Change is simple!

Update from Jacob....

My people,

Well this week has been full of surprises and also some of the hottest
days that I have seen in my mission. Also we were really able to see
how hard work can help the lives of all those that you serve.

Monday we all went into the city and I bought some new pant material.
It is crazy how cheap you can get a pair of pants made here compared
to buying a pair back home. We always have a good time heading into
the city, just a bunch of missionarys that have no idea were we are
going. Anyways so when I get them all done I will send you a pic of
all of them.

Tuesday we all had to head to the mission office to have interviews
and 72 hour kit checks. I also had the opportunity to teach a combined
district meeting. My topic was to pump up the Districts for the next
couple months. I guess you could sum it up in just a small statement.
Change is Simple! If we all want to be the best that we can be then we
should just put aside our worldly needs and just get to work. In other
news our interviews with President went well.

For the rest of the week we really tried to focus on our families. The
Delacruiz family is progressing so well and they are always asking so
many questions when we go and teach them. We are thinking of extending
a date for them on the 25th of December. The other family that we are
teaching is the Duga Family. Their only problem is that Sunday is the
market day here and they go to market and sell all of their fruit. So
if we can get them to sell in the afternoon then they will be
baptized real quick.

I am really loving the work over here right now and its crazy how long
I have been out here. I will say that one year really flew by and I
don't know how fast this one will be, but I hope it slows down a little
bit. I cannot wait to get back though and start the life. Me and Elder
Larson have already made the decision that we will be wedding singers.
So family and friends keep in mind that right now we are tuned into
the spirit of music so our creative minds are rolling. But yeah, we are
really having a good time with it.

I love you all,

Elder Swanton

Ox spa, ya they love it.

Elders are to scale.

Do all that you can do

Updates from Jacob....

Dear Family,

Well it sounds like things are really starting to slow down back home.
It sounds like a good thing because I bet mom and dad are really
getting tired of these crazy schedules. Us on the other hand had the
most progressive week in my whole mission.

Monday I was able to organize a multi zone activity were three zones
came together to play sports in a big sports complex in the city. It
was super fun and we were also able to meet a bunch of missionary's
that we have not seen in a good long time. One of the fun things for
me is that the more weight that I lose the faster I get so everyone
still thinks since I'm big I cant run and then all of a sudden my speed
kicks in and I am gone. It was a good thing for all of us to play and
get together so we will be doing that again really soon.

Tuesday we were able to have Zone training and learn how we are going
to change this mission. The attitude in the mission is that we are all
sick and tired of not progressing and making our goals happen. It was
cool to get the whole zone on the same page and we were able to set
some big goals and plans of how we will make it happen.

Wednesday was the best day for us, we really took some time and
thought why we were not having all the success that we need. One thing
that has been holding us back is that we are not 100 percent obedient,
so we said that we would follow all the rules and make sure that we
talk to all the people that we see. We were able to find two new
families to teach and they both have the potential to make it to the
waters of baptism.

Thursday and Friday was just us doing the same things that we had been
doing and we were able to see more and more people come up to us and
want the gospel. One thing that really gets to me is when people want
nothing to do with us because all we have is the truth and nothing
more. We want to share the best message that the world has to offer.

Saturday we really had the lord on our side, we started our fast and
then right after we walked out of the door we saw a woman that was
struggling to drive a trike. When we walked up and got closer she
turned around and said are you Mormons. Yes we are and can we come
visit you. She said that her and her Swiss Husband had read the book
of Mormon and knew it was true and they would be coming to Church the
next day. The rest of the day was slow because it was so hot and we
had no food or water but we were still able to teach some good lessons
and find some more families.

Sunday we did not actually have church because of the Storm warning
but we were able to have a small sacrament meeting. To our surprise we
had 6 new Investigators come to church and they all seemed to have a
good time. The rest of the day was just the strongest rain I have ever
seen. We heard that in the city it was worse and a lot of houses got
destroyed because of the rain and wind.

This week for me was just what I needed to get back in the game. The
gospel is so simple and we need to make our lives just as simple. If
we all strive to put God first and them our families then we will all
reap the blessing that will come with it.

