Wednesday, April 24, 2013

4-24-13


Hey Everyone!
This week was transfer week and it was an interesting one!  We had our two area mates pulled out so one could train and open a different area and the other could step up to Zone Leader on Bohol.  This leaves Elder Steiner and me to take care of the entire branch here in Tutay.  This is proving to be quite the undertaking.  I received amazing revelation for my district this past transfer that we needed to basically drop everything and completely focus on training our leaders.  We have been visiting every auxiliary leader for the past couple weeks and training them individually on each of their responsibilities.  They currently can't do this without us because the red and blue handbooks of instruction for the church are not in Bisaya and nobody here can understand English enough to study them and understand, and nobody knows what their doing in the first place so there isn't anybody with any clue on how to do anything more that attend church once a week for 3 hours.  We have been carrying the handbooks with us everywhere and teaching out of them, and we are seeing huge success.  I can honestly say that I have seen more success this last transfer than I have my entire mission.  It feels so good to have each entire day packed with crucial appointments, and then to see immediate success as the leaders begin to implement presidency meetings, PEC and branch councils, visiting and home teaching, calendaring, interviews, and more.  I am loving this area, and am excited to finish up strong.  We scheduled it out after we found out the other elders were leaving, and we found that with training Elder Steiner, visiting each auxiliary once a week, the presidents twice, and the branch president 3 times, we are left with 3 hours a WEEK to teach our progressing investigator, Mae Ann and her family.  We are slammed!  It is so fulfilling.  This place is going to be the best organized branch in the Philippines by the time I go home.  All the leaders are so willing to learn and want so bad to do their part, they just haven't known how.  I'm loving it.
Gosh these kids here are so loud!  ugh.  There is only one computer shop in my area and it's summer break so all the annoying little teenagers come and play DOTA (a video game) and just SCREAM and YELL at the top of their voices at each other.  Too bad there aren't any libraries in the Philippines.  Filipinos don't read...
Anyway, I've got some more pictures for you!  I hope they all make it.  

1. me on the front of a motor, taken by Elder Croxton next to me on their motor. 


2. me again on the front with our driver behind me. 


3. The Negros Valcano.


I love you!  Don't get too trunky Dad!  At least you're do a pretty good job of covering it up ;)
Love,
Elder Garver

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