Calbayog is the best place ever

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John Thomas McGuire <john.mcguire@myldsmail.net>	Mar 9
to Pernell, me, Lindsay, Kristin, Jessica, Cameron, Rick, Alyssa

Seriously though!

This past week has been amazing! 

Tuesday we went to Catbalogan's district meeting and then started exchanges with the elders. Elder Hughes came back with Elder Keate and I and we worked in Calbayog. Elder Quinco stayed in Catbalogan with Elder Rivas. It was a ton of fun! It's so awesome being in this zone. We seriously have an awesome group of missionaries.

Our investigators are doing pretty okay. Herald is doing awesome. He's 17. He has a super strong testimony of everything we teach him. He's talked with the Branch President because he wanted to confess some past transgressions/ He said it felt great and he felt so light like a weight had been lifted off of him. The only problem is his mom. She came out after our lesson with him on Tuesday and started telling us about a bunch of horrible things that he had done in the past. She told us that all of these changes were just superficial and not sincere. She wants him to change. We asked her if she had faith that her son could change. She said no. So at this point we are praying that the Lord will soften her heart because Herald has manifested by his works that he has repented of his sins. When we taught him about fasting, he wanted to fast that his mom's heart would be softened. So we're going to fast this Sunday.

Marlon is doing okay as well. We were teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and after we went over endure to the end, we asked him how his preparation for baptism was going. He was really having doubts. He said that he wasn't sure if this was the true church. He is an honest seeker of truth. We committed him to read 2 to 3 verses of the Book of Mormon daily and to pray about it. We testified of the promise in the introduction to the Book of Mormon. It really is true. Our whole religion is dependent on that book. If it's true, then everything else follows. The church is true, Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, the priesthood was restored. The list goes on and on.

We've also been teaching Bro. Buddy. He is a friend of our BML. He was definitely homosexual in his past. He's in his 50s now. He really wants to change he says. He cries a lot. We're trying to decide if he's actually feeling the Spirit or not. We'll see how that all shakes out.

So on Friday we got punted a lot. We were walking around Brgy. Obrero and all of a sudden this drunk guy starts talking to us. And when I say drunk I mean this guy was really plastered because he was speaking pretty good English. He wanted us to see his house. His name is Papa Rats. We talked to this guy for about an hour and told him we would come back the next day when he was sober. When he was drunk he said he wanted to change and it seemed like the most sincere part of the night. Elder Keate and I went back with our Branch President the next day and talked with him. He was sober but he dominated most of the conversation. We decided to listen to his stories. He's a really family oriented guy. We invited him to church and he said yes! 100%. We weren't sure if he would come or not but sure enough at 9:15 he came walking in to Branch Conference. He loved it! There were so many fellowshippers for him. We visited later that night and discussed the restoration and he said he would come to church and bring his family next week. Sometimes finding new investigators is easier than we think. He has friends who were there. The work is just going so great here.

We got a call last night that Elder Keate is going to emergency transfer. We're kinda sad. Being in this trio has been the best one of my mission. We're headed to Tacloban early tomorrow morning. My guess is that he is headed to Ormoc zone. We have Zone Training Meeting on Wednesday. First time giving a training. Kinda nervous about it but hopefully it will be fine. We're gonna train on Member Missionary Work. How we can help members prepare referrals to receive the Gospel. Our inspiration is Alma 20:1 and 1 Nephi 7:4-5.

As for me personally. I am doing great. I love the work here. Before I left I had a whole bunch of fears that I wouldn't want to work or that I would be an unsuccessful missionary. But none of that has happened. I am in love with everything in my life right now. 

Love you all and thanks for the prayers and letters and support.