The Countdown...

So it's already time for MLC again! So we are rushed again!

But I will do my best to get a good email out!

So this week was super busy! Like every week I guess! We spent almost everyday trying to get our training ready for our Zone Conference so it was pretty stressful but even though preparing for trainings is hard and stressful it's still a lot of fun!

We gave out a lot of baptismal dates this week because everyone who starts going to church can be baptized on Christmas and that's our goal! In fact at our Zone Conference we had interviews afterwards and President noted that I had been here a while like he always does when he sees me but he said that I will be here until the 28th of December. So I have one more month here, it's just kind of weird because this is the first time I have known before hand that I was going to be transferred. So the countdown begins.

Zone Conference was really good though! We were combined with another zone. So there was about 50 of us there. And they had us train last again! But I am pretty used to training now so I wasn't really too nervous. We gave our training about faith, the essence of faith and the unity of faith. I think it went really well and the catering worked out too! That wasn't too stressful! haha the worst part of it all is when we went home that night we got a text from the APs telling us "because of your diligence you have been selected to give a training at our MLC" so now we don't only have to give another training but we have to give one to all of the missions leaders... Yeah I'll let you know how that goes

We are just about getting ready to go to Bacolod because we are going to have lunch with all the leaders and have a "sportsfest" President wants to play basketball with us but I haven't played for about 6 months so we will see how well that goes!

The area is doing super good though! We have a lot set up for this month to be baptized and hopefully a whole family on Christmas! And the Matulac's dad on Christmas as well! This area has really just become like a part of home to me. It's going to be weird to leave but I feel like after Christmas I will have done all I was supposed to do for this area.

I almost forgot on Thursday we actually had thanksgiving! One of the Districts in our zone was setting up a thanksgiving dinner and they invited us to come we had mashed potatoes, chicken cordon bleu, shrimp, vegetables, some kinds of pasta and home made cookies! It was almost like thanksgiving. But it was fun to celebrate it with some other missionaries. Sorry I don't have any pictures from it! I'll have to grab some from them.

That's about it! Sorry the pictures are taking forever to upload... maybe next time?
Thanks for all the support! Serious it's the best!
Love you all, save me some turkey!

-Elder Warnick

Oh Joy

Such a busy week! But it was really fun and fulfilling!

We had our Zone Activity which turned out being a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I was kind of stressing on it and feeling like I couldn't have any fun because I was in charge of it and stuff but I saw that everyone was smiling and laughing so I just stopped worrying and enjoyed it! We got hooked up with a free lunch from some members who have a crab/fish business so we had a crab, shrimp, fish and squid! It was super good and we ate it all on the beach! Then we all packed into the back of a truck and went to Northland Center which is like a big hotel and we had the whole bowling alley reserved! It was a lot of fun and I learned how to bowl with a spin! That was basically the zone

On the way to go bowling

activity, hopefully we can have another one soon if our zone accomplishes our goal!

Most of the middle of the week was just a lot of work. We were finding and trying new things. Mostly trying to find what and who our focus was going to be for December/Christmas! Things are looking really good for this month and I am pretty sure I will hit 6 months in this area so I should be here for Christmas!

We had 2 exchanges this week and I stayed in the area both times! haha Everyone keeps asking me why I have been in this area for so long haha it's like they want me to leave! But the best part of the exchanges was that one of them was with the APs and guess who one of the APs is? Elder McCracken! From the MTC! So he came up to Caduha-an and we worked together and it was awesome! It was the first time that I ever got to teach any lessons with him since we were companions in Manila! We found 12 new investigators and it was a lot of fun to be with good old McCracken.

We have Zone Conference coming up this week and our topic is FAITH. This is my 2nd Zone Conference as a ZL because they are every quarter of the year which basically means that I have been here for a long time! But we are really excited for our Training and I was in charge of the catering again so it's gonna be good!

We got our water to work again this week! It took til about Friday to finally get it back! You never know how much you miss having water until you have to go pump for it out of a well!

Our Baptism was super good this week! Mary Joy wasn't as nervous as her twin so it was a lot easier! There could have been a little more support from the ward but that's okay they are still learning a lot! THE HARD PART was Sunday, it has been nearly impossible to get people confirmed in this area! Because if they are late to Sacrament they have to wait another whole week! But we stopped by and picked her up in the morning so that she would get confirmed! It's a lot of work!

I love this area and I am super excited for this next month!

