Cow Intestine Soup, not too bad

This week our zone leaders flew in to do exchanges with us. They loved it here and had a hard time leaving. It was cool to see them! They said their mission is now complete because they can say they have been to Coron.

One is from Logan and the other from Phoenix.  Great guys!  So some pretty big news around here is that we get to move into the old senior couples house this week!!  It has a flushing toilet and even a shower!  We're lucky because it has a little couch too!  Big upgrade!

We didn't have all of our usual investigators at church yesterday but we did have lots of our less actives come! Which for us is gold. Even though the church is 4 years old here there are lots of people who are less active. Usually they are just waiting for someone to tell them they love them and remind them what the spirit feels like and then they come back. It has been a focus for us to really strengthen the branch so we were happy to see so many people coming back! 

Elder Tarzan

Also our investigator Dane came to church with Dexter and really enjoyed it!! He likes how our church is a lot more interactive than others. He is used to a pastor speaking to him for hours then going home. Also he really feels the spirit of the sacrament. He is really doing well! And Dexter as well! We are so proud of him for staying out of trouble. 

The Dizons are doing really really well! The mom is in Alma 12 and might finish the whole book before her baptism,

And the dad is in 2 Nephi and he says when he reads his urge to smoke isn't nearly as strong!! So that's been amazing to see... We are proud of him and the whole family!! 

Porter would be so proud of me

                                                                                                                                                                             

The Camachos are going great! We just need to get them married then they are good to go. They have strong testimonies. This is the family I sent a picture of last week I think. 

My companion made cow intestine soup this week for lunch. That was interesting haha.  Not my favorite but not terrible. The stingray was really good and also very bony because of all the pieces of the spine. Life is good here and we continue to meet lots of people. It's hard sometimes to tell who is really interested and who is being polite. But things are going well.                                                                                                                                                                            

Kid Fun

We taught a lesson yesterday to a man who told us at the very beginning that he was a devout catholic... So he told us he just wanted to be entertained and would listen to our message. He didn't really listen but he felt inclined to tell us that we were dirty with original sin and other things. But we left a pamphlet and bore our testimonies and he said we could come back. He is very old. But he needs our message and we will see how it goes next time.

Sister Dacullia,  the principal we are teaching, knows everything about our church, and know's it is true. Even our history with Polygamy and has no problem with any of our message. She just feels like she owes the Virgin Mary for helping her marriage take place and she also owes Saint Raphael (who I have no clue who that is). So we felt prompted to do a whole lesson just on Mother Mary. Letting her know how holy of a woman she is. And how she is even in the Book of Mormon. We will transition that into telling her that we don't worship anyone else but God, and he gives us blessings, even though the saints she has worshipped lived amazing lives and we can learn a lot from them. 

She is a lot older than us but really respects us and opened up to us. Her husband who passed away was also very Catholic. But she has made it to church before and I know she will come around.   

We did some beach clean up for service this week and that was really fun! We also went around and set up signs for vaccinations. The church provides lots of services here!! 

Thanks for your love and prayers, Elder Roberts

A Week Full of Surprises

This week has been full of surprises. So many in fact that they are no longer surprising to me. The week started off with us going to the Dizon family to teach them a lesson. An old man came around the corner. He was missing an eye and limping. The family gathered around and told us that he needed our help. We didn't know what they were talking about until the old man lifted up his foot. It was infected from Bamboo slivers deep into the bottom of his foot. I could barely even look at it... They said they wanted us to help him haha. And of course we can. So they brought us some tweezers and a little knife and some gin. We poured the gin on the man's foot to clean it and then got to work. I didn't think I would be able to handle it. But somehow I made it through. They got a light hooked up to an old motorcycle battery so we could see. They were all gathered around to watch us and see how it went. It was pouring rain outside. It was just one of those moments you just can't forget. I think we made it better but it still didn't look great haha.  But he was really grateful. He lives in Busanga.  Really far away so we can't teach him but he definitely won't forget who the missionaries are and maybe someday he will be able to hear more of our message. 

Old roots and huts

Also this week one of our investigators told us (the Dizon's oldest daughter) that she had an assignment in her Catholic school. It was English class and she had to make sentences using the words that were given. One of the words was prophet. She wrote "We have a living Prophet today and his name is Thomas S. Monson". The teacher marked it wrong... So she said no it's right I'll show you. She took her teacher on LDS.org and taught her all about the Prophet. The teacher then took the paper and marked it right. 

