March 28 - April 3, 2011

This week was another busy week. I think they're always gonna be busy weeks with a zone leader companion. We had to do apartment checks at 3 apartments in our zone, so that was alot of traveling. But it was fun to see the other missionaries and their areas, and ride on the jeepneys and minibuses. :) There was also a funeral this week where I had the privilege (?) to speak. I didn't have any time to prepare so I just had to quickly think of something. With the work this week we focused on tracting and finding new investigators, many of the people we contacted were willing to listen and some even invited us in. We also had alot of members work with us, fellow preisthood holders so when my comp had to go to Zone Leaders Council they were my companion. It was good having them be with me because they showed me where alot of in-active members are, who also were very glad to see them. Also while my comp was gone, me and the Balanga Elders had a service project friday and saturday morning, both of them at member's houses. The members on Friday are currently caretakers of a huge 4 story warehouse so we cleaned and swept a ton but only got 2 floors done. It was fun though, the members helped and cleaned with us. Also on Saturday, we went to another member's house who has a huge yard/garden. That was with the whole ward, we cleaned and cleared a ton of brush and leaves. Those are the pictures that I sent, and the big group one is their Balanga Ward, I took the picture cuz I'm in Cupang Ward. And also their house is right next to Bataan Tourism Center, so I got to see that.

Oh and that other picture with the cross on the mountain is really cool. Next week or two we will go up there as a zone and go inside. But I just took that picture right outside our house.

Well that's pretty much it for this week, we have a few good investigators that are coming to church and have a baptismal date. We hope we can get more of our investigators to church and commit to a baptism goal date this next week.

Salamat. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Elder Pennock

March 21 - 27, 2011

This week was great, the first week of the new transfer. We really worked on finding new investigators and helping the ones we're teaching to progress. One guy we met this week was really cool and friendly, we saw him at his house and asked if we could talk with him, when he found out we weren't Jehovah's witnesses, he was happy to let us in. We talked for a while, mostly about his life and how he has worked in Japan for a few years, then we shared a little bit and gave him the restoration pamphlet. He is totally fine with us goin back to him and sharing some more. We have 10 investigators with a baptismal date, and one of those families actually went to church this last Sunday! Also we have this one less active who we found and have been teaching and he has attended church twice in a row now, with his wife and kid! It was awesome to see him at church both times. A few members also worked with us this week, even the Bishop and his wife. It was great they came to our investigator family, the Kalim-kim family. Where Sister is awesome and reading and wants to be baptised, but brother hasn't opened his heart yet and isn't reading. But with the help of Bishop we got a great lesson and I committed him committed him to read the Book of Mormon at least 2 min every day. We also visited this one awesome less active sister where its hard for her because her husband is devoted catholic. But we shared with her and she also shared something cool with us, when she was young and worked with the missionaries. She told us never to give up and really help and love your investigators, because she has experiences where a person was really hostile the first meeting, but really accepting the next time. It was only because it was a hard time for that person at the moment and problems in the family and stuff. So that's a great lesson I learned from her is to not give up on investigators and really push them and continue with them. Also our dinner appointments are doin good. :) So that was our week, really busy to start off the new transfer. And I have now been in the Philippines for 384 days =) Getting excited for their interesting Easter here, like it was last year. And enjoying the work. Well love you all. Elder Pennock

March 14 - 20, 2011

This past week was the last week of the transfer, I just found out earlier that im stayin here in Cupang for another 6 weeks! Yay!!! We went tracting a ton this week, so we got way more new investigators, its way different tracting in city than it is in the farmland. In farm you just talk to whoever you see, but here you got to pick a house and say "tao po" (which basically means hello, theres people here, at your door). So I'm having to adjust to that. But we have been pretty lucky (or guided by the spirit), a lot of people we met are nice and interested to listen. Also more of the members are starting to work with us, a few that are preparing for a mission and some that are RMs. So thats really sweet.
We also have a lot more investigators with a baptismal goal date, so we need to focus on them so they can proceed and progress to baptism. Also, and this is the best part :) we got more dinner appointments, jk, its not the best but its a good thing.
So things are doin good and we are really excited for this new transfer. Besides tracting a lot and having a lot of eating appointments, we had splits again, on Wednesday I worked in Bagac. It was cool, a member worked with us and we went to a lot of investigators who have a baptism date, two of which actually got baptised this saturday, a father and daughter. Also the Balanga Elders had a baptism as well, so altogether the work is doin well here in Bataan.
Oh, and tomorrow, because its transfer day, and because my comp is the zone leader, I got to wait all day at the bus station. Seven in the morning for the missionaries leaving and probably until the afternoon for the missionaries comin in. So that will be way fun, just me and my comp, maybe will study and play chess or something. :)
Salamat hanggang dito na lang. Elder Pennock

March 7 - 13, 2011

Well this was probably the busiest week yet, we only were able to work about a total of 2 days. On Monday, P-day, we had a zone csp in our backyard. So all the missionaries in our zone came to our house and we cleaned our backyard. That's the pics, cleaning all the leaves, trees and brush.