Love you all!

-Elder Warnick

Mary Joy baptism

Sorry!

Sorry you haven't heard from me forever! So I guess I will just go off right now! 

So where do I start? I have a new companion; Elder Nonato, he's super chill and I was in the same zone with him when we were in Sagay. I am now Zone Leader 1 which basically just means I am training Elder Nonato on how to be a Zone Leader. Elder Derecho is now in the office haha I think I already said that but yeah he fits the job!

 

So about what happened... I don't really want to go into details but there was an elder in my zone who basically snapped. He wasn't himself. It was our job to get him to bacolod so the nurse could see him. But he just got worse and worse and he is now back home getting medical treatment. BECAUSE of that this last week at out Missionary Leadership Council we discussed stress and really being there for our companions. They said he is improving though it just was a sad thing to see happen to such a good elder.

 

On a happier note we had a baptism this week! So the twins I had been teaching since about September finally got the OK from their parents and so we scheduled their baptism interview and had our district leader go to their house and then we found out that their grandma was sick so one of the twins was in the other city watching her. SO we got half of the twins baptized... I really wanted a cool twin baptism picture and stuff but it's okay the other one SHOULD be getting baptized this week!

 

We don't have water. Again. haha I have been in this area for 5 months and this has become too regular of a thing. We have a big water tank by our house and when it's empty we need to turn on the maching that sucks the water up into the tank but every so often it just stops working so we have to grab out buckets and walk out to the pump and pump water! It's sick! :) not really haha

 

So MLC was great! President called us and told us to meet him downtown in bacolod because all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders were having a lunch. And then we bowled! President is so freaking good! He beat all of us! After the bowling I was sitting down talking to Elder McCracken and then President came up to me and was like "Elder Warnick, let's have a game of billiards!" I was kind of shocked-so we played billiards and.... president won again! haha he's a card. The next day though was the trainings and of course food! We had pancakes and french toast and I was almost crying it was so good! The trainings were really inspiring and later in the week I think we did a good job as well training our zone. 

 

President told us he was really impressed that we accompilshed out goals so he told our zone we could have a zone activity! So later today we are going to be eating CRAB! And we get to go bowling (it's all we really can do around here) but it's going to be super fun! I am pretty proud of my zone! 

 

The work is super good but I don't think I am going to be here for Christmas. BUT if I am that's cool too! We have been finding so many new investigators and they all accepted baptism dates. They have no problem accepting the message they just have a hard time coming to church.. But patience..

Thanks for everything! Really! I really missed talking to everyone because I wasn't able to email last time!

 

-Elder Warnick

 

Beach - Cadiz Viejo

Bituon sa dagat - Starfish

Elder Nonato and Elder Warnick

Bacolod, Philippines

Mission Leadership Council

 

32 Hours and Counting...

32 hours and counting of being awake...

So this email this week isn't going to be a long one! And the truth is I didn't sleep at all last night watching over an elder that was suffering from some Mental Trauma. So I'm kind of pressed on time and stuff. So it was transfer week this week and I was expecting that I would be transferring because I had been in this area for so long BUT the APs ended up calling and telling us that Elder Derecho would be transferring! We were both super surprised because he had only been there for 4 weeks! haha But it's okay Elder Derecho got assigned to the Office! I don't know how excited he was for that but he will do a good job because he's a super good missionary.

So my new companion is Elder Nonato, I have been in the same zone as him twice so now I am training him to be a Zone Leader, good thing is I already knew him pretty well and he's super cool so I am still happy! This is the first time that I have had 3 companions in one area. So I don't know how
long I will be in this area because President Barredo actually told me earlier to just let him know when I want to transfer! haha sooooooooooooooooooo that's weird! I can spend Christmas here if I
want! SO we will just see.

The work was super good this week we found a ton of new investigators and got to participate in blessing another house and a car? Yeah It was what they wanted! It was also Nov 1st which is all souls day or all saints day depending on the person but everyone was visiting the graveyards and making a lot of food!

The Matulok family got confirmed this week and our zone hit the goal for baptisms EXCEPT 6 didn't get confirmed... ahhh yeah that's how it goes sometimes.

So I also don't have pictures for this week. I took pictures but they are of course on my memory card and it's with the elders in the office! SUPER SORRY But next week there will be a lot of good pictures!

Sorry for the fast email I just kinda need to go back to the area and catch up on sleep.

I love you all!

-Elder Warnick