San Enrique is Awesome!

Soaked after storm

So I'm back in my favourite zone, La Carlota Zone! I've always loved this zone ever since I was in La Castellana. It's the best, but most missionaries say that this Zone is the worst because there is no success here, but they are just dumb. ahahaha. Just kidding.

5 weeks left of work to do. Then it's time to go home. Dang it's been so fast! I'm Freaking out a little. But I can't wait to get back to the Great White North. But my heart will always be Filipino. hahaha

The game we are going to see between the Orioles and the Jays will be a more intense game because they are in the running for the East. I think the package is finally here because Sister Hopper told me that there is a package for me in he office I hope that it's the one.

That's crazy that Summer just started and now you are already preparing for back to school. Time is just blowing by like crazy. I'm already getting everything finalized for the flight home. It's been the wildest best 2 years anyone could have ever asked for!

Elder Insular

So we've been working hard my new companion and I trying to help as many people as we can in my last few weeks. I love the people in this area they are awesome! The best thing that happened to us this week was this. So this week we have 2 baptisms set up. Both of them are young women. they are awesome and really want to be baptized but we need to ask their parents first. But from what I heard they don't want us to baptize their children. So we decided to talk to their parents. We taught about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We did our best for the Spirit to be with us. And by our small and simple lesson we had a miracle. Her parents said yes to her being baptized and also agreed to come to church and her mother did but her father was busy. Next week probably. The other young woman hasn't got the OK yet because her parents have weird schedules but that's our plan for tonight to visit them. We'll do our best!

Well I guess I'll see you soon.

Elder Rivera

Back to Work, and Transferred!

Waiting for a haircut

My Dengue is all gone and I worked a full week. My week was OK but I got transferred. I'm going back to La Carlota just a different area than last time. I'm going to San Enrique Branch and I'm a District leader. I hope this is my last area! I don't want to transfer again!

District picture

I hope Quebec was awesome. I haven't gone back since grade 8. I have a question.... Seeing as I get home in the afternoon will you all be able to go to the airport?

For the Jays game lets go to the Yankees game because I want to see the Jays destroy the Yanks. hahaha

De la Cruz family

So I had an interesting thing happen to me. So when we were walking home last night there was this lady on the other side of the street. She saw me and bolted across the street almost getting hit by a van in the process. When she got to us she shook my hand then went in for the hug. She was being all weird and loving to me and started kissing my chest. She then tried to go for a kiss on the lips, luckily she was too short to reach my face. hahaha. We kinda got away awkwardly and I gave her a pamphlet and a hand shake she even kissed my hand at parting. It was so weird. hahaha

Raining

Well, I've only got 6 weeks left then we will see each other. It's actually weird being the oldest group of missionaries in the mission. But it's cool going home I guess. 

Plus It's More Fun in The Philippines.

Elder Rivera

I Spent 2 Nights in the Hospital

So my platelets got so low that Sister Loveday (the mission Nurse) and President Barredo thought that 

I should be hospitalized because the risk of internal bleeding was extremely high! 

I didn't do much so I'll explain how my time at the hospital went.

Thursday. I get a text from Sister Loveday saying hey get ready you are going to the hospital. We got to the Emergency room, they did another blood test which eventually led to an IV in my hand and me getting into a hospital gown. What really scared me was the fact that the nurse in training almost put the IV into me and the doctor was not ready, luckily the chief nurse stepped in before it got serious. We then got a private room, and watched TV basically the whole time. The food was terrible, and it just so happened that as soon as I get sent to the hospital is when I started getting better. But not without a blood test every 12 hours.

This was basically my week. But All the nurses were surprised when they discovered I could fluently speak Ilonggo. So I guess it's a win for me.

I miss you only 6 more weeks after this week!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Rivera

Don't Freak Out

So this week has probably been the hardest week of my mission. On Wednesday I developed a fever. Then On Thursday when we went out to work and it was almost as if the fever hit me with a ton of bricks. We went home early and when I took my temperature it turns out I had a fever of 40 C which is 104 F. So the mission nurse told me I wasn't allowed to work. 

On Friday I still had a pretty high fever so another day with no work. Then because I still had a fever on Saturday Sister Loveday took me to get a blood test to test for Dengue. The results came in and they were positive. Don't Freak out it's not a serious case but it's serious enough to confine me to our apartment. And now every other day I need to go in for blood tests. My life is getting more and more fun everyday.

I don't have any pictures because I've been inside all week. Maybe next week.

I love you!!

Elder Rivera 

The Zone Experience

Zone after training

So this week I gave my first training as a Zone Leader. We took like 3 hours planning our training for the zone. We basically take what we learned from Mission Leadership Council and adjust it to meet the needs of the zone! It was good I think. at least that"s what they all said.

Zone experience at the resort

This week we had another cool experience. We have this one investigator that became really busy with work, she makes decorative flowers for cakes. She said that she might not be able to have us over always so she took our number and said she'd text us. One week past and she hadn't texted us. So on Saturday we decided to visit. And when we visited she said her prayer was answered. She had prayed to know if the message was true and she said that if this truly was the way that the Lord wanted for her then he would send us to her even tho she never texted. It's awesome she accepted a baptismal date for July 30. Miracles.

Giant fruit bats, like from
Indiana Jones

Earlier we went to a resort in Elder Warnick's area called Mambucal. It was pretty awesome. We went hiking and saw a lot of cool things. most of the Zone was there but it wasn't a  Zone activity, it was a Zone experience.

We just keep on keeping on!

Elder Rivera

p.s. I  can't wait for Taco Bell

Emergency toilet in the middle
of our area

Travel Plans

Dear Brother and Sister Rivera,

This is a note to give you an advance copy of your son’s flights home.  He still has a while to go, but the tickets were sent to me already.  I am passing this information along to you.  When all the tickets have arrive for his batch of 23 missionaries completing their mission, I will send this to you again and include him in the official email of his return travel  and also copy it to the Bishop.   Your son is a fantastic missionary.  He has done so much good here.  We are not anxious to send him home, but the time comes when we must return our finest missionaries to their parents. We appreciate and love him so much.

Best Regards

Senior missionary couple

Sister Hopper

Travel

Blessings

That's too bad about the Jays. I'm sure they'll win the first game I go to. 

Stellan is still a really cool name! I'm sure he's a big chubby ball of fun!

My week has been ok. It really really is rainy season so we're soaked everyday. But the day starts off super sticky and hot and then it always ends in rain and wet clothes! 

We also went on exchanges this week. I went with my batch Elder Boyce. He's pretty cool. he's from Austrailia. He's going home early to get married. I didn't know that you could do that. hahaha.

We have a meeting tomorrow at the mission home. We are going to be trained and then on Thursday we give the training to the zone. I'm kinda nervous but I'm excited too.

I had a cool experience happen to me. On Friday this one member was really sick and when we were at her house she asked for a blessing. But the only problem was we both forgot our oil. But she still wanted it. So I gave the blessing, And then we didn't see her the next day. But then on fast and testimony meeting she gave her testimony about how she overcame her sickness and was alright because of the blessing. It just feels good sometimes to know that you've blessed some ones life.

That's all.

Elder Rivera