Keep pushing

Dear Family,

1.Happy birthday Micheal and Grandma Swanton

2.Happy Fathers day Dad

3.This week was super crazy and also the best week in the whole transfer for us. 

I am way happy to see how busy you are all back home. It seems like you really don't have a moment to spare haha but that is good. As for the Summerfest mom I hope you are ready to hear me and Larson up there when we get home cause that is the plan. I'm glad everyone had a good birthday and fathers day. I almost forgot that it was but we saw an add that said it was and it all came back to me. 

Tuesday was one of those ok days that even though you really want to work and you give it your all in the end the body is weak. We headed out early and taught some great lessons to some less actives. About 1 hour later my stomach said its time to go home and spend some time in the bathroom, which it exactly what we did for the rest of the afternoon. I took some pills and drank some Sprite and slept real close to the bathroom. I must have drank some bad water or eaten something my chun did not like. 

 

Wednesday was almost an exact repeat but instead of less actives they were some sweet new investigators that were so willing to listen to the message they have convert written all over them. I asked some members for what the cure could be to my troubles. They told me to get to the market and buy some bananas real quick. About 6 bananas later I was feeling better and could finally sleep for the first time in over three days. 

Thursday we had some sweet district meeting and the work was good. We went to one of the uncorked areas in our area and found some new people to teach. Almost the same thing happend on Friday, also we found a new house to live in and it is way better than the rat hole we are living in right now. 

 

Sunday was the great day of blessings and alot of hard work finally coming to pay off. So I have been fasting every week that we would just have something happen in our area. I am training and whitewashing and speaking a different language. I just need something to go right for me and my comp. I asked that we could just have one person come to church today. When we got there we met the all the family's and then to my surprise one of our family's brought 6 investigators with them to church.  Right after church we headed out to work and were able to teach all of them the first lesson and they are so golden its crazy. I know Heavenly Father pushes us just far enough that we think we can't do it anymore but just then he will lift us up higher than we have been before. 

I am so grateful for the Gospel and the chance I have to share it with the people of Iloilo. I will never forget this week and will never regret the decision to go on a mission. 

Love Elder Swanton

Making it happen

Dear Family,

What a week we have had over here. For me it was a trip back to memory lane and I was so grateful for the chance to get to go back to all my areas and see people and how much they have changed. As you could tell we had a conference back in Iloilo so I went down early with my boys and we had a crazy fun day visiting all the members and recent converts. 

Wednesday was the best day in so long for me. Four of us woke up really early and headed down to Iloilo. It was a good 5 and half hour ride but in the end we made it there safe and sound. We had a crazy day ahead of you the first step was head back to my second area of Tigbauan and see the Lopez family. It was so sweet to chill and see how people are doing and how they are slowing coming back to the faith. It was also cool to see that some of the inactives I was teaching have come back and their kids are now preparing to serve missions. The next stop was Molo for some food and then right after that we went back to my last area of Mandurriao. We spent the next 5 hours visiting members and eating more than we have in a good long time. My comp was loving it because he could speak ilongo and that is the language he is most comfortable with. 

Thursday we got to hear the last conference of President Aquino. It was sad to say the least. The aps and president gave some great training about how we as a mission need to step it up and get ready for the President Cruz. I think one thing I really can say is that my relationship with president has gotten so much better as time went by. I see him now as someone who gives great advice and is really guided by the spirit of the Lord.  After the conference we got back on the bus and had another 5 hour ride home. By the time we got to the house I was dead tired so we all went strait to bed and the next morning was go time. 

Saturday was adventure day for me and Elder Fa'alavelave. We deiced to go to the farthest part of our area and find a member that we had heard rumors about. We set out that morning with only a last name and also a villige. Almost 4 hours of walking later we finally found it and the member was so happy to see us. It turns out she has not been visited by missionary in over a year. They all say her house is to far and there is no work there. But me and my bata had a great time and the people we met were so nice it was awesome.  

