The Death of the Demon Rat

We had another good week in EM Magalona.  Elder Stagg and I are continuing to learn much from each other are enjoying the opportunity to share the gospel.

On Tuesday of last week, I went on exchanges with Elder Mifflin in Bacolod Third Ward.  It was a good experience and I was able to learn a lot from the way they run their area.  Most especially how they plan and carry out their plans to baptize every week.  When Elder Galanza explained the 3-filter system of planning with investigators in the MLC wasn't completely clear.  The benefit of being able to go on exchanges with them, so they can clarify some of their trainings.  The thing I really took from the experience and would like to apply in our area is the way they follow up with their investigators reading the Book of Mormon,.  It was interesting to see how excited their investigators were to share what they had learned fro their study.  Elder Mifflin said that for most of their lessons, the follow-up takes the most time.

We were able to have quite a few investigators at sacrament meeting again, and we were able to have our baptism and another baptismal interview. Everything is setting up well for us to be able to achieve the weekly baptisms all throughout June.  Elder Stagg and I are very excited for the progress and the work in EB Magalona.  One thing that has been a little frustrating is having referrals fall though.  We will show up and for one reason or the other, people can't listen to us.  Then when we come back for a return appointment, they aren't there or something else happened.  But we will continue to try to find new people!

Update on the rat saga!  Wednesday night we rigged the trap perfect so he would walk right into it.  He did, and half of his face was stuck in the trap.  We left him in there to die because we didn't know how to kill him.  Elder Stagg said we should take care of it in the morning, but when we woke up the next morning he was gone.  This thing is a demon!  I was in the shower on Thursday when I heard a scream.  I got out (shampoo in my hair and all) and Elder Stagg is standing on our counter.  He is freaking out and said the rat crawled on his leg while he was writing in his journal.  Anyways, the rat was in our room and I told Elder Stagg to shut the door because it was going to end tonight!  I get out of the shower, just in my towel, holding a butcher's knife and bug spray and locked myself in the room with the rat. I am literally spraying this rat with bug spray and taking swipes at it with the butcher knife (I have video of it), but to no avail.  This thing will not die.  Finally, I just attack it with a bucket and our dust pan.  After a couple of minutes of the craziest adrenaline rush ever, I get it in the bucket.  SUCCESS!  The only problem was we didn't know how to kill it.  It was underneath an upside down bucket and we were debating how to kill this demon.  We decided to drown it and Elder Stagg did the honors.  We walked back inside and what did we see--another rat!  This one is significantly smaller, but still a rat.  We have not yet succeeded in killing it!

Elder Stagg is doing great.  He is gaining confidence in every lesson and is getting very good at the language.  I am loving training one of my best friends.  It's so great because whenever one of us does something to the other, we just punch each other!  Like yesterday, Elder Stagg poured water down my back while I was studying and I squared up and hit him in the sternum.  With Filipinos or other Americans, you can't do that because they will get butt hurt.  We know each other's personalities, so it's not a problem.

We are being exactly obedient and we are seriously seeing the blessings of it.  Our investigators are coming to church and we can even see the blessings happening in our families.  The Lord blesses all aspects of our lives when we do what is asked!

Cole and Elder Mifflin

The Demon Rat

Myke Judiels Martonia's Baptism (Elder Stagg's First)

I Am In The Philippines

This week was great.  We started it off with Election Monday.  Elections are crazy here in the Philippines so President made all the missionaries be in their houses at 4 p.m.  It didn't really affect me because we had our MLC at the mission home.  Elder Stagg went to Bata with another elder whose companion is the other zone leader.

Elder Stagg and I worked hard and were obedient, and we were able to see the blessings yesterday at sacrament meeting.  We had eight investigators at church.  It was such a good surprise and there was even a teenager who we had never met before, but just said he came because his friend invited him. That was good enough for me and we were able to get an appointment scheduled with him for next week.  The bummer part of the week is that our new investigators section was a little low, even though we were able to contact two families who were referrals.  One of the families said we could come back another day and then sent us a text that they would rather not take the lessons from us.  another family was excited to take the lessons, but the father had been drinking and there was alcohol flowing at the house.  We scheduled an appointment next Sunday and committed the brother to not drink so he would more fully understand our message.  He committed, so we will see how that goes!

Elder Stagg is doing great.  He has such a strong testimony and desire to share the gospel.  He is probably more determined to learn the language than any other missionary ever!  He recently has committed to only speaking Illongo outside of the house.  He gave a great talk in sacrament meeting yesterday in straight Illongo.  I know our investigators feel and understand all his words.  It's interesting watching the investigators when he is struggling to get through a sentence.  Even if the Illongo is rough, the investigators are almost rooting for him to succeed.  It's really hard to explain, but very cool to watch his progression.  We really went in depth in our study of how to teach the restoration this week.  I think we spent one day on each topic so that we knew how to teach it and how to help people understand it.  It is such an honor to be able to preach this great gospel with one of my good friends.

