A Bigelow in Baguio/Urdaneta: April 9, 2013

Time is flying by fast!

Well Magandang Umaga po!!

First things first, I am freezing!! It's been raining and snowing like crazy this week and I only have my suit jacket. I just have to get through the next month and I will be fine!! So, this week has been an amazing strange experience. It was finally my turn to say Mabuhay sa MTC to the new elders! That was pretty fun, knowing that I was that Elder just a week ago was crazy to think about! I joined the choir and the Elders in our District are singing in sacrament in front of the zone. I have some bad news, my companion, Elder Masame, broke his toe while playing volleyball. The other elder from Fiji broke his ankle in that same gym period doing the same thing. I am staying away from that sport. I got kicked out of 4 square because I was getting too into it and dove to get the ball. I go hard!!

The language is a bit harder than it was, we are now trying to get down sentence structures and its way harder. I would write you all something but it would take to much time to figure out what I want to say and then translate it!!

I want to share a quick story. Me and my companion were in personal study, it was completly silent and then I had this feeling to get up and help him. I was like, ok, and I looked up and he was fine. So, I went back to studying and then it hit me again your companion is about to pass out you need to help him. I was like ok here goes nothing he's fine. Elder are you ok? Yep, he replied and out of nowhere I asked if he wanted a blessing. To my surprise he did and as he was sitting there, I told him what I felt and he told me that he was about to pass out. I'm so glad I had the spirit with me or who knows what could have happened.

General Confrence was amazing!! I actually got to listen to all of the talks!! I have applied all of the talks to what I can use now in my life. There was one talk talking about marriage and so I am using it to help my companionship with Elder Masame!! My favorite talk was Robert D. Hales in the priesthood session.

Being the district leader comes with its stresses. You have to not only worry about your companionship but all the others too. One thing that I have been trying to work on is not having everything my way. I know what I want and how I am going to get there but its not always the best choice. I'm pretty stubburn when it comes to these kinda things. I'm trying to obey all the rules exactly because "Exact Obedience brings Power" and I can testify of that just in the 2 weeks that I have been here.

One thing that has been reoccuring to me through the whole 2 weeks is the Quote "Never give up on ANYONE because the Savior has never given up on YOU." One of the Elders in our district does not want to study and just has no will to work and always runs off and so I think that this can apply to him right now but to all my investigators in the future.

I don't know if I mentioned the investigator we were teaching all last week but we commited Mary to baptism. It is one of the happiest moments in my life even though it was just practice and she is one of our teachers. I came to love her and truly care about her needs. We are starting to teach 2 new investigators, Roy and Laura. Both of them are also our teachers, but these characters are very real to me and my companion.

I got to go into Provo today with my companion because he needed to buy some things. It is amazing what things other missionaries leave here at the MTC. I found a suit jacket that I am using since I only had 1 and there are lots of snacks!

Oh how I love this place. There is such a strong spirit here and I can't wait to share the gospel with the Filippino people.

I just want to say I have been prepared for this. I am so glad I went to mission prep because it has put me ahead of the other missionaries. I know the lessons and was already to teach and my teacher was really impressed. I just want to thank my mission prep teachers for that.

I love all of you guys but as I am going to say my whole mission, I don't miss you because I am too busy!!
Love,
Elder Bigelow