A good week.

Hey , so I've gotta write this super fast because I don't have much time but that college stuff took forever. Anyways this week has been pretty fast and pretty good. We has two different exchanges , one with the Calasiao Elders and one with the Zone Leaders. Tuesday was our district meeting and exchange with the Calasaio Elders. Our zone is suffering from zone obedience problems , so our zone leaders gave a really good workshop on monday about our nametags and obedience and stuff and I just expounded on it with my workshop on Tuesday about understanding the Atonement. I've come to understand that that is my favorite part about the Gospel. The atonement is absolutely incredible and I don't come close to understanding it. But Preach My Gospel has a great line in which is says "As you understanding of the Atonement is grows your desire to share the Gospel will increase." So all we did was really focus on the Atonement and our callings and how that event can affect our missions , our obedience , and our humility. It was a pretty strong spirit and was more of a testimony meeting than district meeting. That's the problem sometimes with district meetings , they're so focused on role plays and teaching skills and stuff that they often never focus on the really important part of remembering our purpose as missionaries and refortifying the reasons why we are here on the mission. Afterwards I went with Elder Frischknecht again in their area and we had a pretty good day of work. It's funny how different the people in his area are from the people in mine despite being only 30 minutes away. It's just a large difference between bukid and not so bukid. The next day we went to Mang Inasal [a restaurant you will be eating at] and they love us hahaha. They always love missionaries. Basically it's an ulam and unlimited rice , again I think I've explained this before , and you get waaay full. A reason my belly is getting big. We then had a few days of good work , but I always feel like we never have any time and we're always a few days behind schedule. But it's always rewarding teaching these less actives and helping to build their faith enough to do the hard things. I am amazed at their faith. They save money to get to church despite hardly having anything to eat. I want to pay for their way to church haha but I can't do it. They'd always be relying on the missionaries and doing the opposite of faith. But I really do love these people and besides giving money feel like I would do anything for them to return. We plan as well as we can for our lessons and try and make them as spiritual as possible so that the money never becomes a real problem. Thursday was our weekly planning and we sprinted to get a lot done that day - ended up with 7 lessons despite not getting to work until like 2 or 3. We just worked fast , and Elder Blancia is really starting to see the blessings of urgency [something Dad taught me but I never listened , haha]. As you pick up the pace and are urgent in your work you get so much more done and the blessings come faster. Lazy walking or long lessons does not make for a more spiritual moment. Anyways that was a good day. Later that night we get home and zone leaders call saying we've got exchanges the next day. So Friday we get to their apartment and there waiting for me is a beauutttifffuulll ........................................... package!!!!! THank you so much mom. It was awesome , haha. I've given away a few of the rings and food already so you're blessing the lives of many filipinos. Thank you for the generosity. Not to mention the two books on the atonement [especially the infinite atonement!] are amazing and I'm on chapter 6 of the infinite atonement. I read one chapter of the Golgotha book that I had heard before [about pres kimball's interpretation of Peter's denial] and I love it as well. Both authors write brilliantly and it's a really fun read. I love Elder Talmage but even doctrine gets boring sometimes when it's presented in a style such as his. Then again maybe I've still got some maturing to do before I fully appreciate his works. Anyways , thank you so much. I loved the letter and THAT QUOTE! I had heard that before and asked Bishop Keller about that before I left. I can't remember what his response was though. But thank you so much for sending that , I've been looking for that my entire mission. You certainly are in tune momma! So thank you again for that amazing package. Okay so our exchanges were pretty good. This is the third time now I've gone with Elder Pernecita and I love working with him. He always picks me to work with , haha , we just get a long really well and are similar in a lot of ways. He is so bold in his teaching and he's one of the only missionaries that I've gone on exchanges with that I always learn so much. Anyways we had a good day and at the end of the day a [decently wealthy] couple treated us to a really good FIL-MEX restaurant. We sprinted home and got in the door within 30 seconds of curfew , haha. The next day [saturday] we came home to end exchanges and it was Cesar's baptism! He was about an hour late , hahaha , but we forgave him and it was a really good service. I let Elder Blancia baptize , being his first baptism , [cesar was a bit upset , haha] , but he did a great job and I was proud of him as his tatay! [dad] After that we headed to work but got poured on as the rainy season is just setting in. We visited an old slightly blind woman that lives alone and I call her my mom haha , she loves us and loves the visits. I like old people , they're super sweet. Anyways it was her birthday so we were happy to visit. She lives pretty much alone and can't see very much. We then taught the Macaranas family and shared a mother's day message. SUNDAY! A great day. So many came out to church including our partmember family we've been teaching forever! He finally came and it took so much for them to get there [they are not well off] but it's a couple in their 30s with two little boys and sister is a less active but brother is our investigator with a baptismal date. His date is June 9 and hopefully will continue. They had a mother's day program with the primary during sacrament meeting and my companion sang a solo during a little presentation , haha. He sang a mix of I am a child of God and Families can be together. He's got a really good voice. After that a few of the branch missionaries came to work with us and we ended the day with a dinner appointment with the second counselor. We haven't gone shopping in two weeks because of having no money , haha , so we're relying heavy on members feeding us. That's whats awesome about filipinos , they LOVE feeding you. Nothing a bigger compliment than eating a lot because you love their food. They're awesome people. ANYWAYS , today we're just in Malasiqui and starving so we're gonna go search for some food. Good news: I'm not being transferred so I'll probably be here until late June! That means about 2 or 3 more baptisms coming up woot woot! Also any news on the package I sent home? Or the package to Elder Maure? Let me get the scoop on those things. Okay , I gotta go but love you all! -Elder White