Released

Well today was an exciting day! Our branch presidency in Punta branch was released today so I am no longer the 2nd councilor. Brother Base, the previous 1st councilor, is now the branch president and he has a 1st councilor and soon will have a 2nd. I am really happy to see the progress that has been made in this branch and am really confident that the new branch president will do a great job. He is a fine young man. A year ago this branch was on the verge of being dissolved because there was so few worthy priesthood and so few attending but now there are ample priesthood holders without using full time missionaries and our attendance has gone from 60 or 70 to over 120. It's wonderful to see. Carissa branch also was reorganized today because the branch president was called as district president. The new President there is also a great guy. I'm kinda excited because I've had to focus most my attention on Punta and now I can go back to working with both Branches as both will need some training and seem to want our help. Several investigators at church today including Eric and Barbie. We love them!

Time Flies

Time flies when you're having fun! We have been soooo busy! I had no idea that it has been almost 2 weeks since we wrote in here. We've had to go to Manila everyday but Sunday in the last 2 weeks just hauling stuff to apartments and getting organized for this new assignment.We really hope we can get so we can spend more time sharing the gospel again. We have been able to go with the missionaries some though and have had some good experiences with that. Eric and Barbie are coming along really well and are excited for their wedding and baptism coming up. We also have another couple in the same situation that were planning to be married the same day but now it doesn't look like they'll have their paper work done in time so will have to postpone for awhile. There is another lady who is planning to be baptized next Saturday. The missionaries were teaching her son who had just split with his "wife" and wants to be baptized also but is struggling to keep the commandments and get his life in order.Hopefully he can but in the meantime his mother has really taken hold and faithfully comes to church and loves what she's learning. So the work is going forward and we are so grateful to be part of it all. Last week we met with Pres. Stucki and talked about what the projected apartment needs will be as we go through this mission split and both missions then get up to their full mission compliment of missionaries over the next few months.We anticipate that every ward and branch that now has 2 missionaries will have 4 and expect that we may have to find and set up 20 to 25 apartments over the next few months. The Lord truly is hastening his work and as we see what is happening here and then imagine that the same thing is happening in 58 other missions the world over it truly is exciting. We really love this work and are excited and happy to be involved and doing our small part in making it happen.

Not a typical P-Day

Today I took Eric and his Dad to Trece so Eric could take care of the necessary paper work so he and Barbie can get married. It was kinda fun and nice to get to know him better. He is a great guy and is always so happy and positive in spite of everything that has happened to him.We also picked up some steel he needs because his Dad is going to help him make a side car for his motorcycle. Right now he can't walk so certainly can't ride a motorcycle because he can't stand but he figures with a side car the bike stands on it's own and he thinks he can drag himself on it and drive it. They are designing the side car so he can put his wheel chair in it and also take a passenger or two so he can bring Barbie and the kids to church. He also hopes he can go buy fish and vegetables  and then drive around the area selling them and help Barbie with bringing in some income. They are really trying hard to become self reliant in spite of his handicap. It was kind of neat when we went to the government office to get his paper work the place was just packed with people and I figured we would be in line for 3 hours or more but because he was in a wheelchair they let him go right to the front of the line. It was great! I told him that when he got so he could walk again that he should keep his wheelchair around for just such occasions. Atfer helping Eric we went to Naic to the market and loaded up Paddocks truck and our van with stuff to take up to Manila tomorrow to set up another apartment

The Twins are 30

Can you believe it?! Ezra and Aaron already 30; boy time flies! Seems like just yesterday that they joined our family. Sure glad they did; it's been a lot of fun and we are so proud of them and, of course, all our children. It's a parents wish that their children turn out to be better people than they were and it certainly is the case in our family; at least as far as the father is concerned. Today we had another good turnout at church with 130 people attending including 14 less actives and several investigators. That was in Punta branch.Carissa wasn't Quite as good but we were so excited to have Eric and Barbie come! She went to work at 4am on Saturday and didn't get home until 5am on Sunday and was still ready for church by 8:15am and stayed for all 3 hours and loved it! They are soooo good! We are helping them plan a wedding for April 6 and then they'll be baptized on April 7. They can't wait!

