Sept. 20-26

This week was great. We had a lot of members work with us this week, almost every day. And as a result we had more lessons with a member present than other lessons. The youth and the young adults are the ones who always work with us, it is way fun. Sometimes the Relief Society or the Branch President does as well. And it makes it way better when there is a member there and not just us, so the investigator can have someone to relate to and have a friend.
Things are getting pretty tough now cuz a lot of our investigators are close to be done with the lessons but there are things missing for their conversion. Some of them are not goin to church, reading the Book of Mormon, praying, or drinking and smoking still. It's tough, we got to help them in this change, as well as help them help themselves.
Last Monday it was way fun, we had a Family Home Evening at our house. Quite a few members and investigators came and we cleaned our front and backyards. Then we had FHE, dinner, a lesson and games. For the games after 3 people lost you had to do the chicken dance, me and Westwood lost first and so that was fun for everyone to see us do the chicken dance. Some people liked it so much they made me lose again, to make me dance again. But it was a lot of fun.
This last Sunday was great. We had a record attendance, around 110 in sacrament and 15 investigators. Also we had a baptism after, a grandkid of a member and the mother of 3 members who work with us all the time. Her husband came to church for the first time.
After church and and the baptism we walked so far. We were finding a referral that one of the sister missionaries gave us. They said they live behind this resort. So we followed the signs to the resort forever. Then we got to that and it was a ways away, and we ended up fairly close to a member's house in the next barangay. So it was better and faster to go out a different way. It was a huge circle. But that was it this week. Everything is great. I love you all. Elder Pennock

Sept 13-19

This week was great. A lot of fun good stuff happened this week. I forgot t mention a couple things last week too. Friday morning last week, we had a youth activity at the church, it was actually quite fun. We cleaned the whole church with all the youth. :)
Also we had a service project last Monday, we did yard work at a members house in Alaminos. It was just all the missionaries.
One new investigator this week Jordan Acheta, is was the first lesson, he invited all his family, so there was a lot of people. The cool thing was after we taught him, he said he believes in our message. Also one other investigator, Victoria, who we have been teaching for a long time now, accepted a baptism date for next month along with her friend and her daughter. Also 3 of our investigators had their baptism interview this Sunday, so the 3 of them are getting baptized next Sunday!
On Thursday we had special training, learned a lot and practiced teaching a lot. We had to teach in English to the couple missionaries one time, that was pretty hard to teach in English instead of Tagalog.
On Saturday we had a service project at an elementary school in Alaminos. A ton of people were there, all the missionaries and the branches. We painted, and cleaned the classrooms.
A lot of stuff happened this week. The work is going good. Love you all Elder Pennock

Sept 7 - 12th

This week was good. The work was a little slow cuz we had a lot of meetings and stuff. On Monday, ok this is a good funny story about my beloved companion Elder Westwood. On Monday we went to the doctor, for him to get a checkup and the doc told him he can't eat a few things. So that night he ate fish, the one thing he can have, and he ate a bone, which got stuck in his throat. So we went back to Alaminos after that, but the doc wasn't there. So he slept with it in his throat. Then we went to Alaminos Tuesday morning. But the bone had come up a little, so the people said swallow a banana. So we went to the market and he tried swallowing a banana. And he started chocking in front of everyone. haha. But then it finally worked and he used the banana to get rid of the fishbone.
Our district meetings have been changed to Tuesday afternoons now and it's in Alaminos. So it messes up our proselyting time. So we just stayed in Alaminos, and visited 3 of our recent converts who work in Alaminos. We were able to teach one. That was way cool.
On Wednesday, we had /got to go down to Santa Cruz for a leadership training, cus Westwood is district leader. But the meeting was way good. We a lot from teaching practices and the mission president and other leaders. They are changing how we do district meeting, its gonna be a half hour longer now. Aw well. And I being a comp to a district leader am like his assistant/secretary. But that's not hard, I just gotta work with he stats and stuff.
Thursday through Sunday we worked and focused on our progressing investigators. We have a few investigators with a baptism date. And I"m excited for that. This morning we had a service project in Alaminos. All the missionaries, except for the elders in Bolinao, came and cleaned/pulled weeds at a members house. It was fun there we 10 of us, 4 sisters and 6 elders. Everything is goin great! I love you all. Elder Pennock

Aug 30 - Sept 5, 2010

Kamusta na Kayo!? This week was great! Everything is going well. We have a few real good progressing investigators, a few difficult ones who are addicted to alcohol or cigarrettes and we found a few great new investigators.

