Typhoons aren't so bad...

SO….the big typhoon here was next to nothing.  It didn't flood or anything near us and it was just raining and had a little bit of wind.  However, we still had to stay inside for most of the day, just to be safe. We did see on the news at a investigators house that it got really bad down in Bicol where it went straight through.  That’s where my companion is from, but all is good with his family.

When we finally were able to go out, it was about to be dark, so we ended up holding district council that ended up being really good for the district so it ended up being a really good day.
Then the next day we had trainer and trainee meeting with president Alder, and it was a great time!! Learned lots.  I had an interview with President and had a Boodle fight with the other missionaries (an all you can eat lunch where it is a TON of rice and you only eat with your hands). Then we had a good rest of the week!! 

A really fun story this past week…

We were able to make a new friend and investigator by playing chess with him, and we just talked the whole time, shared a small lesson during the game and this brother, Rod, just opened right up to us. At first, he said "I am good with my religion, I have tried many others and am not looking to change." But by the end of our time together he said "I am not looking to change my religion, but I am willing to listen and I am open to your teachings, I am just leaving it open right now".  Rod is mid 40s or 50s, he doesn't say his age because he "stopped counting at 25" But he is a great man and I can just see him as a future bishop!!

Then this is the story of the Santellises Family. 

Wednesday night we were redirected all night long trying to find a way to get that first down. Our previous ITAs that we were trying to visit were no home. Luckily, I followed a prompting before we left and I wrote down a bunch of part member names around a certain area, so we sent out trying to find them. We were trying to find house number on this Long Road but no one seemed to know where it was! We circled the area for 1-2 hours and we could not find anyone we had written down, and no one wanted to hear the Lords restored gospel (night time changes people). There came a point where I was just frustrated because I had been hit with garbage, chased by dogs, yelled at, and just had been walking in circles the whole time. I sat down on a curb with my companion, trying to be happy because I DO NOT WANT TO BE ANGRY, there is no reason to be angry, sad, or anything like that in the Lords work. So, I said a prayer asking for the Lords help to guide me and to allow my anger to wash away. A strong peaceful feeling came over me, and I felt better, but still didn't know what to do. After another minute I realized/heard a small thought pop into my head, "try the first road you went down again". So, I got up and told elder, let’s go try this road again. At first, he was like why? but we soon realized why. The first person on the street we met was this amazingly nice sister who tried to help us find this household, asking everyone around if they knew this house. We ended up still not finding the house, but as we talked about what we are doing here as missionaries, she said we could share a message with her, and gave us her address for a future date. When we go back to her, we taught her, her husband and her 19-year-old son who were all extremely receptive to the message.  Here is a picture of him and his litter sister.

The Lord really does want to give all of us blessings, just make sure the you are always doing the right thing, and if you are not, REPENT as soon as you can to get those blessings, and you can gain His love again in your life!!

Updates on the other individuals we are working with –

John-drew can still make his date of December 28th for baptism, but he didn't come to church this last week which is cutting it really close, so we might have to push it to January. Rayden, has disappeared. He recently got a job and is now busy and we can only visit Saturdays or Sundays and sometimes he isn't there.  We are still working hard for them, trying to work really well with the members too, because we really do feel that is the way to help this area. We planned the Ward Mission Plan with the ward council and we are all really hoping to start out this next year great!!

That’s about it.  Love you all,
Elder James Dunyon

Here is a burger and a mango shake place we found!!!  It was sooo good!!!!