My Birthday!!!

So ya I'm old now. 21! It's crazy how fast time goes by. 21 years I've done so much. Graduated high school, first job, almost finished my mission, and not to mention I got super handsome along the way. I can't believe that I've got just under 5 months to go before I return to The Great White North! Time just keeps going and there is nothing that can stop it, you just need to live every second of it.

Grandma and Grandad are looking good and happy. We should visit them as soon as I get home! Share some crazy mission stories with them!

I'm glad things seem to be going well back home with of course the relative stress that comes with everyday life! Things here are going... We have been doing a lot of finding the past few weeks. But this past Sunday we didn't have any investigators at church and to be honest that doesn't happen very often, at least not during my mission. But in the most trying times of life, that is when God opens your spiritual eyes to show you the miracles that he has performed for you. We had a lot of less active members return to church this Sunday. They were families that we visited but only because they had some investigators living with them. But I guess God is showing us how we can and should bring the gospel to those families we are teaching. We first need to focus on those lost sheep that need to be nourished once more by the Goodness and peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring.

My Birthday has been pretty good so far. We went hiking with the sisters from Sagay first and second ward. It was really fun even when I fell in the water. hahaha. And it doesn't end there later tonight a member is feeding us white spaghetti and banana cake, and last night and the day before that we have been fed for my birthday and both of them were my favourite dishes Adobo and Bicol Express! They were awesome!

Love being a Missionary!

Elder Rivera 

Sagay is Sick

So my new companion is from Tonga. And his name is Elder Ngalu he is awesome. We are like the companionship from the movie

"The Other Side of Heaven." He even calls me Kolipoki.  We just try and have fun everyday and relieve the stress from any of the aspects of the work while working super hard at the same time.

My new area is pretty cool, it's in the city and in the countryside. it's a pretty big area, full of  people to teach, the only thing is, we need to find them all. We had a baptism this past Saturday and that was pretty awesome. After that we have a really small investigator pool. And we are spending most of the time finding. But it is pretty cool because the area and the members are awesome!

I think when I get home we will go on a food trip! We'll eat everywhere. And we need to go to a Filipino restaurant. They have bunch in Toronto!

I love you!

Elder Rivera

Transferred!!!

So I'm now transferred to my sixth area in Sagay 1st ward. It's pretty cool my new companion is cool, or so I've heard. I haven't met him yet. But the area is really good. I'm no longer a District Leader just a regular senior companion. It feels good.

Conference was amazing! They all were amazing! I really was edified for maybe the first time. It was because I wanted to be edified!

I can't really say much else. I had an interesting week topped off with this transfer. But The saddest part was I might not see Elder Warnick and Elder Cagampang for a long time if ever.... They are more than just elders to me. They are brothers!!!

Elder Rivera

My Week!!!

I hope it snows like that when I go home so I can really get right back into the Canadian weather. I hope Farley is OK! 

So I forgot to mention that I ate Balut. I have a video of it but I don't think you can send videos. And it was So good, it literally tasted amazing! Like chicken soup and the bird itself was good too like soft and not gross like I expected. I would eat it again for sure!

This past week we have been working hard to get more baptisms in our area. We have few set up now. We are actually making some pretty good progress. If we keep pushing forward doing what we are supposed to do then we will have 7 total baptisms. We are just trying to do our best with it all! It takes alot of hard work but it's worth it. Our one investigator who lost a toe is no sort of limping around. She is making great progress!

That's my week

Elder Rivera

Balut