The best part of our week was our last lesson.  We had pretty much finished up with an investigator family when the dad comes staggering in.  Absolutely PLASTERED--probably five or six shots passed wasted!  he was swerving around like he was on a row boat in the middle of a hurricane.  He goes on to tell us how ugly he thinks his family is and is like yelling at Elder Stagg saying he is way too handsome and needs to be careful because someone might try and steal him because he is handsome!  All this was in Illongo, by the way.  I understood it all, which means my language skills are getting much better! Elder Stagg couldn't understand a single word.  He kept asking me why the guys was yelling at him.  It was so priceless!  We both took our entire journal entry to talk about that!  Haha!  Anyways, whenever anything happens here, we just say six simple words that explains it all -- I AM IN THE PHILIPPINES! That is just all it comes down to.  The cool thing was that even though he was hammered, Elder Stagg and I both saw what he would look like as a worthy priesthood holder.

Anyways, it was a great week!  I love preaching the gospel!  Hope you enjoy the pics!

Beautiful scenery--gross mucky water!

Bacolod Mission Leadership - May 2013

Our Zone - May 2013

New Trainee

We just found out the transfers and I am staying in EB Magalona.  I am being moved to Zone Leader 1 and I am training again.  I think you might know my new companion--Elder Devin Stagg!!!!

The Good/Not So Good Week

I am going to preface this with I am not sure whether this week was a good week or a bad week.  There were a lot of things that happened that would swing it either way!  You can read this and decide for yourself, but I had mixed emotions about it.

To start off, I was under the impression that the Ugyonan Festival was over on Sunday.  Wrong--Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were the highlight days!  We taught a combined total of three lessons those three days.  I was so frustrated and ready to tear some heads off on Wednesday.  There were so many people everywhere we went.  I heard the phrase "Hey Joe" 47 times on Wednesday alone.  I counted because I just wanted to see how high it would get.  I wish I could say if didn't effect me, and I wish I could say I wasn't angry those three days, but I am an extremely impatient person and I was pretty heated.

One of the highlights this week was the lessons we were able to teach to Brother and Sister Antonano.  I could not have given this man less of a chance to progress when we first met him.  However, I have never had more spiritual lessons than I have had with those two.  This week we taught about the Book of Mormon and then about the Word of Wisdom.  This man has been so prepared that it almost seems a little too good to be true.  He prayed after our lesson and I started crying--and I hate crying in front of people!!!  I just couldn't hold it in.  He is so sincere about finding what is true as far as religion, and when he was praying I felt like it was holy ground.  I felt that he knew he was asking his Father for help on what he should do.  He came to church and said he believes everything we are teaching is true.  I don't care what else I do on my mission, if this man gets baptized, my mission will be a success!  It was a great experience.

Another good thing that happened is that we found two new families to teach--which means lots of new investigators.  We just need to get them to come to church!

Transfers are this week, so I will let you know if anything happens to us.  Love you all!

Cole and the Antonano family

President's Training

This week was a good one for us.  We started the week off with President's Training at the mission home.  It is always fun to go there.  We always have one-on-one interviews with President Lopez and he is always in tune with the Spirit to know exactly what I need to talk about.

We were able to have the baptism for Sister Gloria Bolivar.  It was good because it finished the family, at least the ones who are old enough to be baptized!  The best part was that her husband was the one who was able to baptize her.  He is our recent convert of only about 3 1/2 weeks.  We were reviewing the baptismal prayer with him and he was so nervous, but he had it memorized when the baptism came around and it went perfect.  He didn't even need the paper copy we made for him to read if he forgot it.

This week we went on exchanges again.  I went with Elder Fernando in Manta-angan.  He is a very sharp missionary.  He is really trying to learn the language.  Even when people would speak Tagalog to him (and a lot did), he would always reply in what Illongo he knows.

The tough part about the last couple of days here in EB Magalona is that they are having the annual Ugyunan Festival.  It is a lot bigger than I was expecting it to be.  They had live bands every night, so it was really hard to sleep.  Also, with the festival going on, nobody is at their homes.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we were able to teach a couple of people, but the rest of the days we went to EVERY single person we planned for.  That usually doesn't happen.  We usually run out of time in the day way before we run out of people in our planner.  I am continually reminded about how badly I need to learn patience!

So it is close to the end of the month, which means our support money is running thin.  Saturday our gas ran out, so we couldn't cook anything. It costs us each 600 pesos to refill it.  Right now I have a little bit over 40 pesos (less than a dollar) cash to last me until the 2nd, when support gets reloaded.  We have eaten Uga (little dried fish) for the last three days because it's only 5 pesos for three little fish.  It is disgusting, but you do what you have to do!  I will send a picture of it.  You don't taste the fishy taste if you drench it in vinegar!!! I have some support on my mission credit card that I haven't withdrawn, so I will be able to buy some chicken today when we go to the market in Silay because they take cards. There aren't any ATMs in EB Magalona.

