Hump Day!

To all those I love! How are you going!? Hope things are going your way, in the lord's way!

So this last week was pretty interesting! I'll try and throw it all in one e-mail! okay here we go!

Lets see... We will start with my ears! So My ears are good now the swelling has finally gone down, and they are good to go phew! finally... thats been pulling me down for a week now! Got some pictures of that maybe Ill send some.

ZONE CONFERENCE! Zone Conference was awesome even though half the time my ear was killing me, and I had headaches but just as Zone Conference started the pain kind of settled for a few hours so that was nice! I also lost my Planner with all of my support in it on the bus! ahh... man... This last week was just not my luckiest week haha, It was funny because the sisters in the Zone ( there are only 4) We know each other pretty well and they all just felt so bad for me and they just wanted to buy me stuff, and give me money hahaha and they were all surprised how calm I was when all these things were happening! Anyways to the good stuff... So President Mangum is so awesome! He was the VP of Operations of Nuskin! thats so crazy huh? and he started out as a plummer, haha totally looks like one too, but he is so humble, I mean so humble! He made us all feel that we were better then him as he talked with us, and I felt so bad for him he was shaking, and look so nervous as he spoke with us, I mean c'mon I can't even imagine the pressure he is feeling right now to take on a mission of over 220+ missionaries! that is so rough, and I appreciate his willingness to accept the call to help us all out. I think he is going to do some great things here in this mission, he said something that was awesome at Zone Conference he said this, " Faith in Jesus Christ can move mountains, but don't be surprised when he hands you a shovel to do it!" it is so true! I love that quote! We just got to grab that shovel and get started and do our best and the lord will do the rest for us, just as long as we get started not knowing how long it will take or what will happen, President Mangum is a really goofy, funny, jolly kind of guy and its a really nice change, I feel like we are most like friends now. I am sure after a few months he will start to crack down and bring out that inner CEO in him ha! 

Zone conference was fun and I was finally excited to get back to work! We got back on Thursday and there was no work done for a week in our area because I was always down in the Zone Leaders area for hospital check ups! Things in our area right now are doing great! Our investigators that we have been teaching are starting to finally progress, and we have had to move a couple baptismal goal dates around but I think we finally have a set Baptismal goal date for these people and its definite! Those goal dates are on my BIRTHDAY! We have 6 solid Baptismal Goal dates on July 26th and we are so stoked, these people are so ready for baptism and I am so excited, we have been teaching them forever! The only problem is that Transfers are on the 17th and i have been here for a while now! It is possible that I could go 6 months here but it is more likely that I am going to get transfer. One of our Zone Leaders is going home this Transfer so we will be getting a new Zone Leader and everyone in our Zone thinks its going to be me! what!? Because the Zone Leaders of a leadership meeting and the one who is going home will stay there and the other will come back with no companion, so everyone thinks it will be me. I don't think it will be, but that would be crazy if it was! I would drive a truck! haha.. and spend half my mission Mindoro! We will see what happens. I love this area so much I have connected with the members so much! On fast Sunday I bore my testimony and I told them that this might be my last time to bear my testimony and the whole congregation just gasped all at once! I have really felt their love and support for me in this area, they have been so helpful and so nice, even through there diversities. They have been a blessing in my life, and I love them so much! I am afraid that my Mother's prophecy is going to be fulfilled I will forever be a "Planter" in my mission, that is where I do all the teaching, and finding of investigators but never get to baptize them or see them get baptized! Its happened in all my area so far. Which is okay, as long as they are baptized that is what makes me happy, and that I was able to be a part of them and help them get closer to Christ! I am fine being the guy who does all the dirty work with no recognition. As long as I continue to work hard! 

We had another Zone P-day on the beach today! I try to send some more pictures of that too, it was really fun and as usual just a good time to get to know the Zone and make new friends and help each other out!

Speaking of Mountains I am on the way down of my mountain! technically  I only have 11 months left because I will probably be coming home around the June 15th mark, according to transfers and stuff, so thats pretty weird! I just can't believe it, I have been talking about this for the last 2 months and its finally here, and I still just can't believe it, I swear it was yesterday when our next door neighbors that moved in recently told us that their son was on his 1 year mark! that was a couple months before I left! Its been an absolute wonderful experience and I am ready for another year, If we were only to serve 1 year, to think that I would be done all ready and coming home just blows my mind, and I would most definitely not be ready! So this tells me that when the time comes close I really need to prepare because I was DIE, if I had to come home right now. Luckily for me the adventure continues! I hope things are going well at home, don't let to many things change back home or else Ill just want to stay in my room all day and read the scriptures! 

Thanks everyone for you comments and support! I have felt it! I hope you all had a good 4th of July, and I totally forgot about that holiday until my dad mentioned it in his e-mail! So Ill just stay here in the Philippines and eat some more hot dogs and rice!

 

Ingat palagi, mahal ko kayong lahat! 

This is our Zone at Zone Conference President Mangum is the bald guy!

Sorry I couldn't send more the Internet is pretty slow and I need to go! We got a family home evening!

I will send more next time!

 

--

Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission