Rough!?!

Well this is kinda embarrassing but I forgot to say happy Birthday to you Dad for 2 weeks in a row! SORRY! But in my planner on your birthday I wrote "dad's birthday" so I'm not a terrible son just a forgetful one. What did you guys do? Chako's? Why didn't you guys tell me Andrew was engaged? Jeez man! Who is he getting married to? 

District Baptisms

Anyways, my challenge this week was our church attendance. Our church attendance was 2 members, 4 including us. To be completely honest we didn't really get over it. It still really bugs us. We don't feel as though the area is progressing we feel like the area might be closed. This is so hard here, to be honest all of the RC's are not truly converted to the gospel but are converted to the past missionaries. It makes me feel as though I am failing these people. It is difficult sometimes. But I know that there is no light without the dark. So as I work and work and work I will be able to turn this area around! 

Nature Made Bridge

Last week I didn't send any pictures because I didn't trust the computer shop we were in that week so I'll be sending some cool one this week!

So who speaks Ilonggo in Creditview? 

I miss you guys and love you guys!

Elder Rivera

Not our Best Week!!!

I've been thinking about learning another language after I come home. But I think I will probably learn Tagalog or some other Filippino language maybe spanish? I guess I have time to decide right. 

Things are OK here actually to be honest our week was not a good week. We had a lot of our appointments fall thru, or in ilonggo Pantid gid kami! I didn't get to ride on any buses this week but I still have 19 months to do it! But the highlight of my week would probably be our baptism! We baptized Ray Angelo Vergara! And on Sunday I confirmed him and gave him the gift of the Holy ghost! I got nervous so it was short and the Ilonggo wasn't my best stuff! And speaking of Church we literally had 4 members attend our sacrament meeting. 6 including us. 

I would have to say that this was my hardest week in my mission so far! But I'm not beating myself up over it. This whole week was a challenge, or a mountain I needed to climb. And I climbed by not focusing on the hard sad times but on the happy good times we were able to have this week. Like our baptism, and how much the Lord has helped me with my language. I have actually made improvements, or I should say the Lord has helped make those improvements! 

We had a baptism goal but he is not ready so we pushed it to the next week hopefully by then he will be ready!

Elder Rivera

PS for the first time in forever I'm happy I'm sweating rather than being cold!

This Week in the Philippines....

Riding on the bus was way fun! 

At least we don't have to walk all the way behind me!!!

Finally Halton got their act together and gave you guys a snow day! Probably helped you finish report cards and stuff. And that is cool that you get to go on the winter trip mom. The last trip I went to for school was the BCP winter trip. I actually have a picture of it, Meredith sent it to me... good times! And I hear that you have another storm on the way! Fun, fun, fun! 

To answer you question about the DoE award.... Unless my daily walks that take up about 2 hours of my day combined count as exercising then... No I don't exercise. But I would have to say that my walks are more like hikes I will send some pictures this week and next of our daily Lord of the Rings like hikes.

This week... I taught the gospel principles class this. I spoke for the full 45 minutes and gave a lesson on sacrament. I thought it was pretty cool! As a matter of fact I have made improvements with my language. Elder Ballesteros says I am now a 4 out of 5! But I know I wouldn't have been able to do this with out hard work, and without the Lord being with me every step of the way! 

Creepy Abandoned Factory

A crazy thing that happened this week was these kids came by our house. They usually do around lunch time and they wanted candy because missionaries in the past have given them candy. We had none and they left to go do something but when they came back they knocked on the door we just didn't open it. So they surrounded the house and banged on every part of it and screamed for us to open the door and for us to give them candy. It was a weird crazy and once in a life time experience! 

Elder Rivera

SLEEP SO HARD!!!

Riding on to of the bus with my companion
Elder Ballesteros

Well my new area is Sagasa. I love it, my apartment is not the best though but it is still cool. Actually we have been told that we need to find a new apartment or we are getting pulled out. There are no apartments so I guess we will see.

The weather is still hot I feel kinda sorry for you guys and all the snow! Hopefully the schools close!

Something awesome happened this week I got to ride on top of a bus! It was so scary but definitely worth it! I hope I get to do it again. Our area is huge a lot of walking and I mean A LOT. My legs are killing ME!!!

Church at our apartment

We are in Bago 1st ward and there are 4 elders and 2 sisters. But all of the missionaries do not attend the sacrament meeting,they all hold special sacraments in other parts of their areas that are far. Including us, we actually hold sacrament in our apartment. We teach the lesson, conduct and bless the sacrament. So all in all it is a busy day.

I work hard, Play hard, and SLEEP SO HARD!!!

Elder Rivera

President and Sister Ferrin
Interim Mission President

Sister Ferrin and I are so pleased to introduce ourselves to you and thank you for your missionary's consecrated service in the great Philippines Bacolod Mission!

We are thrilled to serve with your missionaries here and we look forward to their miracles.

We add our faith and testimonies to yours as we pray for the recovery and health of President and Sister Lopez. They are our dear friends and we have served with them here in the Philippines for the past two years. We spoken with them several times this week. He is out of the hospital and they have been given an apartment in Salt Lake near the Church headquarters. His body is weak but his soul is full of faith. They feel your prayers and express their gratitude. He will begin his full time employment with the headquarters CES department in March. She will return to Bacolod the last week of February to retrieve their things. They are optimistic and hopeful. Please keep them in you prayers. They are marvelous saints!

When we arrived here in Bacolod on January 28th we bid farewell to the departing batch. Elder and Sister Echo Hawk of our Area Presidency conducted the departing missionaries final interviews and blessed them with their testimonies.  Your  missionaries will long be remembered and appreciated. Their experience and success will inspire us all.

Also on January 28th we welcomed the 20 newly arrived replacement missionaries. Sister Ferrin and I had the blessing of traveling from Manila with these wonderful new missionaries. She and I had been serving in Manila for the past two years as the Missionary Department's In-Field Representative for the 32 missions in the Asia and the Philippines Areas. Traveling with these new arrivals reminded us of our days as the Mission President and wife in the Philippines Naga Mission in 2007.  What a treat it is to be with your missionaries! We look forward to loving them all!

We seek your support and prayers as we go forward. We know this is His work! Our prayers are with you in this great Hastening of the Work. Your support for your missionaries is essential to their happiness.

With sincere love and appreciation,

President and Sister Ferrin, Philippines Bacolod Mission

Onward ever onward!