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!
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| Elder Baladad and Cole |
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| Bolivar Family |
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| Study Time |
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