WEEK 36: PARTY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

    Last Tuesday we waited for a van to take us to our area, but none came so we worked in our kabahays area.  It was good work.  On Wednesday I had exchanges with elder Anderson and elder Ropati.  We were in a threesome because another missionary needed a dentist appointment.   We were able to catch a ride after a while with these really nice people up to our area.   We went to the big family we found that came to church and they were all there,  it was awesome.    When they saw us, they  just started gathering and it was so spiritual and so awesome when they’re all listening so intently and asking good questions.  It just made me so happy.   We visited another investigator later in the day and she read the Book of Mormon for the first time and it was awesome.  I noticed there was this new light in her eyes, it was cool.  The Book of Mormon is powerful and it strengthened my testimony of its power and how much it can help us in our everyday lives.       So there is this party in our "neighborhood" and they have music and cock fights and stuff like that.  So many people show up to the cock fights and I'm just wondering where they all came from because we're in the middle of nowhere, haha.  

    On Thursday we found some  potential investigators but there was really loud videoke so we didn't teach.  We could barely talk and be heard.   Then we taught some other investigators about the gospel of Jesus Christ and focused on repentance and they really understood.  I felt like it really sunk in and it helped them.  It was a great lesson.  Thursday night we slept at the senior couples apartment so we could travel early to the other side of the island for zone conference.

     Friday, we had zone conference, it was awesome.  I learned so much.   To start the conference the zone sang hymn 112 and the spirit just hit me so hard,  it was an amazing experience.  The spirit was unbelievably strong.   I  got a great interview with my mission president.  I love my mission president, he is a great inspiration to me.   Another tender mercy was that I received a package!!  I want to give a huge shout out to uncle Scott and aunt Dawna for the package they sent.  It was so awesome and made me so happy to receive it.  The candy was delicious and it was a great package.  During the conference I just got a good feeling that this is where I truly need to be and this is the best thing I could be doing with my life right now.  

 On Saturday we had exchanges again.   My companion needed to interview someone and I went to my area with elder Lumanog,  it was such a great day.  It took a while to catch a van and the van was so slow so we got up to our area so late.  We only had 3.5 hours to work but the Lord provided and we had an awesome day.  We taught the large family again. they are so happy and so receptive and i love teaching them.  i was reflecting on the miracle of finding them.  There’s no way we could have found them without the Lord.  It is so incredible I can't comprehend it.   We taught some other progressing investigators and visited some people to invite them to church.  We taught sister enriquez again and she had read even more of the Book of Mormon and is really progressing now.  I only gave a really quick summary of the day but it was a good day and very productive.  

   Sunday was awesome again.  Our mission president attended our sacrament at the meetinghouse and then came with us to our two special sacraments.  We had the huge family come to church and sister enriquez, it was so awesome and it was a great sacrament.  Our investigators are really progressing and I can really see the progress of the area and am so excited.   We are so close to getting a branch in mamburao.  The Lord is blessing this area.   We got lots of referrals and the spirit was so strong at the mamburao sacrament.  I can't even list all the miracles happening but they are for sure happening and I'm so thankful. 

I would encourage everyone to continue or recommit themselves to Book of Mormon study.  It will help us stay on the right path to our heavenly father and to feel his love. It is so awesome. Love you all. 

Elder Snyder

P.S. Also we haven’t had power for two days but we're lucky that the computer shop has a generator. It’s so hot all the time because we have no electric fans and stuff. but we'll survive

Whatever works

Playing with the kids