Rain here, rainbows for USA??

Update from Jacob....

Ayyye family,

Mom, unfortunately I won't be able to write as much as you did today but
that is ok because you wrote a whole book. It was great to hear about
all the going ons back home and man you guys seem to be the most busy
people I have ever met. I'm glad when I was back there things were not 

this dang busy.

Alright so I will do my best to explain the week that we had. I
already told you all about SM last week and that was a blast. Then on
Tuesday we had district meeting here in Tigbauan. It was good to see
how everyone was doing and talk about the meetings that will be
happening in the next coming weeks. Wednesday was not a very good day
you see because around here it is rainy season and that means when it
rains it comes down for about 5 hours as hard as you have ever seen.
Not many people are outside and wanting to be taught when it rains
that hard. The next three days are just the same replays of Wednesday
but then we came to Saturday afternoon, after being punted all morning
long we finally had some good things happen to us. Elder Gionson
remembered some former investigators that he taught when he first got
to the area. We took the long hour walk to their house and when we got
there I was like is this it.
I was looking at some-kind of compound in the sand right in the back
of the beach. It looked like 20 or so people lived in it. When I asked
him how big the family was he said they have 20 kids and the parents
are not really ever home, they both work 2 jobs. It was literal mayhem,
just with kids running around naked and dogs chasing them. I am pretty
sure if this place had a ghetto, this is it. But in the middle of all
that bad was the good. We found 3 daughters and 2 sons that had been
taught before and they had remembered everything that they had been
taught. They asked why the missionary's stopped coming and they said
that they had been praying that they would come back. It's funny
because we almost did not go but just as we got close to their house, Elder Gionson was like lets head over here I think that some people
might live there that we have taught before. I have a really good
feeling about them and the future they have in the church, for just
being teenagers they have a strong grasp of what the Church should be
and we are going to help them get there.

By the time Sunday rolled around we had been working in kinda of a
rhythm and then it all came crashing down. Sunday did not go as we had
planned, we did not have any of our investigators come to church and
that really crushed us. And to top is all off the Stake President
dropped the word to us in his talk that for "all of the American Elders, I am sorry to say that we have lost the battle of the gays, it
is official that the supreme court, not the state courts, but the
supreme court ruled that gay marriage will now be legal in all fifty
states. He then added " this brothers and sisters is the nail in the
coffin for the USA and I have no doubt that they will soon fall into
Anarchy" So yeah not the best and I was super happy that they have so
much faith in America. But heck people, this just means that the second
coming is really close. So after Church when all the people came up to
me and Elder Chapman to ask us how I felt I just said "Well I was born
Mormon and when I go home no matter what has happened, I am still a
Mormon." and they all just agreed with me.

That is my week I wish that it was better and I wish the pics were
better but I just felt like a National Geographic photographer this week.

I love you all and you are in my prayers just remember that when times
get tough it is just God making you stronger because he has big plans
for you.

Elder Swanton
PS. love you Adde

 

Fathers day

After church chilling with the boys.

Update from Jacob...

Family,

Week three down here in Tigbauan and man it was not one of the best
ones we have ever had. Ok, so I had better answer moms questions before
I get into trouble. Yes I have people to talk to, in my apartment
there is Elder Chapman from Utah and in the district down the road
that we see quite often there is Elder Stevens from Hawaii and Elder
Ananga from Kiribati, so it has been a good time with all of them.

And now to the Email HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD. Man I wish I could have
been there for one of the famous fathers days in the Swanton house. I
really did miss it, all the kids fighting in the morning before church
and dad coming in and saying "Happy Fathers Day? Is this all you want to do is fight?
thank you very much" but I really can't do it
justice from all the way over here, but I am laughing either way
hhahaha. And then after church dad gets happy because mom
has usually left dinner up to him and that means steaks and potatoes
and that is it. Man I really do miss steaks. Anyway dad I will just
pick something up over here and bring it home so it will be a
surprise so just tell me what you would be wanting and just remember
that almost anything is possible.

Wow I read the email that mom sent and man do you guys ever have
anytime to rest or anything that sounds like the craziest schedule
that I have ever heard. But somehow you are able to pull it off.

Things over here are good and we are finally starting to have some
progress in our area. After we had both fasted this last Sunday when
we got to church we had 3 investigators at church and they were all
new people that we had never even met and they wanted to be taught and
baptized so we will be getting on that. We also have some super
inactive people come back to church for the first time in a while and
that was a true miracle for us. Other than that just a week of
rejection and not to many friendly people. I think I heard from the
office elders that this is one of the only areas in the mission were
the Catholic church is so strong that when you give a Book of Mormon
the people will give it right back and yes I have experienced that
this week but it is just all fuel to the fire of the work.

