I got some exciting news! After 9 months I finally got a baptism haha yayyy! Well that took forever, and we sure did work hard for it. And my comp was really happy, it was his first in the Mission. But in other news, the DL life is busy.
We had a Missionary Leadership Conference at the start of the week with all the DL's and ZL's in the Mish. A lot of them are mission buddies so it was good to see all of them. My temporary comp was the other DL in my Zone, Elder Whitney, one of my good buds you served in my first area. We must have chatted most of the night until bedtime about everything from our High School Days. I sure do miss days, just like the song says (You're Gonna Miss This). We ended up singing Country Songs the whole time we were together the next day haha. The MLC took forever, and they shoved a lot of stuff at us.
Our Mission is going to doing a lot of focusing on Family History Work now, and I think its a really good idea. We are trying to focus on using it to help our Recent Converts stay active, which is just what we need because the Philippines struggles with Less-Actives. After the meeting me and Elder Whitney were walking and this guy in a Jeepney passed by us wearing Army Kevlar and a helmet, totting a toy gun and shooting everyone with it and yelling random things that I've heard on Call of Duty way to many times haha! We just looked at each other and started busting up. Only on the Mish!
Me and my comp got taken out to eat dinner by these American Members, I mentioned them last week, at this super nice restaurant. They kept getting mad at us for not ordering enough ha and when we looked at the prices me and my comp about died. They're the same as a normal restaurant back at home, but I don't know I think I've just been here to long. I haven't eaten that good in about a year and 3 months I'd say. It was super nice of them to do that for us, and I think Mom was thrilled when she finally got a picture of me from them ha! Sorry Momma, I don't dare send pics anymore, so many viruses here.
I heard that Britton is still progressing, I really truly believe that its from all of those people out there that are fasting and praying for him. God can work Miracles through us if we let him. I've seen it out here and now I'm seeing it through all of you back home.
I love you all and miss you tons! Congrats to Gary Gubler, but I'm really stoked for Bishop Tommy!
Elder Akins
So me and my comp are pretty excited for this coming week. I finally have a baptism after about 9 months haha so stoked, and it'll be my trainees first here in the Mish. Her name is Athaliah and she is the granddaughter of 2 of our members, but because her parents aren't members we get to teach her. And her grandpa is a less-active that we've been working with to come back to church, he's still off and on but we'll keep working on him.
Today's P-Day we great because I got some great emails from my friends, especially a one Trevor Moss!! Ha thanks Moss, I've been waitin' long enough buddy. But I guess better late than never so. Ya it was good to hear from him, as well as my other friends, I needed a pick me up this week. I heard that Britton is stabilized for the most part so that's good.
This week we've just been working real hard with the Magallon Family to keep getting them ready for the 29th. Christmas is well on the way here, all of the songs make me trunky ha but the good news is next year I'll be home right now. My District Meeting went pretty well this week, I think I'm starting to get the hang of it now. We got this good referral from the Sisters this week so we went and contacted it. Their names are June and Jenny Andaz, probably in their 50's or 60's and they were pretty accepting of our message. I laughed when Sister told us about Brothers weird religious habits. Just randomly during the day he will go to this calendar they have with a picture of Jesus and Mary and he rubs his hand on it then wipes it on his face haha no idea what that's supposed to help with! She said sometimes she'll walk up in the middle of the night and he'll be over by the door doing it haha so crazy what some people do. But they are super nice and loved our message.
I also got another hug from a drunk guy this week outside of our apartment when I was buying some cooking oil ha we had a good conversation though. I invited him to come to Church and told him he was always welcome, then he cried and hugged me haha no idea why but it was great.
And then yesterday we got invited over to this big rich house by these Members from Utah. There's 2 of them and they own a Call-Center Business that they run here, and they part own it with this British guy who's not a member. They come and stay there a couple of times a year to check up on things, while the British guy runs most of it here with his Filipino wife. We had some dinner and talked with them a bit. The British guy is way funny and is quite interested in the Church, he made a visit to Salt Lake a few years ago with the other two and they showed him Temple Square and everything. So we are gonna try to see if we can't start teaching him in the future...I don't know how I'm gonna teach in English ha its so hard! And on Wednesday we are eating at this way super nice restaurant here in Daraga with them, my comp is super excited ha! They gave us some Magnum Ice Cream bars fore we left ha Elder Navarro about died haha it was his first one. They all laughed at him as they watched him down it. Well that's all I got for this week, hope everyone is doing well back at home. My love and prayers got out to all of you.
