September 16, 2013 – The Accident

Dear Mom, Dad, and Elder Froude 2,

Well, in short, this has been the craziest week with no exaggeration.  It's been a roller coaster of emotion with highs and lows like never before experienced.  It's been humbling, to say the least.  And quite stressful as well.  My brother, the newest Elder Froude, is out on his mission starting his adventure in the Dominican Republic as my own mission slowly comes to a close.  It's been strange for me to see him grow up and start his adventure from the other side of a computer screen.  It's been difficult not being there for him and showing him all that he needs to know, all that I have learned and yet, he has been prepared sufficiently enough on his own.  The Lord knew his needs and prepared him and He will continue to guide him.  I have done my best…now the Lord will take care of the rest.  Elder Froude, I hope you are out there doing your best like a good missionary should and if you ever feel down read Doctrine and Covenants Section 100.  All of it!  That goes for you too, Mom!

Now about my week.

And it came to pass that I went on exchanges with Elder Vea on Monday night so that we could make things a little easier for us and then switch at 8 pm the next night so that we can go on exchanges with the elders in Malaya.  Well, Tuesday was pretty much the start of one of the worst days ever!  We were in traffic for about an hour trying to get to the mission home.  There I got my interview for my temple recommend renewal and then I went with elders Lim, Vea, and Delaserna to Banapple for lunch.  I had nice creamy, cheesy, baked penne pasta and a muddy fudge cheesecake, and it was delicious!  But after that the deliciousness had stopped.  

Yummy!!!

We walked in the pouring rain to find a jeepney to get us home.  We took a jeepney that was supposed to take us through Taytay and through Antipolo to Tanay, but we ended up stuck in traffic for about an hour and a half having moved only about 100 feet, so we decide to get off and walk instead.  While walking and trying to find another jeepney we find the cause for all of the stalled traffic.  Apparently, the storm that got us all soaked after Banapple caused a flooding in one of the major intersections so no cars were able to go through.  We then decided to walk through it, barefoot, so we could get to the other side.  It was about shin deep water but it was still enough to cause a stop in traffic.  We eventually get to the other side and walk farther, with our shoes on, for another hour and a half to get to Antipolo. From there, still raining, we ride a jeepney from Antipolo to Tanay.  It’s about 7:30 pm by this time.  The jeepney slowly makes its way down the roads until we get to the outskirts of Tanay.  Going about 80 kph and at about 8:30 the hood from the jeepney comes up blocking all view from the driver. He's freaking out, we are freaking out, he hops the curb and hits a few trees then gets back on the road only to get hit by another jeepney and we started spinning.  Everything happened so fast I couldn't really do anything but grab on to the bars of the jeepney and my companions and scream!  We eventually stopped sliding down the road and got out.  Thankfully, no one was injured.  The only damage was a big dent in the jeepney we were in.   We got to the meeting place with the other elders at 9:00 pm. One of the elders was kind of ticked that we were late but we explained the situation and all was well after that.  I got ice cream and called it a night and hit the bed as soon as I got home praying harder than I have in a long while that everything ended up alright in the end.

What jeepneys look like

But of course that was not all.  Fridays and Saturdays we've been going out in the mornings with the Jensens and the sister missionaries to build a house in Morong area for the Venadas family.  We were just able to layout everything and get all the materials there but I really love the service we were able to provide for those people.  It's great!  I took a few videos so I’ll send those to you when I can get a new SD card. I'll have the Jensens send over the pictures from Brother Rodel’s completed house.