I love you all and pray that all is good back home.

Love Elder Swanton

Conference retrospect

Updates from Jacob,

Hey family,

Well dad it's good to hear that you can still make a good pot of chili.
I will be looking forward to that when I come rolling into Cache
Valley next year. As for my week it was another slow week but with
General Conference I was able to get back on my feet and we will see
if we can get the ball rolling here in Tigbauan.

To start off, no I did not get transferred on Thursday which was
kind of a downer for me. I have now become the second Elder in History
to serve 6 months in Tigbauan. I guess the Lord thinks that I still
have a work to do yet for these humble people. Elder
Mudrow and I have really dived into the whole finding new
Investigators. We have been rejected in just about all the ways you
can think of. I have to think that maybe one person here will be
willing to listen to the message that we have. But I guess for now we
will be hitting every house and basketball court from here to America
to find the right house.

Now down to conference. I really had a great time listening to the
apostles and the members of the Seventy. I think out of all the talks
the ones that really hit me were from Elder Robert D. Hales. I really
liked how he was up front about how we need to take life and go for
it. Education is one thing that as a high school student I wish that I
would  have done better and his talk about how Knowledge is power
really makes me want to do good in College so that I can do the career
that I want.

Of course the Elder Holland talk was great. It really made all of us
remember all that our mothers have and are doing for us. I will tell
you that by the end of the talk every single sister in the mission was
balling their eyes out. For me it was just an eye opener, I really do
have great parents and a mother that loves and supports me in all that
I do. I am grateful for your examples to me and that at a young age
you taught me how to work. I know that it might not have rubbed off
very fast but now that I am on a mission, all we do is work our tails
off for other people and there is no greater joy than that.

I love this gospel and I know that it is true. To see the effects in
peoples lives is all that I can ask for, this work is truly called of
God. I am proud at this time to be numbered among the soldiers of our
Lord. I love you all and hope that in the coming months we can think
about how blessed we really are to live in the world and have this
opportunity to learn and grow.

Love Elder Swanton

 

Alien spacecraft landed in town. Film at 11.

One of these kids socks is not like the others.

 

No problem, it will grow out.

Updates from Jacob....

Dear Family,

Holy, for the second week in a row you all have had a crazier week than
me. I will clear this up real quick, no we did not get to watch
conference hopefully this weekend we will be able to hear it. And also
my comp was super sick this week so we were not able to work for most
of the week but we still had some cool stuff happen.

Monday we got to head in the city and go to the SM City mall and do
some shopping and have some crazy fun. I was able to pick up some of
the sickest socks I have ever seen and also print some pictures for
some of my favorites in this branch. After we were able to eat as a
bunch of brothers at McDonald's. It is always so fun to be with
everyone, Elder Larson and I snuck into a Music shop and we had a jam
session with some of their guitars. It was a blast and Elder Larson
and I have made the decision that after the mission we will be Wedding
Singers.

Wednesday I was able to travel down to the mission office with Elder
Larson and the other District Leaders for DLC. It is a conference where
we all get together and talk about how we can help the mission. It was
so good to be able to see all my boys that I have not seen for a
while. After some good training we all came to the answer that our
mission needs to change and it starts with us.

The next half of the week we were house bound because Elder Mudrow got
really bad food poisoning. It kinda kept him in the bed and me, well
all I was doing was reading the scriptures and Jesus the Christ. Which
by the way I was able to finish it, it was a real eye opener for me. I
learned a lot about the Saviors life and how much he really had to go
through to atone for all of us.

The worst thing that happened this week was when I went to get a
haircut before the DLC, as most of you know I had been trying to grow
my hair out like a hipster and that all came crumbling down when I got
that haircut. I told him to take a little off the top and sides. The
next thing I know I was looking like Uncle Ben in the summer time.
BALD is the word that would describe me know. All the other Elders
call me the White Shaq which is cool with me cause you know that I am
a beast.

I love you all and hope that you had a good week.

Love Elder Swanton