When the phone rings...

I failed to mention, but we did get a phone call for Mother's Day! It was wonderful to hear MIBs voice! Everybody enjoyed talking with him. I enjoyed talking with him AND I enjoyed listening and watching everybody else talk to him too! I think everybody's spirits was lifted by the conversation with MIB. Home just isn't the same without him hear and we feel the void in our daily lives!

However, I wouldn't change a thing. MIB is exactly where he needs to be right now and he is doing a great work for the Lord!

Here are a few excerpts for your reading pleasure: "Yesterday we went to the ocean and planted mangroves, or something like that. It was, ahhhh... interesting walking in nasty mud."

I eat fish and rice everyday. Peanut butter and jelly is just too expensive on my budget. I have eatin fish eyes, fish head, little fish, big fish and weird shrimp not to much big shrimp. I have had crab twice and love it. Its the best, haha, except annoying to brake out of the shell."

"On Saturday we went and taught this elderly guy named Miguel and his 10 year old son named Kenneth. We were reading 3Nephi 11 and teaching him how Jesus was baptized at the right age, by authority and baptized the right way. He asked if he is allowed to get baptized again because he was baptized when he was a baby. We told him he could. Then he asked where he should get baptized. We told him that our church had authority from God to baptize. He then asked, "Well, who can baptize me (thinking it had to be the prophet or some one in America or something very difficult to do)?" We told him that we had the authority as missionaries of the church. He got a huge smile on his face and was way excited. Then he asked how much it cost. When we told him it was free, he got way way excited. We told him its not just basta-basta (like ummmm, not just something you do with out thinking about it) and told him in our next visit we would talk about the steps to baptize and repentance. He smiled again and told us next time we came we had to teach him how to repent. He wants to set a date that he can be baptized :D That's way awesome huh? And he walked with his son to church yesterday and payed more attention to what everyone was saying then anybody else there, including the high council men :D I'm so excited for him :D"

The most beautiful place on Earth!

At the first of May, MIB was transferred to Guimaras. "Pretty much I LOVE IT HERE :D I am on Guimaras (the little island between Negros and Panay). Remember Elder McCook talking about his area that they built a thing in there backyard for church? Well, that's where I am now :D We have two "groups," its smaller than a branch. My companion is the group leader of the group that meets in my back yard. I go to a far away place in our area to attend the other group. My companion is Elder Parrenas. I am his first white companion. This area is so beautiful; I can't wait 'till I get a new card reader so I can send you pictures :D " Above is a beautiful sunset on Guimaras.

Right: MIB and his new companion, Elder Parrenas.

"To get here we road an ocean jet (pretty much a jet in the water) to Iloilo then a different kind of boat from Iloilo to Guimaras. While on Iloilo I got to meet Elder McCook. It was like meeting someone I knew."

As a little background on Elder McCook - His mother and I began emailing just after MIB received his call. She helped me in preparing for MIB to leave home and continues to share stories from Elder McCook's experiences there. She has become a great friend to me and our sons have come to know each other through the stories we've shared of emails and such. Elder McCook comes home this fall, so it was wonderful they were actually able to meet! Who knows, maybe there is still a chance for them to be companions before Elder McCook's mission there is finished.

Prior to leaving Silay City, MIB had some other experiences to share:

"This week was interesting, to say the least. I lost my companion for half a day. I rode a carabao (pictured at left with Elder Winegar and Elder Lecheminant) and almost got eaten by a monkey (luckily he was chained down and I was just out of the chains reach). I think I can send pictures so I'm going to try. We should have 10 baptisms on the 25th of April and I'm way excited for that :D" A little "small world" side note: MIB and Elder Lecheminant lifeguarded together at SevenPeaks a couple summers ago. Small world!

"General conference was amazing. I learned a lot about ahhh everything! Especially Elder Holland's talk (he would have to be my favorite). I learned a lot about the atonement and that God had to leave Jesus so he could feel spiritual death just as we do when we sin. I had actually been thinking about how Jesus knew our pains when we sinned since he never did. I had thought about it almost every night this last week. It is amazing how the Lord works through the Apostles and speaks to us. We only got to watch Sunday conference so if anything stuck out to you during Saturday, please share. If Dad or Josh could do the same with priesthood session. Thanks tons! Oh, by the way, a thought that came to me while I was listening to several people talk about the importance of going to the temple. Since I can't go to the temple, ahh ever for the next year and a half (yes 6 months is on the 22 :D) Will you and Dad try to go every week for me? :D"

It's hard to believe that MIB has already completed 1/4 of his mission! It is wonderful to get to share the experiences with him through email and pictures!