Mom, I'm singing!

Whew, I almost didn't get to email you for two weeks in a row.  The power has been out all morning.  This week has been full of miracles. I feel so lucky to be a part of it here. First, we went to visit a really really offended member of the branch. In the past when we went over there, he shuts his door and walks away or doesn't talk with us. He was in the first presidency of the branch and had a misunderstanding. He hasn't been to church for months. When we came there this week he was emotional... He misses church so much.

He is so unhappy he told us. He just wants to be happy with his family. We had a great lesson with him and he asked us for a blessing. He has a really hard life and lots of trials, but is trying to do it all on his own. After the blessing he promised us he will return to church. He is a fisherman so he is at sea right now but when he gets back he wants us to do family night at their place as well. I'm so happy for him and his family.

Also this week, Jonel Camacho told us that he wants to be baptized now. And not wait until his Mom is married.  His mom can't be until January when the judge comes back to the island for a marriage. But he really wants to be baptized. He expressed his desire. He is 13 years old. Since he isn't in school it takes him a little longer to learn some of the things we teach him and we were a little worried he wouldn't pass his interview. But since his desire was there, Heavenly Father qualified him. Our branch Pres. told us that he had a wonderful interview! Yet, even just a couple days earlier he was having a hard time remembering commandments and about Joseph Smith. His desire to follow the Savior qualified him for baptism.

New comp Elder Tu'ua and some of the Camacho's

It's been getting hotter and hotter here as we are getting into

summer. My companion and I climbed Mount Tapias again this morning for a workout. At the top you can see all of Coron town and it's so beautiful!

High on a mountaintop

These people here took great care of me on my birthday.  When it’s someone’s birthday here, people just kinda drag you into their house and feed you lots of food!  The Filipinos love to just cook and eat lots of food for birthdays and then just invite everyone that passes by to come in and eat!  It’s always a good day when it’s someone’s birthday.  Even though they don’t have the most money. . . they all can afford a karaoke machine.  EVERYONE KARAOKE’S HERE  haha.  You can walk around the streets and always hear lots of singing.

My awesome comp. Elder Tu'ua

My companion and I start our lessons with a song. But when we got to the Dacullias house, they said they don't want us to sing, they don't like it. I was offended at first haha. Then they told me their neighbors karaoke all day and all night. And she can't take any more singing. As she was describing it the music came on and her neighbor starting to Karaoke. The neighbor had huge speakers and it was blasting some Filipino love song. It was so funny...

Life is good here. The branch is really getting good strength. We had 87 people at church last Sunday.

We even had some vacationers from Manila join us at church on Sunday. So our trip to Manila got cancelled so that's too bad! The World ambassadors are coming so they are shutting down the airport for a week haha. I'm so grateful to be here, and the Savior has paid the price for us to be eternally happy.

Love Elder Roberts