Here is a truck loaded with some building materials. I'm not sure if these materials were for the meeting house being built, or not:
Here are the missionaries building the meeting house:
Look what they found! Cute little snail...
What a beautiful view!
Even though we can barely see him, we know that Elder Booth is looking good!
Here are the District members who helped with the build. You'll recognize Elder Netzley, Elder Hamblin, Elder Booth and Elder Erickson in the front, from left to right. As for the others in the district, I'm not quite sure.
Finally, a letter from Elder Booth dated around the time the pictures were taken.
Date: January 25, 2009 6:57:00 PM PST
If you haven't noticed, I am going to try and make the subject of each weekly letter different. That way I at least know that something is a little different, because if feels like I am writing the exact same thing every single week.
This past week has been a good one. The work here is really starting to progress and I am really excited. Oh, and I am really happy to say that the baptism of the family on Saturday is still right on schedule. The bishop interviewed them on Sunday and found them all worthy to take the plunge. It is going to be so great. We have some good speakers lined up and my companion and I are actually going to do a special musical number. I don't know how I got roped into that one, but oh well. It will be good for me. I will tell you next week how it goes and hopefully take some good pictures. (I haven't been taking too many so that will be a great chance for me to do so).
Our other investigator is still golden. I don't have too much experience yet, but I am pretty sure they don't get any more golden than her. A member just walked up to us and told us to teach her. She is only seventeen but we just found out that her parents are supportive and are willing to sign the permission form. The only set back is she has a date for the seventh and she just found out that my trainer would be going home before then so she is now really sad he can't baptize her. So he is going to try and do it next Sunday, which will be her fourth Sunday at church. Hopefully that works out, or I guess she will just have to settle for me or my follow up trainer. As long as she is baptized, I am happy.
My funny experience for the week is actually pretty interesting. We got an oym about a week ago so we went there to try and follow up with it. When we went up to the house there were two girls sitting there on a motor. So we asked them if Brother Baal was at home. They proceeded to tell us that he had died. Not really believing them, my companion asked if we could see. They said of course and took us inside. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the funerals here are in their house and last about a week and end up turning into a gambling party. Anyway, we followed them inside. Sure enough there was a casket just sitting there in their front room. So we looked inside and I could have sworn there sitting there was our oym. So not really knowing what to do now, we sort of just stood there. They told us to sit down and then started bringing us some food. That is when things got a little awkward. I had no idea what to do so I just sat there quietly. Then they looked at us and said it would be cool if we shared with them. So of course we shared about the plan of salvation. It was a crazy lesson. There was a old guy there that just kept asking us biblical riddles. I really didn't understand too well so I just sat there while they kept bringing me food. It was a little weird trying to eat and be in the conversation at the same time. Considering I didn't understand too well, I did more eating. After we finally got done we found out that Bro Baal was still alive and that was his dad, so that was a relief.
The last funny thing that happened was I prayed at the end and then stood up to leave. Then my companion grabbed me and said the old guy wanted to pray as well. So I sat down and stared at him waiting for him to stop talking and start praying. About half way through the prayer, I realized that everybody had their head down but me. So I put my head down and listened to him yell his prayer. Then when he got done he just said, "ok I'm done now." So that is my funny experience this week.
I think I am getting pretty used to the culture so it is really hard to think of anything really weird to talk about. As for food, I didn't eat anything too bad this week. I did get some really hairy big (pig??) skin, but I wasn't man enough to eat it. The hair really got to me.
Well, I love you all and hope you are keeping our Savior in your thoughts. Just remember it is harder to commit a sin when you are thinking of our brother suffering for it. Thanks again for all of your support and don't worry too much about your Elder in Bacolod.
Elder Booth
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