Today, however, was pretty crazy as well.  So much for a p-day!  I spent most of it on the road and that really just stressed me out like crazy.  I had to wake up at 4:00 in the morning to go to Antipolo and get picked up by the Jensens and go to Aurora chapel by 7:00 am.  After that we took a shuttle to the Immigration Bureau of the Philippines to get fingerprinted because there is a new law that says that all foreigners trying to leave the country need to get fingerprinted before they could leave.  So everyone going home in the next 3 months had to get fingerprinted.  This is why I wasn't able to get to email on time.  Because by the time that was done (oh btw, it was in Manila) we had to try to get back to Morong for our zone activity at 12.  We didn't get back until 2:30 because of all of the traffic.  It practically killed me really to be in a car that long especially when I knew that you two were waiting for me to email you the whole time.  Anyway, we went through with the zone activity and didn't get back until like 6:00. This is why I’m only able to email now.  Sorry po!!!  But I did get to spend a long time with the Jensens and I did learn so much from them.  One of them was a quote that said, "It’s easier to make a willing man able, than an able man willing."  That was pretty much how I felt as a missionary.  Either you are willing or you are not, and if you are willing God will provide a way, always.

After all this time I seem to finally get what missionary work is all about and how to be a good missionary.  Isn't that interesting?  We were on our way to go to an appointment with a part member family we always visit that has a few baptism dates.  On our way up there I kind of thought that it might be more effective if we visited another family, the Austria family.  They live about a huge stairway up a mountain away from us and we were so close to the appointment we had set that it seemed impractical to visit the Austria family at that time.  Though I did not understand why and only prayed to have the courage to follow the Spirit, I told my companion, “Let's go to the Austria family.”  He said, “why?”  I said “I have no idea, but we need to go there.”  Good thing my companion Elder Millora is so willing.  He just said okay and went with me to climb that mountain at night.  A quite sketchy thing really.  But we eventually made it and met Brother Austria there.  We haven't been able to teach him for a while because he was less active and gets home late from work but we went there and talked to him and told him about our service projects we do building houses.  Brother Austria is a contractor so he was very interested in what we did.  Then he asked if he could join us next time and with a smile on my face I said, "of course you can!"  We then boldly invited him to church and sure enough the next day he came to church!  It was a great experience and I feel like I’m just starting to get it.  Don't you think that's great?

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

Shades, anyone?

Elder Vea, me, and Elder Lim before the accident

Me and my companion, Elder Millora

One of the paths we take to visit families

September 9, 2013 – Congratulations to Elder Froude!!!

Dear Mom, Dad, Elder Ryan Froude, and everyone else that was able to say goodbye and good luck to my beloved brother,

Well, first and foremost, Ryan, I mean Elder Froude is leaving for his mission in 2 days! It is a great and exciting time for him and I wish him the best!  It will be great to know that I have a brother out in the field that will be able to understand what kinds of trials and experiences missionaries go through, and I assure you, it’s not as easy as you think (As if it has ever sounded easy!).  Well, the Lord refines those that He loves through the fires of tribulation. And I’m excited to see my brother once again, 2 years from now as a refined man that the Lord will make him out to become.

It amazing to me to see how far I’ve come in these last few months myself.  It’s really great to see that I have been able to progress in my own ways and it has really been line upon line, precept upon precept. Nothing I’ve experienced has been a quick change but rather a gradual process that has helped me to understand certain points of life, and only when I’ve looked back have I noticed the change.  I guess that’s the point of the mission… very frequent but small changes that can accumulate to a giant change in only a few months or even weeks!  It’s a lot like life!  Wow!  Mind blown!

This week has been quite interesting all on its own.  We did not get to teach as much as I would have liked to this week but we had many new and different experiences that have made up the difference. Except the time spent traveling… I’m not a big fan of commuting as a missionary.

Tuesday, we had a good day of work and that was basically it for the week because Wednesday we woke up and got a text from the branch president’s wife saying that the newborn daughter of one of the members died 24 hours after she was born.  So, we spent most of the afternoon there are their house for the wake/funeral, then went to the graveyard.  I was asked to dedicate the grave, something I’ve never done before.  It was a very solemn experience that really made me think about the fragility of life and the necessity of the Gospel.  It made me think about the time I found out my grandmother had died over a year ago and how I was able to cope with that because of the knowledge I had gained about the Plan of Salvation and about eternal families.  Note: My family has done temple work for her and my grandfather so if they have accepted it, this would all have been worth it. But it was a very self-reflecting experience that has helped me think for the future.

