MERRY CHRISTMAS! (Week 22, Venezuela City, Gen. T. de Leon Ward, Elder Pajarin)

Well that was fast! its already Christmas! haha yeah that's all i got...i am just gonna dive into that week thing again :)

Monday- So we got another companionship in our apartment now and our area has been split! crazy! So now our area has been cut smaller which is kind of nice because now we are able to have our focus in a smaller area. This night was the first time I have been to the Bishop's house. And i have been here for like four months! We had an FHE there. it was good! we played games and like this game that would take to long to explain but everytime you lose, you get baby powder poured on your forehead. luckily i was one of the biggest losers and got to look even "whiter than sour cream" -White and Nerdy by Weird Al. 

Tuesday- We started work in the morning to teach Eyyyyy who is an eleven year old going to be baptized on Dec 30 and then we later did our studies. We visited Less Actives and it was pretty good. i did not write too much about it in my journal so i dont really know what to say about it. Oh i guess this the Syyyyy family (kind of less active) father didnt have vision in one eye and could barely see any light in one so was almost completely blind and saw me for the first time for real because he got surgery on his eye.

Wednesday- This day we had a practice for our christmas conference and that was dancing to songs. it was fun. its pretty lame but awesome and i got a video of it. I ate a mcspicy at mcdonalds which was delicious! and we taught Eyyyyy again to help her prepare for baptism. and then I taught ayyyyy and elder pajarin helped gxxxxx with receiving the preisthood. this was done at the same time to kill two birds with one stone when we were at ayyyy house. we basically just turned while we sitting in between ayyyyy and gxxxxx and gave the two lessons. After that it was amazing because the Spirit was really able to help Ayyyyy understand the Gospel and what she needs to do because she is still struggling. We also taught the Syyy.

Thursday- We had Christmas Conference so we met all together as missionaries and heard talks and saw talent shows and performed our dance thing that we practiced.

Friday saturday and sunday- I am running out of time. really what happened was we had a blitz and it was not effective and we tried to help Eyyyyy and Syyyyy be ready and on sunday we met a new family that i have hope in to accept the gospel. It was a good week.

Sorry for the email! but i want you all to know that i love you and miss you and hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Wright

Am I Cold? (Week 21, Venezuela City, Gen. T. de Leon Ward, Elder Pajarin)

There have actually finally been some colder nights here! and when you have that with the fan blowing on you at night to keep bugs off you and it isnt worth it to go get a blanket...its actually pretty chilly!! im feeling the chillies! 

Monday- We met a guy named Mxxx who we havent been able to teach yet but he came up to us and asked us if he could have a pamphlet. that was cool! we later went to Gxxxx and [] we missed an FHE and man the guy is just having a rough time [], poor guy.

Tuesday- Had a good District meeting talking about leaving everything behind and following Christ. it was awesome! We ran into Mxxx again this day. 

Wednesday- We went out with Gxxxx this day to do work. We visited a potential investigator. We taught Ryyyy about not worshiping idols and she was very receptive to the lesson, and understands why she shouldnt. She still is going to her Catholic church and she asked us if it was bad if she went there. she wanted us to answer but at this point:

1.our lessons go WAY LONGER than they should and we need to get out of there

2.she needs to not put her trust in as missionaries but in God and ask him

3.she has strong enough faith i feel to find the answer herself

So i told her to search for her answer and we wont answer it for her...hahaha she didnt really like that hahaha.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA

Thursday- We taught rose again. We met with a less active and also visited Sxxxxx an old investigator who lost her child i think after she gave birth, so sad but she is open to listen to the gospel so we are wanting to go back there again. We ate dinner twice. the first dinner was delicious! sinegang...actually i have no idea how to spell it.

Friday- We taught Ryyyy again. also dxxxxxx an old investigator and his friend ken the plan of salvation and they were really receptive but they love to drink and that is one reason why danny never got baptized.

Saturday- Had a rough day Tagalog was rough it was rough but i think i was led to visit Brother Yxxxx by the spirit because i came to know concerns and problems he has that i didnt know he had. so we are gonna try to work with him and help him out. 

Sunday- had a good day working with members Gxxxx, Glxxxxl (future missionary) and Syyyyna (return missionary). we got a new investigator Jxx and then we taught Ayyyy, which was a good lesson and i hope she starts having more faith in christ and getting away from worshiping mother mary and idols. We also made goals with a recent convert family (Bxxx and Exxxx) to help them get to the temple!

Yesterday i was able to see again the strengthened love of the Syyyyyy mother and father as the father is making steps towards baptism and ultimately toward the temple! it is awesome and beautiful! the gospel strengthens families!

I love you all so much and Maligayang Pasko!!!!

my distict

squid

if you look closely he is playing with a spider that is attached by its web to the stick...sometimes kids like to do that

baby duck

Chips and Mayonnaise (Week 20, Venezuela City, Gen T. de Leon Ward, Elder Pajarin)

A favorite of my companion's to eat is CHIPS AND MAYONNAISE hahaha maybe that isnt that big of a deal hahaha it really isnt but it is still funny that he likes that...

Monday- Gave myself a hair cut again because...who needs barbershops...and plus "girls like guys with good skills" - Napoleon Dynamite. And we did the normal P-day things like laundry and stuff. At night we went to do family home evening with the Syyyy family who are less actives with a member family and the wife of the member family was late so that was embarrassing, but it still ended up being good. she really was happy we came.

