Gonna miss my new "family" when I go...

Updates from Jacob...

Family,

Well we are down to the wire before transfers. I will start by commenting on all the pics. Man I miss being down in the St. Gezzy. Makes me kinda jealous when I see pics of the whole family having so much fun down there. Man that just seems like the good old times of heading down there and just having a party. Tell all the family that I miss them.

Alright I will try to summarize the week that we had. Just a heads up it is not as crazy as last week but I have hope that you will still find some joy in it. Well to start things off the sickness that has been floating around the Bugasong Prison has finally worked its way to me and man I thought that I would be able to beat it, but even the strong must fall. In other news I think the day count is down to ... well actually I don't know because this last week I wish that I could take back all the things that I said about transferring. Of course after this long long long six months my area is finally starting to be a great area. Everyday we find new people that have the potential to make it all the way to the waters of baptism. And of course it is right before I transfer that all this good stuff starts to happen and not to mention that all the members here are my family. Mom, don't take this the wrong way but I will miss all my moms in this area a ton cause while you may not be here they are and they will cook and help us with what we need and that I will miss.

Yep this week was dedicated to helping our two main investigators, Glen Dalumpines and Mellisa Iskatido get ready for their baptisms this Saturday. So in other words this week will be the most busy week that I have ever had. And on top of that I need to beat this sickness haha. In reality I am super excited for this next week and to see all the crazy and awesome things that will be happening. Alright now I will tell you about the day that we had today and how amazing it was yet again when we go to Culasi.

Alright so since this was one of our last P-days here with the zone and in Antique we decided to do something crazy today. So you all remember last transfer when we went to the island Malalison, well today we went to Barararatong. I would say that it is about 1 hour farther out to sea and it was so cool when we got there. We all promised that when we come back later in life that this is the island that we come to because the reef was so sweet and the water all the way around the island was so clear you could see almost one hundred feet down. All in all it was super fun and we got some crazy cool pictures and that is all that matters is the pictures haah.

Well family I dont think that there is really anymore to share, the pics will tell you all that you need to know. These next few week should prompt for a longer email but we will see. I am super excited for the coming weeks and to see what the Mission has in store for me next.

Love Elder Swanton

Family home evening that we had with the Boutista family

Barararatong island trip

Family home evening that we had with the Boutista family

Barararatong island journey

Barararatong island trip

Approaching Barararatong island

Elders in paradise

Baptism's and a pretty solid left hook...

Update from Jacob...

Well family,

This has been one of the best and craziest weeks I think that I might have ever had since I got to the field. Elder Larson and I both agree on that fact. But first I need to say how awesome it was to talk to all of you this last week it was like we were all just sitting in the living room having a conversation. It was also so good to hear from uncles and aunts. I cant believe that it went so well and I can say that it kinda made me a little trunky. But with the week that I just had it will turn all those feelings away and make me think of the reason that I am out here.

Alright so yes Monday I got to Skype the family and that was so cool I cant believe all the stuff that is happening back home and how big all the kids are getting. Mom I am super proud of you for graduating and when I get home you will have to explain the whole college thing to me cause I really don't have any idea of what I am going to do. Alright moving on to Tuesday, we had district meeting and when we came home we had a family home evening at the Galaxia family and that was super fun. Wednesday we really got to work and taught about 7 lessons and we also needed to get sister Judy Anne ready for her baptism that Saturday. It was so fun to see how excited she was and how much the gospel had already changed her life. She said that when she prayed about the Book of Mormon she was hugged by a big blanket of warm and she started to cry a little. And we also visited a bunch of less actives. Thursday we had a youth activity in the morning and that was so fun, we played basketball in the plaza and I had 5 investigators show up and play ball with everyone. Halfway through the games one of the kids asked me were Elder Bontoyan was and I got super nervous because I had not seen him for a while. I told Larson that I was going to go look for him. When I got home I found him in the room and he was not feeling well. We ended up taking the rest of the day off so that he could sleep and get back to work.