Elder Akins
Its been a tough email session today. I found out about Britton Shipp in about my 3 email, so I've been trying to focus but its not too easy. I feel like these things have been happening more and more since I've gotten out here, so crazy. But I know that God has a Plan for all of us. I don't think I really understood that when I was back at home before the Mish. Its such a blessing to be out here, I've grown so much in the Gospel. I remember back when Grandpa Chuck passed away, I felt so confused. Every time I went over to the house I would look into the living room half expecting to see him sitting in that big green chair of his watching the fishing channel like always...but he wasn't. It took me awhile to really understand what all had happened and to adjust. And now that I'm out here I've truly gained a testimony that although their bodies and spirits have separated, that doesn't mean that they have left us! I've felt him, I've felt KJ and many others as I go about this Work. I know that I will see them again, we all will. Like Elder Holland said we just need to "trust God, and believe in good things to come." It'll be alright in the end, and I truly believe that. My prayers go out to the Shipp family in this time of hardship. This week wasn't filled with anything exciting other than our lesson with the Magallon Family. We decided to watch the Restoration video with them, and after we would teach about the Word of Wisdom. Well it went much better than we had expected! After the movie I looked around the room and bore my testimony that Joseph Smith was and is a true Prophet...I ended up losing some tears ha which I haven't done in a long while! Then Brother Magallon shared with us how blessed he felt, and ended up doing the same except a lot harder than I had cried haha. Then everyone teared up, even our Bishop and his daughters ha! It was such an amazing spiritual experience, I'll never forget that lesson. Right after that we introduced the Word of Wisdom and they said they would live it right away...even though they were already living it haha! It was beautiful! Well that's really all I got for this week. I hope you all know I love you and miss you so much!
Elder Akins
Well its gonna be a short one this week. I got called as District Leader this Transfer so thats gonna be fun...alongside Training I'm in for a ride. But we'll get er done no prob. It was tough saying bye to my bro Elder Tevaga on Tuesday...then it got good when they called him as AP in the Ward next to us ha. I've seen him a few times around, looks like he's having a blast driving the Mission Car around. I always ask him if I can take it for a spin ha denied everytime. Never know though. I gave my 1st District Meeting as DL, it went pretty good. The father of our investigator family, the Magallons, went to the hospital this week for low blood. But we went over and gave him a blessing and now he's back home doing good. It was his birthday on Friday too so we went to their house and wished him a Happy Birthday and taught them a quick lesson on Faith and Repentance. They are doing so good, I can't wait for their Baptism! We are planning on the 15th of November right now, hope it all comes together. I got a package from home too this week, sure was a booster. Thanks for the Chex Mix Mom that was the best. I didn't get any Skittles, my dang Comp loves them to much ha. And the AP's broke my package open after they called me to come pick it up so I lost a little candy and my football. I'll get it back this week ha. We had a great turn out at Church this week too. We had 7 Investigators and 12 Less-Actives come! Not much else went down. Just another solid week in the Mish. Hope everyone enjoys Halloween. Watch some good scary movies for me ha! And Mom tell Ally she can't go Trick or Treating anymore, shes to old haha!