Baptism

Today was Vanessa Tagacay's baptism! It was really nice and lot's of people came. She is such a sweet  person and has really studied and prepared herself. She is kind of quiet but just has that peaceful inner strength to her that is so admirable. I guess you call that the Spirit; she just seems to have it. She bore a nice testimony. Her husband is the elders quorum presidents son and has been less active for a long time but has been faithfully coming back. He's kinda quiet too but a really good guy. They can't wait to go to the temple. There were also 2 children baptized. Aliaza Ritual, who is being raised by her grandmother because her parents are "missing in action" , and Edgar Rosales, who has taken a special shine to Sister Gwilliam and gives her a big hug every time he sees her. Little Aliaza bore her testimony and it was so sweet, she just sobbed the whole time but bore a powerful testimony of Joseph Smith and of the gospel. It was a truly inspiring baptism!

Left to Right Elder Sanchez, Victoria, Pres. Tagacay, son of Victor, Victor, Vanessa, Mercy and Vanessa's Baby, Gwinn and Elder Burgos. Great Family!

Rosales Family with Edgar Jr. the one getting baptized.

Tagacay Family with missionaries

Rosales Family. Young Edgar, the one getting baptized really likes Sister Gwilliam.

They are a great family, we will never forget them!

Aliaza with her aunt Marvee and her Grandmother Sister Pagnanawan

Some of the wonderful Punta branch members. We sure love them!

Busy

This really is a busy job! It's a lot of extra work looking after these apartments. Had to go into manila every day this week just learning where everyone is and making sure they have the things they need. We are trying to work it so we can go out at least in the evenings with the missionaries and so far we've been able to. We love sharing the gospel and we sure love helping these people come closer to the Savior. It's so wonderful to see how the gospel blesses lives and it blesses ours in the process. Wish everyone would go on a mission; there is nothing like it.

Apartments with the Forinashes

It always an experience driving in downtown Manila. It's something that cannot be described, it can only be experienced. When you have dogs,kids, parked cars, hundreds of pedestrians, carts, bikes, motorcycles, tricycles, street vendors and two way traffic all trying to get back and forth on streets that at home we would consider only wide enough for one lane, one way, no parking it can get pretty intense. Actually it's pretty much pure madness; but by exercising patience, unconditional love, taking deep breaths and closing your eyes most of the time we seem to some how make it. Whew! We sure love and appreciate all the missionaries.They live in some pretty difficult circumstances sometimes but they love the work and do a great job.

FHE

We joined Brother and Sister Borja for family home evening tonight and had a good time with them. She's the Relief Society president in Carissa branch and he is less active.He feels he has to work on Sundays to support his family. For a lesson I told the story of the boy's triple play in baseball and likened that to being in the right place, at the right time, doing what you are supposed to be doing. I think they enjoyed it. We were also supposed to have FHE with the Gamazan family but the father was sick so we just gave him a blessing.He also is inactive because he feels he has to work on Sunday to support his family. Both these families have great kids. Gamazans have a son on a mission and Borja's have a daughter getting married in the temple in June and a son working on mission papers. Both these brethren are self employed; Borja sells ice cream and Gamazan sells fish and Sunday is their biggest day so it's tough for them to make the decision not to work on Sunday.

Some Made It

Attendance at church was down a bit today and some of our people didn't show, including the Tudtuds, which was disappointing but Eric and Barbie Nudor were there and they loved it! Forgot to mention that we dropped a cake by to Eric on Friday for his birthday and then some cookies today for Barbie's birthday; they loved it! They are really doing well and are wonderful. (He's the guy that got shot and is in a wheelchair that we've been talking about). After church Brother Base went home teaching with me and we had a good time. Met with Ocados, Miagues and Malabanans. Had some good discussions with all of them.Sure wish we could get the Miagues to come to church regularly.There are 4 prospective elders there and they are good young men.

Summer Home and Summer Not

Missionary work can be a bit frustrating because sometimes people who you fully expect will be there when they said you could come back just aren't. But other times they are and it's great! Got to teach Vanessa Tagacay today and she is all ready to be baptized. She is really sweet lady! Her husband, who has not been active, had some concerns that he was not worthy to baptize her but we were able to resolve those concerns and believe he is now ready. He's a really good guy too and it's been wonderful to see the light come back into his eyes. He knows he has been on the wrong path and is now committed to living the gospel. It's amazing and wonderful to see what the atonement of our Saviour can do for people's lives. We also taught the Tudtud family today.They are great and we really hope they make it to church tomorrow.

New Branch

We went to Indang this morning to take some stuff to the Pugsleys. They told us that their new branch had been approved by Salt Lake so that's exciting! Now they can go ahead and rent a place to meet and begin calling leaders to serve. After our lunch and planning with the elders we went to several teaching appointments  and had some good meetings. The work continues to move forward and the Lord is hastening his work.