I'm home

I love this place! What a good week! We weren't able to teach as much as we thought we would but we have five referrals! So this week we are going to go see them and start teaching them. We actually had an interesting experience. We went to see one of our referrals, I talked about him last week. They ended up not being ready for the gospel but didn't want to tel us no directly. So sadly we aren't able to teach them but we will be, hopefully, able to teach them. A lot of people that we have run into don't want to hear our message and that's ok. Our purpose as missionaries isn't to teach it's to invite others to come unto Christ. If they aren't ready or just don't want to listen then we know that we need to look elsewhere. It devastates me that we weren't able to share with them but as the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."

Also this week we spent a lot of time with a Recent Convert name Jerome, everyone calls him Ow-ow. He is such an awesome kid. The last few times we were with him he started asking us about missions. He is super curious about missions and how you become a missionary so we answered all of his questions the best we could. He is only thirteen so he has a while before he can serve but he would be a great missionary.

So I was extremely stressed about training and being a District Leader but this last week has proved to me that I don't need to worry about anything so long as I put myself in Heavenly Father's hands. I was talking to my companion and just stated, "I have know idea why I am your trainer I don't really know what I'm doing." He said after that, "I know why you are my trainer. I have met a lot of people and no one has ever been able to teach me or inspire me like you do. No one could train me but you. You are meant to train me." I was speechless. Not only am I teaching him but he teaches me as well. I know for a fact that I am in the right place and that I am doing the right thing. I have never been happier than right now. This place really is my home.

Alam ko na totoo and itong ebangelyo.

Remember, choose to be happy,

Elder Lewis

Pictures from Sinait (Home)

Sunset

Anak ng araw - child of the sun

Home

Ian, Jonnas, me and Elder Pati-on

Moon

Moon

Sunset

Sunset

Moon

Sunset

Sinait - Home

Transfers

So this last week there was a huge change in things here. My trainer Elder De Leon got transferred an is also training, again. So we both went to Laoag to pick up our new trainees. We spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Laoag. We had a lot of fun there and spent time with the missionaries there. We got to eat McDonalds a lot, which normally is gross but now Macdo is a blessing.

We got trained on how to be trainers and were fed by President and Sister Andrada, which was awesome! So I got my new companion, my son, Elder Pati-on. He is pretty cool. We have some things in common and he and I get along really well. He is excited to be a missionary and is really good at English, he really helps me out and actually teaches me a lot about Tagalog.

So we got a referral from the Zone Leader about someone who is super ready to hear the gospel and is super excited to meet with us so we went over Saturday and we were told by his mom that he wasn't home but would be home Sunday. So we went to church and church was so amazing! But after church we went to go see him again, our referral. And once again we were told he wasn't home and wouldn't be home this time until Friday. They also gave us three more referrals to go see people. So hopefully we can meet with him on Friday.

I know that no matter what happens, if we are able to teach him or not, then the fact that we are trying could have some impact on their family. Our example to them or anything could help bring them unto Christ. Alam ko na totoo ang Simbahan ito. Alam ko na sa pamamagitan ng susunod ng Halimbawa ni Jesucristo magiging mas masaya tayo at mas mabuti tayo sa ating buhay. Sa pangalan ni Jesucristo, amen.

Elder Lewis

Pictures from Sinait

At the beach

Dylan (holding up the Lehi "L") and Elder Pati-on

Family Tree- Elder Pati-on (Anak ko), me, Elder Naiker (kapatid ko), and Elder De Leon (Tatay ko)

So in mission culture your trainer is your dad or mom. So De Leon is my dad, Pati-on is my son and Naiker is my brother in the mission. they mean: Anak ko - my child, kapatid ko - my sibling, tatay ko - my dad

Warning spider picture, Mom this is for you

Jerome playing with a spider

Pictures from Sinait

APs giving us a ride home from Vigan

APs gave us a ride home from Vigan

Chicken intestine. Yummy ;)

Dried fish! So good!

I lost at UNO and had frosting smeared on my face.