Thursday, we went to the mission home for Mission Leadership Council. It lasted till 3 and we didn’t really get home until like 8:30 pm because we met at Elder and Sister Jensen’s house.  We had a birthday party for them, they are great really! It was a good council meeting and we learned much and planned about the zone training tomorrow about increasing our convert baptisms.

Friday, we had a somewhat service project which ended up canceling on us. Then we went out to work a little bit but I was feeling weak all that day. I don’t know why.  Saturday, we went to one of the farthest areas in the zone to interview candidates for baptism and it was like a one hour travel one way.  So, we didn’t get back till like 7:30 that night.  Man that was a handful! 

Sunday was an okay day of work but we taught an awesome recent convert family that night that lived far away but it was okay.  Life is good though. Everything has been working out well.  I feel the promise in Doctrine and Covenants 100:15 being fulfilled: “And all things shall work together for good, to them that walk uprightly and to the sanctification of the church.”

I am doing really good.  No more fever; it went away along with the rash although I’m like having on and off days with energy but I’m doing good today.  I am happy and I’m enjoying the new socks that you sent me!  I’ve never thought that new socks would make someone so happy!  Haha!  It really makes a big difference!

I’m kind of stressing out about the zone training I have to teach tomorrow but that will work out fine.  My biggest worry right now is next week when we have a zone activity , mission tour, and district conference all in the same week and then the next day is transfer day.  O.o man!  It will be a busy week!  But nothing I haven’t been able to overcome before.  Coordinating and planning is all!  Haha! 

Okay, goodnight.  Thanks for the updates and everything.  Be strong for Ryan, okay?  He’s going to need it.  I know you can do it! Don’t let stress get you down this week!  Endure to the end and you’ll see that the Lord was with you the whole time!  I’ll see you in a few months!  Love you all!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

The Zone with the new Mission President, Pres. Revillo and his wife.

September 1, 2013 – More baptisms!

Dear Mom, Dad, and Ryan,

                And it came to pass that this week was amazing in many ways and difficult in other ways but mostly amazing.  ^_^  Highlights of this week: Brother Mark John Langres got baptized! He’s an 8 year old child of a recent convert and we’ve been teaching him and his older brothers about the church and the branch president said that he could get baptized since he’s 8.  He doesn’t have to go through the whole process that our other investigators have to go through. But he asked me if I would baptize him. So I did!  In other news, Sister Merci got baptized the same day too!  The one in the wheelchair.  It took two elders to baptize her but boy was it a great experience!  It was like the super bowl seeing Elder Alvarez and Elder Robertson tag team to baptize her.  Greatness all around!

                

               
               Other than that there have been new golden investigators found this week.  Brother Salvador Luna is a neighbor of Sister Diday Heve and she referred him to us.  Actually, he came to church last weekend with Tatay Ernesto and the rest of the Heve family but we just now started teaching them regularly.

  

                I learned a great deal this week about the power of charity. When I was on exchanges in our newest branch, “Sampaloc,” we had scheduled to meet with an investigator who is medyo matigas ang ulo daw (supposedly a little stubborn).  His name is Brother Dante and he is willing to listen to the missionaries but not to keep any of the commitments.  So, we decided to study up on some of his concerns based off of scriptures in the Bible.  So, we went over to his house and  when we got there we started our BRT (building relationships through trust).   It usually involves getting to know them, telling good jokes, and trying to find ways to relate to people.  It was really fun and then we started teaching about Baptism and The Gift of the Holy Ghost. While we were teaching, I felt a sincere Christ-like love for the man as he opened up to us about how he used to belong to a different religion and is trying to find the truth.  He believes that what we are saying is true but he’s just not sure yet.  We switched the lesson completely around and I started to bear my testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and how if one is to read it with faith in Christ, and then to pray to God with a sincere heart, the Lord will let him know whether or not it is true.  You could feel the Spirit very strongly and he said that he would do that.  I promised him many wonderful blessings if he would and you could feel his heart softening to our words.  At the end of the lesson Brother Dante told me, “You know Elder, you’re a good guy.”  And that really just made my day.

