Elder Booth is leaving our area??!!

So somewhere along the way, Elder Booth heard that he would probably be transferred in the next transfer. So he set up some FHE's and tried to go around and visit anyone he could to say goodbye and give some last minute advice. As you will read in the letter below, things did not go as he had anticipated and he ended up having a lot more time to say his goodbyes...

These pictures are of a Family Home Evening with one of the families Elder Booth wanted to say goodbye to:




This is Elder Booth saying goodbye to the good people who used to feed him, along with his companion, almost every Sunday. I guess he'll get a few more meals with them:



These are some invetigators that Elder Booth had for a little while. He had to stop coming after their grandma told them not to come back.

Left to right: Melody, John John,Elder Booth, Gary, Dexter, Elder

This next picture is one of Elder Booth's Zone eating at "21." It is a nice restaurant that "was very tasty," according to Elder Booth:

Here is the letter explaining all of the "happenings" of the transfer that didn't happen...


Date: May 3, 2009 8:56:09 PM PDT
Subject: Amogihapon

Yea, the subject means it's all the same. Transfer meetings on Tuesday were kind of a surprise. When they called me, they asked me what I thought would be happening to me. I said with a big smile that I would probably be transferring. Then I found myself sitting right back down with the smile wiped clean after hearing that I would be staying for at least another transfer. Oh, and the other elders that I live with would be getting white washed, which means I now live with three new people. Me and my companion really did not expect that since we had been preparing for me to leave. I already had had two family home evenings where I gave my little farewell speech and final advice. I guess they had to make last minute changes because some elder got sent home before he could leave the MTC. It's a good thing that I like my area or I think I would go crazy.

I am really getting close to the members here. This is really becoming my homeward. They were pretty shocked to here that I would be staying though, since we had pretty much told everybody that I would be the one to leave. I even signed all the Book of remberances and stuff. Oh yea, that is one thing they do here in the Philippines. Everybody had a little book/yearbook type thing. When they give it to you to sign, you just take a page and do whatever you want to like draw or just put a picture of yourself. Some of them are really cool. I just wish I could draw, or even write. I am going to be known for having the crappiest ones. Oh well. I really don't like doing them anyway. I actually hope the word will spread.

Well anyway, my new companion is really nice. His name is Elder Martanito. (Don't ask me if that is how you spell it. Just be glad that I actually remembered it). He is the exact opposite of my last companion when it comes to size. He is about the height of Ulma and might be even smaller. He is cool though. (See pictures below!) I don't know how I feel about the other two elders living with me. One is named Elder Hopper who is an American from some where over there. He is training a filipino from Manilla, I think. I can't remember his name, but he is pretty nice. Elder Hopper is just kind of not my type. I don't think I would have spent all that much time with him before the mission. Oh well. Just preparing to get another crappy roommate in college, I guess. I can't complain too much. He really isn't all that bad.

The hardest thing about this whole thing is having to lead. I am acting as the senior companion right now since he really does not know the area at all and I have been here my whole mission so I can at least tell him where to go. I am a little stressed though, because we are supposed to get 6 baptisms this month and I will feel like a failure if I don't get them all. I guess I will just have to put my trust in the lord and hope I am worthy for him to work through me because I don't think I can do it on my own. They should all work out though, as long as they all come to church.

We actually got up bright and early yesterday to go and get some kids. After waiting for them to all get ready and stuff, we ended up leaving the little area with four of them tagging along. All of their parents are members; they just don't come to church. I don't know if they ever will, either. I will just have to have faith that the spirit can change anybody's mind. The kids are a blast though. They are really good at reading and are really smart with the lessons. They made church fun too. Since all we had were kids there for investigators, we just sent them to Primary and decided to just go with them. I don't know if the teacher liked me there, but I had fun. The kids all decided to spend most of the time hanging on me and throwing stuff at me. I felt bad but I will just use the excuse that I was trying to get closer to the investigators. It actually worked well though. We were all pretty good friends by the end of the block. I just hope they will all come next week on their own. They all really want to be baptized. Now they just need to realize what they need to do first.

We actually have another investigator that just turned eight. She has been coming to church for a while so we thought it would be a piece of cake. We were actually just waiting for her to turn eight. However, we actually found a road block. She is really really shy. She will barely look at us during the lessons, let alone answer us. We kind of thought that would make the baptisimal interview kind of hard. We are actually playing games to get over that. The rest of our investigators are doing alright. They just have a couple of things in the way. Usually going to church is the biggest hurdle, though.

My kind of funny story took place on Saturday. It started while we were teaching one investigator kind of way out yonder. It started to really pour as in really, really pour. So we ran out and jumped on a motor(trike thing) and headed out on the high way. We were driving through mini rivers, but I was still not too wet. Then this stupid jeep decides to be funny and get the stupid white boy. He drove up right next to us and just completely drenched me. I came pretty close to swearing, but instead just shook my fist at him a lot.

We finally arrived at the church where there was an activity. They were playing games in the church. Here the cultural hall and the chapel are the same thing. They just have all chairs and no benches. So I got to watch them put on a fashion show in the chapel. It was not a normal one though. Instead of girls, it was boys in girl's clothing acting gay. I felt bad laughing at this in the chapel, but I was sitting next to the Bishop who was laughing a lot harder than I was. They borrowed my camera for it though, so I got most of it on video so you can see some of the activities here in the Philippines. Well, that's all I have to say about that.

