Jana and Jericho got baptized

Jana and Jericho got baptized this week!!!!  Here’s a picture of the entire family.  It was so AWESOME!!!! Jana is doing amazing!! Is a ward missionary, going to institute, choir practice, Mission Prep!!!!

We met a friend of a member this week who is really interested in the message too! We felt that we should visit a member family that just came back from vacation and we haven't seen a ton. When we went to their house, the mom was outside cleaning up the yard and she was excited and happy to see us. She said that her son had friends over and we should share a message with them!! So, we head on into the house and start chatting with a group of 5 teenagers and invite them to hear a message.
All of them, except for one, were actually heading out as we were showing up, but the one, Jeff is his name, stayed and was willing to listen. We shared about Christ' visit to America and he was blown away! He never thought that Christ had visited other places and was more than excited to read the Book of Mormon.

Then…..Jeff came to church today with his friend Daryl, they are friends of a member and they had a great time!! Jeff was so receptive, asking and answering questions in class!
We also met tons of new families as well this week as the Lord help us change a little what we are doing! We will keep you updated on how they are doing next week because they are all still new, but they were super nice, receptive, and willing to read the book of Mormon!!

We also had zone conference this week and it was pretty good. The mission is starting to roll things out that are brand new to everyone else, but are some of the things we did in the San Pablo Mission, so we are on an uphill now and hoping to get even better!!








We also have been able to teach our Bishops friend Fidel! He has his own water business, is really busy, but really nice and willing to listen. He doesn't have a current religion but has gone to just about every church. We shared about the Book of Mormon and he was willing to read it. The one thing is though, all the answers to his questions, he wants from the scriptures. And we are more than happy to help him with that. This last week has been such a blast in amping up my knowledge of the Book of Mormon along with the Bible and truly making them "one in hand".

D&C 42:12 “And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fullness of the gospel."

Throughout my mission, I have really tried to use the book of Mormon at all times and to answer all questions so I love this challenge that is placed before me to do even more research and further that understanding. The goal that I would love to hit, is making all my words and lessons, straight from scripture, so they aren't my words, but words of the prophets and the Lord

Quick update on the volcano - Volcano is nothing of big importance right now. It is still on alert level 4 I think, which means that It is going to erupt, level 5 is erupting, so people aren't allowed to go close to the volcano.  Back in the 70s, the volcano was on alert level 4 for 6 months.  No more ash fallout here, just chilling on the streets in piles though, but it looks just like regular piles of dirt they leave everywhere too so it doesn't make much of a difference.

So yesterday morning, when we woke up, we walk outside and we see this GIANT HOLY BIBLE FLOAT!!! There is a Born-again church right next to our house and they were having a blast with their drums, and yea, that was the first thing we saw yesterday morning!! Here is a picture of that!










Spiritual thought goes along with the challenge given to us from President Nelson in General conference.

As he had challenged us in conference, to study the first vision and ponder the restoration, we, as missionaries, have also been challenged to read another assignment given by Elder Cook.  It is to read 3 Nephi 11 and find how this chapter relates to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I started to read over Lesson 3 in preach my gospel, Joseph Smith History, and 3 Nephi and started to realize the connection of all the things I was reading. The things the Savior taught to the Nephites in America was the fullness of the gospel, which was restored through the book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith. Without the restoration, we would not have these simple truths, and the fullness of the gospel to guide us and direct us closer to God. I and my district leader are trying to go through the Saviors visit in America and see if he has reference to all 42 principles of the gospel which are listed in Preach my Gospel. So, we are really excited to further our understanding of it!!!

 

Typical intersection 

Sunset from my appartment

Sunset and laundry

Love Elder James Dunyon

Volcano's

First – we received the below from James’ Mission President:

The Taal Volcano, located in the Philippines but not in our mission, erupted on Sunday. All Missionary apartments are outside the danger zone; however, we are experiencing ash fallout in many of our teaching areas. I have directed the missionaries to remain in their apartments if ash is falling. All missionaries are safe.

