"THROW THE UMBRELLA AWAY!" -WEEK 93

Soo first off about the subject I heard something cool in church yesterday. So this guy was talking about how God is always showering blessings upon us but sometimes we’re just too scared to take in all his blessings! Then he said "GO OUTSIDE, THROW THE UMBRELLA WAY, AND TAKE IN THE RAIN!" 

I thought it was the coolest thing cause God’s blesisngs are definitely raining down on us ALWAYS! Maybe not the blessings we want.. maybe it’s a trial.. but no matter what it is, IT’S A BLESSING to help make you stronger and more ready to enter in his presence! 

But we had a pretty good week this week.. well it ENDED AWESOME!! So my new companion is Elder Balacuit this is his second area so he’s kinda new but he’s a GREAT missionary! Kind of quiet but I’ll break him out of his shell and help him be a little more open. But this week I was kinda showing him the whole area so that hopefully by next week we can do splits cause we have a lot of members that work over here with us, so hopefully we will be able to find those people that are ready for the gospel quicker haha! 

But we had the most awesome blessing this week! So our investigator Arcel came to church FINALLY!! She was the one that couldn't go cause her dad didn’t want her to ..BUT she was able to go this week and brought her little sister with her so that was AWESOME!! She’s soo excited to be baptized also.. we had to move her bapt date and she was like "ohh why I thought it was the 30th" haha so she really wants to be baptized and she loves the Book of Mormon! She testified of its truthfulness to us last week! I’m soo excited to be able to help her come unto Christ and finally see some progression in this area, she could be my last baptism..hopefully no.t Hopefully we find those other souls that are waiting for us! 

But Arcel coming to church was another testimony builder of FASTING! Cause I was fasting that her dad would soften his heart and let her come to church and.. it WORKED!! YESS!! So I’m pretty excited now and pumped to go out and find more people ready to be taught! 

One other thing that was awesome that we talked about in district meeting was the story of Lehi and his dream and how he wanted to share the fruit with his family and then Elder Vainikolo brought up the word ohana which means of course "family and family means no one gets left behind" and we talked about how everyone here is our family and we need to make sure NO ONE gets left behind! and doesn’t hear the gospel!! 

I love each and every one of you. You’re all part of my FAMILY!! And I hope you have an awesome week and an even better MOTHERS DAY! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL THOSE AWESOME MOMS!! Where would we be without you!! 

LOVE ELDER PANADERO

HAKUNA MATATA!!

 "district"

TURNING "20"

PPINES UPDATE -WEEK 38

Well this week was the first week with my new comp!!  And well it was AMAZING!!  So it was really hard last transfer because I was trying to go and work and teach people, but my comp was really just wanting to sit around at the members house, so it was like making me pretty mad.  I wanted to go work but since he was like 24 he was just like ya don't tell me what to do.. so it was annoying!!  But then this new guy came in and everyone was saying he was gonna be lazy too but NOO he is not lazy, he's like let's get out and work!! hahaha the first day with him we went out and got 12 lessons!! hahaha  It was soooo sweet!  That's the most we've gotten in a while!!  And like all the other days are like 10 or 8 lessons!!  So it's great to be back in the grind of things!! 

Well update on some of our investigators!!  Well we found this girl last week, she was a referral from our new convert family!  She is 11 yrs old and her name is Shella Cervantes!  But everyone calls her aunty cute!! (aunty means like sister) hahha but so we call her aunty cute too hahahha!!  Well we first taught her last Saturday and then she attended church the following Sunday!!  And she attended yesterday din!!  So that's working out great!! We also found a friend of Justing her name is Betsey, and she's pretty cool too, she reads the Book of Mormon but her mom wont let her attend church at the "mormons" but hey, we'll get hat figured out! (i'll have elder nonu take her out) And then last week we had one of our old investigators who I thought still wasn't interested but then she told us last week she wants us to start teaching her again!!  So that's awesome!!  And then a couple days ago we were over there and I saw a ctr ring on her finger hahaha!!! 

Something that is pretty funny but kinda annoying!! Is Sundays!!  On Sundays I'm pretty much like the first counselor!!  The president calls me all the time to do something for him or like I had to teach Sunday school and Priesthood class two weeks ago!! and I almost always have to teach at least one class if I'm not teaching Sunday school I have to teach Priesthood!!  But it's been great cause I learn sooo much more and it helps me like feel more comfortable getting up and teaching or talking in front of people!!  But then again when I come home and have to speak in front of 300 plus people I'm still gonna be pretty freaked out!!  But it will be a lot better talk than my last one cause I have learned soooo much on this mish!!  I love it and I'm soo gratefull for this mission!! 

LAST I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY MOMMA!!! AND TO ALL OTHER MOMS AROUND THE GLOBE THAT ARE READING THIS!!!  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!  I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DO FOR YOUR KIDS!!!  I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE BEST GUYS OUT HERE AND THEY ALL SAY I'TS BECAUSE OF THEIR MOTHERS!!  YOU FIND OUT THERE'S A LOT OF SECRET MOMMAS BOYS WHILE YOU'RE ON THE MISH!!  BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE A LIL EXTRA SHOUTOUT TO MY MOM, BECAUSE IT'S HER BDAY THIS WEEK!!  AND IF IT WASN'T FOR MY MOM I WOULDN'T BE HERE!!  ACTUALLY I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE GRADUATED HIGHSCHOOL, BECAUSE SHE WAS THE ONE WAKING ME UP AND MAKING ME BREAKFAST EVERYDAY!!  (MAN I MISS THAT BREAKFAST!!)  MAHAL NA MAHAL KITA MAMA!! 

LOVE ELDER BAKER

HAKUNA MATATA!!

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed

and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.

For behold, they are blesed in all things, both temporal and spiritual;

and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven,

that thereby thay may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. 

O remember, remember that these things are true;

for the Lord God hath spoken it.

                                                      --Mosiah 2:41