September awesomeness

Mom,

My week was awesome! We went down to Olongapo for 3 days; one was for MLC (Missionary Leadership Council), one for the Mission Tour (our area Presidency - a member of the 70 - came and visited), and had exchanges with the Assistants to the President. It was a really cool experience, and we got a lot of training and council. Being a zone leader is fun, because we get involved in so much more things in the church. I saw Elder Bowen, the Area President, 4 times in two days. This week we have plans for me to go on exchanges with the District Leaders in Bayto and Guisguis, which means that I will be able to visit another Province (kind of like a state) in the Philippines, Pangasinan! It's been a really busy week, and this one will be busy too! 

The Cultural Celebration for the new temple?! How awesome! That sounds like quite the challenge, but I bet that it will be amazing! I'm glad that you get to be so involved in everything! 

I heard that the games didn't go like we wanted... But good luck against Cedar this week! 

I know that putting up with Grandpa and Joyce isn't easy... I can't even imagine it right now. I hope and pray that everything will work out alright. 

Maybe you and Dad could take a vacation some time, and go visit Portland and his old Mission! Haha, I bet that it is really pretty this time of year!

Haha interesting... I will ask him!

I hope that you all have a great week! 

I don't really need anything, but if you send another package could you add in some insoles? My shoes are fine, I'm just starting to wear through the insoles in the bottom. And socks maybe, the original ones are losing their elastics and starting to get almost as holy as me 😉😂

Love you tons! Miss everyone!

Elder Kobe Potter

Zone leader!

Mom,

The New Area is good! It's pretty big, and we are just walking. For right now, until I really get to know it a little better I just follow Elder Poblador around. 

Being a Zone Leader, isn' t too bad haha. We just kind of take care of any concerns that the Missionaries in our Zone have. For example, this week there is a 70 coming to the mission. We had to organize the transportation for everyone to get there on time and stuff. 

Our house right now is super cool. We are all a lot a like, and get a long really well. Elder Poblador is from Bokolod, and is 20. He is the oldest of 5 siblings too, but his youngest brother was just born, while he was on the mission.

I haven't gotten the football yet, but I heard that I have 2 packages waiting for me this week!

It rained yesterday, but today it is back to super hot again! Haha our area hasn't been to bad with floods, but my old shoes are still wet. When we go down to Olongapo this week, I hope to get some souvenirs and stuff that I've been wanting to get. 

I'm happy for Carsen. I remember that week for me, it was really crazy... I'm glad that he is so ready and I know that he will do great!

I heard that they both lost in Football... That's a shame, but hopefully they will keep working hard and get better!

Sounds like having Grandpa and Joyce over has been quite the adventure!

Aubrey Spencer is working for you as a nurse? Cool, haha that's kind of funny how it all ends up. All these people from high school that I heard about, even though I'm halfway across the planet.

Dad said that being "all in" was their topic too. I will have to listen to it again! I know that the mission is a great time to serve the Lord to the fullness of our ability, but it doesn't just have to be here. Our serve that we promised in the temple is through out our entire lives.

Love you tons Mom! Miss everyone! 

Candelaria

Mom,

I'm now in Candelaria. It's really bukid (farm land), so the houses are really far apart, and people are really busy. But the church is pretty nice here! I've got my first Branch Mission Leader, and there are a ton of members who will feed us and everything. It seems pretty awesome! I'm back in a house with Elder Sudweeks, and the house is really nice. The owner is a Dentist who works in America and just comes back home here for vacation and stuff, so he has a lot of money. 

My companion is Elder Poblador. We actually came into the mission together, and he is a really cool Filipino. We are both Zone Leaders, and in charge of about 22 Missionaries. Our Zone is the farthest away from President, and covers most of Zambeles. I don't really know what exactly being a Zone Leader entails, but I will forward to you the letter that I got from President.

I'm glad that everything with Grandpa and Joyce was alright. I prayed that everything would be okay, I know that it must have been hectic.

I knew Carsen would do great. And I know he will do great on Wednesday. Don't worry, everything will be alright! I know it's hard... but I also know that it is what God wants of us.

