Where do the days go?

Updates from Jacob....

Dear Family,

I think mom used the right words when she said the week flew by. Elder
Mudrow and I had about 4 days this week were when we walked in the
door at 9:30 PM we both said "where did today go?". I love it and at the
same time it is super hard to catch up on sleep so our body are really
starting to feel it. Ok so now for the week which I am sorry if it is
not all that long because I really can't remember that much of it.
Tuesday we had our district meeting and Elder Faamoe taught a lesson
about it is important that we learn how to teach people, not lessons.
Over here sometimes missionary s get the idea that the number of
lessons is more important than the quality of the lesson. We are not
here to teach lots of lessons. We are here to help people come unto
Christ. It was good for the district to think about all the lessons
they teach in that way.

Wednesday Elder Mudrow and I have become the Branch Home Teachers for
real. We spend most of our time each day going to each and every
member in the area we are in and we visit them and see how they are
doing. Then we see if they need any help and we share a verse with
them to so that they can feel the spirit after we leave. It has really
been sad to see that even when we do all we can to help people
sometimes they still chose not to come back to the fold. But as
missionaries all we can do is invite and remind them that God is
waiting for them to do their part and they need to step up.

Thursday I was able to go on splits with Elder Faamoe. He is serving
in Guimbal and he is kinda new in the mission, he has been out about 7
months. He is from Samoa and we both get along really well, I don't
know what it is about Island people but we click. It is always a
complement when they say "if you came to my place my family would love
you and not try to kill you" hahaha for me it feels good to know that
I can get along with all kinds of people. We had a good day full of
Hood rat things or playing Basketball with little kids and helping as
many people as we could with chores. As always super fun and when we
got home it was strait to the workout so that when we get home we look
good for all the ladies. I forgot to mention that he was a
professional Rugby player in Samoa so the mission was a huge life
change for him so its always sick to see someone who is willing to
give it all up to serve the Lord.

The rest of the week was full of being punted and teaching all the
less actives we could find. With Transfers coming up I have this
feeling in my stomach that I am out of here so I am really trying to
give it my all to get just one more baptism. Tigbauan has really been
the hardest test a missionary could ask for. We work day in and day
out but the work seems to stay the same, just like the people. This
area is famous for having the rudest people in the whole island
because the Catholic church is so strong here. Just the other day we
met a woman and she said the Pastor at her church told her that
Missionary are just Satan in nice clothes so when we get close the
members should tell us to leave. I hope that someday the people here
will wake up and see that the truth has been right in front of them
the whole time. But one thing is for sure the missionaries will be
here through the good and the bad, the rain and shine.

I love you all,
Elder Swanton

Mission Tour and "it"

Updates from Jacob....

Dear Family,

Well, I will just jump into the week and see how things go. This week
was spiritually uplifting for me and it has really shown me what I am
doing over here no matter how slow or challenging the work gets.

So Tuesday we had District Meeting and it was a great time. I taught
how we need to take the Sabbath day more seriously especially over
here on the mission. How can we teach about these things that we
should not do on Sunday if we as missionaries do them all the time? We
all had a great talk about how we can set the example in all that we
do over here. Tuesday night we had half of the zone at our house
because the next morning we all needed to be at the mission office at
7:30 am and that is not easy for the far areas. It was good to be able
to catch up with Elder Larson and see what has been happening to him
over in Miag-ao.

Wednesday we had our Mission Tour. That is where a member of the Seventy
comes and talks to us about how we can improve and what we need to do
to become the best mission in the world. Anyway it was also really
cool because I got to see a ton of the elders and sisters from my
batch and the other zones. After we had all settled down and were
waiting for the Seventy to get there, we found out that it was going to be
Elder Bowen who would be training us. When he arrived we all went
outside to take pictures and then his wife gave a training to the
sisters and the elders about when we go home, how will we chose a good
person to marry, and how we can take the mission experiences and put
them into our lives when we get home. I really love when they do that
because I think that every day is preparation for the real world back
home. Elder Bowen trained about three steps to help us have a
successful mission. I had what you would call an epiphany. He told us
that it is the simple rules that most Elders don't follow that hold us
back from miracles. One, we all need to arise at 6:30 am and when he
said arise it not just wake up! It's be ready for the day at 6:30. I
know that it is true. When I wake up at that time and work out I am not
tired or lazy that day I just want to get after it. Two, always do
daily planning even when you are very tired, just do it. Me and the
comp have been doing that for a long time. We feel when you plan the
night before for the most part the plans will go through but they
always have the chance of not working. But it's good to be prepared.
Three is to use time wisely. I did not come all the way over here to
sit in the house and not go out and talk to people. He really went
after the lazy elders in the mission. If we want to waste time then we
should wait till it's ours to waste.

After his training, he came up to me and asked to speak with me in 30
minutes in the president's office. I was really nervous at first
because I was like I hope I have not done anything. It was funny
because this has been the hardest I have worked in my mission so far
and I thought I was in trouble. In the end it was so spiritually
uplifting. He asked me how the mission life has been and about my
family. He seemed to be trying to get a feeling for the mission and I
hope that I was able to give it to him. All in all it was a great
interview and I really have liked this new energy for missionary work
after it. It was funny when the two of us walked out of the office all
of the elders and sisters were just quiet. I had to tell everyone that
I was not in trouble. He just wanted to talk about the life over here.
Some people still think that I am headed to the office but who knows.
All I know is that the transfer is almost over and that is so cool.
It's almost my year mark and I will be so happy to be half way done!

Friday was a great day. Elder Mudrow and I taught 6 lessons and for us
that is a ton in one day. On our way home, we came to this back ally
that we have never been down. As soon as we headed in, I felt this cold
chill go down my back. Walking toward us were two figures; one was a
Bakla or cross-dresser and the other was a small guy. Elder Mudrow was
walking ahead of me and as he past it I could see that he was
physically shaken. As I walked  passed it, I saw it's face and I felt
and knew that this poor person had let one of Satan's servants flow into
it's body. It tried to brush up against me and I pushed it away and it
let out a shrill laugh. Then Elder Mudrow and I were out of there!
It really hurts me that a person can let their life mean so little. I
have never felt that close to the Adversary before. I could tell that
he had control of that person and God had lost His control. After we
were far away, we both prayed for safety and that we could make it
home in one piece. It was a good reminder that we are not the only
ones out here working day and night. Satan is putting in just as many
or sometimes more hours than us. It's our duty as members of this
sacred church to never let him win.

The rest of the week was full of lessons and Elder Mudrow and I
working our butts off. We are leading our zone in lessons every week,
so with hard work will come the blessings, at least that is what we
believe and pray for.

I love you all and just know that the work is true and I am proud to
represent the Lord at this time.

Love, Elder Swanton