The Vintar Life

The adjusting period is not the easiest thing to do when you're transferred, especially with harsh rain. But I can already see it being a great cycle, which started with seeing a 16 year old boy be baptized. 

On Tuesday Sister Latu and I arrived at the "Laoag mansion" (an apartment in Laoag) and there I met Elder Trinidad and Elder Lewis. Elder Trinidad is pretty cool, he's really laid back and fun to talk to. He really wants to learn english. He's from the capital of the Philippines, Manilla. Elder Lewis is actually one of my good old friends here in the mission and was actually in a zone when I first came into the mission so I've already hung around him a lot. He's from Lehi Utah. He's actually going home on August 8th, so we are just being a threesome until he goes home next week. It's all right so far. 

When we arrived in Vintar that night, a transformer broke in Laoag so we had no power for a couple hours. The lights eventually came on and we unpacked. I am really grateful for the fact that the apartment was a sisters apartment before, so it was practically spotless. They left me a McDonalds sundae in the fridge which made my day. But what made me really appreciate them was they left several notes on how the apartment works, and all their referrals and investigators. They also left their old planner (which is way nicer than mine, the handwriting that is) with where we should go. Although a lot of the times the plans changed, we were really appreciative of what they left for us. 

We were really happy to have met their investigator Amos Villanueva, a 16 year old boy who is in a family of Recent Converts. There are 3 of them (now 4) who have all been baptized very recently, none of them hitting their year mark yet. His baptism was scheduled for August 5th, but we felt that he was absolutely ready. He passed his interview, and on July 29th, we saw him enter the waters of baptism by his grandpa. 

It was great to see him confirmed too the following day even though there were only 20 or so people. Vintar is actually a pretty small branch, with 45 or so attendance at a meeting house. This whole week has actually been raining quite hard (including now) which is due to a signal 1 Baguio (storm). Because of the storm a lot of members couldn't come to church but when we came into the meeting house, I could just feel the happiness of the few that were there. I feel that they had a light that radiated to them, which really made me happy and excited to be in this branch. 

As of now, we are still really adjusting, since all 3 of us are new to the area and are trying to find our way around right now. It's a little more of a struggle at the moment but nothing we can't handle. In time we will get used to it, and it will all work out. It's kind of weird to think I'm only 20 minutes away from my 2nd area Laoag 5 and back in Laoag zone, but this area I actually like so far. It's the outskirts of the city so I'm happy I don't have a temptation to buy everything (until P-Day) and get to come to love more people. I know this is were the Lord wants me. I'm excited to see what he has in store for me here in Vintar! 

Elder Espiritu

**You can email Elder Espiritu at joseph.espiritu@myldsmail.net

On the way to Laoag

The apartment and the notes the Sisters left behind

Amos Villanueva's baptism

Sometimes you just gotta hug

Baptisms and More Lasts

This week went a little more differently than I expected, but I'm happy with the result. This week we were a little more on the punted side (meaning a lot of our appointments fell through) which was a little on the downside, but that didn't get us down. We still had lots to do and plenty of places we could go. We had lots to prepare for too for the weeks end! 

One of the sad things (but good for him) that happened was that this was Elder Langeveld's last week! I've seen several missionaries go home and it was sad to see another good friend leave. He arrived with me in Claveria so I've gotten to know him pretty well. He was a really obedient and hard working missionary. During our last district meeting, he gave a training about obedience which was great. We've talked a lot about that these past couple months but it was a good refresher! On Saturday night, we had a little going away FHE for him, which was really fun and sentimental. He's really going home with Honor!

As for us, although there was some downsides, this Saturday we were really happy to see Jhesa and Mhaye go down into the waters of baptism! The feeling at a baptism is always so peaceful and happy, and I'm glad I got to see them be baptized. When we first met Mhaye, we were teaching Dae Shin (who happened to be her cousin) so we decided to share with her too. Little did we know how committed and smart she actually was! Once we realized Mhaye really actually did want to be baptized, she referred us to Jhesa, who was a part member but already wanted to go to church before we met her. It's great to see how far they've come, how much they've grown, and how much I've come to treat them as my own sisters! I'm very sad to have to leave again the people I've come to love.