Then on Tuesday we had splits, I went to Bagac, those are the other pics, me with the kalibaw and the cool kids. It was awesome to work in Bagac because it is province and farmland like my previous area. Unlike now in Cupang its city, I'll need to take pictures of my new area this week. But the splits were way fun. Those kids were awesome, a ton of fun.

Then wednesday a missionary got sick, so we had to take care of him and buy him medicine and stuff cuz my comp is the zone leader. So that was a day gone, then Thursday was the Leadership Training in Orani as well as Special Training on Friday.

On Saturday after weekly planning we actually got to work. :) And that day I really felt like God's messenger. It was way cool, the first person we met was a relative of our investigator, he was really nervous at first, but really wanted to learn about us and our message, he is havin a hard time finding a job, and he is quite a religious guy, he is reading the bible, praying and has strong faith. After we starting talking he invited us to sit down and talk! So we taught a little about prayer and faith and then about the restoration. It was really cool, he was asking questions and given great answers and opinions. We gave him a Restoration pamphlet and a Book of Mormon. But the one bad thing is that he lives in the Balanga Elder's area, so we got a great referral for them.

Also at all our appointments that day the investigators and members were happy to see us and we had good lessons with them. Then on our way home, we were walking by a member's home and they called us in to give a blessing. One sisters leg is really hurting her and she can't walk very well. So that was a great ending for the day, that I had the opportunity to give her a blessing. Then on Sunday she, even though her leg was still hurting a little, she got up and bore her testimony (fast and testimony meeting) and she said the blessing that I gave (which came from the Lord) really helped her.

Also on Sunday we had a meeting with the stake with all the bishops to see how the missionaries are and try to have more members work with the missionaries. So even though it was a loaded, busy week, it was a ton of fun and a lot of great experiences happened. :) Elder Pennock

March 1 - 6, 2011

Another good, busy, fun week in the Philippines. I have now been a full year in the Philippines, dapat akong magtagalog na lang sa lahat ng mga undates ko para masaya pero gusto ng nanay kong english. :)
Well, on Monday we had a fun family home evening with a less active family. We had a few members come and we played games and had a good lesson. It was good, a lot of fun. Then after district meeting on Tuesday we had splits, I went to Hermosa with Elder Beck, a fairly new elder from Idaho, but he now knows how to speak tagalog pretty well. So it was cool to go to a new area and not worry about much. Elder Beck is a good cool guy as well. Also my companion had the zone leader's council in Olongapo, so he went up with the other zone leader and Elder Carpio was my companion in my area. That was really cool as well. Except I still don't know my area that well cuz I'm gone a lot, so me and Elder Carpio did a lot of tracting, but I got to know the area a lot more. =)
Elder Carpio is a brand new elder from El Salvador, so he still doesn't know much tagalog yet. But its funny the people talk to him thinking he is Filipino. haha. He is also a big soccer player so that was awesome talking about soccer and stuff.
Then on Saturday one of the missionaries in our zone had another baptism interview so we went to Mandama so my comp can interview her. She is a great investigator, her husband is a member who recently returned to church and she saw the change show she became interested and wanted to be baptised. So she made time to read the book of mormon and prayed and she felt the spirit telling her it was true. And she really changed as well, she is now more excited and wants to learn when before she was way shy, quiet and didn't want to even listen to the missionaries. So that was totally awesome to meet her and learn about her story. And to see the gospel really affecting, helping and changing people's lives.
Also while we were there at that church in Mandama, the young men were there cleaning the church, then it was funny, it was raining and they were playin in the rain and playin basketball with a mango. =)
This week even though we had a lot goin on we got many new investigators and taught a lot of investigators and members. And on Sunday it was cool to see them at the Stake Conference in Orani. There were so many people there, a total of 8 wards in the stake, the overflow was overflowing. :) We had 3 of our investigators attend so that was awesome.
A general authority spoke Elder Ko, who is korean, it was really good, about building zion and family and being gospel active. So it was cool to see all those people and hear some good speakers as well as the mission president Pres. Aquino.
Then after church we had dinner at a member's house, it was kind of like a family home evening as well, a lot of families, we talked and had games. So that was a lot of cool fun things that happened. From writing these updates, I actually realize all the stuff and fun things that happen. :) Well, Mahal ko kayong lahat. Elder Pennock

