Dear Family and Friends,
It’s been another awesome week here in Alaminos and the excitement is still building for President Nelson’s visit. We did receive the news that he won’t be staying at the mission home, so we’re a little disappointed about that, but everything else is still going forward as planned. They’re giving every church in the San Pablo Stake a huge make-over just in case he decides to stop by on his way to the stake center. The mission home also got some upgrades.
We just recently were able to watch the worldwide missionary broadcast that happened a few weeks ago. It was a really cool experience to hear and see apostles telling us exactly what we need to be doing with investigators and members. The title was “Teaching Repentance and Baptizing Converts.” It was really nice and simple and they simply talked about how we need to be making more of a focus on Repentance and being guided by the Spirit. Elder Bednar gave a workshop and he really is a master teacher. He said, “We need to change the way that we think as missionaries. The Holy Ghost is not a tool that we use to convert people. We are the tools that the Holy Ghost uses to provide an environment where it can testify to people of truth.” He basically reinforced the point over and over that there can’t be the slightest amount of pride or selfishness in our work. We need to always remember that nothing that we’re doing is for us. But we will be blessed for the work that we do.
We also had the opportunity to participate in some ward service this last weekend. It was a really fun experience and there was a very good showing of support from the ward and we were actually able to get quite a bit of work done. Their house was built on this hillside that slopes down into a river, and the house was starting to slide down the hill. It was just sitting on these bamboo stilts, so we dug them out and filled the holes with some cement and rebar. We also laid another pad of cement in the back so they could have a bathroom. It was a really fun experience to help them out and to see their excitement when the little, plastic toilet bowl showed up. They had never had their own bathroom.
Everything else is still running smoothly, and we basically have memorized where about 70 percent of the mission apartments are and can explain how to get there. We have definitely done our share of hours in the truck. Right now, I’m just really curious to see who my next companion will be. Elder Benosa will be going home in two weeks, and I’m really going to miss him. We’ve been companions for six months now, so I guess it’s a good thing that we get along with each other. The time is really starting to fly by and I’m looking forward to getting out of the office, but I am savoring the memories here, since not very many missionaries get to experience what we are. Thank you again for all of your support and emails. You guys are the best!
-Elder English
We dug out the bamboo foundation of this house
and replaced it with cement so it would stop falling over.
Zone Pday.
(It looks like Bradyn is happy to get more hiking in and that he and his companion both love that Backcountry goat t-shirt.:))
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