June 23, 2013

Hello everyone,

I so happy that you guys are all done with your moves and you are all doing so well. It must be rad to finally be able to live in the carlsbad house. I would love to see some pictures of how it all turned out. Is the ward your in a bunch of rich people? Somoan missionaries are a lot of fun but they are usually pretty disobedient. There are a bunch of somoans in Bacolod but I am good friends with Elder Joseph Auga Mata-Mata (yeah thats his last name) so maybe its him. Dad, buy the 450! A 580 is way to huge and heavy. A street legal 450 looks a lot better, its a lot lighter and has more than enough power, plus that's true, I am gonna need a bike for when I go back to Idaho. To be honest I have been pretty down this week, every morning I sit on that boat going to my area and I just think about the lake and all the good times we've had on the boat. Have you sold that thing yet? I think I recall mom saying you could upgrade to a mailbu when you moved to Carlsbad but Im not gonna get into that. This week was transfer week but I didn't transfer and Im still with Elder Cano. But its all good because he is a good missionary and we get along really well. We have been super busy teaching this week but somehow we keep finding some literally insane people to teach. We had to cut a few lessons short and bail this week.  That was fun. We did have to baptisms though witch was awesome. The service is kind of hard because we have opening exercises at the church and then walk 45 minutes to the beach. Then we walk back and close at the church. But, its fun still. I am trying to teach my companion english which is hard but he is learning fast. In other news I have seriously put on some weight in this area which is not making me to happy but I am trying to focus on the work. That's what is important right now. As far as the language goes, I still struggle with Cebuano because it is so different, the words in Illongo mean the opposite in Cebuano. But its a struggle that I know I have divine help with. I think I tend to forget how much help I have here in the field. It really makes a difference to step back and count your blessings. I am so happy that I have you all behind me supporting and praying for me and I want you to know that you are always in my prayers. I just wanna say good luck to Mike and Kristi in finding a house. Hit up D&C 121-23 for a pump up. This is but a small moment... haha Well I am so grateful for all of your letters to me and I love you all so much, I cant wait to here from you next week.

Peace,

Elder Pulsipher

June 9, 2013

Hey everybody,

Thank you so much for the pictures! You all look so good, Sarah looks like she's 20 and I don't now how Amy got so hot? It was so good to be able to see all of you together and happy, keep the pictures coming please.And thanks for all the letters that everyone wrote me. A special thanks to Craig you noted that I am looking pretty "gay" lately? right... Dad, to answer your questions about the boat ride. Yes, it is a Malibu LSV 247 and he did offer to tow me. I think about wake boarding everyday because the water here is always glass except when there is a storm, but the water is pretty warm, almost hot. As for the peeps in Vegas dealing with the heat, I wish I could say I felt bad for you. I sweat from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep. My area is an oven. But I love the members and have a lot of fun with the people there.This week went so fast its crazy. But, unfortunately it was not our most progressive week. I got bit by something on my foot last week and it got pretty swollen and infected and I really had a hard time wearing shoes, but that's just life in the Philippines I guess. We have two investigators that are really progressing and understanding and I really want them to be baptized. The problem is that they are always working and they are never there when we go to their houses. Missionary work can be frustrating sometimes. In other news, I am getting pretty tired of people calling me Joe. I was about ready to nock out this teenager last week but I found my sense and now I am just trying to be more Christlike. I could definitely use some more patience so that's what I am gonna start working on. I have been thinking a lot this week about aligning our will with Gods and how much happier we would be if we could just forget ourselves and focus on doing the will of the Lord. I still have a ways to go in that area, you guys know that its rally easy for me to get distracted with my appearance and other worldly things but I am just gonna forget about what I want and go to work. That's my goal for next transfer. Mom, to answer your question about why I am so poor is because i'm I don't want to just blow that money on food, I still have a lot of fat to loose before I have to worry about starving. I have been using that money to buy things that I need and stuff to take home. Its not that bad, it's more exciting when we run out of money because we have to get creative with the stuff we eat and buy. I'm fine, don't worry. Another package already? Wow umm I guess just more of the same, fruit and nuts, beef jerkey, skip the candy, you know me:) But I do need some long black socks, mine are all shredded. All the socks here are kids sizes. Put some more pictures in the package too, that would be awesome. Well, thank you guys so much for everything, good luck with the move and keep on being the good examples for me that you are. I love you all and I know that this church is true, this gospel is the only place to find refuge from the world and help with the struggles that come in this test of life. Keep it real, Share the gospel. PEACE

ELDER PULSIPHER

June 1, 2013

Good Morning from Bacolod,

... I have been doing a lot better with the schedule but unfortunately its causing me to put on some serious weight. ha We walk all day and then come home and eat all night while we study. This week I am gonna work on temperance in all things. My companion and I get along really well but I wish he could help me a little more with the language. I have to get all my help from members and little kids. I am definitely getting more comfortable in Cebuano and can pretty much hold my own in any conversation. But, I still have so far to go to become the teacher that I want to be. I am pretty sure I'll never be fluent. But I guess that's just life, we strive every day to become better more Christlike people even though we will never be perfect. ...We had some really good and some really, well not good, teaching experiences this week but one in particular made me really frustrated. We have been teaching a less active family for a while now and on Saturday I felt impressed to share with them about the sacrament and about the Savior because they were offended because of something someone said to them. I felt like the whole lesson was totally lead by the spirit and the Dad even started crying and committed to go to Church and then just none of them showed up. Agency is a blessing and a curse sometimes. It seems like that happens every week buts the blessings and happiness of missionary work far out way the let downs. One blessing this week was a girl named Jona May got baptized. She has been one of my favorite investigators because she had such a desire to change and to be baptized. Every commitment that we gave her she did. Yesterday we taught the ten commandments and we had her read them the day before. She memorized all of them(in English) which was pretty hilarious, but I thought it was awesome and then she bore her testimony yesterday in Church too. ..I just want to let you guys know how happy I am right now here in the mission field, my testimony is strengthened everyday by these awesome people and I love the Branch that I am serving in right now too. Yesterday 58 people showed up to our little meeting house and I am sure that's the highest its been in years. ... I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your examples to me and for the letters. I am still waiting for that package but I am sure that I will be here soon. Thanks and I love you.

Elder Pulsipher