Helllllo again. Ill get right to it Things in cabagan went alright this week. We had quite a few appointments that fell thtough because it was fiesta in a lot of the barangays here. And because you probably don’t know what that means ill explain it ha. For every barangay ( a barangay is like a small city. That is subdivided into puroks or little neighborhoods ) but anyways thay all heve a date once a year for a fiesta in celebration of their santo or the saint of their barangay ( it’s a catholic thing ) and when its fiesta they make a ridiculous amount of rice and lecheon pigs ( when they cook the pig over the fire ) and all sorts of other food basically a big party. we didn’t get to eat unfortunately cause we went by when they were still cooking but hopefully ill still be in cabagan in june for their fiesta its apparently a pretty big celebration with food everywhere you go. I think we should adopt that in America and unstead of having (block parties) have whole neighborhood parties where everyone spends all their money and goes into debt to have more food than anyone can possibly eat and just go house to house eating and talking and all that fun stuff ( that’s about what it comes down to ha add the drinking and it’s a real party ha ha) anyways it’s a pretty fun part of philipino culture theyre sure not shy about things. Next yesterday (Sunday) we were pretty disappointed cause church was starting and none of our inestigators gad showed up ha.. then there was an opening prayer( of course) and when I opened my eyes there they were ha nanay gonzales and her son and brother bautista snuck in during the opening prayer. And then after sacrament meeting they were out the door in seconds ha. That’s when you know an investigator is still not quite there yet when they don’t want to attend classes after sacrament. Ive learned that one in Santiago when they start coming to all 3 hours of church its like magic happens. Something just clicks in their minds and then you don’t have to ask them to read they just read and they just come to church. Man I cant wait till the day that nanay Gonzales has that click shes got some weird idead about things when we say are you going to come to church tomorrow this is her reply… bust kung dadalhin ako ng dios sa simbahan ninyo… nandoon ako. Which what she is saying means if he lord carries her or directs her to our church then shell be there ha ha. Weve figured out her problem but not what to do. She has a testimony she knows its true shes just afraid of her family because her husband is in America looking for work and he doesn’t have a job yet so her family is helping to support her and shes afraid if she is baptized they will stop supporting her. Hard problem. But well just keep on working with her theres always a barrier but nothings impossible. I heard something pretty sad yesterday from a recent convert. He was baptized about 6 or seven months ago, he is the only member in his family.. and he has been wanting to go on a mission so bad but recently hes been coming to church for only sacrament and not weiring a white shirt and tie and I was able to talk to him last night and found out what was going on in his life. He said when he was an investigator he was so impressed with the members when he came to church there was someone that sat next to him and everyone shook his hand and made him feel important.. the missionaries were good examples of being christlike and everything was great and he got a testimony of the gospel and was baptized. Then he said the past few months his desire to go on a mission has be going away and I asked him why and he said im disappointed with the members and with missionaries. He said this is the true church and they act the same way all the other people act. The youth lieing to their parents and missionaries that hes seen disobeying rules that even he a recent convert knows they shouldn’t be doing. He said I believe the church is true but I just thought better of the members and am really dissipointed in them and missionaries ive seen coming here when theyre not supposed to facebooking and not being obedient to mission rules. The reason im sharing this with you is because us as members we know the truth and is makes me sad to see someone discouraged because members of the true church aren’t good examples of how to live or what to do.. of course no ones perfect and cast the mote out of your own eye before your brothers but you never know whos watching. And when they hear gossip and all these other things ( I know im guilty in the past ) it hurts the image of the church. Just thought id add that in there cause sometimes we forget that as members we honestly have to keep a standard.. of being Christ like. Of NOT judging others for what theyre doing and NOT lieing and spreading gossip and NOT looking down on our neighbors cause they live a different lifestyle. We help our fellow men and we do nice things for them member or non member and we do things that Christ would do if he were here. Anyways sorry that’s just whats on my mind right now. For all of you mothers happy mothers day! Mahal ko kayo elder landeen