Jerome and me

Mary Rose and her dogs

Life is Crazy

So this last week was pretty eventful. Monday and Tuesday were average. We taught lessons but our investigators still aren't keeping their commitments so we might have to drop them, which I don't like thinking about but it might be necessary.

Wednesday was a lot of fun, we had a dinner appointment and it was a members Birthday so there was cake and frosting. I got to play UNO again but this time there was a twist, the loser had to have frosting smeared on their face. We only played one game and trying as hard as I could to win still lost. I got frosting smeared all over my face and soon the little kids thought it was cool so they put frosting on their faces too. It was pretty cool. They also tried to teach me basketball even though I already know a decent amount about it. I was absolutely terrible, like probably the worst player ever, they loved it though.

Thursday we had a Zone Meeting in Vigan that was a lot of fun. The AP's came also and I got my package. To help save us all money, the AP's gave us a ride home so all the missionaries crammed into the bed of the truck and rode down the highway. It was so much fun! I got time to just talk and get to know the other missionaries a little better. The power was also out for most of the day. Lessons went well and we taught a lot of less actives and some of them came to church which is good.

Friday was average but Saturday was crazy. We had a lunch appointment that turned out to be these two little girls birthday parties and they had us bless the food for them. The little kids kept staring at me, it was different. Later we gave a blessing to a different little girl as well as one of the Sister missionaries in our town. We got chased by dogs three times ish and every one calls me short amerikano so life is pretty good.

Sunday was when it really got crazy. So transfers are this week and if someone is going to be a trainer or district leader or zone leader or AP then the mission President will call them to let them know. Well we got a call and Elder De Leon will be training again then Elder De Leon looked at me and says, "President wants to talk to you." So in my head I'm like ok , probably just a check up or maybe a calling but since I just finished training this week I doubted it was going to be a calling. Turns out I have two callings. I am District Leader and a trainer.

This can be seen as, "Elder Lewis is so amazing, he has two callings already." That is not the case. President asked me to do this because he was prompted to. Yes it will be stressful and I'm not sure what I need to do exactly but I have God on my side and He will help me do what I need. I am only able to do anything because of God. This is my time to prove what I have and I plan on doing just that.

Alam ko na sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya kay Jesucristo magiging malakas ako at kaya ko ginagawa lahat ng bagay. Sa pangalan ni Jesucristo, Amen.

Elder Lewis

Happy New Year

So what a crazy last week. Here they shoot off a lot of fireworks during this time of the year. I got no sleep, it was so loud, also they were shooting off guns, and by they I also mean nine year olds! Only in the Philippines! I love it here!

So our lessons are going the same as they have been, we teach them and recently it's becoming much more difficult. Very few of them keep our commitments and it's becoming frustrating but I'm still happy. It's a choice.

New Years Day was different. We had to be in our apartment earlier than normal because of the fireworks and guns. We also had a dinner appointment with the Branch President and that was a lot of fun. We had the most amazing food. We also ended up singing songs from Frozen, it was on in the background, and by we I mean Elder De Leon. The Branch President even joined in on a few songs. The Branch President has a daughter that is two or three years old and loves Frozen.

We also had a dinner appointment with another member of the branch presidency, it's the part member family that we generally spend time with. They have a pet dog that just had puppies. I got to spend two times this last week playing with the puppies. They are super cute and just a blast to play with.

We are still developing our relationship with Indira family. On Sunday I had a cool experience. So I had a really stiff neck all saturday and got no sleep Saturday night. Sunday also happened to be fast Sunday so no food or water, also I have been getting sick. So my first thought on Sunday morning was, "There is no way I can make it through today. I wont' have any energy. I could not fast today and fast another time." Then I stopped and decided that I needed to fast even though it was going to be incredibly difficult. So I fasted and I had enough energy until I could eat. Heavenly Father helped me to accomplish what I needed to. I know he will do the same for you all. Whatever you need help with, Heavenly Father will help you accomplish it, all you have to do is ask.

Alam ko na totoo ang simbahan at totoo ang Aklat Ni Mormon. Alam ko na kung susunod tayo ng mga kautusan ng Diyos tapos magiging Christlike tayo. Sa pangalan ni Jesucristo, amen.

Mahal kita,

Elder Lewis