I love you too! Miss everyone! Have a fantabulous week!

Elder Kobe Potter

Earthquake?!?

Mom,

She told us is was 7 Missionaries who had Dengue.... I think it sounds like fun, how many people do you know who've had Dengue? 😉😂 Just kidding, we will be sure to keep using bug spray and stuff. 

My week was good! We did work, getting 13 New Investigators and Two Investigators at church. Church was interesting, the Stake's Sunday School Presidency came and tried to kind of chew-out the Branch for not paying their tithing and doing their Home and Visiting Teaching... Hopefully it helps! 

Miracles... 

     Two of the New Investigators we had this are Von and Aaron. We found Von almost a week ago, and he said that we could come back anytime, that he and his brothers were always there. But, whenever we went back, nobody was home... This happened for almost a week. I was starting to feel like he had just been messing with us, and was tired of going back to this empty house. But Elder Peguit wanted to try them again, so we did. It ended up being a really great lesson, they were both really receptive and nice. I think they will progress to be really good investigators! I know that God is preparing people to be taught and to receive the church, in all places! 

Fun! I always did love listening to President Beeson, he always tells the best stories!

That will be good for Grandpa and Joyce. I'm glad that they will be closer and will be easier to take care of. Hopefully everything goes smoothly! Are they staying in my old room? 

Good luck with School and Football! How exciting! I wish I was there!

The rain has actually stopped a lot this last week, and it was really hot again... And yes we felt the Earthquake! Elder Peguit said that he thought I was just shaking his bed to get him up, but I was sitting at my desk reading when it happened! They said it was like 6.2, not strong enough to really do any damage, just scare some people.

I'll be sure to let you know next week what happens this week at transfers! 

Love you tons! Miss everyone! Can't wait to hear from you all again next week!

Elder Kobe Potter

Football

Mom,

I'm good! It was a long week, but it was good. We had almost 40 people sacrament meeting, and 3 of them were Investigators.

Our Miracle this week, was when we opened our Fast. It wasn't anything super special, we just knelt down and offered a little prayer before we went out to work on Saturday. We didn't have an awesome day, or I didn't feel super strong, and our problems didn't disappear. But I know that the Spirit was there, it was really strong as I prayed for the people of Bagac. I know that God loves his children, and he listens when we pray!

Football! Exciting! Is Tyson playing again? What position?

The cabin... I miss it. It's one of the pictures that you sent me in those little books! I want to go back really bad...

I'm glad that Logan and Heidi are doing good and feeling better!

Is Coach Lowry still teaching? 

I'm glad that you are excited for your new calling! Is Dad counted in your missionaires now?

When does Carsen enter the MTC again? The 16th is our transfer day here, but it's probably not the same...

Thank you Mom for all the love and support you always send to me. I love and miss you!

Elder Kobe Potter

The climb

Mom,

My week was great! Just like all the other's, but I'm trying to have a more positive outlook on the way things are here. I'm trying to do all that I can, there is no point stressing over the things that I can't control. It was really stormy here, President said that it is a legit Typhoon that was hitting just North of our Mission. It was A LOT of rain, and some pretty strong winds. I've heard that some roofs were ripped off by the wind in our area, but I haven't seen any yet. The pictures I sent are of the rain, the floods, and how crazy the ocean was! 

I miss the 24th Parade... Remembering that made me really homesick... Hopefully I'll be able to make it next time!

Shopping for Carsen! It is really close now isn't it! Crazy to think about...

I"m glad that Heidi and the Baby are aright, it's relieving to get them out of the Hospital!

Dad is moving classrooms? Where to?

That's awesome! Ward Missionary and Stake Young Women's Secretary! How exciting, haha! I don't know what that means either... but it sounds busy! Good luck!

This week was... Tough. We had just over 20 people at church. Two of our really progressing Investigators have disappeared; one texted us to not come back, and when we went she was out of town. The other has literally just disappeared, we can't find him to save our lives... We tried finding new people, but we got a whole lot of 'NO's... President Lacanentia says that NO means New Opportunities, so hopefully this week will be better...