Alright now to the second half of Friday, we went down to Magsaysay, Patnongon to teach some of our best investigators. They had invited us down to a fiesta and also we could teach them and their grandpa. Who we had given a Book of Mormon to the last time that we had meet him and he had almost finished it. I was so pumped to see them when we got there some of the appointments fell through but that does not ever stop us so we kept going. When we got to the houses there was so many drunk people. My comp was super nervous but I told him it was fine and that I was bigger than anyone at the whole place. So we went in and started to introduce our selves to the family and it was super fun they were all asking me tons of questions. One drunk guy was super friendly and he was just walking with us and then I asked him to head back over to his friends cause they wanted to keep drinking. He left and we went over and started talking to the grandpa who had read so much. After a while the brother came back and I forgot to mention that he had a cleft pallet so it was impossible to understand him. He was kinda angry and he mumbled something and I could not understand him. When I asked him to say it again he punched me right in the face with a pretty solid left hook. I was a little taken back and then I grabbed his arms and he fell down this little hill. He wanted to keep fighting, so some of his family dragged him back to the house. It was a mess all of my investigators were traumatized and they did not want to be taught anymore. Elder Bontoyan was freaking out saying that we were going to get in so much trouble and I was just telling everyone that it was OK and that I was fine and he would need to hit me a lot harder to hurt me. After the family came and apologized I had to settle the situation and see if we could come back and they said yes just in a while. Well that was just a shot day we got no lessons and no book of Mormons handed out and I got punched in the face haha. I still to this moment just kinda chuckle cause I cant really believe that it happened at all haha. Yes mom, I am alright and it did not really hurt until Sunday night.

Saturday was a great day kinda we had the baptisms in the morning and that was so cool and we all had so much fun. Judy Anne was super nervous but the ocean was perfect and Elder Bontoyan did well for his first baptism. After the baptism he got super sick agian and I really dont know what to think of this kid anymore cause he can go from being the most sick I have ever seen to just being fine and joking around. And to top it all off when we went to church this last Sunday we had our all time high of 67 people come to church and also I had 5 investigators at church. It was super amazing and the hand of the Lord has for sure been in our work this week and L feel lucky that I was able to see it in such big ways. I just have been thinking that the old me would have punched that guy in the face and then I would have going home. But because the Lord knew that all of these people were watching he was able to help me keep my cool.

Alright tell Michael to keep it cool and Ethan you need to get outside my man I have been there but find a sport that you love and dont lie about the grades cause it will come back at you full force. Adee love you and keep being awesome and good job with the soccer, haah that is funny that you scored on yourself but just keep going. Also just make sure that you send some oil viles cause i don't have any and that is the most important tool of a missionary. I love you all and this week has really made me think that there is no there place in the world that I want to be than here in the field with all my brothers serving the Lord and his children.

Love Elder Swanton

 

"I like rice this much."

With friends.

Cat funeral...don't ask!

Elder Bontoyan's first baptism. He is a PRO!

 

Mothers day call

Update from Jacob...

Well Jacob was able to Skype with the family on Sunday evening for Mothers Day. He is doing great and looked good. He is excited and looking forward to transfers in a few weeks to see where the lord will send him next on the island. We had both sets of grandparents here and they all got to visit with him. Many tears were shed when we had to say goodbye.

Future missionary

Church ball

Parked water buffalo

Monsoon Swantoon

Update from Jacob...

Hey family,

Alright, well what happened to us this week. On Tuesday, we had a zone training and man it was good. We learned a lot from our zone leaders. They are good guys and the zone is just having some problems right now. So, the big news was that president went ham on a bunch of new rules for the mission. Alot of them are just rules to make us think a little more before we do things. O yeah, congrats mom for graduating and man that took a long time, haha. But it is good to see and hear that you are done with it for the time being. 

Haha, good joke that you guys have been having some rain. I will give you a little hint. We just hit the rainy season here and that means it rains twice a day and not just rain, a downpour from the heavens. I have never been so dang wet in my whole life. It is way nice though cause the temp has gone down so much and it is so nice. This week we also made a return visit to Yapo and man that was the coolest time that I have had in a while. Elder Wadman came with us so he could see how crazy the place is and how beautiful the mountains are. The whole way up there we were talking about how the rain has not started to come and yep, guess what, after we had taught some lessons up there, the rain came and man it came down hard. The people of the village were so scared for us because apparently the river will flood and get super dangerous if it rains super hard, but we had to head out anyways and it was so cool. We got some sweet pics and that is what really matters.

Also Elder Bontoyan got sick again, so we did not teach all the lessons that we wanted to, but we did have a miracle happen to us on Sunday. We had 5 new investigators come to church and I can tell you that it was an answer to our fasting and prayers. Other than that, we have really just been pushing on and trying to stay busy. 

Tell the siblings that I am proud of all the great work they are doing in their sports. I hope that they are behaving how they should. Hey, how is my car doing? Just wondering, man I miss driving it, haha.

Also, I will be able to Skype you guys at around 7pm on Sunday night for you guys and for me it will be Monday morning, Also, if you could get me Uncle Ben's Skype and see if you can get the family over to the house that would be super cool. I love you all and can't wait to see you.

Love, Elder Swanton