September 17 & 24, 2014 - Ayungon, Negros Oriental

Yesterday was a rather good day.

Things are good in Bindoy, which is about as much news as comes up around these parts. Our work in Bindoy branch is a lot of less active and part member families. 

Elder Castro has been transfered to Cebu!  My new companion is Elder Pascua. He is from Cavite, and he is an incredibly good missionary.  I really want to say that Elder Pascua is a great missionary. You know how I said last transfer that this branch really needs someone to really flame the fire, it's really happening now, and this is something we saw yesterday.

 we went jogging down at the sea at our normal place to watch the sunrise and look at the freaky things in the sea that are forms of life. It's fun to do.

So first, yesterday, we started off the day going to Ayungon Proper, to the house of Sister Cheryl Pastor. Sister Pastor is a fairly new member, and she just last week joined with the Bindoy Branch temple trip, but as of yet, she is the only member of her family. We went to her house yesterday to set an appointment, but we weren't able to teach her. But we found out that her husband is a architect/civil engineer who works for the province. I got really kind of excited, and really want to meet her husband now, and though she wasn't horribly confident that he'd accept our teaching, I am still excited to meet him.

We then walked around the area by Negros College, in Ayungon. We talked to some students who called us over, using the benefits of being white to make a teaching opportunity. We then when to Anibong and taught a18 year old kid and his mom who we had taught a couple of days ago. He has a lot of questions, all the right questions which we know that this gospel answers, and I know that he has been prepared to receive us.

We then joined with the Elder's quorum President, Pres. Sobredo, and we visited a part-member/less-active family. Brother Del Rosario is the only not-member of his family, and though at first it was kind of tough to get through to Tatay because of other people who were being  problematic, but we were really able to break through to him. There are a lot of people in this world, and there are a lot of problems. But I know there is one answer for every single one of these problems, and it is always much simpler than the answer we may try to make up ourselves. 

 we went to one area where we have met some people before, which is up the hill a little ways. This was right in the middle of one of the bagyos (storms) that has come through recently, and so it had been raining all day, and when we crossed this stream, we had to get a picture.

Yesterday ended as we taught to the Romano family with Branch President Anhao, Prs. Sobredo, and Brother Francis.  We were able to work yesterday with these great members of the branch, and we were able to see a bit of the Work of Salvation really start to unfold yesterday. The missionaries and members, working side by side in one big cookie. I know that this is the Plan of God, and this is where we see an answer to some of our problems.

I loved working yesterday with Elder Pascua. He is a great missionary. I've loved working for this whole transfer, and the whole mission, of course, but yesterday was just a really good day. We met a lot of people. We got seeds sown, and I feel like a good fire was started to be fanned. 

This is what I wrote to President McCurdy today: 

I have learned a bit this week of how we all have individual strengths that we can use to Help each other. I like what I read in the Red handbook the other day, from the Savior's teachings to Peter, that when ye are converted, strengthen thy brethren. Peter was such an imperfect man, who did many things he regretted. But he accepted the help of the Savior. He received His cleansing, and he was given what he needed to become a rock against which the gates of hell could not destroy. I really like the lesson we learn from the life of Simon Peter.

I know that this is true. I know that there is one who is perfect and true, and He is the one who has been with us from the beginning.

Love,

Elder Adam