Another Successful Week

February 1, 2017

This past week has been very busy with meetings! Last Friday we had our Zone Conference. We watched the new missionary broadcast which was exciting! We have a few new changes here in our mission as well as worldwide. Our Key Indicators (lessons, FTE, new investigators, gators at sacrament, baptisms, referrals, etc) has been changed. Instead of 9 reported KIs we now only report 4. Our focus is now strictly on investigators. Our daily schedule also changed. That is a big thing BTW. We had a very strict schedule and now our schedule is centered around D&C 58:26-28. We normally leave at 12. Well now we leave at 10! Our P-days started at 10 a.m.;, well now they start at 8 a.m.! I get to email at 8 a.m. btw, so earlier emails!

I cannot explain all the changes that are happening in the schedule mainly because most people at home won’t understand the significance of them but rest assured it is a HUGE worldwide change in our daily activities. The prophet said that these changes in our work came from direct revelation, and was discussed for the past 6 months and is the Lords will.

Sister Bonnie Oscarson (Y.W General President) came as well! I got to shake her hand like I did with Bishop Wadel (Presiding Bishopric), Elder Haynie (70), Elder Bowen (70), Elder Ardern (70), and Elder Peirce (70). I've seen many other 70s and even Elder Russel M. Nelson but didn't get to shake their hands. Well Sister Oscarson was great! The story of her and her husband is very interesting! She was a mission president’s wife at age 25! Her husband was only 30. Their talks were rather quite great! I enjoyed them.

We had MLC last Monday and Tuesday. It was good again. We had loads of pizza and such. The meeting was pretty much discussing all that happened last Friday—all the changes, all the new implementations etc.

We have transfers next Tuesday. So I may have a new companion or area. But as far as I go, I have a new companion! His name is Elder Ulod. In English his name is Elder Worm haha! The medicine is a bunch of big pills.

We walked to an area the other day. Last December 1 there was a girl and her boyfriend that had a fight. A candle got knocked over and 300+ houses burned down. The area is smack dab in the middle of my proselytizing area but I have never wandered out there. I heard of the fire but no one I knew was involved so I put it aside until the other day we wandered there. At first I thought the place had been fire raided from a war but after a few questions to the locals I remembered. The sad thing is that all the people are squatters. The government gave no money to help the people. So think of 300 families, already dirt poor, having to start absolutely all over again! The kids were happy to see us though:) It was a bit of a sad sight to see. I honestly thought that this place was carpet bombed! The main job there is to make bulad (dried fish). They have this HUGE area set out just for sun baking these fishes. Thousands of little fishies at a time; it is rather quite a sight to see!

(The "Bombed" area)

(Just a part of the burned area and the kids of the burned area)

Rico came to church for his 4th time! We can check that one off now! We are still working on the faith first. It doesn't make sense to baptize a less active so we are working with him on that. A few other gators are doing good. Things are slowing down a bit though but rest assured things are still going great:)

I am doing good. No issues other than the one mentioned about. I do feel a bit nostalgic/ sad. All the people I was close to or knew in the mission are going home now. My sister batch went home last transfer but my Filipino sister batch goes home this week! A handful of friends take off as well:/ I guess that is what happens! Things only change and will only be changing! I hope all of you are doing good! Amping!