 

Things here are just moving along slowly but we are making it happen. I cant believe in just a short two weeks I have 4 months left in this mission. Every day just seems to fly by when you are having fun. I have heard something in the air that I might be out of here and heading even father into the mountains with one of my good brothers. But we will have to see what happens.  O before I forget happy birthday Michael and Grandma Swanton hope your special day is very fun. 

Love your son, 

Elder Swanton

Rain came down, floods came up.

Dear Family,

First off I just want to wish all my family members who have birthdays in June Happy Birthday. Just so I don't forget them I am sorry it I do. But I love ya all the same. 

What a week we have had here on the other side of the world. Rainy season is officially here so I will need to get an umbrella or I will continue to get soaked everyday witch in the long run is not that bad. It keeps you very cool for the rest of the day. I have learned a lot about what it takes to succeed and how easy it is to fail this week. 

 

Tuesday after district meeting we headed out to one of our favorite burunguys to do some tracting. It ended up being super sweet. One of the members in the area came with us and he introduced us to some former investigators. The next thing I know we are teaching a big group of people and in the end we picked up four new investigators in one lesson. Me and my comp were so happy that we stopped and got some Coconuts and drank away haha. The rest of the night we taught a bunch of less actives and recent converts, I think my comp must have drank some bad water because on the way home he was complaining of stomach problems. 

 

Wednesday and Thursday are the aftermath of a very upset chun "stomach". We did not get to leave because my comp was on the toilet every other hour praying for relief. The good news is I was able to catch up on all my journal entries and also the reading I was behind on. I have also started my work out plan for the last six months of the mission. I still have about 30 pounds to shed before I hit the valley back home. 

Saturday we went out early and headed up to the farthest part of our area. We have some recent converts that live out there and the tracting is always fun and a good chance to meet new people. One thing lead to another and we were hanging out with a big group of drunk people eating all the food they had. My comp was loving it as they tried to speak English and we were eating some super good food. We did in the end get to share a message with the less drunk people and they loved the fact that I can speak their language as they can. After that the rain came down and the floods came up, we were walking in knee deep water just soaked to the bone with some cold water. I love this time I have to get into all these crazy situations.

 

Sunday went well as we had two new people show up and attend all the classes. After church we worked with some members and ended up having a great time talking to a bunch of people and teaching close to 8 lessons. The ward is finally starting to help us in our work after 4 long weeks of doing everything by ourselves. 

I think that just about sums up the week in a nut shell, this week we will be heading down to Iloilo for a multi zone conference. I love you all and hope you have the best week ever. 

Love,

Elder Swanton

Time keeps going along

My dear Family,

Well its down to 5 as of Thursday. I just can't believe that it has gone this quickly but I have no time to slow down and think of that cause our area needs some help. This week was super good and we were able to get alot done and really learn the ins and outs of our area. 

Tuesday was district meeting and we were able to go over what the first steps to being a people person are. It went really well that is one thing that our district is working on is trying to talk to more people and get out there. I have been working on helping my bata talk to as many people as he can. That is one of the biggest things we are working on is trying to help all the people we meet when we are out working. 

 

Wednesday we headed out early to one of the farthest villages in our area. It went great, I am slowly starting to pick up this new language and my Tagalog is really coming along now. The Lord is giving and I am taking for as long as he will let me have it. Me and the comp were able to teach a great lesson about temples to our recent convert family. It was a miracle when the mom who has not been very interested the past lessons picked her head up and asked about temples and if family's can really be forever. I almost fell over and we taught her a fast lesson about forever families. It was so sick and me and the comp jumped after the lesson. The rain came down after the lesson and we got trapped in a less actives house for about two hours. It was crazy to say the least. 

 

Thursday we were tracting all day and I am happy to say that we found a new family the DeJesus family was ready for the gospel. And it turns out that they are the first cousins of some of the members in the ward. The rest of the day was full of teaching Less actives and trying to find as many new people as we can. 

 

Saturday and Sunday just whipped by and before you know it we are to Monday. But we had a great turnout for church and in the end it was a great day. I can't believe how many members are active and come to church every week in this ward. I am loving this time that I have to train and be a district leader again. As the months roll down I just think about what I have done on my mission and how much is left to do when I get home.

Love you all and until next week. 

Elder Swanton