Focus and work hard

Dear family,

This was a super fun week and we have had so much success in our work
and in our companionship. As with mom and dad I am super tired as well
so I will do my best and see what I can remember.

Tuesday was a good and bad day for me and the new comp, we headed to
district meeting early. It was cool to meet the rest of our brand new
district. Elder Bowden taught a great lesson on how we can help the
members Hasten The work in our respective Wards. After we all went and
ate at Mong Inasal and it was so good but the problem was I got some
old chicken and when we got home it was me and the bathroom for the
rest of the morning. I was finally able to beat it out of the system
we went and were able to teach Sister Tess and her partner
Andrea. It was a crazy lesson and we almost lost control but in the
end we were able to teach how they can become clean from all their
sins and really truly follow Jesus Christ.

Wednesday had us all over the place we had to head out in the morning
and get some tracting done and then it was off to the other side of
the area. Later that night we headed over to the Solimons house to
help them get ready for their baptismal Interview. I have never met
people so ready for their baptisms.

Friday we were able to go and attend our Multi Zone Conference in
Lapaz. It was so good to see all the crew and get them back together.
Elder Dorman and Elder Smith both gave some great training's on how we
can become more efficient in our work. It really all come back to
Preach my Gospel. The more you study the better your work will become
and the closer to the spirit you can be as well. Elder Bowden came and
did the baptismal interview for the Solimon family. They passed and
were so excited for the 26th and the opportunity to become clean and
start their road to the temple.

Sunday turned out to be something else for us. We had 6 Investigators
come to Church and they are all super Progressing and will be baptized
in the next 2 or 3 months. Our ward is really doing great in fellow
shipping our new people that come to Church and I could not be more
happy with the work and how its all coming along here. Elder Crichton
and I are really starting to be a great team, with the work and at the
house. We have started our workout program and we also made the house
really feel like a home. And believe it or not but now I can play the
Didgeridoo almost as well as most Australians.

I love yall and the work is really just the funnest time of my life
right now. I would not trade this time for anything in the world. Its
cool to see that the more you focus and work hard the more life seems
to make sense.

Love Elder Swanton

Power in the truth

Dear Family,

The words that you could define this week by is Change for the Best
ever. It has been crazy the last couple of days taking Elder Crichton
all over to meet people from the ward and also most of the
investigators.

Tuesday we headed over to one of the other districts for district
meeting and that was good for all of them. We had some really last
second transfers that some people were not ready for so we headed over
to smooth out the tension over there. It went well and all the elders
and sisters understood that they really needed to do this so that they
could help all of their units progress and become the best they can.
When we got home we went and taught sister Tess and her family. It was
one of the most powerful lessons I have ever taught in my whole
mission. Words cannot put into feel what we both felt. Tess's mom said
something very derogatory about the church and Tess corrected her by
using the Doctrines that we had been teaching her. She said the Book
of Mormon was true and that she will never stop until she is sitting
at the feet of God in the Celestial Kingdom. Me and big old Crichton
were almost in tears as the whole thing is going on, never have I seen
someone actually take our true doctrine and teach someone else with
it.

Wednesday was a slower day but it still was super fun, we headed over
to one of our rougher areas. Ill tell you why another day hahah.  But
we were able to teach the Solimon family and it was so good, they are
our family that will be getting baptized on the 26th of February. I
wish all of you could just be here and listen in on the lessons we
have because if you ever had any doubts about the whole mormon thing
you would throw them all away. Brother Solimon is the strongest
convert to the gospel that I have ever met in my entire life. I have
been helping him battle his word of wisdom problem and its been such a
blessing to see a man so low brought so high by the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. When I first started teaching him I did not think they would
work out but as he has really applied the Gospel his life has changed
for ever and they are so excited for the next year in their life so
they can get to the temple.

Thursday we had our stake meeting with the high councilor and it was
great. We as zone leaders have become such a large part of this whole
mission wide change. I love being right here and seeing the affects of
all the hard work and also being able to help areas that need some
help once in a while.

Sunday turned into one of the best days in my mission to date. We woke
up and headed to church praying that all the people we taught would
make the jump and come to church. As we were waiting the church
started to fill up with the works, Members, Less actives,
Investigators for all the missionaries in our ward. Elder Crichton and
I had 9 investigators come to church and then attend all of the
classes. Our ward was so busy with all the new people it was crazy
awesome. We also got to listen to some talks by the couple missionary
s in our ward. The Robinson's will be heading home and they both gave a
powerful witness to the work and how it can help in the Mandurriao
Ward. I really loved how they were able to use  the Holy Ghost to
teach because they cannot speak the language.

