September 30, 2013

Well Kumusta Everyone :)
So I got a package from home from my wonderful Parents :) We had a party for my 6 Months with Rice Krispy Treats and Mashed Potatoes that I missed sooo much :) Anyway, things are going good in our area. We have a few IBD's, but most of them did not come to church this Sunday. This was really disappointing :( Everybody is in the field harvesting the palay or rice plants. Either that or drying it out on the concrete. They just put the rice in the middle of the street to dry, when it rains its not good for the palay so we always hurry and help people scoop it back in :) Oh I forgot, HAPPY FAMILY WEEK!! So this week is family week and we had a big celebration. The Agular District had a parade and a big event with the congressmen and everything. We couldn't join the parade but we went to the event. It was cool to hear the congressman talk about the missionaries. He looked and me and my companion and said, "Give them a round of applause they are doing more work for the families here than I could ever do." He then saluted us. IT just goes to show even nonmembers with high authority jobs respect us :) Pretty cool huh?!?
Like I said earlier, things are going good. Me and my companion are really starting to figure out how each other teaches and its brought the spirit in our lessons. My soul hungers for those experiences with the spirit and with Investigators feeling the spirit. I know that it is the spirit that does the converting nothing of what I say matters unless I have the spirit. :) I have started to realize the greater importance of the Plan of Salvation and what I am doing here on the Mission. Its all part of a greater Plan. He is the hand guiding my actions and I can feel it everyday as I talk to people.  :) So here is my scripture for this week, Alma 7:23. These are the Characteristics of a True Disciple of Christ. This week was a great great week!! :) My saying is I took a few steps towards my Heavenly Father Today whether big or small I am headed in the right direction :)
Mahal Kita,
Elder Malaki Na Mababa

 

 On top of hay pile in the rice fields. 

(Don't ask about the glasses because I have no idea.)

September 23, 2013

Kumasta Everyone!!
This week has been a quick one. We worked really hard this week. Its been hard to adjust my teaching to my new companion, but we finally got it down and the spirit is really strong in our lessons now. We had a few investigators accept a baptismal date this week. It was quite a change in them for just a week. The first day I went there, M did not want the gospel, but she kept her commitment of reading the Book of Mormon. It changed her mind. I always joke if they read the Book of Mormon they are going to get baptized because they feel the spirit!!! That's what missionary work is.  All about the spirit!!
 
Read D&C 50:24. When you read it, think about how light always chases the dark, but dark can never overcome the light. Think about who is that light. Look up Patterns of Light by Elder David A. Bednar. Its really good!! :) Its changed the way I look at the Spirit and the Light of Christ!! That's my whole desire to feel the spirit because if it was just me teaching no one would ever get baptized.

Anyway, we have a lot of progressing investigators. A gave up smoking and coffee just like that because he wants to change :) We have a lot of investigators that are special cases. Either they are not old enough to get baptized by themselves or have not gotten married yet so we have to work around those barriers. It's tough. I had a spiritual experience at church passing the sacrament. I just remembered all the times that I passed the sacrament as a Deacon. It just reminded me that even though I am an Elder, I will always be a Deacon and I am proud of it :) I am excited for the Family Week Celebration this week :) 
This week has been a good one :)
Elder Bigelow

September 16, 2013

Well Kumusta from my next Area BantoCaling!!!! I had a feeling I was leaving. So its a branch, with about 80 people. The meeting house is a 1 room church building. Its pretty crazy how different it is going from a ward to a Branch!! So for you to find it on the map you have to find the city Mangatarem. Then our area is a little north of there. It takes us about 25 min from our apartment to get there. It's full of mountains and is just beautiful. It's out in the middle of nowhere. Hoy its in  Lingyen Zone pala. My new companion is Elder Ereno. He is going to go home next Transfer.... Meaning I will kill my first companion. So the dialect in BantoCaling is Illicano. So back to ground zero on the language of the people. I was getting pretty good at Pangasinan. I already miss Malimpec but I know that this is where I am supposed to be. I have this feeling that I already know most of the Branch members and its just a reassurance that this is where I am supposed to be. I am excited for this transfer to get to know the people of BantoCaling. We have some baptisms coming up next month which I am really excited about. If I have to guess, I am going to be here for 4 months hopefully. But you never know with the Lord and where he wants me to go. I know that if I work hard the Lord will put me in places where I get the opportunity to bless peoples lives. He will help me in every stage of the work! I just have the opportunity to be a part of it. It's his work and I have an unshakable testimony of the Gospel. I have his power with me as it promises in the Scriptures. I have his spirit and as I have come to recognize it more and more the feelings of the lessons have changed to just teaching to really wanting to help that individual come closer unto Christ. I know this church is true no matter where I am!!!

