So Many Once in a Lifetime Moments!!!

My week has been pretty good this week, we had 3 meal appointments and the food is very good here always, but it is nothing like Sister Ocampo's food! SO good!

The Sunsets I have enjoyed here!!!

I wish we had snow here it would be nice for some cold in this country. I am going to freeze when I come home! I probably won't leave the house! But I think I'm getting use to the heat a little, but it will still take some time. It has rained a few times but nothing crazy, I'm a little disappointed, I was hoping for some crazy rain storms! nothing.It is so beautiful here though I have so many good once in a life time moments here.

Travelling in a Tricycle to an appointment

The beautiful fields

A funny story that happened this week. We were teaching at this members Chungi, which is a store, and we were teaching about the restoration. After we had stopped she asked where in the bible does it say anything about the restoration. I went into my scriptures and pull out a scripture in Acts about how the church needs to be a restored church, when it started to rain. And in the Philippines they believe in this disease that if rain hits the top of your head you will get a bad illness in the future, so she said she was going to run to her house and meet us inside the Chungi. We waited for about 5 maybe 7 minutes she didn't come back. We scarred her off, it was kinda funny!

Trying to be Cool!!!

I always love putting up the tree that's when Christmas really begins! Ya it is kinda impossible to beat my skills with the tree decoration, but Laura told me you put the glasses I made on the tree. I miss old fashioned Christmas, Christmas has started here since September so it's been dragging on for a while, and it is way more fake and processed if that makes sense.

Love you,

Elder Rivera

I'm So Tired Which is a good thing! It means we work hard!

 I've been taking pictures like crazy I have pictures from my first second and third baptism! I will send them for sure this week! Our area is pretty big we have just one ward with 4 missionaries 2 elders and 2 sisters. There are 900 members in the ward but only 80+ are active, so we focus a lot on re activation which is really hard!

Harold

Lannie And Katrina

Our day involves a lot of walking and tricycle riding we teach an average of 20-30 lessons a week! busy everyday. We also have about 4 hours of study before we go out! I've had 2 dinner appointments and I've eaten everything give to me! The food here is awesome!

I do cook too I've made noodles, pancakes, and a bunch of other stuff

Laundry we have a member who washed our clothes but we wash our garments so after one wash my garments are mostly yellow

I write in my journal every night I will have a lot of memories for sure!

I teach with Elder Cusili, I mostly testify but I try and actually teach as well. I have a goal to memorize the first vision by the end of the week I will be able to help in lessons a lot more after that! Every night we come home I'm so tired Which is a good thing! It means we work hard!

I love you guys & miss!

Love

Elder Rivera

My Investigators

My 5 Star Bathroom/Laundry Room

One of our Pets

Why we don't have Spiders

I love my Mission!!!

Proseliting in Manila was cool but it sucked because we didn't do it in our language we did it in Tagalog..... we don't know Tagalog! So I didn't really understand much. Manila was crazy! traffic is a big mess and it was scary to be even in a van or a big bus! Bacolod is nothing compared to that!

The flight was so long and dreadful but I'm glad to be here in my first area Valladolid with an awesome trainer! It is hotter than I don't know what over here and I'm sweating buckets but I love it!!! All the people here are amazing and the kids here are so much fun! I already had my first baptism, I forgot to mention that! President Lopez wants one per week so I have another one this Saturday very exciting!

My trainer is so cool and funny. Elder Cusili is from the Philippines and is DL. We are in the Valladolid area in the Bago Zone, it is literally right on the shore! absolutely beautiful! We have taught many lessons. All of the members and investigators are amazed at how much of the language I know for only being here for a few days. I'm very excited for when I'm fluent then I can help more with lessons!

Being a missionary is awesome and hard!!!! I love it!!!

Love 

Elder Rivera

Training for New Missionaries and Trainers

Elder Cusili and Elder Rivera

Trainers and New Missionaries

Lunch with new Companions

Giants Pizzas for Lunch!!!

Which Pizza to try?

Getting to know each other better!!!

Each new missionary gets a brand new pillow

Missionaries teaching Family

I am in Bacolod!!!

Hey! just emailing you all saying I made it to Bacolod! 

My mission president is awesome already! I can't answer any emails right now not until p day which is Monday I think.

But I did see that little bit of the email about the memory card it is OK lang because I got those pictures developed! they are here with me right now so that was lucky! I don't think I will send those home I don't want to lose those they are my memories of the MTC. But now that I am here in the Philippines I will send pics home!

I miss you all so much Pero I'm super excited for the next 2 years it is going to be so awesome!!!!

Love you all!

Elder Rivera

Elder Rivera Has Arrived!!!

Kamuta Pamiliya ko!!

 

I made it to the Philippines and am now in the MTC sa Philippines! We are staying in a hotel 5 minutes away from the MTC.

 

Super fun! Super hot! Super Humid! And tonight we proselite in Metro Manila, might be proseliting in Kenneth's area!

 

Love you all I will send a better email on Pday only have 5 minutes for this email

 

Elder Rivera