Nov 22 - Dec 5, 2010

Hello again. I have to update on two weeks now. The work is doin pretty good, we have one progressing investigator that has a baptism date for Dec. 10. So we are excited for her, the rest of the work we are just trying to work with the investigators we have and find new investigators, lately we have been goin to new places and finding new people. So hopefully things will start happening.
Last week we had Zone Conference, which was cool. The sister missionaries in our zone who usually get a ride with the couple missionaries, the Ashcrafts, had to ride the bus with us cuz there is not yet any replacement senior missionaries. So that was a little bit different ride for them but is was fun.
At Zone Conference we focused on teaching the Restoration, cuz it answers so many questions and if investigators just would listen and understand the principles of the Restoration, everything would be better. :)
Oh the investigator that we were excited to teach, Agnus, turned out to be a little conspicuous, we think she was a member before, she knows like all the lyrics to the hymns, but she is like in hiding, by moving all over the place.
This past week, there was an inactive member who passed away. So we had a service for her at the church, then because there is very little priesthood in our branch here, I dedicated the grave. My first time dedicating a grave, and probably my last.
What was funny was she was a chain smoker, so they placed a pack of cigarettes and matches on her casket. So I don't know that was just funny, especially since i dedicated the grave.
Also another crazy thing that happened, was we were teaching the Restoration to a few investigators, and right after we finished Sister received a text that her husband, who is working abroad, just passed away because of high blood. She then started crying. She was in such sorrow and pain. Me and my companion were just thinking how grateful we are to know there is life after death and that our families are together forever. And for my companion, his dad died when he was still new in the mission, but he continued his mission and had peace because he knew he will see his dad again. And i thought to myself if that would happen to me, it wouldn't be so painful nothing like what this one sister was feeling. Then i realized the blessing of eternal families, that no one else knows about except members of the true church of Jesus Christ. That experience also was a reality check for me as a missionary, cuz she has been an investigator for along time, and if she only knew or understood our message, or we taught better so she would understand and do her commitments, that pain, sorrow and anguish would never have happened. Her husband was an awesome and nice guy. I even had the privilege to meet him before he went abroad (that shows you how long I have been here in Bani, I'm 10 months now). Her husband said we were the only missionaries that he would listen to and not hide from, cuz we are not like others who say "our church is true, you need to repent and join our church or you will not be saved".
So those are a few big things that have happened, also the town fiesta is goin on, kind of like a town fair, there is rides, and dances and bands, I will send pictures next week. Elder Pennock

This was a funeral. There we are teaching the Plan of Salvation to the family members of the deceased. And there i am at the cemetery, I didn't know they were takin a picture, but you can see how the cemeteries are here. The caskets are in those white cement boxes.

The nativity




Eating "balut"

Helping to build an addition with bamboo.
This was a service project at a members house. We made walls to make a shed to store rice. The pic with me and Tatay, he is a part member family, he is the only one that is not a member.