One of our good investigators though, is Brother Don Don. He is a Part-Member, his wife was baptised a long time ago. But when she had her kids, she couldn't go to church by herself, and just fell into that routine. They were very happy to let us in, and the teaching has been going really good. The only problem, is that Brother works a lot; 6 to 6 every day but Sunday. And then, on Sunday; he always gets called up by his Dad, or Brothers, and they have to go do chores on the Farm or something... But we are praying!

 Elder Peguit  is really great at teaching, and works hard, and gets a long well with the members. 

The house is really pretty nice here. I think I sent a picture of what my desk looks like. There is Air Conditioning, but it is really expensive... I wouldn't use it right now, because it's Rainy Season not to hot at night, but Elder Peguit likes to turn it on, so we do. 

Not really any new foods, but I have started cooking more. I used to just be lazy and go out to eat or eat something from a can. Now, Elder Peguit and me and started trying to cook real Filipino foods. We cooked Filipino spaghetti, and Adobe. Next we are going to try and cook Siniagong. 

Crazy to think how long it has been... And how much longer it will be! Haha, but I'm glad to know that I can do hard things, and hopefully this downhill slide will seem faster than the climb! 

Love you Mom, miss you! 

Elder Kobe Potter

July

Mom,

Sounds like a busy week! I'm glad that everything went well with work. 

I hope that Heidi will be okay, and will keep praying for her! I'm glad that the baby is okay, she is very beautiful in the picture!

I'm glad that Logan's toe isn't serious. It doesn't look pretty, haha. Hopefully it heals fast and he can get back to his sports!

I miss the 24th of July Parade! I hope you will take a lot of pictures for me! 

I love Grandpa too! I hope that he is doing alright, and that He, Dad, and Uncle Robby can get everything figured out that they need too... Please send him my love again!

My week was good! We got to meet President Lacanienta again, a member had a birthday party for our Youth Activity, and it has started raining a lot!

I never seem to have any big great miracles to share... A littly tiny one that I noticed this week was just the other day. We were coming home from a really far area, when some random guy stopped us on the way. He was biking too, so we stopped on the side of the road to talk. He said that his Neighbor wanted to get to know us. He said that his neighbor's daughter had just recieved a wheelchair from the church, and wanted to know more about who we are. It was just a really random thing, and the people here are usually to shy to stop us in the middle of the street. We found the little girl yesterday. She is only about 6 maybe, and has some kind of disease where she has no control over her legs from the knees down. Her Mom, a single parent, had carried her to a near bye member when we found her. As we introduced our selves, I felt the Spirit testify that this Single Mother had really been prepared to receive the Gospel. I could only think about how much the Church could help her and her little girl. She was very receptive, and we set a return appointment later this week. 

The branch here is about the same, we had 31 people at church yesterday. When we visited the people who we thought were going to come to church there were a whole lot of sickness and excuses... I just hope that what we are doing here is good enough, and that we are doing what the Lord would have us do!

We are teaching a lot of Less Active Part Member families. These are members who have stopped coming to church, and now have members in their family who are not yet baptized. It's a great way to get both the new people to be baptized, and the old members to come back to church. Or it's supposed to be... 

     The Jacob Family here, has been sealed in the Temple. They used to be super active in the church, and everyone thought that Brother Jacob was going to be made Branch President. But, slowly, they became Less Active. They have since been baptised into a different Church, but stopped going to church there too. When we found them, they were very willing to listen, but have been slow to act... The Children of Brother and Sister Jacob, who were Youth when they last went to church, now have Husbands who have never been baptized. We have been trying to teach them, and they promised to come to church yesterday. They didn't show though...

I really don't need you to send me anything, but I would love to get something, haha! But I can't really think of anything I want or need, no.

Yes, the members here do feed us! A lot actually, considering the small number of members... They are very kind, and love the missionaries a lot. 

I love you too Mom! Miss you! Can't believe it's almost been a year! 

Elder Kobe Potter