Wk 90 July 25, 2011

Hey!            

     Well it was a good hard working rewarding week this week. This last week on Monday Elder Solis got one of his teeth pulled that has been bugging him. The doc said we had to rest for four days. Ahhh man. We went home and rested Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday Elder Solis was doing well, so we got to do missionary work. :).

     Brother Alfonso is doing great. He is showing a lot of humility and willingness to keep the commandments. We taught him about fasting last week and he was excited to fast. We haven't yet followed up on him how his fast went.

     Elder Solis and I have been trying to find more people to teach. We were able to find some pretty neat people this last week. One which we think is way ready, RJ, 19, young man. We are excited for him. We found a family also. They have like 20 kids living at their home. They are super nice and listen. I feel like the youth here are alot of times receptive to the gospel. That is why the Spirit is so important, no?

     Transfer day is coming up. We will find out who is transferring and who is staying tomorrow in the morning. I think I have a chance I would not be able to be the district leader of the sisters anymore because of boundary reasons. I am going to be way sad if I am not in their district. They are just awesome. Way Christ-like. I am lucky to be their district leader.

     On Friday we had a service project. We took big knives and cut weeds in a part-members families house. We got talking to sister Ganta and Arumugam about India. It’s a pretty different culture. I guess they have arranged marriages, and you pretty much have to get a civil marriage first before you can think about getting a temple marriage. Then you have to get a passport to go to the temple in Hong Kong if you want to have a temple marriage. I think the gospel is pretty fresh there. Both of the sisters are from branches. I almost don’t think there are wards.

    Nah nothing really I need desperately in a package. Maybe 1 new tie. Pictures. I love pictures of everyone. (sorry I haven't sent pictures, I am nervous my card and usb will get a virus again.) Just what ever you want haha.

Well Love you all. Talk to you again next week.

-Elder Kirschbaum

Wk 89 :) July 17, 2011

Hey!

     I am doing much better now. This week was a good week as far as health. Mom, I will get some more Gatorade. I am always down for gatorade. These past few weeks have definitely been a challenge. It was probably one of the lower times of my mission. Just like you said though, if we don't have these trials, we can't be made perfect :). The Lord loves those he chastens. 

     We had our Iloilo Mission tour, which means that one of the 70 came and visited the mission. Elder Teh came to Kalibo and we all met and had a really good meeting. One of the biggest things I got out of it was the law of progression. If we are not constantly progressing or think that we have reached a level where we are "doing good" immediately we start to fall back. We can tell ourselves that we will just relax and meander where we are at in life/ take a rest, then continue from where we left off. But that is what satan wants us to think. As soon as we do that, we don't let the lord help us and satan is right there where he has been waiting to push us down the progression scale. Then we have to start over. And sometimes it can be hard to get the momentum going again.  After the meeting I think all of us were refreshed and had a new drive to be better disciples of Christ. 

     I think I already told you that Brother Alfonso finally has a date to be baptized. Last week we explained that setting a date was an act of faith. A way of showing the Lord that this is a goal and trusting that he will help you. Then we gave him a calendar, and had him pray about it. They will be going to Manila for a month so he set his date for Sept 24th. We were just way happy that he finally had the faith to set a goal. 

     I got my shoes fixed so don't worry about sending me some. It cost me about 6 dollars. My shoes are now probably the coolest missionary shoes ever. The person in our branch that fixed them replaced the bottom with a Basketball shoe bottom. So my shoes have this sweet bright orange bottom. Now whenever I want I can just bust out playing basketball. I also bought some new ones too for church and meetings.

     Dad I never said Happy Father's Day to you. I totally forgot. So Happy Father's Day! I hope everything is going well with the new baby and Kierston is recovered good.

 Well love you all talk to you again next week.

-Elder Kirschbaum

Wk 88 July 11, 2011

Hey family,               

      After a few days of resting we are pretty much all good now. I would have to agree with you mom that the doctors or hospitals can be pretty scetchy sometimes. When I was at the hospital throwing up with my fever, they gave me some big garbage can that every nurse would throw away their needles gloves and other wierd things in as I was bent over it. And a man passed away right next to me as I was there. I didn't really realize it till my comp said something. It made me gratefull that I only had a fever. And not anything life threatening like a hernia or something like that. haha what a man. That must have been kind of a wild experience for Josh.

     The doctors were right though. I had an acid problem. I wasn't dehydrated.  It's all good though. I am just a little weak and even skinnier. We didn't get to work to much this week, and the days we did we only went to a few appointments cause I wasn't too good at walking a long time.

     I am having a hard time thinking of what to write....I think this letter will be another short letter. Sorry. :)

      So congrats on baby Kingston! He is as cute as a new born baby gets. :). Hope Kierston is doing well. I enjoyed the pictures that you sent Kyle and mom and dad. Is Kace talking now? He looks bigger/older. I wasn't able to open the video bro.

      Well I will try again next week to get more out. Nothing is coming to my mind right now so I will just leave it at...I love you all. Take care till next week.

Love Elder Kirschbaum

Wk 87 July 5, 2011

Hey, Sorry I am late a day. I will explain...       July 5, 2011   #87

     Last week we had a leadership training in Iloilo, which was awesome. Got to see Elder Misbach, the new Assistant to the President.  He is loving it.  It was a good adventure.

     I got to work in my old area again Molo, and visit a family that we found that the parents were long time less active members and the kids weren't members. They are really strong in the church now and working on their young women medallion, passing the sacrament, and E.R. (their 20year old kid) worked with us after we taught the family the new member lessons on temples!. It was awesome. The missionaries are working on the dad. He hasn't quite come around, but he will, he is an awesome guy. So that was an awesome experience. I got to see some of my other converts. Michael, the one that we help get married. He is now baptized and has the Priesthood. Way cool guy. It was always hard for him to take out his earring, but when we went it was gone for good. He had to quit a pretty nice job to be able to go church every Sunday. So it was way sad leaving again.

     After the conference we headed back to Kalibo. When I got to our apartment I started getting really hot so I went to bed. When I woke up yesss I had a nice fever. For the next 3 days. On Sunday I took a bath/bucket shower to try help me feel better. That is when my fever went up to 104 and I started shivering like crazy and then throwing up. So I told Elder Solis to give me a blessing and let’s go to the hospital (which is far away) We took a tricycle. That was miserable. Not like a three wheeled bike tricycle, but a motorcycle with a side car. It took about 30 min to get to the hospital. They took a few tests and sent me home with some medicine. Monday I still couldn't get out of bed so I wasn't able to email, sorry, and now today. I am doing better but still really weak. I am finally eating again. We should be able to get out to work by the end of this week. I guess I had a lot of acid in my body that was the reason I was throwing up. I have to take it easy on the soft drinks they said. I am just glad it is all over. It was probably the worst I have been sick. My flu is gone and I’m not throwing up anymore - just a little dizzy and weak. So that is my excuse for not emailing sooner.

     I am not going to be any longer. Sorry the email is little watered down, I am still kind of out of it. I just wanted to give you an update.

Love you all and talk to you next week.

-Elder K

Tell Petr happy birthday! Get um out Keirston! :). Thanks for all your emails. I will try to respond next week.