I love you all and can't wait to talk to you on Mother's Day. Well, actually about that. They told us that it could take place any time in the month of May. What will probably happen is I will just have you call me here at my apartment. I would use those cards but I can't figure out how to use them here. Maybe I will try and if it does not work you can just call me. So yea. Just tell me when the best time is and everything. I will get the number to mom and stuff, but hopefully I will be able to figure out that card. Thanks for the support. Keep on trucking and have fun. I guess I don't have to say that since it sounds like you had a fun week as a family.

Elder Booth

Here are some pictures of Elder Booth with his new companion and the new companionship that will be sharing the apartment with him:

From left to right: Elder Booth, Elder Martanito, Elder Hopper, Elder Eslava

These next three pictures are Elder Booth with his new companion, Elder Martanito:

Elder Booth is looking extra tall in this picture!

Elder Booth thinks this picture is funny!

This picture doesn't have them looking so different in height!

Good Luck with your new companion, Elder Booth!!

New Companions...

Yes. The time has come. Elder Booth now has a new companion, his second one in the Philippines. His name is Elder Lucas (as shown up above) and he is from the Philippines.
As Elder Booth mentioned in his last letter, he has already graduated and is a civil engineer. Here's a shot of him in the apartment:

Here he is again with Elder Hamblin and his new companion in the background:

Here he is with Elder Hamblin's new companion, Elder Lising:

Here is Elder Lucas again with another Elder (maybe his last companion??):

Here is Elder Lising with a Sister missionary:

While the companionships have changed, the work hasn't. Here is the next update from Elder Booth:

Date: February 15, 2009 7:01:57 PM PST

Hey everybody. Things are still going well here on the other side of the world. Let's see. Nothing all that exciting has really happened, so I will do my best to make it a good one this week.

I am doing a lot better with my companion. We have actually become pretty good friends, even though there is still a little language barrier. He is actually a lot like an American in a lot of ways, so i am not having too much trouble getting used to the culture things. Elder Hamblin's companion is a little different still. He is really hard to get used to. I have to hold my breath a lot when he does some things. It's good to learn patience. It will make me a lot better husband some day.

The work as actually been slowing down a little bit. All of our current investigators have the tendency to not be there when we are supposed to teach them. So we are doing a lot of finding right now. Our area really is not all that big, so it is kind of hard to find new places to go since I have pretty much been everywhere now. It's good though, because I am learning a lot talking to people all of the time. As for our investigators, we are having a tough time getting them to church. They are willing to listen, read, and even pray, but going to church just doesn't fall on their agenda on Sundays. In fact, we only had one investigator come last Sunday. Her name is Sister Mary Ann and she is the one that is pregnant and just needs to get married in order to be baptized. We are having a lot of trouble with the desire of Brother Gasper. He just does not seem like he wants to be married. My companion will always call him a momma's boy when we go there. I think that is kind of funny. We have also been working in this rich area as well. That is a little harder, of course, but we are having some luck. It is a really nice place though. If I were to move to the Philippines, that would probably be the place I would go. It is right next to a golf course and there is a big resort just up the road. There are some really nice houses. It is weird teaching in a bamboo hut and then going there and sitting in a family room twice the size of most houses here. We have three investigators there right now that are also doing good, but just won't come to church.

The ward is doing good, but still in a healing process, or at least that is what the bishop said. They got pretty messed up from the last missionaries that were here. I still hear his name usually once a day from one of the members. They all think he had a girl friend. They do not treat the girl that was supposed to be his girlfriend very good either. She is luckily still active, but she just goes to a different meeting house. My companion wants to actually work with her again. I don't know if that is the best idea though, since one of the first things a lot of members said to me was stay away from her. I will have to update you later on how that dilemma works out.

The language is going alright. I guess it could be worse. It is just a little frustrating not to understand everything. A lot of the times I will know what they are saying, but can't seem to find the right words to respond. It is the worst when they are talking about me. It's good though. I am just using it as motivation right now to learn more each day.

Oh, I showed some members all of the family pictures. They think we are all pretty guapo and guapa. They even called Chad a movie star, so they must really like Americans. Joke long. Oh, and sorry Ulma, they thought you were Mexican. If it makes you feel any better I corrected them right away. It was pretty funny though. T hey loved the mountains in the back ground too. They just could not get over those. All of them said they wanted to go there just for that. I guess we take them for granted some times. I know I did. I kind of miss them now.

As far as the culture stuff goes, I don't really know anymore. I have been drenched the last couple of days because I keep forgetting my umbrella. Oh, that is one thing. They actually hate the rain here. They think you will get sick if you stay out in it for too long. Oh, and if you are sweaty you can't take a shower or go out in the rain until you are dry or you will get some disease that I can't remember the name of. I guess the weirdest thing was having a kid poop in the middle of my lesson again. This was different though. When it happened before, they actually cleaned it up and everything. This time they just took the kid, threw some water on him, and then threw some ash on the poop, which was right in the middle of the house. I thought that was kind of interesting. Oh, and basketball is really fun here. I'm tall and can dunk it, so they think I am Kobe or something. It's fun though and they are a blast to play with. I actually played this morning.

Well I had better get going. Keep sending me news of home. Still sounds like things are changing really fast back there. It just won't be the same place I left. Oh well. I like change for the better. I love you all and wish the best. Thanks again for the support. I don't think I could thank you enough for that, so I will just keep including it at the end each week.

Elder Booth