My own Filipino Trevor

Also this week when we went to teach Dexter and we couldn't find him. His neighbors told us to look up. He was at the top of a 60 foot palm tree collecting coconuts. I was nervous and I wasn't even up there! He got a little more than a US dollar, for about 2 hours of working in that Palm tree. Each tree has many coconuts on this kind of Palm tree. He didn't come to church yesterday but is staying out of trouble. So we will go teach him tomorrow. 

Huts in the jungle

We met a new investigator this week. He is 21. When I asked him to read the assignment in Moroni, he asked me if I would like him to write an essay on it... I said that wont be necessary but write down questions if you have any. He is very willing to learn and is awesome! 

Great Family, cutest kids

So the Cabanes family came to church this week!!!! It just wasn't OUR church.  Soooo we saw them drive by our church on the way to their old one... Their Pastor comes by every week to get them so they are finding it hard. But they will have to make a decision soon. 

So you asked about the spider pic in last week's email.  Yeah the spider fights are huge here. The kids love to go find them, then fight them haha.

We saw the biggest fruit bat yesterday!! They are huge!! I'm used to seeing bats in southern Utah and stuff but this was the size of an owl. Could easily carry away a child. Good thing they like fruit. 

If the dumb band wasn't here, you would see that they are doing the Plan of Salvation puzzle I brought!

The days go by slow, but the weeks go by fast.  I love you all.

Love Elder Roberts

Primary Sharing Time Fun

Yesterday we had most our investigators come to church!! It was awesome! And I was walking down the hall I heard Elder ROBERTS! We need you to be in charge of sharing time today in Primary haha.  It was so much fun! The kids love seeing me up there teaching and singing and we all had a great time! There are lots of kids haha.  They are such great friends and love to sing together!

Bro. Co, a recent convert

This morning we were able to purchase stingray at the market for our lunch tomorrow so I'm excited to try that! Along with rice of course we eat a lot of veggies and eggs and fish mostly. But also pork sometimes too. Also I'm learning some great Filipino dishes. 

Oh yeah and this random lady came to church yesterday. I guess she told my companion that I had taught her. She said oh Elder Roberts taught me. I was sitting down and she said ya Elder Roberts taught me haha. I don't even know who she is but we are definately going to teach her this week! I guess it was somebody I met on an exchange but I can't remember her at all.

"Spider Fights" at a members house.  Yes, that is a large spider.

The Cabanes family is still doing well but every Sunday their Pastor comes to get them for church. But they said they know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God and so apparently they will be coming to church next week! But we will definately wait and see. They said they would obey the word of wisdom but yet,  going to church seems like Mt. Everest haha.  They are very busy and they know our message is true.

One of the boarders that lives there who joined us in a lesson said that he prayed about the Book of Mormon and felt something descend on his back... and peace filled his chest that was warm. He said he has been going to his church for a while and has said prayers before but never before felt an answer like that! He also has a wife and a 1 year old son who turns 2 on November 8. Same day as Spencer!! Exact same age! 

The weather has been very wet but it's nice. Oh yeah and while I was teaching a lesson I broke through the bamboo floor on one side of my chair. We were at an investigators house who lives over the sea in a hut.  And it just snapped and I fell over hahaha.   I'm just glad I didn't break through all the way into the ocean haha.  They are a very sweet family and we are teaching them again tonight. I guess I'm a little bigger than your average Filipino haha.

Again, don't know what this band thing is, but sorry.  This is the foursome before Elder Franciso left.

So at this last transfer, Elder Francisco got transferred (Elder Cooper's companion) and we got a new Filipino Elder who is super cool.  And now my companion is the new District Leader.  He is awesome and we get along great.  The chemistry of the four of us is really good.  We have lots of fun and we laugh and tell stories but we are all very obedient.  We tell stories of things that have happened throughout the day, because everyday there are stories and adventures.  We are preparing people for the temple and they just can't wait!  Life is good here.  Lots of rain on and off.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  And testifies of Jesus Christ, who is our Savior, and Brother.

Love, Elder Roberts

1st Transfer, and I'm staying!

This week has been super hot. But it rains in the afternoon a lot which is nice if we are studying, but not so nice if we are out working of course. 

See what I mean? 

