Week 68 - November 21, 2016

From: Jordan Mark Merrill <merrill.j@myldsmail.net>
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2016 11:21 PM
To: Lauri Merrill
Subject:

Hello:) Maray na hapon po saindro lahat! Well we are now in week 2 of the new transfer and I’ve been with my new comp for about a week now. His name is Elder Casingal, he’s from Pangisinan. So far were getting along great and we’ve been working hard. :) He’s batch with my trainee, Elder Caranzo, and they became comps in Masbate for a short time so we have a lot to talk about. We are still the only 2 in Malilipot and I’m still the DL for our District. Nothing too new is happening but we have been tracting every day and ya it’s a little tougher than usual. We’re focusing on the closer points to the apartment and also the active members and they are all the hard headed... but if you make tracting fun it’s not so bad. Sometimes we try super hard to talk to the people that have 0% desire to talk and it drives them crazy. Or we like to see how many times they say they are busy when really they are sitting in a chair smoking. Just stuff like that you’re like, do you not have 10 minutes for your salvation?! Bahala ka dyan boy. But of course we occasionally see some fruits. We have a couple new investigators and hopefully we keep it up. A little less happy part of our week was that the other day one of our most progressing investigators told us she was moving away to an island so were like ... crap. But it’s all good. Another less-less happy part was the leader of our group (if you didn’t know our area is split, we have our chapel, then a separate set of members basically in the jungle, we need to walk for about an hour to have the sacrament there), but the priesthood leader of the group died while on a short trip to Manila. We had to wait 5 days for his body to be shipped here then we had a special funeral service down in the group. A lot of members and nonmembers attended. It was a little different then how we do it, that’s for sure. So anyway, it’s been pounding with rain every day and I haven’t had a day where I can put on a dry pair of shoes so my feet don’t smell the best right now. ;) This week Malilipot branch had its Primary program and 4 kids were able to participate which was super fun. They all had a pretty decent part they needed to memorize in English, so it was funny! They testified of "A true living modern day prophet, Joseph Smith" we all had a good giggle. :) Well I think that about sums up my week so far! Just remember ya'll, don’t forget to read your scriptures, count your blessings everyday (really helps) and magsisi palagi. :) 

**Elder Merrill**

They dig a big pit and light a slow fire to dry out the husked coconuts so they can use them to cook.

Ya, that’s a skinned bat :) and no we did not eat the it, ha-ha.