6 June 2012

MUM!!!!

So, so, so, sorry that I forgot to make mention of your birthday.   I finished my email to you last week and one of the Sister missionaries asked me how my family was and I told her that you were great and that your birthday.... and then wooopss, then I felt terrible that I didn't mention anything in my email about your birthday. Paxenxa.... patawarin nyo ako!  But, I didn't forget about you Mum, I prayed that you would feel my love and presence a your birthday celebration and that you would have a great day.  I love you mum.

Well,  I'm doing fine and the rainy season has started again and it has practically rained every day this week.  Aarrghhhhh!  The only good thing about the rainy season is that it makes things a little cooler.   My shoes are holding up, but they've seen better days.  I think I might be on Mindoro Island for a while and so I am hoping these shoes will last me for that time.

From all the pictures you've sent, it looks like you've had an awesome week.  The birthday party looked fun and you all looked great.  Please send my love to the Stebbings Family and let them know that I love them heaps and miss them as well.

My week has been very eventful and fun.  Yes, you guessed right!  Transfer day is today and I will be getting my new companion on Friday.   My current companion leaves here tomorrow morning and the newbies come in on Friday morning.  It is cool and exciting but sad to see Elder Bienvinuto leave.  He has been the longest serving missionary on Mindoro Island in the history of the mission.  His first area was in Magsaysay and he was there for 6 months and he has been in San Jose for 6 months as well.  A whole year on Mindoro and he has 3 months left in the mission.  Astig!

Well, to start off, Tuesday I remembered your birthday Mum, and on Wednesday the missionaries conducted a devotional for the youth.  We had to explain and go through the new Strength of Youth booklet with them.  It was an awesome opportunity and we made a game where we printed off the different topics on separate papers with a short explanation of the topic on other papers.  We blue tacked them onto the white boards at church and then covered them and numbered the different papers.   We then played the memory game where they each had a turn at guessing the topic and the short explanation.  If they chose two papers we flipped them and if the guess was right we explained the topic to them and under some of the topics we had videos or guest speakers.  It was super fun and they all had a great time.

On Thursday it rained and we got soaked, but it was fun and then on Friday we worked hard and at night time we had a celebration for one of the Sister missionaries in our Branch. It was cool and we ate food, played games and had a great time.  On Saturday we worked again in the rain, and I took my companion out for dinner because his birthday was on Sunday/ Fast Sunday. ( Sister Motuliki said to say, "Hi!") and then on Sunday guess what?  Yep! It rained again.  It was okay, so we had church  then went to our Branch council meeting and then after that we had District meeting that we attended as translators for one of the Senior couple missionaries.  By this time it was dark and we were waiting for one of the Elders to come down from Sablayan as he has finished his mission and is getting ready to go home.   He finally arrived and we broke our fast and then went over to the Senior couples house for dinner.  It was awesome.

Monday it rained again and we woke up early and dropped off the missionaries that were going home at the airport then we came back and then went out and worked.   Later, we had a farewell dinner for my companion at one of the recently  sealed families in our area. It was so awesome and we shared a lesson and the dad shared his testimony.  Super awesome!  I love that family.   Tuesday we went out and worked and then met up with the rest of the Sablayan Elders as they stayed at our house so they could come to transfer announcements today.   And now I'm ready to sleep.... hehe!

Missionary work is great and I love it here, but I just wish that it didn't rain as much.  The heat is fine but the rain... not good!

Danii congrats on the new baby boy. Astig.  Here comes the start of your basketball team. (jks)

I was going to send some pictures but the computers being a slazz... ahh nakaka-inis.

I love you all and pray for you always. Take care.

Elder Chaddderton