Q. and A.

Family! Here are some Questions and Answers: Q. Do they celebrate Halloween? I guess no falling leaves or colorful fall decorations in the Philippines! A. They celebrate something called "All saints Day" and I don't know much about that yet. There's no trick or treating, but I think there are some pretty "out of this world" kind of traditions. I'll get you the news as I find out more about it. Do the seasons ever change here??? No! There's not much Christmas in the air, at least not the white fluffy, cold, kind of Christmas I'm used to. But the Christmas lights and christmas trees are being set up by those early birds. (lights and popcorn on palm trees gives a little different feeling to Christmas) Q. Are you surviving all of the typhoons? We haven't heard much about the one this week. Hopefully because it wasn't bad. A. It was supposed to hammer us! At one point the warning signal in our area climbed to 3, which is huge! We are supposed to head home when it's #2, but we worked right through it, because the bagyo took a last minute turn again and headed up the coast. So here are some more questions: 1. Have you learned what you hope to about BRT-ing from Elder Cobacha? A. I'm praying that I do not get transferred, because I am learning a lot from Elder Cobacha right now. I've picked up a lot about Building a Relationship of Trust, and my approach to talking people is completely different now. I've learned the importance of being honest and interested in the first few minutes talking to someone. After they feel that you care, after you "nakuha ang loob nila", most people will invite us right in. I've learned to start looking for things right away that are important to people, and to talk about that. It's great to see people's eyes light up and see them relax when you hit a subject that they really want to talk about. Everybody has something they want to talk about, and it helps us know what to teach about as well. I've been amazed this transfer as investigators really open up and tell us what they're thinking, what they're problems are in their family, whatever they need help with. It's great to see that trust. I plan on taking what I've learned in this transfer and applying it throughout my mission (and life!) 2. Do you need new shoes? And which kind do you like? Are you wearing irrigation boots like Elder Zac Dymock in Manila? A. It's great to have the two kinds. The thinner kind is really good in the water -- water-proof and fast drying. But the soles have taken a beating. On the other hand, the thick ones are great for walking, the soles are good for a long time still, but they're a nightmare when they get wet. I'll resole the thin ones, I don't need any more shoes yet. Do we wear boots? YES. When I can find some that are somewhere close to my size. For the record, this is what I might need in the future: (in 2 or 3 months) Contact Solution, deodarant (it's sooo expensive here, the anti-persperent kind please), and I'd still like a cheap jumprope, make sure it's tall enough for me, and that's my Christmas list for now (I don't need any more candy). A christmas card from everybody too. 3. Were you able to resolve Brother Villareal's concerns? What about Sister Capuli? A. I'll write about this in the letter 4. Can you receive emails from those other than immediate family? A. Nope. In the MTC, it was allowed if it was incoming, but here they discourage it. Letters are great, though, ya' just can't send too many of 'em! And dearelder.com is great too. Dear Family, It's been a challenging week. We lost 3 formerly progressing investigators and one sister that had been referred to us. Ouch. And it all happened in 3 days. It felt like we were walking from rejection to rejection as our investigator pool dwindled at an alarming rate. It was hard to take, and a humbling experience. My Personal Study on that 3rd day: Chapter 9: "No effort is wasted", and Chapter 1: "A Successful Missionary". Along with Alma 8 and Helaman 10. I prayed to know what we could do or change in our area, and some good ideas came. It really is a turning point in the area, a great opportunity to shake up our schedule, and work in the center of strength. I've gained new insight as to just how important each investigator is, and how precious each teaching appointment is. Brother Villereal told us that he wasn't ready to continue the lessons. It was really tough. He beat around the bush for almost half-an-hour, and it's sometimes hard to understand what he's saying because he suffered a stroke. He kept giving reasons. In the end I said that we were ready to stick with him even if it took months to overcome cigarettes and coffee, and we wanted to continue if he still had desire to be baptized. It finally came down to "yes" or "no" and he said, "ayaw ko na" -- I don't want it anymore. I was speechless. It really came as a shock to me. I got the chance to bear a simple and heart-felt testimony. I felt impressed to mark a chapter in the Book of Mormon even though we had no return appointment. Another long time investigator told us straight-up that they'd only been letting us in because they were shy of us, and weren't going to be baptized like we may have thought. But I've felt, especially in my prayers, that something really good has to be coming, like now is a great time to change, improve, and pay attention to the promptings of the spirit. In the free time, I felt that the Lord really needed us somewhere. And this week we taught two part member families that I'm really excited about -- the Pineda and Luna families. Their spouses and children really want them to accept the gospel and join the church. I felt the spirit in our teaching to them, and Sister Lynn Luna cried when her 60 year old mother accepted the challenge to be baptized in the first lesson. Sister Luna's mother is so great, she understood everything, and when we promised blessings and extended the commitment she accepted and said: "Alright, how many discussions are there?" It was such a good feeling. I'm excited for the changes in the area, and although it was a trying experience, I learned much about the worth of souls and how precious each one is -- how hard it is when they choose not to accept the gospel. But on Sunday morning our Young Men's president passed by the home of Brother Villereal on his way to church. He noticed Brother Villereal outside reading, from the Book of Mormon, and he saw the mark I'd left in chapter 10 of Moroni. Anything can happen! I know this work is true. The Lord is at the head, and all things work out -- on His timetable. I love you all, and hope you have a great week! Sincerely, Elder Loren Peck