1,000 stairs

Updates from Jacob...

Hey mom and family,

Well this week has just jumped back to a pretty normal week, we did some good work and taught some good lessons and really put in the hours that we could. I can't believe that you guys back home are going through the same things that we go through here. I don't know if the water will ever be good to drink haha, but the water is good for showering if the buckets are full. We had as I said an average week but I will do my best to explain the crazy happening in the Philippines. 

Alright so we start the week off with some good ol fashion tracking and some long hours of trying to place some of the Lords books. We really did not have much success with any of that, the real problem is that the people we are looking for are people who want the gospel. That has been the hardest thing to find. We stumbled into what could turn into some great investigators for us as long as they stop being so shy. That is the other hard thing about being a white person most of the people that we teach they don't want to look at me and they get way shy and don't want to talk. 

But we move on and we find more people all the time. The next transfers are on June 4th so I am going to be  the Provence of Bugasong for quite a while. I really can't wait until I get to be in a new area, and yes its crazy to think that I have just spent 1/4  of my mission in one place and that place is not the best place haha. But I have had some great memories in this place and I will never forget all the people and how hard it was for me to understand the darn language. 

The best thing that happened to us this week is we all came to Sibalom for P day and we got down here real early. We left the house at about 5 am to start the hike and according to the members we had a real challenge in front of us. After we had hiked for about 1 hour we hit the 1000 stair mountain and what kinda sucked is that the stairs were just small and the mountain was so freaking large. It took so long but when we finally got to the top we saw the massive Jesus and also a bunch of crosses so that was cool to get some pics of those. 

Just yeah I love all of you and I cant wait to Skype on the May 10th. So I will be be Skyping on Monday morning so I can get you guys Sunday night and that will be the plan I am super pumped to see you all and I love you all. 

Love Elder Swanton

Back to basics

Update from Jacob:

Dear Family,

Well this week has for real been better in all aspects of the work and the comp and the investigators. It has been a real challenge for us to find people to actually progress and want to come to church and read the book of Mormon. This past week we went back to the beginning and went through the area book and tried to find and locate new or old people that we felt would progress. After multiple fasts this week we have finally found some new people that I feel will be able to progress. Its crazy to think that I only have 1 month left in Bugasong. It feels like I have been hear for ever and that is because I have almost my whole mission life so far. 

Anyways this morning we had a baptism of one of our long time Investigators, her name is Mutya and she is one stubborn little 10 year old. It has taken over 2 years to baptize her and me and Elder Bontoyan were finally able to get the job done. She has an understanding of the gospel like no other child that I have ever met. Her Uncle baptized her. He is getting ready to go on a mission so I thought it be only fitting that he should baptize her. He was super nervous but memorized the words and he did a great job this morning and it felt good to come off of a 6 week drought of baptisms. 

We also got the opportunity to head down to Iloilo this week for the half way point of my training and that is a crazy thought because it seems like yesterday that I was down there picking this kid up. We got to work in Iloilo that night and man I have hope mom and dad I can actually speak the language, just not Kinary-a or the language that they speak here in Antique. It was so fun to be able to understand the people and to be able to help and teach the most of the lesson. After that I had some McDonald's for the first time in almost 7 months and man it was so good. We also had some great training from the APs and also from President. They were mostly about how not to get sick and how to use your time as a missionary to the best of your ability. I really learned alot and when we got home me and Elder Bontoyan both said that we would be more obedient. 

But yeah I miss you guys a lot and I will send some stuff home soon for all the birthdays coming up. I was also wondering if you guys got my letter that I sent to you guys a week or two ago. Yep I love you all and hope that this week will be a good one. Just always keep me in your prayers and I will do the same. Tell the kids that I love them and the rest of the family. 

Love Elder Swanton

 

Mutya's baptism by her Uncle.

Mutya with Elder Bontoyan and myself.

Snack time