Baptisms!

Dearest Mother of mine,

Things have been kind of crazy here. The sister's in our district had an investigator that was getting baptized, So guess who has 2 baptisms under his belt? Also, we have another one this Wednesday and also Friday! Finally getting some baptisms. 

I did get the package, I am (sadly) almost out of those amazing peeps. I just barely opened the Dr
pepper twizzler things and so far they're awesome! 

It's hard to take pictures. President Lopez has said to all the missionaries here that we need to always look like missionaries, not tourists. 

No, I don't need food. It's just been crazy here. (Although I do want some bandannas, preferably red, white, or black.)

The work? It's actually easier now. We (Elder Cano and I) teach different people now because we have given most of our investigators to the sisters (per advice of President Lopez)

Do they celebrate it(Mother's Day). I will tell you when I find out.  Mothers day call/skype call (I pick one or the other) Is on May 8 I think, I'm not too sure but it's soon.  It's approximately 30 minutes.

I will be sending the baptism pictures shorty.

Elder Archuleta

Also, I would like my pink tie. Jake cannot wear it. It's mine.  (Dad included a picture of "The Jakes" in his email from Sunday in Deacons Quorum, wearing what he thought was HIS pink tie, but it was Jakob's Easter tie.  He he he)

Questions from Dad:

I have a few questions:

Have you bought anything fun?

favorite food?

Anything fun you do on your PDay?

Language easier?

Is there anything you need sent to you?

Did you receive the last package Mom sent?

 Dear Dad,

Not really. I think that I'm going to wait to buy the fun stuff for when I' about to come home. But things may change. 

Favorite food? Almost anything? I actually haven't had a whole lot of fish, just once in almost 3 months? Although I did have Eel a few days ago... Not doing that again. It tastes like burnt rubber and fish with the consistency of gum. Really weird. 

We play basketball as a zone, even though we all know I cant play basketball. 

Yea, It gets easier as time goes by. I'm definitely a lot better than when I left the MTC. 

I already said what I would like to mom, but just in case: red/white/black bandannas 

Yes, And I have eaten a lot of the candy. It was a good idea to include the toothpaste, I was starting to run low on what I had.

    Sister Miraflor and Sister Cindy

       I think this is the best one (I might have sent this one already, I don't remember)

    Serious picture (but I like the other one better.)

Mango Mystery

This week has been very weird. Like nothing interesting really happened except for one this last Friday. 

So Elder Cano and I were just kicking it in our apartment making dinner. I was doing the dishes when I turned around to talk to Elder Cano, and sitting on the middle of the floor was a mango. I asked Elder Cano where it came from, and he didn't know. At first I thought he was joking, but it turns out neither of us knew where it came from... Which concerned us. So, jokingly, Elder Cano said "Maybe its like the Liahonna..?" I decided to call it the "Mango-hona."

We still have the mango. It's sitting as a decoration in  our apartment. 

That's about it for this week. I still haven't gotten the package. We go to the Mission Home on May 1, so I might get it then (hopefully not!  I meant like I hope I don't have to wait that long.)

Okay, so the laundry: Its a big bucket thingy (will include a picture in the future) and you fill it with water and pour in your soap and wash your clothes. Very boring. 

About that treat, never heard of it. 

Everything about the baptism kind of got thrown out the window. There was a problem and we were counselled by President Lopez to give J. to the Sisters. As for our other investigator, James, he's had deaths in his family for the past like 3 weeks. He's also like almost 70. 

Well I think that's about it for this week. 

Love you all!

-Elder Archuleta

Conference

Dear Dad,

Conference was great! We watched it here at our church building. It's
been raining a lot the past 2 days, and nothing to report this week.
We're just teaching investigators. The language? It's a lot better
than when I first got here. They speak slower in the MTC than they do
here.

Sorry, there probably wont be pictures this week either. I haven't had
time to take any, maybe one or two. My companion and I are low on
pesos so were spending very little time here on the computers.

Love you all
-Elder Archuleta

We will keep working

Grandma always gets different information in her emails, so she said we could include his latest email to her on the blog.  Thanks Grandma!

Dear Grandma,

It's okay! I'm busy here working, you get like 7 days to write 1
email, I get like an hour to respond to like a bajillion.  (Grandma thought he wouldn't get her email.)

