No effort is wasted

04.28.13

Hey!

So this week was incredibly boring in a few ways. There was a fiesta this whole last

 week so like no one was home. Its called the Huba Huba festival. I have no idea 

what that means, but all I needed to know is every single house that we went to, 

there was nobody home at all. Kept getting responses like "oh the person 

you are looking for is at the festival!"  Haha so we just just kinda drooped our 

heads, and walked to the next house only to find the same thing. Sad thing is, 

the festival is a two week deal. There are booths everywhere loaded with stuff!

Food ! Bags!  Jewelry!  Clothes!  TV's!  Movies!  Music!  And anything else you

can find at Wal-Mart really. Only in the Philippines. Gotta love it!

Also, elections for this part of the island are this upcoming May 13th. So its pretty

close. Can I just say that people here are so gung-ho about elections?  Elder 

Newton and I just cannot catch a break over here. I say that, because three 

of our investigators are involved in the race in some way or another, so no one 

is home. I texted President Lopez about the matter and he told me "Elders,

I am glad to hear that you are having a hard time in your area. Struggling is what 

makes the best Elders! Just push through and keep going. No effort is wasted." 

I just read that and was like... "well, I  guess whatever he says goes!" Can't argue 

with that. He does have a good point though. I guess just like half way through

the week Elder Newton and I just felt so down cause we weren't getting a whole

ton of lessons and a lot of people were not receiving us and listening to us. It 

was like a lot a verbal "door slams" to be short. Because really, there are not 

any doors to really slam down here.. Hahaha.  But ya you all get the point. 

President Lopez is right! If this wasn't hard, this would not be missionary work. 

And to be honest, it probably would not feel quite the same to me. Guess

 the only thing I can say is, ONWARD! 

As far as our investigators goes, we have made no luck with L & M. They 

still are pretty dead set on not committing to a date to be baptized. They accept 

our invitation, just not a date. We keep going back to their house almost everyday,

but they won't budge at all.  Maybe its just not their time? That is what I thought 

until L asked us yesterday "what is not allowed in your church if we get 

baptized?" So... hopefully after we teach the Word of Wisdom, he will have 

more questions that will help him open up more. Guess we will just see! We

also have J too. I think I have mentioned her a few times. She comes to

church everyweek, reads every day, and even goes to youth conferences with

our youth here. I guess ithelps that her step sister has been a member for a

year. So we have an automatic fellow shipper for her right there. She has been

taught the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. She is one of those investigators

that will be baptized while I am still here in Hinoba-an. She is all ready. 

Well, sad to say it but that is all I have for this week. Hopefully this next week picks up 

but honestly, I doubt it. Stinking elections and festival. 

Oh well. NO EFFORT IS WASTED!   No better way to end than that! 

Rey.  "The best branch missionary -- ever".
 He left for his mission to Africa last week.