Day 481 Can-Avid, Borongan Zone, Philippines

Dearest family,

First of all, way to go Jared! It's awesome that he has continued to stick with soccer after all these years of practice. :)

We’ve had a lot of success this week in our area. We started off on a good note with all the members and showed them that we are hard working so they trust us and give us referrals. Apparently the elders here before were lazy and only taught little children. They didn’t have a lot of success because they worked in the poor areas without members. We see a lot of potential in this area. The leaders are great and organized and willing to help us in any way we ask. Members have worked with us daily to help us find educated adult investigators and their families.

President Maurer is helping the missionaries become more accountable. Every week we report how many OYM (Open Your Mouth), and if we did our studies daily. I like reporting how many OYM i have in a week because it reminds me of how Cebu Mission functioned. While i was reassigned there, we would count our OYMs daily and it really helped to give a daily reminder of how i need to open my mouth to everyone i see. The more I OYM, the more i feel the missionary spirit. I want this to be a habit that i carry throughout the rest of my life.

I love teaching with Sister Chu. We teach equally, but she speaks mostly English with whatever Waray2x words she knows. I’m impressed with how well she knows the doctrine despite only 4 years a member. I can tell she really studies the scriptures and is a deep thinker. The people here absolutely adore her and so do I. I feel like she’s exactly what I need to be more refined and to keep progressing in the mission. I have to be a good example. As a trainer, I feel like all my weaknesses are under the microscope. One mess-up and it’s quickly pointed out.

To answer your questions (bullet points nala):

-Yeah our General Conference is a week later than America. We will travel to the church in Borongan and stay for the weekend.

-Can-Avid group is a part of the Dolores Branch, which is about 15-20 minutes north of our apartment. The branch presidency presides over our church service which is two hours: sacrament then Sunday School. We meet in someone's garage/shed. Once a month we attend with the Branch for testimony meeting.

-Tacloban Mission is a mix of stakes and districts. Sister Robidillo is from Tolosa District, so the mission president is in charge of the districts and does the releasing. Borongan is a district. Carigara, Catarman, Tacloban, and Ormoc are the only stakes.

-I feel like the mission is completely different from how it was before the typhoon. The typhoon wiped out all the disobedience and President Maurer is incredible and has high expectations and knows how to organize and administer. Honestly, after I came back from Cebu it was hard to go back to the laidback feel of this mission, but things have changed leaps and bounds just in the attitude of the missionaries. There is more accountabililty and the rules are rewritten to be more clearly understood. The mission chose a theme: Conversion. President has started a training program for the mission. Each 6 months there is a different subtopic of conversion. Right now it is consecration. Then each month we focus on how to be more consecrated, so this month is Obedience.

-I LOVE THIS AREA! It reminds me a lot of Allen but younger leadership (President is 25) and the people are more open because this area hasn't been exposed much to missionaries. Just this week alone we contacted 21 referrals! And members worked with us every day!

Cool story: So we were teaching a member's father for the first time about the first lesson (Restoration). He was pretty receptive and had good questions so we were focused on the father and didn't notice much else going around us. We were teaching outside in the front yard. Towards the end of the lesson, we asked if he had any more questions. Then we noticed a 22-year old student stand up from where he had been sitting just around the corner and he came to sit next to the father directly infront of us. Apparently, he had been listening the whole time! He put his hands on the table and then spoke (in fluent English!!! I was so shocked). He basically said, "So let me get this straight. . . " He then related what we told him about the Restoration and then exclaimed that this Church has to be true, especially since we actually invite people to study and pray. He told us of his search for the true church; he has tried church after church with little result. Then in this first lesson with us, he really felt the Spirit and can't wait to read the Book of Mormon! And he has a relative who is a member! The whole time he spoke, it helped me renew my own testimony about how true this church is and why I decided to go on a mission. I swear, missions are more for missionaries than for anyone else. Missions aren't about us, but in the end, it all comes back to us too.

Random: WE HAVE A MICROWAVE!!! (I've only seen a microwave in the mission home.) Yes the supplies came this week. ;)


Love always,
Sister Amanda Smith