Zone Interview Week

Dear Family,

We enjoyed having Hannah in the mission for one more week.  This week was zone interviews, and she was with the missionaries during some of the days. On Tuesday we left Stewart interviewing and went into Manila to shop at a monthly bazaar of local handicrafts sponsored by the Manila American Womens' Club--she's definitely more fun to shop with than Stewart!  Thursday night we went back to Manila to see the production of "LION KING."  While we were waiting for the show to start, we went to a shopping mall, like the rest of the Filipinos.  Malls are very popular and crowded during the summer months because it's SO hot outside and they are air conditioned.  Hannah found an archery range and we had a fun target practice. And later she got to meet most of the area presidency and their wives, who happened to also attend "Lion King" that night.   Friday night she invited her Filipino MTC friend and my Tagalog tutor (in our ward) over to swim and watch a movie.  Elane and Joana had so much fun!

It was not such a fun week for Stewart.  He had some issues come up with missionaries who are less than obedient, and then Friday--just when I was thinking we would celebrate having a stressful week of interviews over -- he had even more serious issues come up.  So Saturday was spent counseling missionaries in different parts of the mission and today, Sunday, was spent counseling with members and missionaries in the Baliwag District.  All much more stressful than zone interviews.  I really hope he can get a p-day and relax sometime.

It often feels like the missionaries aren't very obedient, but we actually have a lot of very obedient, hard-working missionaries.  The three sisters who came two weeks ago from Polynesia are already understanding Tagalog and speaking it pretty well--there are similar sounds and structures in their native languages (Kiribate and Tonga) and so it's easier for them to learn.  Also, they're used to working hard, so one of their trainers confided their adjustment takes "about one day." 

Elder and Sister West, a senior couple who serve in Baliwag, took Sister 'Afa (who now has shoes) and her trainer to meet with an investigator.  When they arrived they realized he was drunk and he was quite rude, especially to Sister 'Afa.  Her trainer, a skillful teacher and native Tagalog speaker, tried to teach and testify to him, but he wasn't interested in listening.  She turned to Sister 'Afa, here for a little over one week, and asked her to bear her testimony.  He scoffed that she couldn't even speak the language, but she turned to him and bore her testimony, surprisingly mostly Tagalog, some English, in a quiet, powerful way that brought the Spirit.  His mocking stopped and he was silent.  He said to them, "I feel something, " and asked them to come back and teach him later. 

Another new trainee and his very obedient trainer, Elder Peterson, were walking down the street to an appointment when a woman called to them, "Elders!" and a woman approached and said she had friends who were members and she'd just moved to the area and she wanted to be baptized!  We feel so blessed by missionaries who are prepared and willing to serve and who keep the mission rules and the commandments so they can have power from God in their work.  Sometimes they find the people God has prepared, and sometimes the people find them!

We appreciate your prayers and know God is blessing us!

Love,

Mom

Elder Antimo was sent a box of new clothing by a kind woman in California.  Unfortunately the 11 shirts she sent go down to his knees and three of the trousers are too large, but three pair fit perfectly.  Here he is at zone interviews in his new pants and new tie.  He told me, "I am so rich!"