 

                But just so you know that the mission isn’t all sunshine and daisies, I’ve been out of work all day yesterday due to a fever I suddenly got yesterday morning.  I may or may not have dengue; I’ll update you on what happens but I suddenly got a massive fever at church yesterday so I took 2 ibuprofen; the one you sent me in a package.  And then I started to develop a rash.  So, I think I actually just might be allergic to that kind of ibuprofen cause I stopped taking it and my rash is gone now.  I’ve just been resting the last 24 hours and it’s kind of like slowly suffering, but I’m better at the moment.  I’m in an air-conditioned computer shop and it feels so good!

                

                Oh my goodness, I ate my very first barbecued chicken feet!  It was probably the strangest thing I’ve ever eaten in the Philippines.  It's like having fingers in your mouth, but by the 2nd one I figured out how to eat it properly.  It just took so much work for such little meat!  Also, I had the chance to eat dog this week.  Elder Alvarez brought some home but I decided not to eat it. I don't want to willfully eat dog. If a member cooks it and offers it to me, then yes, I’ll eat it but not by choice.

I'm doing okay here; my companion is really funny.  We have been getting along great and he's a hard worker. He wants to do what's right so I appreciate him for that. I treated all my kabahay (housemates) to pizza at Pizza Hut earlier cause I wanted to do something nice for them. Yes, I got your package and I love it haha!  I didn't know you were sending me shirts from Alaska! Haha!  I laughed when I saw the salmon can in the package!  I love the new EFY songs that you sent me. I really like the ukulele one and the track 13 where it sounds like it's from the 80’s and has nice guitar to it.

Thanks for staying up with me; I really appreciate it!  I love you guys and see you in 3 months!!!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

August 25, 2013 - Stormy days are here again!

Dear Mom, Dad, and Ryan,

            HELLO!!!!!!!  So this is what’s going on… I’m in a computer shop, this is the only computer which doesn’t have working internet, and no other computer is open.  So right now I am writing this letter with the hope that eventually a computer will open so I can send this email to you all.  Hopefully, soon.

            Anyway, this has been quite an interesting week.  On Tuesday, we were supposed to have a district meeting in Morong but our mission president sent a text that no missionaries are to leave their house because of the bagyo (storm) that came and the intense amount of flooding in Metro Manila. Well, for us here in Rizal Province, it didn’t look like too much of a problem so we asked if we could go out and still teach.  But we found out that the order came from the Area Presidency and that a missionary in Pasay got electrocuted so everyone was to stay indoors. Well, we did and it was a pretty dull day.  We just played games and talked the entire time, listened to music, and Elder Robertson and I just talked about Utah things for a few hours.  Haha! And naps, yes, we took naps and it felt good!  ^_^

            Other than the intense bagyo that happened, it rained really hard on Wednesday too until about 3:00 pm but we still got a few lessons in.  On Thursday, the APs (assistants to President Revillo) worked with us in our area so we took that opportunity to contact as many people as we could. We have a far area in Barangay San Guillermo so I used the opportunity to teach all of our investigators there with Elder Kmetszch cause we could use the car.  Haha! I miss driving… 

            Saturday, though, was interesting because my companion Elder Millora was sick that day so we stayed in the whole day while he slept.  Man, he’s been in and out of a sickness for a few days too. Getting a small fever here and a cough there but he’s doing better now.   We were able to get like 6 lessons in yesterday to make up for all the lost time.  So despite all of the storms, rain, and sickness, the week’s work was good.  We have a ton of people progressing and we had 10 investigators come to church yesterday!