Saturday was National Service Day in the Philippines, so we went to a park and pulled weeds as a ward.  I remember how much I hate doing that!  It is way better in St. George though, because even though it is hot you don't sweat as much.  My shirt was drenched by the end of the day.  Now I have a weird skin rash that is spreading all over my body.  I don't really know what it is, but they are little red patches that are swelled up and itch like crazy!  I am supposed to go see the dermatologist today, so I will be fine.

Just so you know, I hate not playing baseball!  I am going crazy.  I bought a tennis ball and I just throw it against the wall in our house to work on my hands.  I also found a bamboo stick that is almost the perfect length for a bat.  I took that to our apartment and swing it all the time.  I have quite the imagination. I have hit a walk-off homerun in the college world series about twenty times now, so when it actually happens my homerun trot will be flawless!

At the end of this week, I will have less than 14 months left!  I am hoping the time will continue to go by fast.  It has been a good transfer as far as that is concerned.  That is one of the many reasons why I don't want either of us to transfer.  We aren't best friends, but the time goes by fast and I don't hate him, so that's good!

Anyways, I love you guys so much!  Have a great week!

Teaching at President's Training

Uga

Food--One of the best things about going to the mission home!

Great Lesson Learned

This week was another busy week with exchanges.  On Wednesday, we went with the Bata Elders.  I went to Bata with Elder May. It was a good day.

The rest of the week was busy.  We had good success finding new people to teach.  We also have a baptism coming up this next week--Sister Gloria Bolivar.  Her husband was baptized two weeks ago, but she waited because she wasn't ready.  Now she feels all her fears are gone and she is ready.  Her husband just received the priesthood, so he will be able to baptize her this Friday.  I am very excited, as this will be my first complete family baptism.

So I learned a good lesson this week.  Two weeks ago we took a journey to Panoasawan.  It is a half hour away from our church, so we rarely go there. We had a referral, so we went and met this guy (Brother Antonano) who lives on the beach.  He is a fisherman and didn't seem too interested in anything we were saying.  He was watching tv while we were trying to talk to him and seemed to be annoyed.  His daughter moved to Manilla and married a return missionary in the temple.  She wanted her parents to start taking the lessons, so we left a pamphlet with him and scheduled a return appointment for the next Friday.  So that Friday comes up and we had a conflict with another appointment.  We decided that guy wasn't really interested and lived so far away that it would be tough for him to progress and come to church.  We went to the other family instead.  That Sunday we show up to the church and he (Brother Antonano) is there waiting to go to Talisay with us to General Conference.  He was holding the pamphlet we gave him and told us he had waited four hours for us on Friday and we never showed up, so that morning he got on his motorcycle (that we didn't know he had--takes care of the getting to church issue) and comes to church--white shirt and all.  I felt like absolute crap and wanted to beat myself up!  Anyways, he doesn't speak English and the talks at conference were all in English.  We went to visit him on Tuesday, but his wife said he wasn't there.  I was thinking, great--we blew it!  Anyways, we go back on Friday and he is there waiting, still holding the Restoration pamphlet.  He told us he had read it all and wanted us to tell him about Joseph Smith. We taught Lesson 1 to the man and he told us he was a Jehovah's Witness and didn't want to be baptized, just wanted to investigate. Well, he showed up again to church on Sunday.  I cannot believe that even though my faith is weak, Heavenly Father has given me such a great blessing!  We are planning on visiting him again tomorrow and will try to give him a baptismal date.  His wife listens too, but has diabetes and had her leg amputated, so she said she will never come to church.  I told her I would carry her on my back to church if she would come.  She laughed and said she would think about it!  I could use your prayers for this one.  I feel like this man has been prepared by the Lord and I don't want to screw it up!

We have bought the heaviest-duty mouse traps that we could find in Bacolod, but we still haven't caught the rat.  This thing eats the food without setting off the trap.  It is unbelievable!  I feel like I am being outsmarted by a freaking rodent!!!  Do you understand what a shot that is to my pride?? It's a big one! As of now, he hasn't tried getting in my bed again.