This week while we were walking around I felt like we needed to go talk to this guy on his motorcycle. He was just sitting there with his young daughter. As we were talking with him he asked us if we knew Elder Teh. Elder Teh is in the first Quorum of the Seventy and from the Philippines! So we said how do you know him?!? Turns out one of his foundations helped them in Manila. An LDS volunteer doctor or something  helped provide medical care necessary for his daughters birth. He was extremely open to us coming and teaching him! So we went over to his house, in a little hidden area we didn't even know existed. We saw another church next door to his house. So we went in to go teach him and it turns out he is the pastor of that church haha.  But he loved our message and both he and his wife want to learn even more. They are very humble and nice! Service really helps prepare people to hear our message. He knows his Bible really well and has a great testimony of Jesus Christ. I know he will enjoy the Book of Mormon.

Another after rain shot.  Why do we teach everyone that lives on the top of the mountain?

Our Branch President moved this week into a home right next to Palawan State University. He used to have an apartment below ours.  They have a little restaurant on the side of their house and it was full of college students! So we talked to them all and invited them all to English class! We decided to show Meet The Mormons at the restaurant next week. Lots of students eat there because it's right in the gate of their school! And President Neopuncino (our branch president) has gotten lots of students excited about the Book of Mormon and stuff like that. So we are really excited to go and teach everybody!! It's an amazing opportunity for us!

Palawan State University Coron

Palawan State University, they do love their basketball

Can you spy the 3 huts?

This week during our exchange we were teaching a lesson in a boarding house type hut. I don't know how to describe it. But the lady we were teaching is a former Muslim, and another boarder we taught is gay. Both very receptive to our message and read from the Book of Mormon. It just goes to show Heavenly Father is preparing everyone to hear the gospel. It's a good thing we don't get to decide if somebody is ready for our message or not. Because we have no idea. We have to let Heavenly Father show us who is ready because he knows, he will show us. We don't have to guess. Just follow the spirit. 

In the Dizon family, they have a cousin staying with them. His name is Roger. He is a college student and told us he is too busy to read the Book of Mormon. We promised him that if he read from the Book of Mormon before he studies he would do better and remember more. Next time we came, we found him reading it. Now he always reads and is growing a strong testimony.   

Life is great here!! It's been tough this week though physically. Lots and lots of walking haha.  But I love it and things are going really really well!  There is a kid here that reminds me of Trevor! He comes with us to a lot of appointments.   He loves the missionaries and he reminds of me of a Filipino Trevor. 

Today was a transfer day and I found out I'm staying here so that's amazing!! This is what they call the dream area. Coron.  Very few missionaries, very few get to come here and it's the best area. I love it here and I'm working hard.  So proud of the family! Sounds like everything is great!!

Love Elder Roberts

Tonsilitis but ok

P-day Fun

Me

This week I couldn't do much because I got tonsillitis. Haha but I thought I was going to die because I had Dengji fever symptoms. There isn't a hospital here but the OBGYN gave me medicine and I'm doing great. Never thought I'd need to see one of those guys. I'm okay now. The Teens are doing well! Especially Dexter. We went to go teach him and couldn't find him one day.  Then we found out he went to seminary with one of our less actives haha. So that's great!! He is really stepping up!! So we just need to keep him out of trouble but he is really starting to get the WHY of the gospel.  One of our new investigators is Sister Cleo Dacullia. She is a principal and really well-off. She is about 65 and doesn't have a husband and she is a gem. She is really stubborn with her Catholic church. She believes in the Book of Mormon but doesn't want to get baptized hahaha. I don't know.... But we will keep working with her and I have a really strong feeling she will come around, in her own time haha. Also we are teaching a new family. Cabanes Family. Super promising!!

Lita didn't come to church so we will go to her house and make sure everything is okay and teach her some more. But our water and power is back on!!

Short letter this week because we went to the beach and to waterfalls for P-day.  Some members drove us and it was super nice.    Yes, I use the Plan of Salvation Puzzle in Tagalog you gave me all the time.  The Filipinos really learn best from visuals and acting out, I don't know, it's hard to explain.  We teach sooooo many lessons each week.  It's just hard to get people to church for some reason.  It's just not the culture here.

BTW,  My Mission President told me I would be here for a long time haha.

Love Elder Roberts

No Power No Water No Problem

This week was insane!! A typhoon came by so all the power went out haha. Plus our water is off like it usually is. But I loved it, it was fine! We used rain water filtered by my companions t-shirt for everything, literally everything. Luckily I found some rain boots in our apartment too so I was really lucky! We did all of our studies by candle light as well as dinner. 