Congrats to both of my brothers on your moving up the ranks in the
priesthood, Army of God. Just think about what you do everyday and Michael now
that you can drive does not mean that you stop listening to mom and
dad. Even though I am all the way over here, don't make me come there
and set you boys in place. I love you both and keep being the best you
can and Keep Reppin the Swanton name right when you get to high
school. I did a lot of work and don't tear it all down, I trust you.

 

The Pictures are of our yard after the home owner came and asked if
they could sweep the yard. They ended up cutting down all four of our
fully grown trees. So yeah, I don't know what happened there. The other
is of my boys after church.

Well mom that is really it, we will just keep pushing forward .
I love you all and dad, Happy Fathers Day.

Love Elder Swanton

Landlord extreme sweeping aka... defoliation....

Peace be with you...

Nobody said it would be easy....

Hold to the rod or rusty cable....

Update from Jacob...

Dear Family,

Alright I will give the good news and then the not as good news. The good news is the package got here safe and sound and I was able to open it on Sunday and that was super sick and it made the whole day. I got all that was in the package and all I have to say is dad has a funny way of picking pictures to send to me haha they are the best and I can tell that maybe you guys got a picture printer. Anyways thank you all very much and I will be using everything that was in the package to the best of my ability. 

Mom I think you might be right about the whole having super hard areas my whole mission. When I went to the mission office last p day the Elders there said that they were talking about me. They said it was funny how I went from a super hard area in Bugasong and then the next transfer strait to also difficult Tigbauan. One of the Elders said that I should be grateful because both of these areas have produced some of the best missionarys to come through the mission. So I guess I will try to learn all that I can in this area so that later in the mission it will be of use to me. Yes I am back to the peak of physical activity. When I get done with these emails I will be heading to go make new pants because all of my pants are to big to be refitted so I am going to be looking good in the next pictures haha. 

It sounds like you are all keeping busy with the camps and what not. Over here we are really just trying to find people who want to learn and who will accept us into their homes. It is alot different here because

back in bugasong I could use the fact that I was white to teach anyone. But here in the city they have all seen white before and that is nothing new to them. It was a long week of walking and getting rejected and yelled at. I can say I have spent a good long time on my knees this week praying that we will have some help and have some people come to church or start to progress. We were however able to contact some less actives and teach them and I have high hopes that they will come back to church.

Tell mike that I said happy birthday and I will pray for all of you over in Utah because you have a new driver on the road and he is a crazy one haha. I hope that he has a good  birthday and work goes good for him. I will be praying for grandpa and if you guys want to fast with me this next Sunday that he will get better you are more than welcome to do that. It will be a cool way for us to connect even though we are 10,000 miles apart. 

As for adventures not to many other than I have done it again. Me and my comp were able to go to the furthest possible part of our area this past week and it was the craziest thing that has ever happened. Three hours into the jungles and mountains of Leon. Dad the roads that we went on I dont think that I would have ridden a four wheeler on. And yet I was sitting on top of a Beefed out Jeepney with about 60 other people on top with me. Yes the road was washed out and yes the driver just punched the gas and we barley made it. But in the end when we got there and after we had seen some super cool waterfalls. We went tracting and gave out a bunch of Book of Mormons and people up there were super friendly and that was a nice change from the regular day routine. Just a great experience and I would love to live it over again but I dont think that it will be an option to go back because after we got back, we were told not to go back because they have NPA up there and for an American that means kidnapping! So yeah maybe we will be back but who knows. 

That is really all for my week and I just really have been putting it all with the Lord these past few days. I will do what I can to make this place better and try to help the branch. 

Love Elder Swanton

 

Package from home...priceless!

Maybe I should take the bottom bunk Elder!

No comment needed.

Jacob loves tile, just ask him.

Elders make it happen.

Sure the bridge can hold both of us.

 

 

Same book, new chapter

Update from Jacob...

Dear Family, 

First and foremost congrats mom. That is so cool that you were able to get that part of your life done and now you can start working and doing what you love. Alright I know that you all want to hear the news, but I need to explain the week first and then I will spill the beans. 