The church is true and this week was awesome. I love being a
missionary and would not trade this time for anything in the world,
will I come home forever changed? Yes! and do I think the work is done?
Never. I love you all and until next week.

Love,
Elder Swanton

Anything but routine

Dear Family,

Ok, well this will be a good one for starters, its sounds like things
back home are getting back into the routine of how they should. My
week however has been anything but routine.

Tuesday we had our zone training and it went really well. We showed
the missionary broadcast that we all watched when we did mlc two weeks
ago.The message that we wanted to get across got there and it went
good. After we headed out and taught sister Tess and her family.  We had
a great lesson with them about the plan of salvation and how if she
uses the gospel she can go back to live with her father in heaven.

Wednesday was our day over in Buliloa and Bakaw. It turned out to be
one of the best days in my mission lesson wise. These people are
progressing and they are becoming truly converted to the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. The Solimon family wanted to learn how to pay tithing
and they are not even members yet, so our lesson was on how tithing
and fasting can help to call on the powers of God. He is also working
on beating a horrible addiction to smoking. I have watched the spirit
work wonders with this family and it really makes me want to be the
best missionary that I can. Not for me but for all the people that we
teach and meet everyday.

Friday turned out to be a big day for us in so many different ways.
Early in the morning we got a call from the APs that later that day
they would call about transfers. In our mission we will no longer have
transfer day, president will transfer people when ever and were ever
he gets the inspiration. We went out and had a great day of finding
and teaching new people all over the slums of our area. But the
tension was in the air for transfers. Right before the APs called us
our phone died and we were so far away from the apartment, so we
jumped onto a jeep and raced home. When we got home we called and
found out that Elder Robertson would be transferring to Sigma, Roxas
and that means right back into the Mountains. My new comps name was
Elder Crichton a big old Australian. He would be coming down from
Kalibo witch means he speaks Tagalog and not very much illongo so I
will be taking the lead until we both feel comfortable with the
teaching.

Sunday we really had a good turnout for the second time we had 8
investigators come to Church and it was so fun to have the ward
fellowship them and make them feel like family. For the first time in
my mission I feel like the work is really come full circle and we are
doing what the lord really called us here for. The ward loves the
people that we keep finding and teaching and then we can just keep
finding more and the circles never end.

I am so pumped to pick up my comp later today and see what crazy times
we can have together in this crazy awesome area. I know that the Lord
wants us to really help this ward become the best in the Mission here.
Just know that we will do all we can to get the job done and have fun
at the same time.

I love you all,
Elder Swanton

Elder Swanton with Elder and Sister Robinson

Prepare for change

Dear Family,

I am so glad that everything went smooth and good back home this past
week. It was cool to read the talks that Michael and Dad gave, I hope
it was what everyone needed back home.

Tuesday I was able to meet up with bunch of my batch mates at our
mission Leader Conference.  It was the next big step for our mission
we were able to watch a special missionary broadcast. It talked about
how we need to change our Mission Culture, the Apostles came up with
the Culture of Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts. After we had a
big open forum about how we can help the mission and all the areas
that are really struggling.

Wednesday we were able to hear training's from all of our Aps and also
from President Aquino. I love going to all these meetings and learning
about how we can turn our areas into the best that they can be. I now
also understand how important this calling is, not only do we have to
work in our area. We are also in charge of two stakes of missionary's.

Thursday my comp was sick so we did not get very much done but I was
able to get a lot of reading and journal done. Its funny cause the
last few days when we have been teaching, especially the Plan of
Salvation, I have felt grandpa just standing right behind me almost
saying "you can do it". Every lesson we teach has more meaning to it
and they make me want to help as many people as we can.

Friday I was able to head back to my old area in Molo and have some
fun with my old comp Elder Mirasol. We had some crazy times just
jumping around to all my old investigators and visiting with some of
the members that i really got close to back in molo. Me and Mirasol
are a good team and it was cool to see how much he has progressed in
just a short time.

When I woke up Sunday morning, I had a lot on my mind. I was fasting
that all of our investigators would come to church and partake of the
untold blessing that would come from it. I also was fasting that my
family back home would be at peace with the whole Funeral Service and
be able to move on with no problem. I got the biggest surprise when I
got to church, by the end of sacrament meeting we had a total of 9
Investigators. It felt so good to finally have some real progression
come out of our area. They all had such a good time at church and our
ward did some great fellow shipping.

This week has been something else, I think the Lord is prepping me for
a big work next transfer. I will do my best to get ready for it, I
miss all of you and cant wait till we get to Skype again.

Love Elder Swanton