Wk 82 May 30, 2011 Boom Shakalaka

May 29, 2011

Hey Fam,

      This week was quite a challenging week. I will just be honest. We were pretty busy this week. We had Zone Conference, csp's, and interviews. On top of that trying to find some more people here to teach. It was a little of a discouraging week. But that is expected sometimes right? haha.  I will quote Kyle's quote again. "A set back is just a set up for a come back". We’re pumped up again though and ready to have a good week this week. We had an awesome day yesterday working with our members. We were able to contact some investigators we had been trying to contact all week, and they seem to be sincere humble investigators so we are excited about them. Bro Antoja is doing awesome. He has been to church three times in row now.

     The sisters are doing awesome. Both of the sisters had baptisms this last week so that was cool. They are super funny. I guess I say boom shakalaka a lot when I teach district meeting so the Indian sister Sister Arumugam calls me elder Boomshakalaka.

     Tomorrow we will have a lesson on working with members! I am way excited to teach it. I am going to attempt an object lesson with a balloon. I kind of stole yours and Kyle’s idea about how lots of people have to support to get the balloon to stay up in the air. I am going to make an obstacle course they have to maneuver through with the balloon balancing on their heads until they make it to a picture of the temple. Then when they pop the balloon there will be a picture of a family inside. Then I will tie it in with working with the ward.  Haha we will see what happens.

      Elder Solis is a great guy. We speak in Tagalog at the apartment then outside a mix of Tagalog, Aklanon, and Illango. The language is coming okay. I can communicate well but I would be lying if I didn't say that it can also be quite frustrating.

      Chad Cram is the man. That is way awesome he is getting ready to leave for Hermosillo, Mexico. Tell him I love him and good luck.  He will be an awesome missionary.

     Well take care for now. Love you all.

-Elder Wish bam

(Elder Wish bam is what a little girl calls me who lives next door.)

Philippine fact of the week:

      Pretty much nobody here wears shoes. They all wear sandals. Riding a motorcycle, going to the bathroom, at work, school, everywhere. As for me, my feet will continue to burn inside my dark damp black shoes. :) 

Wk 81 May 23, 2011

ALRIGHTY,                                      May 23, 2011   #81

 Ready, Set, Go...

     Another Great week! Had a little bit of detour to the good ol city of Iloilo, 5 hours away, for a leadership training.

     When we arrived I grabbed elder Farnsworth and we went tracking around the church since we arrived early. Haha it was probably the most rejection I had received in an hour. There was one man that came out, took a look at us, said something dirty, shook his head, turned around and walked back inside his house, as we yelled at him that his family could be together forever. haha.

     So a little about the sisters in my district. We have 3 American sisters, one Pinay or Filipina sister and one Indian sister, Sister Arumugam. They are all stellar. Their spirits are strong. Two district meetings in a row now, I’ve almost been brought to tears. :). Nahhh, but really they’re awesome, and I love teaching and learning with them.

      A little update on the branch. Remember that English Class that I was going to hold? Well when we got to the meeting spot, nobody was there, but that wasn't going to stop us.  So we went around the village and invited a bunch of people and finally got one girl to come. After a while Sister Floret (the miracle worker) showed up with her 8 year old son, then a few other members came. So in the end it worked out. Not as we hoped it would, but it at least it happened. I think we are going to try to do it a little closer to the members homes next time.

      Last week the husband of one of the members came to church for the first time in his life. Me and Elder Solis were pretty surprised to see him. His name is Alfonso Antoja. He is probably in his 50's. The spirit has really been working with him. He went from never going to church in his life to on the edge of his seat asking questions in Gospel Essentials class. We taught him about the Holy Ghost last week and at the end of the lessons had him pray. He said "Why not" and said his first prayer in a long time. His wife is really excited, I think she is kind of puzzled as of where this drastic change came in.

      So this week we have a service project at a local school that our branch president set up for us. That will be fun. Then we have zone conference. The work is picking up here and it’s only been two weeks. We taught another man that lives next door about the plan of salvation.  It went awesome. SO excited about that too.

      It has been really fun, yet tiring, trying new things, and seeing the miraculous results. I am excited to see what miracles will happen this week. :).

Love you all,

Elder Kirschbaum

Wk 80 May 19, 2011 Ru angwang nagreogareog sa eoganeogan May 16th, 2011

FAMILY,

     This week has probably been one of the harder weeks of my mission, just with the transition, and struggling with the spirit. It was probably one of the coolest weeks also. Just being in this new area, Panay, Aklan, Makato. It’s crazy. I don't know how else to describe it. It is just way different. I almost feel like I am starting my mission over again. Heavenly Father is definitely helping me sort out these two new languages. It’s going to be hard but possible.

     So yeah about this week. Right when I found out I would be transferring here, I starting asking Heavenly Father what I could do to help my new area. I wanted to get here and be able to get the branch excited about missionary work. The first Monday we visited the Branch President and asked him how we could help. He told us how they are very few men in the branch and they need more. So we told him we would set a goal to teach 15 new males. It’s high but I am excited to do it, because the Lord will help. Then we asked him if he could announce a meeting with the ward missionaries in Sacrament. They weren't having correlations with the ward missionaries so we decided that would be a good start. We told the branch president we would get the ward missionaries pumped about missionary work.

