a memory.
But, we are singing’Secret Prayer’. Maybe Sister Lopez can record it instead of
taking pictures so you all can hear and see. I will ask, but no promises. Don't
ask me to sing at home. I am shy.
 |
| Filipino village |
I had an interesting
experience this past week. We found a kid that is 19 that wants to listen to
us. He told us to come back on Saturday at 1. He gave us his name and ‘address’.
So my companion and I go back there and try to find him. We call it
"hunting" here in our mission. Since nobody here has a set address.
You just have to ask around to find people-- it is a load of fun! So we find
the area he is supposed to be in, and his friend, relative, or parent told ME
to get lost, that they are Iglesia Ni Cristo and want nothing to do with us. Anyway,
they have churches in like every part of the Philippines. They just barely
built one in our area actually. It's built like a temple to be honest. They are
so mean to us, too. They teach their members that The Mormon church is the most
incorrect church. They all act like they HATE us. How can you hate a short
Filipino kid, a tall white American, wearing shirts and ties, while smiling and
SINGING HYMNS OF GOD? I will never understand. But yes, we continue to go and
teach.
Investigators! So…
this week kind of stunk. Remember L and M? They were not home at all this week -work,
or just plain not home. It stunk. So we weren't able to teach them really at
all. BUT! We did teach Brother FM -the one with the sad situation. He is
progressing really well. We taught him last on Friday last week. Before we
left, we made sure to commit him to come to church. He told us that his
"partner" wouldn't be home this Sunday. She is a member and has
helped Felipe so much. We were expecting him to say that he wouldn't be able to
come because she wasn't home. BUT! He then proceeded to say that he would come
BY HIMSELF! How cool is that? And he did
come! Oh man, were we ever happy about that. He has come so far in the short
time that I have been here in this area. I love that man. As far as other
investigators, the other one, Sister B moved without telling us. So now we have
to go find her again. She moved within our area, so we just go "hunting"
again in order to find her. More on that next week!
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| Elder "I" and Elder Garner (knowing that his mother would see this photo on Pres. Lopez' FaceBook page, Landon is showing me that, yes, he IS DRINKING LOTS of water) |
As far as my
companionship goes, we are still awesome. I love Elder I. He is so cool! And,
so helpful! Plus, we decided to start reading the Cebuano Book of Mormon, too
along with the Ilonggo one. So he is teaching me two languages at once! -Something
else cool, I am getting used to hearing the languages now, so even when someone
is talking in Tagalog or Cebuano to me, I can understand most of what they are
saying, and respond in Ilonggo! Now I want to learn those two languages. I am
going to come home having learned 1 language with 2 dialects under it. That is
my goal! I already got a Book of Mormon in all three languages. I want to learn
more! It is awesome. As time goes on, the better I will get!
That is all I have
this week. More on this week, next week! I love you all so much! -Until next
week everyone.
Love From The Philippines!
-Elder Garner
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