We have a Mission Tour this week being held in Cebu with Elder Haynie of the Area Presidency. I am so excited! :)
We will be in Cebu from Wed-Fri!
So... We had transfer week last week! E. Jamil is now down in Tanjay to finish his mission. Elder Ioane, my new companion, got here on Thursday to San Carlos. He is so awesome! Samoan :) He is going home this December so this may be his last area as well. In our house, it is me, E. Ioane, E. Cabuyadao, and E. Witehira! E. Witehira is in my batch to go home in September and just came out from the office. I LOVE him! I am so stoked to work with him for this last transfer! :)
We successfully operated on the car's air-con this last week. The filter was filthy so it wouldn't blow out any air! After a spray bottle, some drain cleaner, and lots of water, it works GREAT.
As I have mentioned in the past, work here in San Carlos is a little bit different than other areas of the mission.
This is mostly due to the fact that it is and has been a district (not a stake) for a very long time now.
We focus mostly on less-actives here. For the past 6 weeks we have been trying SO HARD to balance our work with members and investigators. We have seen success with our less-actives. Every week there are new less-actives coming back for the first time; however, since I have been here (6 weeks) we have had a total of I think 4 investigators come to church. All of which cannot be baptized any time soon due to circumstances (young kids, not married, etc).
This last Sunday, we had a SPARK! We have been working with the Dapitan Family for about 3 weeks now. We were focusing on the two brothers who served their missions in California back in 1999-2002 ish... One of them, Mikel, has a wife that is very interested in the gospel!! Her name is Ruwena and she was first given a desire to listen when Mikel told her that, after years of in-activity, he was ready to go to church every Sunday starting now.
We met with Ruwena yesterday (Monday) and invited her to plan a baptismal service for this upcoming September 12. She is not ready as of now (100% normal - she's brand new), but she said if she can know for herself it's true before that date, she will be baptized on that day. Game on. I am so excited for her!! I know that she will love this gospel. I know that this is what she has been searching for her entire life. It just took until now for her to realize that.
We can learn so much from this story. We learn how much weight in a family rests on the head of the father. If he sets a good example, the family can be exposed to so much light and truth. We learn of the willingness of a righteous parent. Ruwena wants the best for her children and will do what she needs to do in order to protect them from the dangers of this world. We learn that this gospel can change lives for the better. It brings families together.. The Dapitan family is trying so hard to restore things to how they were. I love being on the mission. I just love it.
In other news, one of our sisters here in San Carlos got sick in the afternoon and couldn't even walk to get home. They were on the top of a HUGE mountain so they called us and we gave her a Priesthood blessing right there on the mountain. She received enough strength to get down to the car! Miracles are real. I know it. Mosiah 8:18 - "Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings." I know that this "means" is the Priesthood. I am so grateful for the privilege I have of living worthy of the Priesthood I hold.
Thank you so much for all of your examples and emails! :) I love you all! Know that I am doing great and loving every day!
Love you!
Elder James Ryan Jacobs