            One of the highlights of this week was that yesterday I was able to confirm Jay-M and Rose Ann- Venadas.  It was a really good experience for me cause I felt the Spirit so strongly when I was confirming them even though it was in Tagalog and I was struggling a bit to say what I wanted to say.  It worked out well and I knew they understood what it meant.  It was the best I’ve felt in a while so I’m glad I had that opportunity. They were supposed to be confirmed 2 weeks ago but they always came late to church. On the bright side, their house is looking pretty good and is almost finished.  Don’t worry, I’ll send pictures. I’ve been waking up sore for a few days too.  Nothing that a good night sleep and ibuprofen can’t fix. Haha!

            On top of that we have a baptism this Saturday! Brother John Mark Langres (Langris?) has been one of the kids we’ve been teaching at a recent convert’s house.  He’s 8 years old so the Branch President approved his baptism.  His father is not a member so he asked me to baptize him instead!  This will be great because then his brothers, Mario and Jaymil and his father will see his baptism and get more excited for it!  His dad is our investigator too. Anyway, life is awesome! I love being a missionary!!!

            Smile it’s a good day : )

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

Just goofin' around pictures...

August 18, 2013 - New Companion

Dear Mom, Dad, Ryan, and everyone who plays monopoly, buys boardwalk, and no one lands on it the entire game!!! 

This week has been a little bit hectic because of transfer day.  We, now as Zone leaders, have to make sure that everyone gets to their new zone with a companion with them and that no sisters travel alone and such like that, and some of these people don't know how to get everywhere like I do.  They get pretty anxious about having to travel across the entire mission with nothing but directions and a taxi driver they've never met before.  You can understand how things get frustrating sometimes.  Anyway, it was the 2nd time for our mission to do transfers this way so we're still experimenting but for the most part, it worked out well.  It was the most stressful day of the week for me.... >.< 

But other than that the week has been good.  My new companion is Elder Millora from Mindanao. He's a really good guy.  We've had 2 areas that were the same.  He also served in Mindoro in my area, and in Taguig after Jeff got baptized.  So we kwento (talked/discussed) a lot about the specific trials and challenges in those areas.  He knows a lot about oldies songs and plays basketball but he actually really likes computer games.  I can already tell that we'll get along well.  We like to sing oldies songs sometimes.  Haha!

In other news, Brother Rodel and his family have been evicted from their house.  It actually was not their house to begin with but they were living there while he was trying to find a new place.  In any case, on Wednesday we were trying to find them a place to live when a member said that there was a lot that they can build a house on.  One of the Senior Couples has a friend who donated money so that they could buy the lot and materials to make them a house there.  The best thing is that this lot is owned by an investigator of Elder Robertson who was in desperate need of money so everyone is being helped out by this.  We were able to spend a few mornings working on the house and building it. We're getting there but it might be till next week when they can move in.  So everyone is getting blessed here and it's amazing!  Here are some pictures.  (see below)

Okay, so it's been tiring work and I’ve been waking up sore this whole week but it's going well and it's worth it. Unfortunately, Brother Rodel and his family are now in the other area so we can’t teach them anymore.  But it's okay, Elder Alvarex and Elder Robertson will take good care of them.  ^_^

In closing I want to share a nice spiritual thought from this month's Ensign about decision making.  This was a story by President Boyd K Packer…

“Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel.  He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay.  President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go.  I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do.

“I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’  I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead.  Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.’  Then he quoted these 18 words from the Book of Mormon:

“‘Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith’” (Ether 12:6).

Let us all walk to the edge of the light and beyond with faith in knowing that the Spirit will tell us if we are going in the wrong direction.  I know that this is true and this is how we can show our faith.  It will be tough, the future is uncertain, but have the confidence in knowing your Heavenly Father has a plan for you and that there is more than one way to do what is right.

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

August 12, 2013 - Blessings of Prayer

Dear Mom, Dad, and Ryan,

Man, this was probably the most stressful week of the entire transfer!!!  We had so many meetings this week and so many changes and so many announcements for changes to the changes being made and to top it all off, it's transfer week and Elder Acera is leaving me.