Alright so after district meeting on Tuesday we hurried back home and stopped by the Flores families house for lunch they were super sad that we were leaving and she made me a feast. After that we jumped on a bus and flew home for the Baptism of Glen Dalumpines. Larson went to Nanay Pes house to get ready for the baptism and me and Elder Bontoyan went to get Glen. When I asked him if he was ready, he said that all he felt was peace and that this was the right thing for him to do. When we were walking he told me that he wanted to serve a mission, I was speechless. When we got to the beach he had to have his interview and Elder Larson, did that and when they got done Larson gave the ok and we had an amazing Baptism. The waves were small and the breeze was to die for. I found myself without words and for all of those who know me that does not happen very much. After we had an FHE and Glen stayed for it. Man I dont want to leave this area, after all the sweat and tears it is finally progressing and I won't be here to see it. It's funny after all the complaining and now I would be happy to spend my whole mission here. The hardest part was saying goodbye to nanay LeLe. She is in my area and she has been my number one nanay since I got here. Cooked for me and always had a good place to nap if it was to hot to work. When we went there Wednesday evening she was crying her eyes out and I promise when I come back to this country she is the one person that I will be coming back to see. We asked her to say the closing prayer and I kid you not I have never felt the holy ghost so strong in my whole life. She asked that we be protected and guided for the rest of our mission and that the Lord might show us what and were to go. 

Elder Larson and I got the call Wednesday night that we need to pack and head down to the mission home. After a long and sleepless night I found myself walking out of my first home and never last home. A piece of me was still in the apartment and it will never leave. I know that there is alot to look forward to but I feel like most of it is things that I look back on. So we arrive in all right and then its time for the all important meeting. When the APs read the names for Iloilo South zone I knew that I was heading to south. My area is Tigbauan A and well it is just like Bugasong the first day I got there. I have a Filipino comp named Elder Gionson. He is in the same batch as my Tatay Elder Olivar and they are just like twins haha. The Lord really wants me to work on patience these past few weeks and I think that it is time for me to start working. 

I think the hardest thing is communication, he has not bothered to learn the language and he does not speak English so he is just Tagalog only and that has been super hard for me. He has also only had native comps so I am his first Foreign comp. The first few days of work have been hard for me because he just likes to Lagaw Lagaw which is just walk around. That is not me, I need to find people I need to talk to people and we need to baptize people. 

That is really all for me right now, I think that the next few weeks are gonna be rough but I am really going to give it my all and try to make the best of it. Everything back home seems to be doing good and I really just want all of you to know that I love you and pray for you all the time.

Love your son Elder Swanton

 

 

He wants to be a gardener...

Updates from Jacob...

Dear Family,

I would call this the last week in Bugasong and man it is really turning out to be bittersweet. I want more than anything to go to somewhere completely new but on the other hand my people are here  and close to 7 months of my life is right here. Its funny that when I first got here I wanted to get out more than anything, but now after working our butts off I don't want to leave haha. Especially since this last week has really been a lot of work for me and the comp we have been prepping two baptismal candidates for Wednesday and only one will be getting baptized, but he is more than ready and he just has to get work off. He asked me to baptize him the last time we met with him and of course I said that I would love to. 

All I can hope is that after I leave he will stay true to the faith and never give up no matter how hard it gets. We have just started to teach his family as well and they are all coming to church and progressing so it is really hard for me to leave them. I don't want to let someone else finish my work and that is something that I need to work on. My mentality is that I want to be the Gardener, I want to till the ground and then I want to help plant the seed and then when the time is right I want to see the harvest but in the mission field most of the time you just are the Planter and not the Harvester. But the Lord has a plan and I just need to follow were ever it takes me, it has also been hard saying goodbye to the many people I have had the privilege to meet and be apart of their lives. People here in Antique could be some of the best in the world and I will promise that. 

No mom the package has not gotten here and man I hope that it does not get here until after transfers. So that when I get to my new area I will have a package to welcome me in but that is only a wish and it might get here in time. Yeah we heard he news and that is terrible but on the other hand it just means that his time was up and he was needed on the other side. OK for the news of what else we did with our week. This last week we have really been meeting with this American in our branch. His name is Bubba Sonneir and he is from Mississippi and he is less active. But I can say that these last couple weeks that we have spent with him have really been great and I pray that some day he will make his way back to church and maybe back to the states.   We also went to a crazy cool cave in Sibalom today and it was super cool. It was super hard saying good by to the members and investigators but I know that the Lord will watch over them and my bata will get work done. 

I am just super excited for what is to come and I cant wait to tell you all about the baptism and the new area.

Elder Swanton

Sibalom cave

Chow time

Sibalom cave

Cool Sibalom cave with Elders