Love Elder Akins
Ha I had a bunch of interesting experiences this past week, but that's what the Mish is all about right?! Well our last PDay was legit. We went to the Cagsawa Ruins. For those who don't know what that is, its an old Catholic Cathedral that got destroyed from Mount Mayon (the Volcano) about 200 years ago. The towns people ran inside, which was the exact opposite of what they should have done because its close to the volcano so ya they didn't make it. But the ruins are still there and its super cool. I'll send some pics. The next morning we all (the Americans) decided we were all fat so we went jogging really early and worked out hard. After we were throwing this football we got in the street outside our house and our big Linebacker Poly kid from Cali that plays at BYU (E. Lesatele) decides he's a decent QB so he chucks one long to me...the ball falls like a duck and bounces off the top of our neighbors tricyee and smashes the window of his other tricyee haha. All of the tricyee drivers that were by-standing watching us just started busting up laughing! Its a good thing that this ain't America, the owner was suprisingly happy we broke it haha he got a free new one! He's a nice old guy so he just laughed about it as we looked it over. I got that letter package you sent me Mom too, thanks it came in real handy this week. I snagged a flu for a day or two and I loved reading all of the Family History stuff! The bad part of that day, besides my awesome flu symptoms (guess), I realized that that day was Opening Day of the Deer Hunt...so not only was I sick, but trunky as well as I watched the clock spiral down to the hours of morning over there at you guys. All I could think about was how many bucks were hittin' the dirt that morning, man I miss it. But its all good, because on Sunday the Magallon's came to church again! Brother didn't make it because he was sick, but they are getting closer to their Baptismal Date. We reset it to November 8th so hopefully they'll be ready. And we had a great lesson on the Plan of Salvation, we talked about how Families Can Be Together Forever too. It was the bomb. Well this weeks transfers, and I got a sneak peek of whats in store. Elder Tevaga, my buddy, is leaving us...but he's still gonna be in my District because he will be the new AP. And I may or may not be the new District Leader so I'm pretty nervous. We have all of the types of Leaders you can have in a District so its gonna be tough! Wish me luck!
Love, Elder Akins
Well it was a pretty slow week. We only got to teach the Magallon Family once this week so I was pretty peeved about that. Hopefully they'll get more time this week. But when we were there they had broken out their highlighters and what not and were totally into the lesson, they're the best! I'm gonna be so mad/sad if I'm not here when they get baptized. I want it more than ever! We had a Lunar Eclipse this past week, but I didn't see nothing. But we did see a lot of shooting stars when the whole city shut the power off on Wednesday...thats normal though now. As long as we get it back by 10:30 we're good. It did it again on Monday (which is why I'm emailing on Tuesday), but this time it didn't come back on. I didn't hardly sleep that night, so hot with Mayon gettin ready to pop and all the mosquitoes. I hate those things. Just gotta love the Mish! I made some dang good Adobo this week too, can't wait to make it for y'all when I get back! But the best thing that happened this week was General Conference! As described by my buddy here Elder Tevaga, " General Conference is like a Birthday Party for Missionaries!"
Although that's way random, its definately true. I've come to love it so much on my Mish! And especially this one, I received answers to my Prayers of what to do after the Mish. And I totally believe that God answers prayers! It worked for me haha. Well all is well here, Mom the Eruptions not going to be huge so relax! I'll be fine, the Lord is on my side!
Elder Akins CC
We had a pretty slow week. We had lots of meetings for New Missionary Training, Zone Training, stuff like that. So we didn't get a ton of time to work our tails off, but we still got some good stuff in. Like for example, yesterday we had the Magallon Family attend Church for the 1st time! We were super happy, even though they showed up right as we were about to start the Sacrament, we got them all situated and what not. Our Bishop's family has really been doing a grteat job of fellowshipping them. Their 2 daughters took the Magallon girls to Youth class and I think they really enjoyed it. I hope they come next Sunday...and for all the Sundays after that. I'm so happy God's placed them in my path. Also this week I got my 1 Year De-Worming Pill. Well so far all is well, just keep prayin' Mom! I also heard one of my old Comps, Elder Vaki, is doing work in the Music Industry. Ally you should look him up. I'm not sure how maybe just Google, look up Samuel Vaki. I heard the songs good so I don't know ha. We've been trying to teach this old guy who lives on the mountain near our apartment, but the only problem is I can't understand him. I feel like I'm back in my Training haha and my comps having a hard time too. The guy is from Masbate which is technically Bicol Region but they speak Cebuano there. He also mixes what he says with Bicol and Tagalog so basically I just die everytime he says something. And he's got a lot to say haha his beliefs are pretty crazy. But its all good, glad he lets us teach him ha. He got mad at me for not having a Tagalog Bible, but when I asked him if he had one he said he gave it to his buddy down the road...ha ok why you gettin' mad at me?! Man gotta love these guys! But me and my comp are getting along great and are workin' hard. I'm trying to stay up and keep on pushing forward...its gonna be hard this next little month or so with the Hunt and all haha. I just want all my buddies back at home to know how much I love em! I miss you guys, and especially my Boys out here. Keep doing work guys! Love you all.
Elder Akins
