Baptisms coming up! yeah buddy.

So this week was kind of a slow one, but we have 3 investigators who passed their baptism interviews!!! So I am super excited for them!!! They have been super excited to get baptized for the past few weeks, so now that it is this weekend, they have been all smiles and you can totally see the Spirit working in them! They love to read the Book of Mormon, so that really helps too! They are most definitely golden Investigators :)

I also feel like I am stil improving in the language. As long as I try and use it whenever I can, it is an awesome experience! Also, I am starting to feel more and more comfortable in almost all situations, so that's awesome! 

I have also been studying a lot in Mosiah, and lately I've been reading about how King Noah was such an evil man, yet his Father was such a great man. It's kind of crazy how being raised by such a great guy, he could turn into such a... dork. Anyways, it kind of ticked me off, but Abinadi is way awesome!

I am super grateful for my parents, and I miss them so much. They are the best. I love my family! HAPPY GRADUATION MADILYN! You're awesome! :) 

Love you all!

Stay True

Elder Walstad

p.s. - NExt week's letter will be longer, and will have pictures, since OF COURSE, there is a baptism! :D WOO!!

Doing a Service Project

A fun week... of sickness.

So this week was super exciting! I got super sick.. again. I thought it was Dengue again. I felt super weak during our Zone Meeting, and afterwards, we just went home and I slept all day. The next day, my stomach started to really hurt, which is exactly what happened when I had Dengue. 

Luckily, as the week progressed, I talked to sister Rahlf, and we figured out that it must have just been a super bad stomach bug.  I couldn't keep any food down, and I had LBM (The "runs"). Too much. Fun times!! I also had to go to the Hospital to get my blood drawn, which I LOVE DOING! I love having needles stuck into my arm and have them suck blood out. Mom, you should be super proud of me! ;) I have had my blood drawn so many times, and I haven't cried! ;) hehe. jk. 

We didn't really have any work this week.. sadly. So the time kind of just crawled by, but when we did go to work, our current investigators told us how they are SO excited to become members and to be baptized. They also want the rest of their family to be baptized so that they can all go to the temple together and be sealed! So we talked to their siblings, and we are hoping that we can start teaching the rest of their family! There are 10 of them, I think, so that would be so amazing to watch them progress as a family towards eternity! Oh the joy of missionary work ;)

Anywho, I know this church is true. So very true. Otherwise I probably wouldn't be over here in the Philippines melting! :) 

Stay True!

Elder Walstad

P.S. - Pictures to come next week :)

Baptisms? I think... YES!

This was a good week! We had 3 baptisms, and it was a great time. 2 of our investigators are young women, and are in a part-member family, so helping them make that covenant of baptism was fantastic! :) And the youth who attended were super supportive, and it was great for them (Jesslyn and Jellica Vicencio) to have that support. 

I have really been trying to improve my ability in contacting and teaching (So the language) and I have really seen an improvement. As I put my trust in the Lord, and let him help me overcome my weaknesses (Ether 12:27), it's an amazing process that I love to be a part of. I feel like that is what the mission really is. Not only inviting others to come unto Christ, but also turning our weaknesses into strengths. The fact that we have this time to literally devote 100% of our time to the Lord.. He can do so much with us. I love it. 

I am so grateful for all the wonderful blessing in my life, and for my family and friends. I also am ESPECIALLY grateful for my mother, and her amazing example and love for me. She has got to be the bestest mom ever :) ANd she is quite the comedian! (Don't believe me? Ask my sisters ^.^) hehe. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!

Everyone have such an amazing week, and make sure you show your love to your moms :)

Stay True!!!!!
Elder Walstad

Look!  A caribou!

A "sketchy" bridge that Tanner had to cross

A "HUGE American" Pizza!  

Preparing for Baptisms! Yeah buddy!

So this last week, we have been really focusing on making sure that our investigators are ready for their baptisms. We have 3 candidates this week (Jesselyn, Jellica and Miramar) who are going to be baptized this coming Saturday!!! We are so excited, and it is going to be a sweet occasion. (There will be pictures next week :))

We had all of our investigators come to church, again, which was fantastic!!! -- I say that, because that is one of the main problems here.  People always have 100 excuses of why they can't go to church, but if they are truly willing to "convert" and become members, then they will come to church, even if it is hard for them. And that is what all of our investigators have been doing! It has been amazing to watch them all grow and really apply the gospel into their lives. Of course, it is uncomfortable to change, but I can really see that they are becoming more happy, which makes me so happy. I am really just falling in love with the people and the work, and it really makes the time just fly by. Awesome sauce! :)

So there was the Fight this weekend, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. If you have heard the rumors of how the Philippines "shuts down," or that the crime rate goes down to 0%.. they are all true! Everything is closed for the duration, and everyone is too busy watching the fight.It would be a perfect time for burglars to get going, but they wanna watch the fight too. haha. It's funny. Too bad he lost. ;) 

Well... that was pretty much for this week! I Love being a missionary. I love the gospel. I love that families can be together forever, and that I am helping others realize that wonderful truth. 

Stay True!