Nov 15 - 21, 2010

This week was cool. It was the end and the start of transfers. We found out monday who was gonna be transferred and then tuesday was transfer day. Elder Larson was being transferred so Monday night we went up to Bolinao, his area, for Family Home Evening. There was quite a bit of people, a couple families. I was assigned to do the spiritual thought which was alright, better than doin the lesson. Then it was time for games and we, the elders, were called on to do the games. I was the only one who thought of a game we could do so i led the game. The game i did was simple but can be really fun. I got it from my first area in San Marcelino. Its where half of the people thinks of and writes down a question, any kind of question, and then the other half thinks of and writes an answer, any kind of answer. Then we go through doing question and answer. And sometimes its really funny, because it is totally random. I forgot alot of the funny ones but one was, "Where do you live?" then the answer was, "it depends if you love me or not". Another one was "who was your first kiss?" then the answer was "a dog". haha
This first week of transfers we opened up a new area, pretty close to the church so there is no excuses for not goin to church. :) We tracting there and finding new investigators. We found a few good ones that are really interested. One of them is Sis. Agnus, age 51. We almost passed by her little bamboo house, but i felt prompted to go there and say hi. She has moved a lot and has met alot of mormon missionaries. She even has a Book of Mormon. So that was way cool to find her. She has a lot of questions that are perfect for us as missionaries to answer. She is wondering why there is a book of mormon and who is mormon? She has even read a little bit and asked what the liahona is? So we are excited to go back and teach her.
It feel good to start finding and teaching new people cuz a lot of our previous ones are busy with harvesting rice, so we aren't able to teach them and they are not progressing.
On Saturday we had a service project at a member's house. We started making a wall for their porch cover, to turn it into a shed, so they can store their rice in it. We put up bamboo posts all around the outside so it will hold the wall. It was fun and way cool. Bamboo is awesome, and there is a ton of it here. It was only a few of us so we didn't get it all done, me and my comp, the young men pres, the church building representative, and two young men (priests).
On Sunday it was the Primary program. It was great. Eventhough it was only 4 kids. I guess all the other kids didn't want to do it cuz there are actually a lot of kids in Primary. There was 2 boys and 2 girls. They each recited a scripture verse and then bore testimony. Then the 4 of them would sing a song that related to the scripture. It was good and they were loud enough for us to hear surprisingly. Also one of the boys and one of the girls gave the invocation and benediction for sacrament. Really cool.
So that was this week. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Elder Pennock

Nov 8-14, 2010

Kamusta kamu tanan! This is the native language of my companion, Ilongo, for "how are all of you". Pretty cool!
This week was the last week of the transfer, but we found out today that I am not gonna be transfered. I thought for sure i was goin to be transfered, because I have been here for 7 1/2 months now. And now this is my companion's last transfer before he goes home. So i will most likely be here for another transfer after this one. So I am goin to have Christmas and New Years here. Also whats cool there is the Bani yearly festival the first week of December so that is gonna be cool.

This week was pretty cool, one thing really cool was that we harvested in the rice fields. As a service project we harvested some rice of the newly baptized converts, the Humilde Family. It wasn't too bad, but it was way hot and the warts on my hands were really hurting. I put gloves on, the doctor type ones, that helped a little.

Then on Sunday it was cool to be here when Manny Pacquio fought. He is so big here, like a legend. In the plaza/towncenter, they put up a white screen and they displayed the fight as it was goin on. They do this in every town. And it was so cool to here everyone cheering and stuff. The work was a little slow this week, but we are excited to start a new transfer period. Elder Pennock

Nov 1-7, 21010

So the first week of November. It was way cool, and a lot of new things happened. On Monday we went up to Bolinao and spent some time with the 2 elders up there. We went to the beach, and to a zoo called Rock Garden. It was awesome, all the animals, and we got in free, cuz there was no one at the entrance, the cost is really cheap anyways, 10 pesos. And the beach was so beautiful.

Then after that the 4 of us Elders went to my area, Bani, to have a FHE with our recent converts the Humilde Family. It was way fun. I had to do the lesson, but it was more like a spiritual thought. Then we just played games. On Tuesday and Wednesday we did missionary work, thats a surprise. Then on Thursday we had special training in Santa Cruz. It was good. More practicing teaching and listening to the mission President's workshops.

Then after the training, I went to Olongapo City. The Mission president and his wife took me down to the mission home. There I stayed with the Office Elders and the Assistants. Then the day on Friday I went to the doctor and he lasered all my warts. The main pro doctor did the big one on my left palm, then the younger less experienced doc did the rest. I watched the whole procedure, it was crazy. They killed and burned the warts and then just took it off. Sometimes it would really hurt cuz the anesthetic wore off so they had to inject more in. It took a long time 1 1/2 hrs, and the couple missionaries, the Moberlys, were waiting the whole time. But it was alright, my hands looked like a mummy at the end. Then after the surgery I worked with the assistants. It was cool to work with them. In a totaly new area and environment. Then we went back to the mission home. Which is really nice by the way. Complete with airconditioning. In fact it was really cold. I am not used to that.

Then on Saturday morning the Assistants took me back to Santa Cruz. On the way there it was way cool to see my first area, San Marcelino. I miss that area, it was so cool to see it again. Then at Santa Cruz I took a bus to Alaminos all by myself. Then at Alaminos, the other couple missionaries, the Ashcrafts took me to Bani. So it was a way crazy, long trip. But way fun.

Then back to missionary work on saturday and sunday. On sunday Rolly and Reden got confirmed, and that was so cool. Then after church we had a ton of youth work with us. We had so many we had to split up. So that was really fun.

Oh! and on saturday, I rode a Kalibaw/water buffalo. So that was my fun crazy week. Love you all. Elder Pennock

Oct 25-31

The last week of October. On Monday, we went to Alaminos City and Hundred Islands. We shopped with all the other elders in the mall and at the souvenir shops in Hundred Islands. I bought some nice shoes for meetings and a pair of white flip flops for baptisms. On Thursday we had special training in Santa Cruz again. It was fun to be with all of the other missionaries and to learn, but took up a whole day of work.
One crazy thing happened this week. I met a Filipino from California. He didn't know how to speak tagalog so I had to speak english to him. I couldn't do it for my life. I just tried to get to know him and share about the restoration. But is was so hard to do it in english. He was filipino and seemed like he should know how to speak tagalog.
Also on sunday we had a surprise visit by the mission president. He stopped by our house before church, and then attended our sacrament meeting. Us and the branch were so shocked and nervous. He spoke in church and then interviewed me and my companion. Then after church we had a baptism!!! A father and a son got baptized. I had the privilege of baptising them, and now they are a complete member family. So that was the highlight of the week.
Also just a little thing that happened this week was my birthday, on saturday. We went to a member's house, and she made a cake. There was only a few of us. We had a family home evening and then dinner and ate cake. On sunday all the members were mad at me because I didn't tell them it was my birthday. :)
That's pretty much it for this week. I love you all. Happy halloween. There is no Halloween here. This week families clean the grave of their family members that passed away and they visit them and sleep over on November 1. Interesting I know. I miss the costumes and the candy. =)
Yes nandito ako!! The mission president and his wife came by our house. Sister said one of my warts is too big to ignore any longer. After special training on Thursday I am goin to Olongapo to get it removed, like operation in a hospital. Its on my palm under my thumb. It's probably the mother. So when that dies the rest will.