Around 10:16 on Saturday night, I received a message I wasn't really expecting. I'm being transferred again. To be honest I wasn't prepared at all and my mind was pretty set on the fact that I was staying here in Claveria and what I had planned for next cycle. It didn't hit me how much I'd miss this place until I got the text. The fact that I would have to leave again the people I love hit me first, and it wasn't easy to accept. That Sunday was different than I expected, since 4 of the district (including Elder Langeveld) are leaving. Elder Arangali, Elder Langeveld, Sister Latu and I are moving on to different places! We bore our testimony, said goodbye to lots of people, went to some families for dinner who I've really gotten close to, and packed up.

No matter how many times you say goodbye to people you love, it never gets any easier. I am pretty sad too to not be able to be there for Dae Shin Keith or Sister Jhona's baptism, But I know it's what the Lord wants, and I know Elder Yranon and his companion will take good care of them. 

Now I am excited to be able to again help and meet more people here in the Philippines and come to love them too! Now I am being transferred to Vintar, which means I'm going back to Laoag zone, and I can't wait to see what's in store! Although unexpected, I am grateful for the chance to transfer again and am happy with what I did in Claveria. Time to see what the future has in store again! 

Taking a stroll 

Last picture with the Labii family

Last district meeting with the Claveria District 

Bye Bye Elder Langeveld

Last Picture with Rheinz our Branch Mission Leader

Baptism of Jhesamin Rose Balanay Pascua, Mhaye Mendoza Trinidad at Giezler Dalo

The Ramos sisters, Elder Yranon, Elder Arangali, and Sister Latu

Last pictures with Jhesa and Mhaye

Rats and Baptismal Interviews

Alright, fun fact of the week: A rat tried to pull a loaf of bread out of a hole the size of a quarter, good fact: The members here are awesome, and extremely great fact: 2 of our investigators will be baptized this Saturday! 

Just for a little comic relief for all of you, we have had a rat problem for quite a while and randomly find stuff chewed on. This last week my backpack was the victim. One morning I woke up and was surprised to see the plastic that was holding my bread was sticking out of the side of my backpack with torn pieces of the plastic everywhere. After more examination I realized that the rat chewed a whole the size of a quarter through my backpack tried to pull out the entire loaf of bread, but he failed. 

Now for the good fact, I really love the members here, and I am really grateful for how many great ones we have here. There are several houses that we go to where they always feed us which is great after being really thirsty and hungry after walking for awhile. They are all so friendly and always want to give us food. We never ask they just give it to us! I love the people here and how friendly they are! I really enjoyed too the members that help us out in the work. We got our BML (Rheinz) and a good friend (Jet) to work with us and it was a blast. It's really nice since Jet has a motor with a side car so we don't have to walk. They are just really fun to hang around and we laughed a lot when we were together. But when they want to be spiritual they can really help too. I'm grateful for all the people that work with us.

So greatest fact now: last Saturday 2 of our investigators Mhaye and Jhesamin passed their baptismal interview and came to church on Sunday which means they will be baptized this Saturday! We were so happy after their interviews to see how happy they were, especially Jhesamin. On Wednesday we weren't able to teach her and a couple hours before her interview we asked if she felt she was ready and she felt like she wasn't at all. To be honest we were really worried but we just reviewed anything that was confusing to her until the Zone Leaders showed up. 

After the interview Elder Langeveld told me she was very confident in her interview and knew all the questions. Mhaye was awesome too, and knew she wouldn't have a problem. We are a little sad since Mhaye's cousin Dae shin Keith hasn't been able to come to church due to so many chores at her house, but hopefully next month we she will be able to enter the waters of baptism too!

I'm happy with how the work is going here, and Elder Yranon and I are getting along well. We have no major problems so it's great. We also have a good amount of possible baptisms next month, so we are just going to work hard every day! It is possible that I will be transferred next week. To be honest I would like to stay here another cycle but I would be fine with transferring. 

The zone leaders will be moving apartments next cycle due to opening an area so what I won't be excited for is that we might become a 2 man apartment only. But that's a small sacrifice for a great area with great people. Everything is going fine here, and we still have a lot of work to do! 

