San Bernardo... The wilderness area. #4 weeks left...

Happy 4th of July to every body... and their dogs! So far so good out here in San Bernardo. The area is finally starting to show some great potential. Actually this past Sunday we had some leaders come from the Stake to inform our branch that the San Bernardo Branch is now the new focus of the Tuguegarao South Stake. They are really putting their focus on bringing back Priesthood. There are a potential 79 Less-active priesthood holders that we can help return. It is a big task, but it is VERY doable. There is just a lack of positivity among the members, most especially with the Priesthood holders that are active. Which is difficult to deal with. When they speak negatively about a situation, or say that something is impossible... everyone else believes them. So I spoke up after one of the leaders said how hard it will be.. I just said "We need to stay positive and have Faith, and the Lord will bless us." It kind of humbled the one who said the negative things.. #powerofthespirit.

While we have been putting a heavy focus on rescuing Less-active members, we have been trying to bring some balance into our work by finding new investigators. We have been blessed this week with 5 new investigators, and one of them is a part member family.. so we are hoping to teach the rest of the family this coming week. Their mother is the member, and has been less-active/inactive for the past 20+ years; however, we had a powerful lesson on Faith, and we saw the fire spark in her eyes, again. So we are hoping that over the next few weeks her heart will soften and that she will attend church along with her family, before I leave! We also have a few progressing investigators with baptismal dates for the end of July. They are primary and youth age, but they have a lot of support and are super willing to listen, pray, read and go to church. It's great to see such youth progress so quickly through the gospel.  

Well...as most of you know, it was my birthday yesterday, and I am now 21 years old. That is kind of weird, but it's exciting! I'm now a legal adult! hehe. We also went to a super yummy burger joint today for my b-day lunch, and when I got the burger.. there was banana on it! I gotta tell you.. I really didn't expect that. Haha. I was super shocked, and I wasn't quite sure that it was gonna be good... but it was actually good! I will definitely be encouraging everyone back home to try putting a banana on their next cheeseburger. (Make sure you boil it first ;) Not raw..) Also, another thing that is interesting here in the Philippines... when it is your birthday, you will treat everyone else to a meal, or you will make food, or do something.. but whatever you do, you treat others.  Unlike back home, it's your day to be treated. Hehe - it's very different here! So everyone was asking me what I was going to prepare for them.. and I had no idea.. haha. But I will be bringing some ice-cream for them maybe, just so they feel like they are loved. 

Sooo... as I near my last days here in the mission, I have felt more and more of an urgency to help my area the best I can. It's been a challenge, but definitely something that I have been enjoying. We also have a new mission president right now, President Hiatt. President Rahlf is now back in America, touring around the states visiting all their family that they have missed for the last 3 years. President Hiatt seems like a great man, and I am excited to learn from him (Even though it will only be for 4 weeks.) I know that he will do a great job in helping this mission continue to grow and progress.

Well I love you all! Hope you have a super duper great independence day! 

Stay True!

Elder Walstad

p.s - sorry I don't have pics this week... next week I will remember my camera.