     During the week we tried to visit members and get them excited also about missionary work, one of which was Sister Floret. We committed her to give out a Book of Mormon in a day. haha. After we left, I realized that I asked her to do it pretty fast, one day. Later she texted us and asked for a week more of time, we said yes. So the next Sunday came and when we got to church sister Floret was super happy and came up to us and told us she had an awesome experience. We were way excited to hear about. She said she would tell her experience later. I thought "Yesss, we can have her tell the experience at the correlation meeting." So the branch president announced the meeting.  Well it turns out, ahah, everyone in the branch is a ward missionary so we gathered in the Sacrament meeting place and had the 10 min meeting. We told the branch about our plan for missionary work. We gave them supplies to help invite their friends. Including to invite people to come learn English, and then had Sister Floret share her experience. IT WAS AWWWESOME. The spirit was so strong as she bore her testimony about missionary work and told everyone her story. The spirit filled the whole room, and our commitment to our branch to share the gospel with their friends was powerful. The meeting was only about 10 minutes just like we told the Branch President and yeah...I am excited. So this week we are going to be praying hard and doing a lot of following up. So I am excited to see what happens.

     It was a strong testimony builder on how much Heavenly Father is aware of this work, and how he is guiding people to receive the gospel. We just have to do our part and follow the promptings.

     And your definitely right Kyle of how you just got to follow even if it’s way out of your comfort zone. I am pretty sure this whole week I was out of my comfort zone haha.

     Well I just want you all to know that I love you all so much, and remember what are the important things in life. Our Relationship with God, others, and ourselves. See you soon, talk to you again next week.

Love

Elder Kirschbaum.

Wk 79 Mother's Day Phone Call

    We talked with Garrett on Sunday evening.  He is 14 hours ahead.  So it was about 8 pm Utah time and 10 am Philippine time.

     He was transferred the 5^th of May from the southern most city, Iloilo to the northern most part of Panay island to Makato or Kalibo area.  He has a new Filipino companion from Manila, Elder Solis who is helping him learn Tagalog better and also a new dialect.  We received a letter from Pres. Pagaduan saying that Garrett was called as District Leader.  Then Garrett told us that he is over a district of five sister missionaries.  So he has his work cut out for him and is excited about the new challenge.

     He sounds great and is says he is at home there.

Wk 78 May 2, 2011 Mixing it up!

Hello from Iloilo Philippines!

      So I have a little bit of mixed feelings right now... Dum Dum Dum. Drum Roll. President called the other night and said that I would be transferring. Ahhhh. Then he told me I would be District Leader! and Follow-up Trainer. There you have it. I have to admit I am ssuuuuupper excited to be a district leader. I secretly have always wanted to serve in that position. There is a lot more influence I think, and it’s busy.  I am secretly also excited to teach district meeting. It will be fun developing more personal relationships with the members of my district.  I am excited for the Lord to direct me in how he wants me to help the district.

     The other feeling I have is that I will be leaving Leganez....It has been a lot of work, tiring too, but worth it.  Zharra, Larry, and possibly Angela will be baptized....and I won't be around to see it.  So I am stoked and I am Subo (sad).

      Larry is doing awesome. There is a big change in him. His testimony is growing, and at every lesson he always says. "I want to bear my testimony too".  Then he bears his testimony of how much prayer has helped him and how he loves his family.  I am going to miss them.  I will definitely write them though. Zharra is preparing for baptism.  She is already a part of the ward.

      I found out some cool news the other day. Dave Ramos a convert of Elder Booth, I, and of course the spirit, could be leaving for a mission before I leave.  It would be sooo crazy to see that happen. He has been working on his papers and is hoping to get out by October.  He has been working with the missionaries a ton and well pretty much already is a missionary.  I am way excited for him though. I got to see his two sisters and a few others from the ward a few days ago.

      This last little while we have been praying to be able to find a family that we could teach. And we found a few. It has been fun work this week. The Lord really speaks to you and tells you where to go. I have been trying to do better at listening to the spirit and follow all the promptings I have. 

     It was really cool the other day how the Lord put these families in our path. We got "punted" from our first appointment. Because of that and our back-up plan, the Lord knew where we were headed and put a special family in our path, an awesome family really near to the church here in Leganez. That day it happened another time with us when we met yet another family! Later that day we went to a family we had wanted to follow up on.  I think I am learning more of how obedient we have to be in order to reach these people. They are awesome and we are so blessed.

     So I will be calling you this next week. I am super excited. When I call you, I will be in my new area. Which I have a feeling it might be in a Tagalog speaking part of Panay which means I will have to learn Tagalog.

     I will try to call at about 10am on Monday our time.  Not quite sure when that is your time, it’s at night though.

LOVE YOU

-Elder Kirschbaum