Transfer to EB Magalona

This week seemed pretty long.  Transfer weeks are always the longest weeks of the transfer and things were a little bit more crazy as this was the first time I have transferred areas in my mission.  Anyways, I am thankful to be able to serve in EB Magalona and to be a zone leader again.  The thing that shocked me with this area is how big it is.  It is north of Bacolod by about an hour's drive.  My area has 10 barangays (a barangay is like the size of our ward boundaries), but it is all one ward with about 135 active members.  I have a beach in my area, but I haven't gone there yet.  I will be sure to take plenty of photos.

My new companion is Elder Baladad.  He goes home in June and is super "trunky".  He is also a little on the disobedient side.  When I say a little, I mean kinda a lot.  I still keep the rules that I can by myself, but I haven't had a companion study yet and stuff like that.  He just sleeps in, doesn't do studies and likes to hang out at people's houses.  It's tough for me because I don't know the area, so I can't say, "Hey, let's go here."  I am doing my best to set the good example, but we will have some issues if he tries to make me break any major rules, like watching movies in the apartment.  Yes, he used to do that all the time with his old companion!  I could really use your guys' help with prayers on how to handle this situation.  I really like him a lot though!  He is really funny, but the disobedience is going to get really old, really quick!  I am a missionary, NOT a babysitter.

My apartment is interesting.  I had been living in the celestial kingdom, and now I have been moved to the telestial!  It's all part of the experience though! At least, that is what I am telling myself and why I am having a good attitude about it.  It is good to experience these things, because now no matter what mine and Melissa's first couple of apartments look like, it has to be better than this!

We contacted a family this week that was a referral.  They have three kids, so if they progress to baptism, that will be five new members!  Their date is on May 4.  They didn't come to church yesterday because they didn't know what to wear.  Big mistake on mine and Elder Baladad's part not to cover that with them.  We felt like idiots when we followed up yesterday and that was the reason they gave.  I'm sure that is a mistake that we will not make again! Anyways, the father had been taught before by the missionaries and stopped because the missionaries were "white washed" and non one came back to visit them.  He said he really liked the things he saw and heard of our church and said he wants his family to listen to us!  I am very excited and I will keep you updated on their status throughout the transfer.  Hopefully this will be the first family I am able to baptize on my mission.  That is something I have been praying for for a long time now.

We have 13 baptisms planned for this transfer--including 3 families!  I am so excited and I am praying that they all progress to baptism!  I can see that even though the last elders were disobedient here, they are good at teaching.  It makes me wonder the types of things they could have accomplished had they actually been obedient!

I love you guys tons!

My new shower.  The pillow is the water filter!