Tuesday- This day we went to the mission office and that meant we got to talk with President and Sister hughes! they are seriously the best! President Hughes and i had a great inspiring talk with him about doing an evaluation every night to see your progress, which was he does, so you can see what qualities you want to strengthen and see what your doing everyday and remember your progress. We taught Eyyyy this little girl we are gonna baptize and then we also taught Ayyyy and her kids. And then after the lesson she made us eat and i ate this [] soup that was corn crab and egg soup. let me tell you when you have a soup that tastes you put an egg in a can of corn (that is only the corn water liquid without the corn) and drink it...[]! it reminded me of when derek and i drank corn soda []! (shout out to my homie derek jones)

Wednesday- Today i opened my christmas packages and cried as i felt the love from those who wrote me letters and had some of my favorite treats sent to me. it honestly is the best when you feel like people still remember you when you are thousands of miles away. It was truly like the best christmas. Later we taught Bxxxn Sxxxl the word of wisdom and he had one last drink last night so we moved his bap date. After that we went to one of my favorite families, the Bxxxa family, to do an FHE! it was awesome they made this tilapia that reminded me of bacon the way he fried its skin! ooooo it was DIVINE!

Thursday- Today i felt pretty bad hahahaha thats what i wrote in my journal. My tagalog was not that good and i just had a off day...BUT that is okay because there is always time for things to change!  We had Missionary Correlation meeting and talked about the BLITZ ( all the missionaries in the zone "attack" one area and find Less actives with members). Also Ryyye is totally getting baptized!

Friday- We had a good weekly planning session and had made some good plans. we went and taught a former investigator of other missionaries, Dxxxy, and we ended up teaching his friend Kxxxn and it was a very good discussion wtih the Spirit there. We taught Eyyya again and then we went to the Gxxxa family's house and ate.

Saturday- Elder Pajarin and i fell off our game a little. We visited Ryyye and had a good discussion about the Gospel and Gxxx, recent convert was with us.We went back to Ayyy and taught her kids and had a long discussion and i dont feel like her kids are that interested which was sad.

Sunday- I finished up making covers of my daily planner i was going to send pics but i cannot with the computer i am at. We taught the Sxxxl boys and now all those who are not baptized yet have a bap date and it is exciting! We were supposed to go to the Christmas devotional but a problem came up with Ayyye and we spent time trying to help her out with her concerns. we later went to the Cxxxe family (less actives) and taught them about the temple (only a bit), the sacrament, then the restoration and then i think the temple again and there was talking about following God's way. it was a good discussion!

Truly Elder Pajarin and i are seeing miracles and it is awesome! the Lord loves his children and wants to do everything he can to help them or us but we got to do our part and put forth our efforts to receive his help or blessings!

I love you all so much you are amazing!

Love,

Elder Wright

BANAL BOYZ (Week 19, Venezuela City, Gen. T. de Leon Ward, Elder Belnap|Elder Pajarin)

YEEEE we dem BANAL BOYZ. that is a little nickname we use for ourselves for our companionship of being obedeint because the word banal means holy in tagalog. Elder Pajarin and i seriously ghave so much fun together and it is awesome because we love each other and we are both those fresh out of training missionaries killing in Gen T. de Leon Ward Valenzuela Stake.

Its awesome because he is totally shorter than me but hes older than me!

Pretty much all Tagalog speaking now with Elder Pajarin

Tuesday- We said goodbye to people after we found out that Elder Belnap was leaving and i was really tired. those are the only notable things that really happened for me and i goit treats for my new companion and i to eat

Wednesday- This day we went to a transfer point to say bye and then i picked up Elder Pajarin with his luggage. Thankfully we werent too far away from home so nothing took to long and the travel didnt stink. Immediately the work started, we got home did studies and went out and taught Ayyy about prayer and then we got a ton of referrals.

Thursday- We went back to Ayyy to teach her kids to help them accept the Gospel and that was good! We go hope for them. As we were coming out of  Ayyys and going back to go to our next thing we made alot of contacting and got some referrals! it was awesome! It seemed like people just wanted to talk to us and Gxxx knew people (he was with us) so we got to meet some people that hopefully things will work out with them! We later went to the Serranos house to eat dinner and they bought American food and it tasted American it was awesome! []

Friday- We had weekly planning this day and we also taught Ryyy the Plan of Salvation. After we taught her we extended a bap date and she accepted!!!!!!! That was a miracle she kept saying she would need time but she accepted! She seems to have settled down with her feelings for me whihc is nice to know *sigh of relief*

Saturday- We had a blitz in Valenzuela. Basically just the missionaries in the zone go to one area and work with members to find Less Active members in the church. It was a success! The stake President my companion did like all of the work whihc was good because that is the purpse of the blitz for members to learn how to be missionaries or do missionary work. I had this other companion Brother Paredes who is one of the first members here in the Philippines who was really touched with going out and working and was just a great guy. He said he would never forget my name. After that we did our studies. Oh i found out from President i might be leaving Gen T. soon. Also today we worked with a ward member Jxxx and then we went to La Mesa and we taught the Cxxx family. it was good.

Sunday- this day was a truly awesome day. Got to churhc and the i felt really strongly prompted to bear my testimony about the Savior and His Atoning sacrifice and about receiving healing. The cxxx family went to church again,some of them but that was awesome and some of another Less active family i am trying to help went to church which was wonderfuly andn the mom bore her testimony! i got a ward member to plan a family home evening with that family for monday night. Also later we went the Sxxx family and that was truly special. they got baptized about a year ago except for the boys and the dad and the dad is now wanting to change and is ready to accept the gospel and has been going to church and we set a baptismal date and it was so precious seeing the joy of the family and friends there!

Miracles were witnessed and it truly was wonderful. Elder Pajarin and i are working on being more obedient so we can be able to have the power with so that mircales can happen. This gospel is wonderful, the joy that it brings, the love that it brings and i truly am grateful to be a member and missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Love you all!

Elder Wright