Haven't watched it yet! It's being broadcast here this weekend.  (General Conference)

It has rained like... 23468463546876546865136876984 times in the past
week. It rains for like 3 seconds... stops... starts up again...
stops.... and repeats that like all day. It did rain like super bad
last week. My companion and I got so wet we had no choice but to go
home and do nothing because we had to bring our laundry inside to dry.

I will be taking pictures like crazy to make up for no pictures.
Literally nothing happened this week. We have just been looking for
investigators, but nothing yet. We will keep working.

Awkward. Sometimes people ask me if I'm related, (to David Archuleta) and my mission
president said I have to say yes. It's both awesome and scary. Its
awesome because we get like all these people to listen to us, but its
bad because they expect me to start singing... Not happening.

Also, mom said that someone in our fam also served in the Philippines?
Who and where did they serve? What languages do they know?

More kittens? ...When did you have cats?

-Elder Awesome

I plan accordingly..

No pictures from our Elder Awesomeness this week.  At least we received an email!  The pictures from President Lopez' Facebook will have to hold us over until he gets some sent to us.  



Dear Mom,

We get to watch conference this weekend, so don't ruin anything for me!

Yes, we had a few things holding our investigators back, But we
officially have a baptism on the 19th. But the Sister missionaries
have a baptism this weekend and I'm probably doing it. No, I can buy
TP, its just pointless. I plan accordingly.

Vegas?! Cool. I'll just enjoy living here in the Philippines... You
know... A tropical Island of Awesomeness with me there... No biggie.

I would love having the extra charger and batteries. I did manage to
find it, it somehow managed to cram itself in between the desk and the
wall perfectly. Also... hmmm... I'm not really sure if I really need
anything else. Snacks are completely acceptable *cough cough* I'm not
sure how much It ended up being but I thonk I withdrew a total of like
$30ish? It was the equivolent of P1000 (plus a P200 currency exchange
fee and the BOFA fees too) But Were all good now. The ATM in our city
works again.

Yes, I can receive pictures.

Love to everyone
-Elder Archueta

La Carlota Sunday Visit

Just happened to check President Lopez' Facebook page today and found this!  Only one picture of Elder Archuleta, but a couple interesting ones with the transportation in La Carlota.  President Lopez visited and interviewed baptism candidates on Sunday in the La Carlota Zone.

  

La Carlota 2 Missionaries:  Sister Peterson, Sister Madrid, Elder Archuleta and Elder Cano.

I counted.  There were 15 people in this tricycle!  (President Lopez' words)

After Church.

Tricycle rides in La Carlota, Negros Occidental Philippines 

Follow-up Training for February Arrivals

In Elder Archuleta's last email, he told us that he "would find out for reals on Wednesday" concerning his viewing of conference.  We had no idea what that meant, as per Alec's track record, he does not explain himself very well.  He gets this from his Dad.  ;)  Well, Mom happened upon these wonderful pictures on President Lopez' Facebook page...she checks it every now and then for information and possible pictures.  This time she got lucky!  There were 133 photos.  These are a few of them.

Follow-Up Training for February Arrivals 2014

Mission President gives his opening remarks.

Mission President illustrates the difference between missionary work and the hastening the Lord's work.  A companionship working together is defined as missionary work but....

A companionship that splits to work with 2 members (1 missionary works with a member, his other companion works with a 2nd member) is defined as.."hastening the Lord's work"

Create a plan, personal goals to help double the effort.

Assistants Elder DeVera and Elder Wilstead giving training on the First 12 Weeks.

Achilles' heel - we all have our weaknesses.  We find our Achilles' heel (our weaknesses) by checking your progress.  Check your progress in the First 12 Weeks resource booklet

Trainers, give your new missionary the experience to lead in EDPER, in planning and your areas.  It will help in building their confidence.  You need to be out of your comfort zone and be over with it.

Mastering the Fundamentals by President Uchtdorf

Mission President asks, how is your Hiligaynon?

Mission President called on Elder Archuleta to invite an investigator to be baptized in Hiligaynon.

Hiligaynon still needs some work.

Mission President called on his trainer, Elder Cano to help.

He could use some help.

Trainer (Elder Cano) coaching him (Elder Archuleta).

Question and Answer session with Sister Dixon.

Lunch after training meeting.

Pizza and ice cream!

2014 February Arrivals Follow Up Training Meeting with their trainers.

With the Assistants.

After the Follow Up Training meeting.

Elder Archuleta and Elder Cano

Assistants taking them to their bus terminals.