"The Lord has called me to do so I will do it" 4/28/13

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been an insane week. Probably the most insane week I have had on my mission. There was so much packed into this one week that my time for teaching lessons was super limited. Since it is the end of the month, Elder B had to finish all of the finance stuff for the month. I helped with some of the stuff, mostly just going through files checking for things he needed to finish up the report. He also had his training for finance Secretary, some of which President Barrientos had me sit in on. We had two days where we were in the office the entire day. It's certainly not easy, but it is what the Lord has called me to do so I will do it. 

We taught the Sim family three times this week. We are still trying to move up their marriage and baptismal date up to may instead of June. We had a family home evening with them on Sunday night. I think Sister Sim must be a bit confused. In the last 4 times we have taught them It has been me  but with a different companion each time. I have gone on exchanges with Elder P and Elder VB due to all of the office work that Elder B has to do. So in two weeks I have taught them twice on exchanges and twice with Elder B. Luckily I have ad the Eddingtons with me each time, so there has been something constant for them.

We had a very interesting opportunity in the office on Wednesday. We had a man from Seattle who is here with his wife come in and ask us if we could help him learn Ilocano. He and his wife are starting a school in Laoag and he needs to learn Ilocano to be able to communicate with the parents of the children and the other people he works with. We gave him some of the MTC language material and three copies of the Book of Mormon, (Ilocano, English and Tagalog). He even asked if he could study the language with us some time. He and his wife live in Elder P and Elder VB' area, so we are hoping they will be able to teach them.

We have had a type of district and zone activity this week, though really just because we have all ended up at the same restaurant after district meeting and after a baptism. As of last transfer the Laoag zone is now two zones. We were getting to big and too awesome for our own good. Joke lang. With all the new missionaries coming in especially sister missionaries they have had to double a few areas, many of them right here in Laoag. Our zone is fun and I am looking forward to Zone Training Meeting next week.

For a closing spiritual thought, in Sunday School yesterday we discussed keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. President and Sister Barrientos attended in our ward and President Barrientos explained Sabbath day observance the clearest I think I have ever heard it. The Sabbath Day really is a gift from our Heavenly Father. It is the day given to us by him to focus on him and draw near to him. He has promised us great blessing if we will follow this commandment. It is the day that we get to partake of the Sacrament and renew our covenants with him. Through the Sacrament, we receive again the Holy Ghost and are cleansed again from our sins. I know that as we all strive to keep the Sabbath holy and devote it to our worship and rest, we will be " more fully unspotted from the world".

Mahal Kita! Kita Kits! Mabuhay Kayo Lahat!

Elder RWood