9-5-11

Hello everybody

Well this week has been pretty good, another interesting, but not too stressful week in the office.

Not a lot has happened as far as the office goes. There’s been some issues with baptismal records so tomorrow in Zone leader council I get a few minutes to train a bit so that we can avoid the mistakes. The wards and stakes have been complaining too so it’s something that’s got to be fixed.  On Friday we helped some elders move into a nice new apartment.  It’s really nice, brand new and about a third of the price of all the ones we've looked at.  We haven’t really looked much this past week but this week we're going to take a few days and go look in the afternoon.   It doesn’t do much to look at 7pm at night, everything is closed anyways.

As far as driving, well no accidents since last Saturday.  But the other day, I think Wednesday, we were driving home, turning left when a car came from behind us cut in front to turn left.  I almost hit him and got a little frustrated.  I’ve made sure to drive more carefully and I’ve noticed a difference.  Now even when people cut in front of me and I almost hit them, Biado takes my side because he knows I’m trying to be safe.  It’s just a different way of driving here, driving fast isn’t really possible in the Philippines haha.

Anyways work has been alright too.  We got a referral last Sunday in a far part of our area.  Not a big deal, we do have a car so we headed over there.  We met a brother who hasn’t been to church in 10-15 years.  He and his wife were really active till he got a job on Sunday and now they kind of turned catholic.  I think sister (we didn’t meet her) likes catholic better and brother just kind of follows.  The last time we tried to go over there though they hid from us haha.  Their neighbors are a part member family, the mom is less active, the husband is separated, and the two other kids aren’t baptized yet.  The girl goes to catholic school so the trick is going to be to get her to come to church. Sister is the key but she's always "sleeping" when we come, smart kids, hopefully we can see sister more often.

Sister Delyn was doing awesome.  We didn’t get a chance to visit her this week until Saturday.  Well actually we didn’t on Saturday because she moved back to Fairview, part of the North Mission! She's 22 but her mom made her come home because I guess she had a dream that something bad was going to happen to her daughter.  Here they respect their parents (a little too much) even when they're moved out and older.  The worst part is that she felt the Spirit!  I guess she has been asking and as she put it, she felt the manifestations of the Spirit.  She really wants to continue to be taught so we're just trying to get her address over there.  It seems like this type of thing happens a lot to me on the mission.  I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining but it’s kind of disappointing.  There's a bigger reason for it though, I know that.

On Sunday, Sister Matriano, a less active we've been teaching came to church!  She hasn’t been to church in forever.  She was pretty offended a few years ago (not something small either) and on Wednesday we tried to take bishop over there.  She was sleeping so we didn’t get to teach or talk to her.  Then on Sunday, right after sacrament we saw them walking up.  Oh man it was awesome!  I just had this big smile and as they sat down a member bore her testimony.  I don’t know what she said but something she said, along with them coming, I don’t know I just felt the spirit really strong and teared up a bit.  I think it was just love, just enough love to keep me going.

It’s been a good week and a lot of work to do in our area, with trying to find an apartment and all the actual work to do.  We're going to try hard this week to get out by 5 to get in a little more work.  It’s an awesome ward and awesome area, kind of bittersweet that other missionaries are coming in next transfer.

It rained like crazy yesterday and the past few days it gets really hot and humid in the afternoon then bigla, it rains like crazy, but yesterday it was real hard.  A road in our area, one we always use, flooded up to the hip, in like an hours time.  The Philippines got some crazy weather especially this time of the year.

Anyways that was my week.  Love you all thanks for everything.  I love this work, even in the office. I really do have an important part of the Lord's work even in the office, even if I don’t always realize it.  It’s been fun.

love

Elder Stover