Nov. 21-27, 2011

This was the last week of the transfer, and it was awesome! We had the most lessons with a member present than any other week, and we also met a ton more less-active members that we can go back to. Also we had more investigators come to church! Progression, Results!!! The work has been real hard lately but its was way sweet to see some success this week! Sometimes the work is so tough there is noone to turn to or get angry at but each other(your Companion), which happens sometimes but we also learn and grow from that. Just a part of the mission. :) This week we got this new awesome progressing investigator, whose wife is a member. And he already knows alot, maybe from what his wife had shared to him. Way cool. He also was one of the investigators who came to church, as well as that one golden investigator who i told you about, who is... still golden. :) We also did another exchange this week, this time with the distict leader and his comp in Mariveles(the lowest point of the mission). It was once again awesome to meet a bunch of new people, but there were only a few lessons there, there having a little trouble there because they're both new to the area and the previous missionaries didnt leave much for them. Another way to grow. Also this week which was a great help to our missionaries was Zone Conference. We were with the Balanga Zone in Orani and it was about planning. How to improve or have more succesful weekly and daily planning focusing on obtaining our goals. It was great, and we have really seen a difference in the work because of it. Planning takes a quite bit longer now but its worth it. :) Also on sunday we had a few young men work with us, so we were able to split and teach alot more of our investigators. This saturday the branch here has a temple trip to manila, and they are in need of some priesthood. Hopefully we can go with him, but i dont know if the mission president will allow it. :) Well Love you guys. Belated happy thanksgiving! ( theres no thanksgiving here) =) -Elder Pennock

Nov. 14-20, 2011

Well this week was a bit interesting, we expected to have a great week cuz we had alot of members work with us but our investigators ended up not being there, haha, but thats alright we still got a lot of teaching in. And that one golden investigator that we have is still golden, she attended church again this week, attended sunday school and made more friends, and she accepted a baptism date for December 24! Ayos talaga! We are also now eating a little breakfast every morning, some bread and sandwiches and stuff, which is also great, because before we had none. ;) On monday after buying food and a few things for the house and cleaning we were able to play basketball at the church, it was fun even though it was just us and two priest age guys, two on two. We also had exchanges again, i was with another new missionary in our area. He is really good, the only thing that was different in our area that he liked is that we our investigators are close to the church and we have members work with us. Like the young lady in the picture, she is a recent convert, in January she will be a member for 1 year. She is now also serving as a primary teacher. We are also way busy trying to find and visit all the members even though they are spread out all over the city of Limay. haha. But its fun and the members love being visited, and some have friends or less actives close by that we can teach. Also this week, from all the less active that we are visiting, we've really noticed the difference in their lives from people who continue going to church and reading the scriptures and those who don't. Thats also what the new focus is here in the Philippines for 2012, is to keep the members active and bring back the others. Also the kids are fun as well, a bit crazy and hyper and full of energy but it reminds me of all my cool cousins I miss in america. =) Well thats pretty much it, love you all, ingat kayo. -Elder Pennock

Nov. 7-13, 2011

Well this week went by so fast! Maybe because we are doin alot and stayin busy. Quite a few cool things happened this week, one is that we have a golden investigator, she loves reading the Book of Mormon and even writes notes on what she learns. She also asked God if our message and the book of Mormon are true and she got an answer. She said she felt the holy ghost and knows its true, and because of her answer she attended church this last sunday! So totally sweet! The only problem is her husband is less-active, as well as his parents. So we will work with them this following week. But its so cool to have an investigator like this, this is the first one i've had who first known our message is true before teaching a majority of the lessons! Also more of the less actives that we are visiting were able to come to church this sunday, which was also cool to see. We were also able to finish our Branch Mission Plan and present/explain it to each quorum and auxiliary. So now that we have a plan with goals and actions hopefully we can strengthen the branch with the help of the members, by inviting people to be taught, fellowshipping investigators, and visiting recent-converts and less-actives.On wednesday we had exchanges, I went with the brand new missionary in our zone, Elder Defillipis in his area. It was way fun, eventhough he is still new, he is way good at tagalog. I also met some people in their area that I have seen before, haha.Also we are enjoying that a few of the members are being able to work with us. So the work is good and we are keep movin. :) Also we saw a pig that they were gettin ready to cook, that was pretty cool. Well thats pretty much it. Love you guys. -Elder Pennock

Oct 31 - Nov 6, 2011

Another great and really busy week! First of all it was the Filipino Halloween again, or actually their celebration of All Saints Day, where everyone goes to the cemetery and visits their passed away family members. Which is the night of October 31, and the day of November 1. It was pretty sweet as well cuz, for all special occasions here in the Philippines everone cooks a bunch of food and all friends and family is invited to come, eat and chat. So we got to eat 4 meals after our lunch at members houses. Way cool! =) One of them also was a birthday of a recent convert. Also this week I talked with 2 foreigners, one was canadien. He was way cool and nice, speaking english and i was really having a hard time speakin english to him, tagalog kept on comin out. crazy! but the other onewas even more crazy, he was american from Arkansas and he speaks tagalog! We met him in Olongapo goin to the mision home for ZLC. He knew tagalog pretty well but he definetely didn't sound like a filipino with his accent. haha. Also this week was the Zone Leader Council(ZLC), it was awesome, we played basketball again and also enjoyed the food and aircon at the mission home. Each of us also reported about our zones and the President and AP;s taught about how to improve our planning and goal setting. It was really sweet, learned a ton. We also got some more new investigators this week,and also some members worked with us. On Sunday, as you can see by the picture a lot of SA and youth worked with us. There were so many we split up and were able to teach alot of investigators and less-active members. Way fun. Well, siguro hanggang dito na lang ngayon. Salamat! Ingat kayo! Mahal ko kayong lahat! -Elder Pennock