So, let's start off with the beginning of this week when Elder Acera and I went to visit with the District President to coordinate our missionary effort with the District Presidency.  Then, the next day we had our mission leadership council.  Many things are changing now that President Revillo is getting used to being a mission president and we've had some very heated but successful discussions as a council to what we should do to better the mission.  Most of the details of them aren't really important but one major thing is that our district meeting is now changing to Tuesdays so it is not on P-day anymore.  Anyway, the meeting lasted most of the day and then President let me drive him from Aurora Chapel to Antipolo to help him get to a meeting on time.  Antipolo is about 3/4 of the way from Cubao to Teresa so we gladly took the free ride and were able to get home by about 8 o’clock that night.  Man, it was pretty long day!

The next day, we had exchanges and I had the opportunity to work with Elder Coe again, my 4th companion.  He's gotten a lot better at Tagalog and he looks pretty happy.  He seems to have mellowed down a little bit and is a lot more reverent to sacred things and noticeably more humble too.  It's cool cause we were companions almost a year ago and too see each other again and how the mission has changed both of us.  It was kind of a wake-up call.  Haha! He's doing really good.

Friday, we went to Binangonan to interview an investigator to be baptized.  It’s about a 45-minute jeepney ride so you can guess it was pretty exhausting.  And that was the day before our baptism day.  So, after we got back we had to make sure everything was ready for the baptism.

So Saturday, we had 5 people getting baptized; 3 of the kids of Brother Rodel and 2 from Elder Bagonbon's area.  It was a great service except they didn't have any baptismal suits for kids in our chapel so we had to go all the way to Morong to see if they had any over there, which they did, luckily, and we were able to get it to them.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a good coordination going on.  We had everyone there at 5 pm but we had to wait for the Branch President to come and he didn't get there until 6:30 so we all were watching church videos until he came.  It was super stressful naman especially since Sister Janet was there with her kids Jay R, Jay M, and Rose Ann since like 1:30 pm to make sure they got all the kids there ready and on time.  It was so funny though, cause we visited them Friday night and Elder Acera said that they need to go to the church early.  How early?  He said..."tutulog kayo dito (sa bahay nila) tapos gigising kayo doon sa simbahan."  (“you’re going to sleep here at home but wake up already at church.”)  So, the kids thought he was serious when he was just joking and Nicole, one of the youngest, woke up the entire family around 6:00am already dressed trying to get them to go to the church.  Haha! It was cute... she was really upset though when she found out she wasn't getting baptized yet because she was only 7 years old.  I felt so bad.  But ganun pa man (nevertheless), Brother Rodel was able to baptize all 3 of his kids.  So it was a great day!  We even taught him how to recite the baptismal prayer in Tagalog because he can't read. 

 We have a recent convert family, the Heve family, and they have been a really great blessing to me here in Teresa.  Sister Heve was the only member in her family until we were able to teach and baptize her daughter Julie Ann.  Since her baptism their family has been progressing so well in the gospel.  We committed them to have family prayer every night and they have actually been keeping that commitment.  The difference in the Spirit in their home is almost unbelievable.  All 4 of them have been participating in that family prayer and there is just such a strong love and happiness that is in their home.  They have 2 non-members, the dad and the Ate, Sister Joann.  She has been progressing very well, though.  Since she started listening to us she has now gained the desire to be baptized when before she wasn't sure.  The spiritual change that has occurred since they started family prayers has influenced the entire family.  Tatay Heve has become more accepting to us and will even listen to our lessons now and when we have family home evening, he used to be shy to give any comments or remarks about things but now he presides family home evenings well and confidently.  Sometimes, Julie Ann says that she'll get home from school and go to bed and her dad would wake her up and remind her about family prayer.  It's amazing!  I love missionary work!  By small and simple things are great things brought to pass, no?  We also got a text from them earlier this morning that their neighbors were wondering what they were doing last night that made them sound like they were having such a good time.  They shared about family home evening and the church and now their neighbors want to go to church with them!  Best Day Ever!!!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^

The Heve Family

August 4, 2013 – I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Dear Mom, Dad, Ryan (the soon to be elder), and everyone who considers laughing an abdominal exercise,

Okay so first of all the shift key on this keyboard sticks so it will be hard to capitalize things that I want to capitalize.... English majors, please forgive me.  (Elder Froude’s mother naturally fixed them before posting this.)