Feb 21-28, 2011

The last week of February. Man time is goin by fast. I'm now close to a year in the Philippines. This week was pretty good. Taught a lot of investigators and less active members. We had a few rejections this week from some investigators saying they don't want to study anymore, or to come back when its vacation. Also only a couple of investigators are coming to church. Which is really sad, cuz the ward here is really strong and great. The speakers this Sunday were really good. One of them is preparing to serve a mission, he got his call and he is now just waiting for his visa. He is actually going to the California Arcadia Mission, so thats way awesome. He works with us pretty often and hopefully he will join us in personal and companionship study this week. He have a good talk on missionary work and preparation. He also said that his dad had been a great example for him even though he works abroad and isn't around a lot. But the little communication that they do have and his father's example of serving a mission helped him. So I was touched there and am thankful that my mom and dad have been/are there for me and have been such a big part in my life. So with good sacrament meetings like that I wish we had more investigators attend. That's what I want to focus on this week.
At one of our lessons, there is this kid who is really makulit (energetic), So I just kept him busy, he had a bunch of chocolate kisses that his mom gave him, the thing was he didn't want to eat them, he just wanted to unwrap them all. So he would unwrap them and then feed them to me :), I tried given him one, he put it in his mouth but then gave it back to me . . . I couldn't do anything with it so I just popped in in my mouth and ate it. =) So that was fun being fed chocolate kisses by an investigator's kid in a lesson. :)
One thing that's still struggling here with the church is good meetings where everyone shows up. We had a good meeting with the Ward Mission Leader at his house and then a good PEC meeting with the Bishop before church, but that is still missing a ton of people. Ah well.
Also this week was Zone Conference. So that was cool. Except, before conference we didn't have any water at our house, so the 6 of us missionaries went to a nearby member's house to shower and shave and everything. Which was an adventure. Also I got to work Sunday morning for the first time cuz our church is at 1:30pm. So I got to see everyone at their house hangin out, doing house chores, playing chess and everything because this is the only day they don't have work. I just wish they would give an hour or two to God and go to church, especially the investigators that we are teaching. So that was a little bit of an eye opener to me.
Also one more funny thing that happened this week was at one of our lessons, another investigator with a makulit kid, this one is maybe 2 years old. Well he likes to crawl and climb, and use mine and my comp's knees to stand up. And when he was standing holding onto my comp's knees he decided to pee, take a wee on my comp's shoes. His shoes are pretty nice too, leather. I just laughed, the investigator thought it was funny that I was laughing and she even laughed a little too. =) hahaha.
Well I think that is all for this week. Oh wait, we did splits two days this week. I was with Elder Cahayanan both times, once in his area and once in mine. So that was fun to work with him. Also I still don't really know my area well, so when I had to lead Elder Cagayanan in my area we were walkin around in circles. :) So the work is good, havin fun. Love you all. Miss you guys. Elder Pennock

Feb 14-20, 2011

This was the 2nd week in my new area Cupang Ward, Balanga, Bataan. It was pretty much totally awesome. Starting with Valentines Day on Monday. It was p-day so we bought a few things and cleaned and chilled at the house. I also got a cool heart valentine thing when we ate at McDonalds. :) Also we had a Valentines day party tuesday night, that a member invited us to go to. But it turned out to be for couples only, so me and my companion were a little uncomfortable being there, so we left and visited a member instead. :)
The work was good this week. Getting a few new investigators, and meeting investigators that I haven't met yet. Also we committed a family to get baptised, they said yes! Their baptism isn't for a couple months, but they are excited and hopefully we can teach more of their kids as well. We also have one great new investigator who has a lot of friends and coworkers who are members.
On Friday there was this cool activity/fireside thing in Orani where an LDS teacher had all her 4th year high school students come to learn about our church and reflect on their last year of high school. There were a few speakers who talked about our beliefs and the importance of education and stuff, then all of us missionaries (6 elders, 2 sisters) had like this open forum thing where they asked us questions about the church and our beliefs. We also had some games and they shared their feelings and things they learned and liked about the fireside. (see the pics, I'm in the back with the kids playing the game) It was way cool. Hopefully some of them will read the pamphlet we gave them and investigate the church more, maybe when they are older.

This was our service project. We cleaned up trash from the road and the gutters. I held the trash bag so my hands are dirty. :) It was a lot of fun ...at least to be with the other missionaires and members.


Then we went to Mandama so my companion could do baptismal interviews, it was a long trip, and later that night the Balanga Elders had a ward family home evening at the church. So we went to that. There were musical performances and games. It was sweet, there were these two teens who were amazing, the guy played this beat box thing (kinda like a drum) and then the girl played the guitar. And they both sang. Also my comp, Elder Muliaina, played the guitar and sang as well. Way cool. So a lot of stuff is goin on, a lot of fun, very tiring as well.

We had one investigator come to church which was cool. Hopefully next week will have more. Oh also when we have time in the morning we play basketball at the local court, which is awesome, see the pics. I also bought a new camera, I got the guy to cut the price down 3,000 pesos, so it was only 4,000! =] Well thats it for this week. Love you all. Elder Pennock