Letter of Love - Moving to Philippines Antipolo Mission

So James is officially moving to the Philippines Antipolo Mission as of tomorrow.  This past week, we received a wonderful note from President and Sister Davies.  I thought I would share it below:

Dear Missionary Family,
One of our beloved missionaries, Adam James Kilgore Dunyon, will complete him mission in the Philippines San Pablo Mission on July 1, 2019. He has been reassigned to Philippines Antipolo Mission. This email is being sent to the missionary's family as well as their priesthood leader.

Sister Davies and I want to thank you for sending us such a wonderful missionary to serve here in the Philippines San Pablo Mission. Elder Dunyon is a fine missionary who worked hard and served the Lord well. Elder Dunyon has been a distinguished, trustworthy, and obedient servant who has faithfully served here. We have been inspired by his willingness to learn and sacrifice for the growth of the kingdom. He has been greatly loved and respected by members and missionaries alike. We have seen great growth in him .

Elder Dunyon has learned and experienced much of what is good and will continue on the path that was started here in the Philippines San Pablo Mission. He has a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and will be a great asset in their new assignment.

When he returns to you, please convey the great love Sister Davies and I have for him .

Respectfully,
President Douglas K. Davies
Sister Barbara K. Davies
Philippines San Pablo Mission

I've updated the mission map and the mission address on the blog side bars.

Here is what we heard from James this week:

There were some really cool things that happened!! On exchanges on Tuesday, we went to a Iglesia ni cristo meeting because there was an investigator who is INC and this church is probably one of the weirdest ones ever. I SWEAR it is just like a business!! It was crazy and I tell you, everyone's eyes looked dead inside, like they really hated life! It was crazy!! Then through out this week we were able to meet with several of our progressing investigators and they are doing well! Just trying to get them to church. They couldn't this week because many of them were heading out of town or were busy. But not like the "busy" they actually were taking care of stuff like getting electricity to their house because hey have none!! Right now, We are excited for the Delos Santos family, the only issue is they need to be married first so we are working with that too!!! We also met this GOLDEN FAMILY!!! It is a husband an wife with 6 KIDS!!! and they were so accepting of us an want us to come back every Saturday!!  Hopefully they can keep growing and progress!!

Then bitter sweet is we left the San Pablo mission to the new Antipolo mission. There are already new changes. We have a meeting this Thursday with the mission president. District council is now on Tuesdays and transfers are now on Wednesdays we think!! So crazy!!! Other than that is was an alright week!!

Love Elder Dunyon

Onward Christian Soldiers...

So then my week went a little like this

Monday: Travel to San Pablo for Zone conference where we had a big meet up with a bunch of elders and played basketball!! That was so fun!!!

Tuesday: This was an amazing Zone conference put together. This was our final Zone conference President and Sister Davies. They gave us all of the stuff they normally give to the missionaries going home (the picture with the cases below) , so we are basically sent away now.  However, it helped inspire all of us to work with members and be the best we can be. We had a meeting afterward with our zone (those of us being transferred to the new mission) where President and Sister Davies had everyone crying. I am going to miss them so much!! They were an amazing support this whole first year of the mission. I ended up being really close to Sister Davies because of all the sicknesses I had. We sit there and joke about things when we are around each other and the other day she was telling stories about her dating life in college. It was awesome!! I will miss them so much, they were really another set of parents for me here!

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday...Straight.... PUNTED!!!!

This week seemed to be the week where everyone was out of town, busy no matter what time we went, and some people just told us, we don't want you to come back. So it was a long rough week. 
Friday: we had interviews with President and Sister Davies and that was our last time seeing them in person. We are sent away to a new mission, President, places, everything! But still the same work and we are all going to have fun and kill it!!!

Sunday was the highlight of the week. We had an amazing coordination meeting with the ward and they are so excited to help us with a new focus and to really help us find and invite those people to Christ. It was amazing!! We set plans for members to work and they have already worked with us. It was a great start to this new week and we are excited. Those with whom we are working are looking good so far, and hopefully in July they will be baptized.  And this week we actually received 10 referrals from the ward as well!! Things are really starting to go crazy...in a good way.

A spiritual thought this week is just about patience, which I had to have a lot of!! You will have those days, weeks, months even that are just down in the dumps, hard and you aren't sure what will happen. This where you need to work even harder, find something new, keep asking for Heavenly Father's help and do what he needs you to do!! As you do this, you will be able to see his plan for you and grow from it!! Fasting and prayer can help too 😉

Getting ready to move from the San Pablo Mission to the Antipolo Mission

James and President Davies

A member was going to cook this for us!! 

It's my birthday!!!

We had EXCHANGES!! Then on Wednesday, our branch president and his wife also have birthdays in June (actually a ton of members do) So they threw a birthday party at the church on Wednesday night for us!

It was a good week this week overall. We have put a big focus on trying to work with the members more and it just makes the work so much more fun! On Tuesday we had Exchanges, and we killed it in our area! We found several referrals and then received a ton more from the members working with us and the contacted referrals. We just needed to ask everyone!!! But Tuesday was such a good lesson filled day, and the people at that time, loved us coming by again!! We extended some baptismal goal dates and they were all excited to come to church.