I met our neighbor and his wife this morning.  They are very nice people, but I don't know if I will ever be able to look at them or talk to them again!  I told you we had to shower outside, didn't I?  Well, I had heard that the neighbors sometimes get on their roof to pick mangoes off their tree.  So I was washing my hair and I hear what sounds like footsteps on their roof.  I have soap all over my face, so I don't know what to do.  I'm just thinking, there is no way this is happening right now because from the roof you can see right into our shower!  Anyways, I dip the scooper and pour water down right as they turn around and see me . . . both of them . . . and I am buck naked!  It was probably the most embarassing moment of my life!  I figured if I made a big deal out of it, it would just be worse, so I just said "kamusta" (how are you) and kept showering.  They turned around and continued picking mangoes as if nothing happened!  Man, you gotta love Filipinos!  Elder Baladad was dying when I was telling him.  He said it happened to his last companion too, except that he went running in the house.  I don't know who handled it better, but chalk it up for experience!

I love you guys tons!

Elder Baladad and Cole

Bolivar Family

Study Time

General Conference

What a wonderful two days of General Conference.  It is like the Superbowl for missionaries!  The whole week you want to focus on the work, but in the back of your mind you know that this weekend will be something different. I need to say that now that I am a missionary, General Conference means a little more to me.  I never fully understood the concept and blessings of having living apostles and prophets until I got on my mission.  I have seen just how lost some people can become without the guidance of our Lord through his prophets.  I may be a little bias since he is from St. George, but Elder Holland is by far one of the most powerful speakers I have  heard.  It was impossible for me to take my eyes off him while he was speaking!  That is the type of missionary I want to become.  The one where after I leave the house, the people just sit there wondering what they just witnessed (except I will be sure to teach for understanding!!!)  Anyways, let's just say I am spending some of my email time rewatching that particular talk.

This week was good.  The first couple of days were rough.  With such a big area, you need to plan by area to make sure you use your time wisely.  Then when you plan for an area and get "punted" four times, it makes filling an hour or two pretty difficult.  We were able to make do with what we had though.  Even if we threw out the plan and just winged it.

On Wednesday, we had exchanges and Elder Cannon came with me.  My limited knowledge of the area was evident and we finally had to call it a day at 8 pm because I had absolutely no idea where to go.  We had exhausted the people in the area that I knew and didn't know what to do.  We tried OYM at the park, but that was going nowhere because of the Barangay Basketball games.  We called it a  night a little bit early!  Elder Cannon is a great missionary.  He is still struggling with the language, but I tried my best to help him with some tips that helped me.  Honestly, the only real thing that has helped me is reading the Book of Mormon in Hiligaynon and speaking the language as much as possible.  He is doing a good job training Elder Fernando and they are both being obedient.  He admitted that sometimes they fall short on the exact obedience, but then we had a good talk about the atonement and how that makes up for the little part as long as we are trying our best.  I was impressed with him and can see him as a future leader in the mission.

While we were doing our companionship study, I had a little revelation.  We were reading from PMG page 105, paragraph 2 when it talks about the real purpose of the Book of Mormon.  It's main purpose is to testify about the Bible that Jesus is the Christ.  This lead me to think about a different way of introducing the Book of Mormon.  Elder Cannon and I practiced and I am very excited to try using it in an actual situation.  In this way I want to focus more on how the Book of Mormon testifies of the Bible and Christ, and less on the Nephites/Lamanites and Joseph Smith.  After I tell them what the Book of Mormon does, I will try to show them what it means if it is true.  The I will introduce Joseph Smith.  I am hoping that it will give people a greater desire to read it as a testimony to Christ.  We will see.

Friday we walked probably a little over 10 kilometers . . . that sucked!  I was so tired and was so ready for bed.  I was sleeping great until 4:11 am.  Why that specific time?  That was the time my buddy (who happens to be about a foot long rat) decided to come in and try snuggling with me.  I woke up when he got on my stomach.  I freaked out and swatted him with my hand.  He flew against the wall, squeaked, and ran out of the room.  Needless to say, I couldn't sleep the rest of the night.

I met someone who knows Dad.  I know her as Sister Polatis, but I am pretty sure Dad knows her as either Bruce or Todd's assistant.  She worked in their office.  I am sending a picture of me and her.  She recognized Dad's picture, so he may recognize her.

Saturday night it rained so hard.  It hasn't rained forever, so I was loving falling asleep to the rain.  Anyways, our house flooded.  Our area book was soaking wet, Dad's present got ruined, and just about everything else that was on floor level was trashed.  Conference was later that day, so it was all good.  All the stuff that was wet can be replaced.  I would take a flooded house over a rat the size of a cat any day!

My proslyting shoes got another hole in them, but this time it also put a hole in my sock.  Instead of continuing to wear those shoes and have to buy new shoes and socks, I decided to take one for the team and proslyte in flip flops!  It was so great!!!!  It is also one of the items on my mission bucket list. I repented and promised Heavenly Father I will only do it out necessity like this week.  I can't go to the mall which is an hour away in the middle of the week.  I will send a picture.

I love you guys so much and hope you have a great week!

Sister Polatis and Cole

Sporting the flip flops!