Good thing people here aren't overweight.  This would never work

On Wednesday we hiked up to this old mans house. We were walking up a little stream and although it was only raining, it felt like I was under a waterfall! We taught him the plan of salvation and it went really well! He was really sick (I have no idea what he had) so we gave him a blessing and the spirit was really strong so I can't wait to go back and teach him more. 

One of my favorite parts of being on a mission is watching peoples expression as they feel the spirit for the first time. Over and over again I watch people as they listen to us. They truly feel the spirit and they love it. It's beautiful to watch people grow spiritually and have a testimony for themselves.

The Dizon Family

This week we also taught the Dizon family again. They are amazing and have been doing great with commitments! I'm really proud of them. We taught about temples with them and even though they aren't even baptized yet we let them know our goal is to get them sealed for time and eternity in the temple. The spirit was so strong and we left a picture of the temple for them and they put it up on their wall. 

Another person we met this week was Lita. She was washing her clothes and said hello, so of course we went over to talk to her and we taught about Joseph smith with one of our members and she said that she wanted to get baptized. Her house is full of coconuts and she just has one 5 year old daughter. She is far from ready but I can't wait to see if she progresses! 

We also met a man who belonged to the Iglasia di Cristo who didn't believe Jesus was just a man haha. So we can work with that for sure!

So as for the food, I love the fish called Lumpia.  It's really good! Also their pork is great. Stuff I don't care for is smoked fish. Yes, we write from an Internet Cafe. Super slow Internet haha. Yes we do see tourists, but they are all usually Europeans, like German or Swedish. Some French. I've met only a couple Americans.  Keep asking questions, I love it! I'm doing great! I'm just soaking it all in :) 

My Comp and Dexter

So we are taking one of our teenagers we've been working with on a hike today on Mt. Tapias to have a talk about drugs haha.  Hopefully it helps! One of our teenagers Dexter is really progressing! He will be baptized for sure! 

I love all of you so much!

Elder Roberts

Excuses sometimes are legit. . .

Magandam Buhay po! Maraming salamat po para lahat ng panalangin!! 

This week I got flown into Manila for Zone conference for a few days so that was crazy. There were so many elders and sisters there!! We also got our shots!

    

See what I mean?  Lots of sisters and elders 

This morning we went to the market and got food for the week. We walked down the row of food stands and just heard yelling and saw piles of fish!! Piles and piles of fish!! Pigs are being slaughtered and fish being chopped left and right! We also get all of our fruit and vegetables there. It's fun to walk around see all the different kinds of fish! My companion and I came a little too late to buy any shark but that's on the list for next week!

It's a jungle out there

Sometimes it's very interesting to find out why people didn't come to church. These people have the craziest things that are actually usually pretty valid... One of our investigators lives in a canyon type thing in a little house on stilts... They are fishers so it's very convenient. We asked her why she wasn't coming to church and she said during high tide (church time of course). She can't leave her house because of the water she is trapped. So my companion and I have joked that we will just build her a raft on P-day haha.  One family, the Abucay family, have a hard time because if it rains the mom can't walk across the bamboo beams and the logs that you need to cross to. She can't get from the house to the beams because she doesn't want to fall in the water with her baby.  Every time we are going to their house I just laugh and say a prayer because I almost snap the bamboo every time and lose my balance on the logs. They are round and wobble whenever you step on them. Then I go to the bamboo and I hold out my arms for balance and just book it haha. I haven't fallen in!!  Yet.... So lets hope I don't.

Everyday I work hard to let my Heavenly Father know I'm dedicating myself to bringing others unto Jesus Christ. Becoming like our savior will solve any problem that we have... Any problem. When we become like the savior we are becoming happy. If someone isn't happy there is just a part of the gospel they don't quite understand. Because our gospel is joy. 

We teach an English Class every week and that's been cool. Yesterday in church the branch president came up to me and told me I was speaking in church.  The meeting had already started haha.   So I went up and just said everything I knew how or what to say about praying and Joseph Smith and people were smiling and my companion said it made sense and so did the members so I was really excited about the progression with the language. Then I was invited to teach the young men's lesson. I was in front of all the young men trying to read the manual to see what I was teaching. It went really well though!!  A little bit more about my companion.  My companion is super cool! very funny... He comes from a humble home and just likes to sleep on the wood floor in our apartment. Life is good! 

Elder Roberts