I love seeing the joy that this gospel brings to people, and love seeing how many younger people are accepting it so well! Hopefully after much "planting" we'll be able to "harvest" all those great souls soon! Love you all!

Elder Espiritu

**you can email Elder Espiritu at joseph.espiritu@myldsmail.net

Celebrating Sister Ascuncions birthday 

Working with Jet and his transformer 

Jhesamin, Mhaye, Elder Langeveld, and Elder Arangali after interviewing Mhaye and Jhes 

The Things That Happen in The Philippines

Well for starters just wanted to say Happy 4th! Even though I’m a week late I apologize. But at the moment I'm away from you in another country I love: The Philippines. Alright pretty good week this week. Had a couple of cool experiences and random things happen so here it goes!

First I would like to start off with a small victory, and a fun fact. Our mission in every apartment has either water filters or water jugs for filtered water. We were told we should have at least 5. When they checked the apartment Sister Andrada told the mission that she told us that only the Sister Training Leaders in the mission and the CLAVERIA ELDERS (that's us) were obedient to that request. Small little random victory that's not super important, but hey it's a victory nonetheless. 

Other fun fact, we have lots of spiders that chill around the house and I always notice a particular one with 7 legs. One day we came home around 8, and around 10 I noticed something different on my desk, turns out he was chilling there for a while and was camouflaged. So why don't we kill him already? Because he keeps away/ eats cockroaches for us, so we prefer him over them. He doesn't bother us either so it's all fine. 

One more small random thing that happened this morning: I found a frog in my shoe. He was about the size of my heel. I can tell you it felt weird trying to put on my shoe and having something squishy inside, and when you try to see what's inside have water start pouring out. That doesn't happen every day.

So now for more of the mission/spiritual side of my week. Here's a cool start of what could be a really cool experience: One day we were exploring more of an area we haven't been to much, and after talking to some people we learned that there was a member close to their house. So we decided to go, and we discovered it was true. 

When we met her, we learned that she was baptized into the church back in the 1990's and all of her siblings are members. She's even had a couple that served missions too. Sadly she became inactive quite a while ago and her husband is Catholic (his parents are Jehovah's witnesses) so her kids aren't very religious. 

She does have a lot of kids and she told us she actually really wants them all to go to one church, and she want's it to be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She has wanted to explain to them about the church but she doesn't know how and only now have Elders come to her after all these years. 

Here's a cool part: She told us she has a child that died awhile ago and the day before we came (July 3rd) she had a dream about her and she had 2 people with her in white. Then the next day (the daughter’s birthday) 2 Elders dressed in white show up. It was a very cool start and I hope we will be able to teach her. We weren't able to teach her because she had to go somewhere the day we wanted to come and her children are always in school until 5 which is a busy time for everyone. Hopefully we'll be able to teach her so we hope to go there this week!

As for our other investigators, it was a slower week. We only had 2 of them show up to church which made us a little sad. One that we have really been wanting to come to church (Sister Dae Shin Keith, 13) was busy again taking care of a small store they have and a small pool resort. but her cousin and friend came. We decided to move her baptism again to make sure she is really ready and active. It makes me sad because there's a chance I won't be there for her baptism, I might not be there for a lot of our investigators’ baptism, but there's a chance I could stay. 

I've come to realize it's not important if I am the one at their baptisms, but what is important is they're gaining a testimony that this church is true and they want to be baptized. So even if it's not me there, I'm glad I was able to help them on the way. Who knows, maybe I'll still be able to be there for a couple or all of our investigators that are progressing. 

We are praying for them every day and doing our best to help them gain a testimony that this church is true! I know it is, and I can help others know too! We are going to keep continuing to do our best to help others come unto Christ through this Gospel! I know it's true, and I know it can change lives for the better. Thank you again for everyone who supports me and hopefully I can continue to help others! Mahal ko kayong lahat! Tandaan niyo po lagi ang kahalagahan ng ebanghelyo ni Jesucristo! 

Elder Espiritu

**you can email Elder Espiritu at joseph.espiritu@myldsmail.net

Here's my monkey friend

This guy has been chilling at our apartment for a couple weeks now

Another shot of Mabnang

Just a tree a dirty fishpond and I (with some effects to hopefully keep you all entertained)