Victoria Continues!

I am not transferred! whoo!!!! 

I am so happy right now that I am not transferred... phew! it is the biggest relief! I love this area! I have been getting so close with all the members (Which means more dinner appts. ha) and the work has just been great these last couple weeks! I have been getting the best numbers in my entire mission here in Victoria, which is crazy because when I got here there was nothing... so its cool to see the progress since I have been here! For example, last transfer when i was with Elder Oliva we were getting an average of maybe 6 lessons a week. Now this last week Elder Bituen and I got 18! and we are about an average of 15! It is just awesome whats happening here in Victoria! Also we have some pretty solid candidates for baptism this next transfer that we are super excited about, Our prayers and fasting are being answered at this time, we found 11 new investigators last week!! I don't know how well they will progress but hey, its the opportunity that counts that we give to these people to accept the Gospel in their life! Our only problem is our investigators right now arn't progressing very well... bleh.. we are trying so hard  to help them keep their commitments, but they just wont do it! This next Transfer is going to be the Slam Dunk transfer, we finally got Branch Mission Leader who actually wants to help us and work with us, and also we are begging to have coordination meetings in our branch that we were not having before, so the work is really progressing right now, and I am super excited to be here another 6 weeks, especially with Elder Bituen, we are like Brothers its awesome. Another cool thing about staying in this area is that we are going to have 2 Zone conferences this month. We usually have 1 every 3 months. We are going to have 1 before President Peterson leaves, and another for when the New Mission President comes in, (President Mangum) So thats means twice I get to enjoy a nice hotel and hot shower hahaha! This next transfer is going to go by really fast, who knows maybe Ill go 6 months in this area! 

As missionaries sometimes you just have time to think, actually you have a lot of time to think, and since you have nothing to do because everything is BAWAL! You just sit in a chair staring at a wall thinking haha... I thought about how everybody wants to be a part of a club or team, something like that. They want to have uniforms, have positions, rankings. They want to have activities, have friends, and be a part of something. They want to brag that they are part of it, they know they have support, they want to advertise it, and let everyone know they are part of this club, or team. I related this thought, as I always do... to the Church! We are all one big club! We have uniforms and dress codes, activities, leadership positions, friends, support, we have our "What Would Jesus Do" bumper stickers on our cars, and we are world wide! How cool is that!? We are all apart of the same team, Brothers and Sisters all working for the same cause, and striving each and every single day to add to our membership by spreading the Word, and sharing the Gospel. We are a part of something HUGE! and we all have a role to play. I don't know.. haha I just thought it was a cool thought thinking what we are part of is World wide and and its the same where ever you go! I think its cool in a worldly view what we are a part of, and what we can do to help others! 

Also I just wanted to share an experience that I had from fasting, it is nothing super Spiritual, but just something small that I notice that might help us all have a better experience when we fast. As missionaries, of course we still work when we fast, and we fast for 24hrs. No water, no food. That gets hard sometimes when you do a lot of walking, working, and its really Hot! This last Fast Sunday I realized that when we have a true fast, and are truly seeking for the blessings form heaven, you will find that you are not that hungry or thirsty. We started our fast Saturday after lunch. (That way after church we can eat lunch) We worked pretty hard on Saturday night, we got 5 lessons! and did a lot of walking in the heat, the next morning I found that I wasn't hungry, or thirsty at all. This last week we didn't have any investigators come to church I was just so bummed that they didn't come, and I was to worried about what they needed to progress, and how I can help them. I fasted for them individually, and thats all I could think about. There was no worry that I was hungry or thirsty, I didn't care, it wasn't important, I just wanted to know how I can help these investigators progress towards baptism! Then the minute I closed my fast, I got so hungry, and thirsty! ha! This experience just helped me to know, and remember, that the Lord provides. 

All right thats it! I am excited to spend my 1 year mark in Victoria, and I look forward to another year in the Philippines! I can't  believe in one month I would have been here for a year now, doing this work! I love it!

-Elder Kikel