Elder Brough and Elder Martos

Hello everybody! Another good week here in the Philippines of chugging away in the work of the Lord.
One fun thing this week was the 50 year Jubilee Celebration. This last week the District here had their own celebration, along with another District. It was more singing and dancing. It was fun to watch. It was this last Saturday in Balanga, and all the missionaries went to watch. It reminded me of all the fun activities like that, like that Joseph Smith celebration thing a while back. So much fun and lots of great experiences. That is all the members here have been talking about for the last few days hehe. But it is crazy that the church has been here in the Philippines for 50 years. It is a long time, but thinking about it is still so new to the Philippines. You rarely meet a member who was born and grew up in the church. Almost all are converts. They said that these 50 years in the Philippines has been the most rapid growth of the church in any country. And back at the Area Conference, one of the counselors in the area presidency, Elder Michael John U. Teh, said that the growth and progress of the church while explode these next 50 years, and we need to prepare to be a part of it. That got me pretty excited, that the growth here while keep expanding. It is great to get to be just a little part of that here.

This last week was also busy because we had Zone Conference. We also have Specialized Training (pretty much the same as a Zone Conference) once a week for the next 3 weeks. So it will be busy. We are learning again about the new 8 Principles of Teaching thing thing they started last year. It is all the new stuff about teaching and the changes that happened in missionary work. Now we are encouraged to commit to baptism in the very first lesson. Stuff like that. One time me and my last companion, Elder Marfori, committed a guy to baptism while we were talking to him in the street. But that doesn't really count because he was drunk and probably doesn't remember it hehe. We do talk to a lot of drunk people. They all want to talk to Americans and speak English. But there are lots of stories of people that did that to missionaries, then the missionaries went back to them and they ended up being converted. That is the case with the 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency here in my area.

Well, our work this week was good. We had a couple less-active members we've been visiting come to church, so that was really good. I didn't think the one family, the Pueca Family, would come. Because 2 weeks ago me and my companion caught Brother smoking. We were in a jeepny going to their house. We got out of the jeepny in front of their house, across the street. As soon as we got out i see Brother, and he is holding a cigarette and about to light it. He sees me and immediatly drops the cigarette on the ground. I think he was hoping i hadn't noticed hehe. Then he made some excuse that he had to go somewhere and left. He was shy about it. Filipinos are so shy. That is one of the hard things here. So many people don't come to church because they are shy. Less-active members are shy to come to church because they haven't come for a while. Or they are shy because they will go alone or only with one other person. Or they are shy because of what they wear. Or shy for really no reason at all. That is one thing we usually try to work through. So please promise me none of you will be shy to go to church or keep commandments. Just remember, we are doing those things for God, not for other people. It really doesn't matter what they think at those times. Be afraid of what God thinks of us, not what other people think of us. God, family, and close, true friends are the only ones whose opinions count. Because they will never lead us astray.

Our investigators here are good. We have one investigator, Brother Abe. We met him because me and Elder Bush (our District Leader, American too) were walking down this highway, when from up on this little hill he calls us over. He is like, "Hey, come teach us about God." So we looked at each other and were like, okay, lets do it. We taught a few of them. They were at their job. But they are stay in at their job, so they live there too. That was a few weeks ago, and we are still teaching Brother Abe. He is pretty good. On his own he started reading the Book of Mormon. He asked him to read the Introduction, and he kept going till 1 Nephi 2. It is crazy how the Lord leads us to the people he is preparing. Or leads them to us. He will always prepare a way if we are doing all we should. Just do our very best and He will help with the rest. We just always have to think, Am I doing my best? Always give the Lord 110%. He will bless you ten fold.

Well, i'm dragging on here. I hope things keep going good for you all there, and that the Lord keeps blessing you. Mom, i thought of a few things you could send. You could send some more contact solution, some more of my meds, the face wash, some Propel drink mix. Some trail mix too would hit the spot. And the other things i told you about before; CTR rings, jerky, whatever else (i forgot the other things i told you hehe). Or whatever else you really want to send. You guys are all awesome. Keep up the good work, and keep enduring to the end. I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I love you all so much, and God be with you till we meet again.

Elder Brough