 My new companion

September 9, 2013

Everyone I was NOT swimming! I promise that was just a flood in our area. I just wanted to show you how deep it was and I would never swim in waters here, you never know what is in it. I got right back out of the flood. I will try and stay dry, plus we have a good Taglaba so my clothes are clean.
Do you remember telling me about the pants that the missionaries got made with the cool pockets? I got some made and the pockets are Winnie the Pooh :) They are sooooooo coool :)  Next Happy 100 days of Pasco (Christmas ). Let the countdown begin, we have already started to sing Christmas songs in church and people are putting up lights. Its crazy..... Anyway, its been tough for me this week, its been a weird week. The hardest thing for me is not trying to aspire to positions, but the lord is chastening me real well. I have to see that just being a missionary is as good as DL or ZL. What I learned is that sometimes what I want is not what the Lord wants for me. I need to trust that HF has a plan for me and that everything will happen for a reason.
Also, the most frustrating thing is when Investigators do not come to church. You put out your whole heart and soul to them and they just do not understand what the gospel can give them. The people here see baptism and the church is like a ceremony rather than a need. So we are going to have to change a lot of baptismal dates now again because of church attendance. Our next baptism is the 28th of September. :) I just have to keep smiling and keep working :) I know that the Lord will help me if I stay exactly obedient :) 
The work was also a little slow this week too. There was a brown out on Friday night and a big, big storm on Sunday night. Then my companion had a baptismal interview and it just seems like we have gotten punted more than ever this week. This week is transfer week and I have this sinking feeling, I am going to transfer..... but when I look at it probably not. I will go wherever the Lord sends me. I will just continue to work and do whatever the lord needs me to do :) I know that this week will be great. :) Thanks everyone for reading my blog!!!! Tell everyone that I would email them but I only have 1 hour on the computer.

September 2, 2013

Well this week was a crazy one :) Happy 5 Months :)  Its been hot though.... Walang ulan (No rain) and our area is drying up again. But just around the corner is Mango season I can not wait. 

Anyway, we had exchanges with the AP's and they taught me and my companion a lot about stretching out in our area. Our mission does Preach By The Way or just talking to people on the street. We had not been doing that. Well from Friday hangang Sunday we have 11 new investigators that we would have never had if we didn't open our mouth.

The ward is really starting to trust us, especially the Bishop. He said he texted President and told him that he doesn't want Elder Bigelow to go. On Sunday, we had the most attendance at Sacrament overall with 7 investigators, within that 1 whole family. The attendance was 174. The average when I got to the area was 132.  It really makes a difference with missionaries in a ward. The area was closed  for 6 months up until March of this year and the attendance was just above 100 during that time. So it really is a blessing to have missionaries in a ward. 

We also had a Baptism on Saturday!!! Brother G, he is like 76 but still works selling Balut. He had to overcome a lot,  especially the WOW. We gave him a blessing and after that he quit right away. He showed up to the baptism 3 hours early because he was so excited!! He has really changed his life and wants to love the Savior. 

Me and my companion are doing work and staying obedient and its paying off. I have grown so much during this transfer. I have felt like I am really starting to love the people and just adjust to the culture. My language is coming along and I am even starting to pick up some Pangasinan. Dicet Labut. 

I love the Lord and I love the work!! I would not want to be in any other place right now!! It really is a blessing to be on a mission!! 

"Everyday I am taking steps towards becoming like my Heavenly Father and becoming who He wants me to be." Thats my motto and it is so true. Everyday I am bettering myself :) 

Love Elder Malaki na Mababa

Here is a picture of the ward members who helped to pass out our relief goods when the flood was in our area.

Here is me and the flood!