Heyo

School just got out so I just got swarmed by these 12 - 16 year old kids running in the play computer games. So much money is wasted on that.

Anyways we're here in our area emailing real fast because we've got a bunch of stuff that we've gotta get done today. It's been a pretty fast week and not too too much has happened.

As usual , questions first:

Where is your companion from?  
 - Wisconsin.......cheeeese.
What is Cody's dad's name?  
- Eric
Have you heard what track you're on yet?  
If you register for classes next month it seems like you should know by now.  Anything I can do for you?
- Nothing yet
Did you ever hear from Franco whether or not he got that package form me?
- I thought I said last week that he got it? if not , then yeah he was really grateful. 

So I've had a pretty fast week. I still don't feel the time , which is good , and we're too busy with so much stuff that we really don't even have time to feel it. But having an american companion does make you talk about american things for often .. which I suppose reflects home. So i'd be lying if I said it wasn't in my head a bit. Also he loves Arrested Development and a bunch of other things like that so we quote when we have down time , ha. So far these three weeks have blown by and the area is progressing every day. We keep finding new people and so many that are willing to come back if you just show some effort. The problem with the area in the past was that it was the last area of the last two elders .. so they weren't trunky .. but didn't really want to change the schedule. So not many were coming back nor progressing because they weren't finding. We've stressed finding like crazy and it's happening. Despite focusing on less active we keep finding new investigators that come out of no where and express a desire to be taught. It's really been miracle after miracle.

There's a main part of the email that I'd like to get to , but before that I guess I'll talk about my week real quick.

Monday- Pday at SM .. it was okay. Got an expensive haircut that was one of the worst of my mission.. I've learned my lesson [by expensive I mean 2.50$] Then went out and worked in which we got a few good lessons in
Tuesday- District meetings + zone gathering in which we practiced a song that our zone will sing for the zone conference when Elder Ardern visits. The only problem ... hardly anyone can sing. Including myself. It'll be interesting singing I Need Thee Every Hour in tagalog for a 70. Also had exchanges afterwards with Elder Carr in their area. He's very strange but I like his style. Makes me laugh. Also I now know how to solve a rubiks cube ...
Wednesday- Nothing special , but did teach a super powerful lesson to a long time less active... hopefully she'll start moving.
Thursday- More finding
Friday- Leadership Trainging Meeting with the district and zone leaders. Got to see a lot of friends and eat a lot of PB&J sandwiches ... awesome. Also got awesome letters! One from caitlin and one from Nanay in Baguio. Nanay is stoked to meet all of you as well as her kids and we can stay at their apartment complex if you'd like? A hotel would be a little nicer , but it's totally fine by me. Still good conditions. I could get in touch about the prices but I'm positive it'd be a lott cheaper that a hotel, seeing as she'd give a discount I'm sure. If you're trying to save money I think it's the way to go. But yeah , I'm excited to see nanay. Also one of  her "daughters" [long story] got baptized!! None of them were allowed to get baptized for the longest time , but they're so excited for her. 
Also I was thinking it might be easiest to bus up to baguio from manila , rent a car up there , then bus back down when we go back to manila? That just seems easiest. Also I could probably get a license , maybe , before I leave.

Okay so we've had a pretty ordinary week of being really busy. But what I wanted to say is just how now that I'm reflecting on my mission a bit , I see a huge pattern the Lord has thrown me. 

The first half of my mission I was working as hard as possible [still am , but now I'm smarter and nicer about it ,ha] and just literally trying to do everything I possibly could. I was super super obedient [still am] but could not tolerate disobedience in the least. But it was so frustrating ... I wasn't seeing hardly any fruit. I would come into my areas and all I would do for 2 or 3 or 4 transfers was plant. And then right as I transfered they would harvest and get the baptisms [if there were any]. I  would get really upset sometimes wondering why my mission was so difficult and why nothing seemed to be working. All these disobedient missionaries were finding elect families and doing hardly any work .. and here I was working my tail off and seemingly getting nothing in return. That ended when I left Baguio. As soon as I got to Damortis and until now I have seen miracle after miracle after miracle. And it's so interesting that it all happened literally in the second half of my mission.
I'm not sure exactly why I was being prepared for so long , but since that time my mission has literally rotated 180 degrees and I've been so blessed. I've seen so many things happened that should not have ... so many rescued that declared they would not come back ... so many baptized that seemed so unlikely ... a mission is incredible. It proves so many things , but most of all I see the Spirit working in abundance. It's all we need to get by. Especially in missionary work. No amount of preparation nor ability replaces humility and the presence of the Spirit in a lesson. I've been so lucky to see these things happen that it strengthens my trust in the Lord each and every day.

That's all I really want to say for this week. Kind of boring , sorry. 

I'll let you guys handle the details for the most part and I'll just be surprised when you get here :)

Love you all,
-Elder A White