Wednesday was a shorter day, had some meetings but still a great day and worked with members again! Then we had the birthday party for basically all the members that have birthdays in June. That was a blast.  Our branch president and his wife also have birthdays in June (actually a ton of members do) So they threw a birthday party at the church on Wednesday night for us!

Then Thursday we got punted from everywhere!!!! That was a rough day, same with Friday. But Friday was hard because that was the day a ton of our progressing people COMPLETELY REJECTED US. Some saw us and ran away and hid. Some said they don't want lessons anymore, and others just told us, PASS. Oh it hurt so bad to see them reject us. But we kept on going!

Saturday was a really good day though. We visited all the other people who we believed had potential. They were so excited to see and here the message. It was amazing!! There was one sister that we are teaching who was a referral, and she let us know that one of her children and her husband had passed away. We testified of the great and redemptive plan of the Savior where all families will be able to live together forever and be with one another again if they follow his gospel. She LOVED IT!!! She asked us "When can I be baptized?" and we were so happy to hear that!!! All she has to do is come to church 4 times, be converted to Christ and finish our lessons. She was so excited!!!

But then Comes Sunday. So I told you all about these other amazing people that were just anxious to come to church, yeah well..... No one came. Not a single one of out investigators, it stunk so much!!
I hurt it really did. Hopefully they can come next week!! We aren't giving up yet!! Some of those we are working with are Romanna Ramos, the Delos Santos family, Gloria Trinidad, Tedorico, Evaline, Brinette and Conrado.  Can all of you please keep them in your prayers?

Thought for this week:  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  If you are stuck, or down or having a hard time, try something new to get the spirits up. One of the best ways is to look toward the lord, he is always here for you!!! Keep moving forward and do something new, keep being the best you you can be!!

Love Elder James Dunyon

Charcoal mask!!!

What is Love??

This past week was some traveling and not as productive I would have liked.  We traveled to San Pablo for Zone Leader training meetings, which took a couple days.  Then, when we got back to our area, we had district council meetings, so that took a big chuck of the day as well.

Right now we are working with many of the members, who are doing great in helping with finding many former investigators and less active members who we can work with and teach.  It’s so great. One of the less active members, referred a friend of theirs, who turned out to be a former investigator.  She is so excited to learn and meet with us.  She had a desire to be baptized, so that great!!!  She then referred her cousin who we will start working with shortly.  It’s great how the Lord works to lead us to those whom he had prepared.

Junior, who we have been working with and was schedule for baptism this past Saturday, didn’t get baptized because he is going to be moving about an hour south of us.  We’ve made sure he knows the missionaries in that area, and plans on getting baptized when he gets there.  We were able to visit with some others, and just need to help them come to church.

So, kind of funny story…In church, we were in the young men’s class and they were talking aspects of missionary work and the teacher asked “what is love” and the young men sat there, stone faced and didn’t know how to answer.  The only thought that went through my head was the song…..and now you are all singing it….right!!!????

My thought this week comes from my reading in Jesus the Christ. I can't remember the scripture reference but, remember, even if the Lord takes time to answer prayer, pray continuously, He will answer. Have faith and know that He is there for you!! He wants to help, sometimes He just wants to see if you will always turn to him!

Sorry – no new pictures.  Maybe next week,
Love Elder James Dunyon

We're Marching on...Marching On...to a new mission

Well, it's official, I am in the Philippines Antipolo mission. Same area, and fun fact...I am the Zone leader going into the new mission. It doesn't officially move over to the new mission until July 1st, but everyone that is here now will be moved to the new mission. They created the Siniloan Zone for the mission split to make the transition easier, and yeah, made me a brand new zone leader!  The new boundaries are hard to explain but essentially the very north part of our mission and east of Manila, with a little bit of Manila. The new Mission president is President Alder.  I'm so excited to continue the work and get things moving in the new mission!!

Lets see, this week for me was a little rough to be honest.

Tuesday was a good solid day full of lessons and was actually really good!! Have quite a few new potentials for baptism if they can consistently come to church!! Then Wednesday was a decent day for the most part. That is where I found out about the new zone and Zone leader now so that was exciting! Then on Thursday through Saturday where kind of REALLY rough.

We got punted from every single appointment and OYM (open your mouth = talk to everyone) that we tried to do. We found next to on one, and only had two lessons in 3 days. It was rough. The bright side is though Tatay Junior is ready for baptism and will be baptized this Saturday!!! So that is really exciting!! He is so ready for baptism it is crazy cool!! And the branch is supportive of him!! He is really excited!

Some others with whom we are working, are moving along pretty well.  Their only issue is things coming up in their schedule so they aren't able to go to church. This last week there were Holiday parties and for some reason a TON of birthday parties as well. So, that is also why it was a little rough. Other than that it is normal missionary work. We have several baptisms now planned as well for July if they are able to again, come to church. So we see!!

I have a new favorite missionary scripture:  2 Nephi 11:4-7:

 4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.

5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.

6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.

7 For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time.

There will be times in your life where the adversary will try everything he can to get you to mess up. And sometimes, he will succeed. Try not to let him, but at the times he does, don't get discouraged. There are ways you can overcome, be better, and be the best you that you can be. Keep pushing forward and don't let the same things happen again! 

Love Elder James Dunyon

This is where we shower!!