On Wednesday we had a special training again in Santa Cruz. It was good we had to split up and just teach by ourselves. It was good to do that. I learned alot. Also I got to see my trainer, my first companion! He is now a zone leader so he was there. It was way cool to see him again. He told me a few things that has happened about our area, San Marcelino. One of our investigators had died because of drinking, which was terrible to hear, but one other has a baptism goal date again, she had one when we were there but then she had a baby. But the coolest thing that happened that he told me was that Ferdinand Lagoy, I am pretty sure I told you about him way in the end of March. Me and Elder Maccasudduc were the first ones to teach him. And he said he has been looking around at different churches and that he believes in our message, that God sent us to him and this is the way. That was so cool to here that, especially when I was still new but I could understand that. So the great news is he was baptised and is an active member in San Marcelino!! That was so awesome to hear! I so want to go back there and see how everyone is doin.

(this is what his companion said on his blog about the training on Wed) "For the duration of the training they seperated the companionships. Elder Pennock got put with 2 sisters, one that is still new in the mission, and one that doesn't know very much english. I think it was good for him! He seemed to learn a ton. And he had to talk a lot more cause I was not there to do it." (his blog is http://www.elderchasewestwood.blogspot.com/)

On Friday we and the branch president cleaned the church again. But we do not have to do it this week because the youth are goin to clean the church. Yay!! Also we cleaned the baptismal font cuz we had a baptism on Sunday after church! 4 of our investigators got baptized and i member. I baptised 2 and Elder Westwood baptised the other 2 and the member. It was so cool to get a baptism again. We have a few more with a goal on the 26th. It is great to finally have some success for all our labors.

We have started to teach a few part member families and the Brother (dad) of one of the families, where the mom is a member finally went to church on Sunday! Also the other part member family, the parents aren't members, the mom has been going to church now and the dad just said last night he wants to join the church. When he said that his 3 daughters were all excited, because a while ago he said that in a dream and his wife and kids heard it.

So the work is goin well. Walang problema. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Elder Pennock

Aug 23-19

This week was great. It was raining a lot so it wasn't nearly as hot. 4 of our investigators had their baptism interview on Sunday so they will get baptized this next Sunday!
We had a service project on Friday. We cleaned an in-active member's yard/pulled all his weeds. And then he went to church this Sunday.
On Saturday we worked with some Relief Society and visited a few in-actives. That was interesting.
This Sunday was Branch Conference so we had the District Presidency there and everything. It was way good.
That was pretty much it for this week. Sorry for the short report. Love you all. Elder Pennock

Aug. 16th-22nd

Today we just found out that me and E. Westwood are gonna be togather in Bani for another 6 weeks. I hope we don't kill each other. =) We can't believe it though. That's a 4th of my mission. Crazy!
But I think we are gonna start seeing the fruits of our labors. We have a few baptism dates scheduled. Hopefully those will go through and hopefully the branch here will get stronger. The work here is good. Same-o, same-o.
On Thursday we had exchanges. E. Larson the other american worked with me in Bani. We had some branch missionaries work with us too, all young women. It was a lot of fun. At night we had to walk through the rice fields. That was way fun. We all slipped a little bit and got pretty muddy. It was way funny and whenever I laughed I started coughing like crazy. Cuz both me and Westwood are sick. I am starting to get a little better though.
Well that's it for this week. Mahal ko kayo. Elder Pennock

Aug 9-15

This week we had special training for all the missionaries in our area way down in Santa Cruz. It was really good. It was about how to get investigators to pray and the importance of prayer, and also about how important reading the Book of Mormon is for investigators.
So this week we tried doing what they said. :) And we got two of our investigators Rose and Rochel to pray. They really don't like praying, but we retaught prayer, and urged them and waited and they prayed! They were really good prayers too.
Also we are trying to get people to read the Book of Mormon and if they don't read it we are going to read it with them. One investigator Emma, is reading and when we were teaching baptism she brought up were it says in the Book of Mormon where baptizing little children is an abomination. So that was way cool and we taught and expounded more on that.
More of our investigators are progressing and have baptism goal dates and are coming to church. We had 16 investigators attend church this week. It is so awesome! We also had a lot of members attend church. It was like 90 people total!! Last week because it was raining we had like 45. So things are goin pretty good.
On Thursday I went up to Bolinao again for exchanges. This time I was with Elder Larson also from San Diego. So it was two Americans not knowing much tagalog working up there. Now this Thursday we are going to work together again here in Bani.
Friday afternoon, the branch president, Pres. Balad worked with us. We visited a lot of less-actives and got a service project scheduled to build a Roof for one of our less-active members. We are going to replace their tarpaulin roof with like a thatched grass roof. Because the tarpaulin keeps all the heat in. The tarpaulin was given by the church a while ago too. So that's goin to be fun. I think that's all for this week. Elder Pennock