April 8, 2015 - Talisay, Cebu

Happy Easter!

Eclipse!!  We got home and I got my tripod. we missed totality because we had someone walk up to us and ask to be taught the gospel while we were looking at the moon and teaching little kids how an eclipse happens by drawing it out on the sand. (I mean, the nerve of some people.) I feel like that was a good opportunity for me to reject my own will for that of the Lord's.

So, semana Santa, holy week, is over! True to style, the celebrations here ended on Friday, with processionals and things at evening time. There was no special observances on Sunday. That was certainly the thing we focused on a lot in our teaching this week, was that Holy Week does not end on Friday! It ends on Sunday. We had that be at least our underlying theme in our lessons, that Christ lives (especially on friday and saturday).

 I bought a neat hat for just 10 pesos! (it's actually a shoe cover rag.)

Zone Training Meeting was this last thursday. In our opening Exercises, here in Cebu mission, we have what we call "shining moments," where you share something nice about people, often in opening exercises. Elder Knutson, a Zone leader, shared a shining moment, but it was not his own. He read off an email Elder Espiritu had sent the McCurdys, which was a shining moment he had written for me. I had just earlier that morning written in my journal about a lot of the things with us two, so I had just earlier been reflecting a lot about that. It was a very nice opportunity to hear that. I absolutely know that the power of Lord is great upon us.

We've had some opportunities to teach some new people, including thew husband of a recent convert who has never been regularly taught by missionaries who yesterday told us he wants to be taught and baptised! But our progressing investigators, Yen yen and Donald, have been away for Holy week, and we were unable to teach to them at all, which was a bit of a downer, but this week, they get the chance to see General Conference, which I know will be such a great opportunity for them. That's the thing we've been running on for a lot of our investigators, is trying to get as many people as possible there to the broadcast. 

We came home to frogs.

I am so excited for conference. I'll keep an eye out for you all there. I love this opportunity, and love everything about this church and this restored gospel. I know it is true. 

Love,

Elder Dunford

p.s. Oh, yeah, and it's transfer week, and I'm training a new missionary here in Linao! Make sure to keep your prayers open for us. I'm meeting him tomorrow, when we'll be assigned to my companion at the mission home. I have no clue who he is, but i'm super excited for the opportunity we have with the work. Love always.