Awesome news!   Brother Rodel's kids are going to be baptized this Saturday, which makes 3 coming up! Since he has the Aaronic priesthood now he can baptize his kids. The other elders also have 3 baptisms coming up so we'll have 6 baptisms in Teresa Branch this Saturday!!!  WoHOHOO!!!  Their names are Jay-R, Jay-M, and Rose Ann Venadas.  It's been a really tender moment thing teaching those kids because none of them have school education and it takes them a while to understand things.  But recently we've been teaching them about the commandments and they have been able to absorb information a lot faster now and even remember things we’ve taught since the beginning.  They are excited when we come by and even try to yell out answers before we even say anything.  Haha!  Anyway, we were teaching them about tithing and I was kind of hesitant about it at first because they don't know how to read let alone calculate 10% of your paycheck and such. Anyway, we went into the lesson and tried to have them say “sampung porciento” correctly.  Haha!  It took a while but they got it.  I got this brilliant idea on how to teach tithing.  I told them that if you get 10 pesos, you pay 1 peso for tithing.  Then I took out a 50 peso bill.  Then I said, if you have 50 pesos, how much is your tithing?  1 peso!  No…what you have to do is take out the 0 and then you can figure out how to pay tithing.  I then covered the 0 on the 50 and said... what number you see.  5!  So then how much is the tithing... 5 pesos! And that worked!  They understood it.  So I pulled out a 20 and did the same thing.  They caught on so quickly it amazed me!  The Spirit was really working with them and we've been seeing a steady increase in their ability to retain knowledge.  It's been really sweet and now they are getting baptized.  That will be sweeter!

Last Thursday, we worked with a branch missionary named Jeff.  We surprisingly got 5 lessons that day and had a great last lesson. We taught Brother Joseph's family (he is 15 years old).  At first when we got there, no one was home.  But we waited and we saw him and his girlfriend walking up the street towards us.  Next his Mom also came from the other direction.  So we invited them to listen to us and we all went inside their house.  Now Joseph acts like a kid sometimes and my companion wanted me to lead because he didn't like Joseph's nonchalant attitude towards us.  So I started the lesson about prayer.  Brother Jeff shared a scripture and I kind of more focused the lesson on his mom.  After that the Spirit was able to come into the room even though I could feel Joseph didn't want to be there.  But then halfway through the lesson he began to participate and so did his girlfriend and it ended up being a nice lesson.  We ended with a thought about how important it is to communicate with our Father in heaven. Everyone felt good afterwards.

The next best thing was when I interviewed Elder Bagonbon’s and Elder Robertson’s potential baptism, Nanay Merci.  Elder Robertson always talked about how ready she is to be baptized and such and so I was excited to meet her.  This would be the 2nd time I would meet her.  Anyway, so we did the baptismal interview at her house because she is handicapped from the waist down and can't come to the church too often.  Well, when I interviewed her I felt her sincere desire to repent and the Spirit that radiated from that room was super strong.  There were many things she wished to be forgiven of and so when I bore my testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of repentance, it made things even more indescribable… there was so much joy and hope.  Elder Robertson and I then sang “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.”  While were singing, Nanay Merci started crying and then Elder Robertson started crying as well.  It made me start to choke up but I knew I needed to keep singing till the song was over.  The love in the room was super strong!  And at the end of the song there was not a dry eye in the room.  It was a sweet moment that I'll never forget.

How about you?  How was your week?  I wish you all the best and I can't wait to see you all soon!  I miss you too and love you all soo much!  Talk to you next week!

Doing you Proud,

Elder Froude ^_^