Welcome to Bohol!

Maayong Pasko!

I hope you're all enjoying Christmas Break with your families :)

Bohol is the most beautiful place I've ever seen, it's like a tropical paradise. The typhoon didn't hit Cebu, but there was some scary rain and darkness and no power for a while. We had nightly planning by candlelight haha. I actually slept without an electric fan and the wind from the open window was amazing.

I love teaching these new people. I'm also enjoying being in a trisome. My companions are from Vanuatu and Fiji. They are so much fun. Their first languages are not English and they aren't yet fluent in Bisaya. I usually teach most of the lesson because of the language levels, but I am so amazed at how fast they are learning and how they can learn English and Bisaya at the same time! The gift of tongues is real.

The branch here in Baclayon is small, but the members are active and so welcoming! I'm excited to help them turn the branch into a ward. We are doing 20 TC's everyday and trying to figure out the area because it's really big and there's tons of work to do! :) We want to flood the area with the Book of Mormon!

We have an IBD, Jane, she just started coming to church last month and said she was taught by some elders a year ago and really wants to be baptized this Saturday. We are trying to teach her everyday and review all the lessons so she can prepare to be interviewed and baptized. 

This morning we taught a less-active family and then decided to go find a referral we received on Friday. She was so happy to receive us and set out tons of chairs. Then all the people on the street and outside her tindahan came up and I asked all of them their names and talking to them and soon enough we had 6 new investigators and taught them all an intro to the Lesson 1 and about our purpose as missionaries. One of the men grew up playing basketball with "mormons", he said he always thought they were really fun and has a lot of respect for them. and he really wants to learn about the gospel. Then they said, let's all meet here this time next week! The Spirit was so strong during that lesson. It was a great morning and a great start to the week! Hopefully though we'll be able to teach them more one on one to help them individually progress.

Places we taught lessons this week:

1. under a dense grove of coconut trees on a hill during a spectacular sunset. One of the coconuts fell though, right next to us and it probably would have knocked us out if it had been a foot closer! But the Tatay told me not to worry, he's lived here for 30 years and hasn't ever been hit by a coconut!

2. standing up outside because the house had no chairs, the child was sick inside, and the ground was flooded from the rain.

3. on a nanay's bed because she has a bed-ridden daughter

4. on a dirt path outside a tindahan surrounded by onlookers

I hope you all have a merry christmas :)

-sister bertoldo