President Alder

Philippines Antipolo Mission

Even with this, we were able to talk with James.  He’s doing great.  Here are some highlights…

The volcano is supposed to possibly erupt here in a day or so, so we will see!! But there is a lot of ash around so we are wearing face masks/bandannas as we go out of the house. IT IS EVERYWHERE!!!

James update Mission plaque showing both the San Pablo and Antipolo Missions

So, this week, we got to bring Jana to the special devotional with Quinten L. Cook (picture below) at the Stake Center! What that was a powerful time and testimony!! Words cannot explain all the things we felt there!! It was really empowering to hear!!

Elder Q. Cook devotional

At the end of the devotional, Elder Cook bore such and amazing testimony about the Savior, it was incredible! Powerful is a better word.  For me, as he testified, the chapel went completely silent, he was the only thing that I could see and he seemed to glow. The spirit was so strong!!

For Jana, as he bore his testimony, she shared that she saw the countenance of Christ in him and he seemed to glow as well!! She hasn't been baptized yet but wants to serve a mission!! She is already inviting friends to hear the message too!!

Then on this Thursday, Elder Cook is going to have a combined mission conference with Antipolo and Quezon City and we all get to go and we are so excited!!! The conference will be at Aurora chapel in Quezon city.  It will just be a couple hour meeting, travel there and back. Our mission and the chapel aren't too far apart.

Something that I would like to share - I remember about a year ago in my mission, about April-ish, I was struggling a little bit around some doctrinal issues. Eventually I came to realize how much I was struggling, and I had to know how things were true. So, I went back to the primary answers, church, prayer, and reading the Book of Mormon. Simply, I asked myself, is the Book of Mormon true? AND IT IS!!!!  After that, everything was up hill! I understood the simple things which allowed me know, to understand all of those deeper doctrines. You do not need to balance plates on sticks if you have a table to place them on!

Our District Pokemon shirts

New Year's Eve!!

It's the New Year

New Year's Eve Fireworks!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! From the future....

That's right - I was in 2020 before anyone at home...so that make me in the FUTURE!!! :)

New Years for a missionary in the Philippians…..getting domino's because it is buy one get one Tuesday!! And then since we live in an apartment complex, we are going to the top floor to go and watch the fireworks later tonight as well!! 

This past week we did have some amazing friends that came to church, who we are all projecting to be baptized in February!! The Aton Family, and Jana (the one who was asking all the deep questions). 

After that, this week for us was a little rough to be honest, the whole week was a long test of patience. Work and visits were just all falling through, and even though it is Christmas, no one really wanted to talk to us or hear a message the whole week. We were staying positive but there were some long days where we didn't know what to do but we kept on pushing.

We were able to go to some members and figure out the concerns with the ward and start making a plan with them to help them out and prepare for the eventual ward split.

The other highlights happened at the very end of the week after the trial of our faith. When we came to the end of the week, a member came up to us and told us that he has a whole family for us that wants to hear the message and we were so happy! He said he will bring them to church next week and we can teach them after church because that is the best day for them when they are all available!! SO, we were so happy and thankful for the blessings the lord has given us!!

Oh, I forgot!! One of the other miracles this week!! We were given another Family referral by a missionary this week! When we went to the family and talked with them, we found out they are actually the cousins and relatives of the Elder!! So, we are teaching his family who are not quite members yet (except for two of the children who are members). The oldest son is taking a real interest and is amazing! His name is Ian!!

Some new pictures below:

So we had an FHE and a party for our bishops birthday, I was asked to give a lesson and I had chosen to speak about the gifts of the spirit, but more importantly the gift of Eternal life, (that is the picture of me pointing), then afterward there were some games, and the one you have a picture of is a game where the men had to eat the doughnut tied to the string connected to their toe. They were all struggling because they weren't flexible enough to get the foot high enough so everyone was laughing! Then we had food, and the members were singing Karaoke!