February 8, 2011
Family,
How are you all doing? Things are good here. I'm really sorry my email didn't go through last week. That’s too bad.
Well I am now officially a legal alien here in the Philippines! Yesterday all of the Americans in the mission that have been here less than a year went to the mission office and got our visas renewed. We got finger printed and got our picture taken and all that good stuff. So it’s official, I can stay here!... for another year and a half anyways.
Teaching has been going well. My language has progressed in such a way that I can teach all of the lessons. Some better than others, but I can get the message across in all of them. In a general conversation I can understand most of it, especially if it is about the gospel. Sometimes I still get lost when they are talking about specific topics that I haven't learned the vocabulary for yet, but that is getting more and more rare. I am so grateful for the gift of tongues. I fasted for that last Sunday, and on Monday I was able to learn vocabulary extremely fast. Last week I was teaching at a member’s house and the member told me to relax because I was talking too fast. So that is a good thing as well. I am learning more and more ways to say things, and it is getting easier and easier to express myself. I still struggle to express my feelings, but that is often hard in English too.
We have 4 investigators with a baptismal date! Kesha - 10 and Filip - 11 Lanya, siblings of inactive parents who have been coming to church with their cousins, so they have a good support system. Their date is for February 19, but I’m not sure if that gives us enough time to teach them everything in the lessons. It will be close. Then Johnly and Angel have a baptismal date for the 5th of March, but transfer day is the 4th, so hopefully we don’t transfer. Johnly has now had all of the lessons and just needs to get to church 4 times in a row. Angel is the daughter of inactive parents who live right next to the church. Her mom has been coming for the last 3 weeks now. She has really bad arthritis in her right foot and has a really hard time walking. And she walks really really slow. There is a hill between their house and the church, so she has to get a ride up it to get there. But the ward has been helping her to church and now she comes every week!
We found another investigator, Margie, who is progressing well. She prayed and felt calm and happy and that our message is true. We invited here to church last Sunday and eventually she said yes. We went to her house before church as planned to bring her, but she wasn't there. Her baby had gotten sick and she was away buying medicine. That’s too bad. We also have a recent convert who has a 20 year old son who has been coming to church, but we haven't been able to teach him yet because of our schedule. We just have no time yet. We are trying to figure out how to fit him in. He is a really good candidate for baptism and has questions and wants to learn. I just wish we had more time in a day. There is too much work to do!
Well I better go before I run out of time or talk your ear off, or both.
I love you all! Thank you for your prayers. They are helpful. I have felt the spirit more in my lessons and can feel the Lord guiding my words and leading me to the scriptures that the investigators and members need.
Salamat kaayo sa tanan sa inyong mga pagampo! Malipayon kaayo ko diri. Nagkat-on ko daghan matag adlaw. Salamat gayud!
Love,
Elder Schenk
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