11-29-2010

Hello family and friends!!!

This week has been really spiritual for me and my companion. I found out that Sister Elisa got her answer about the Prophet Joesph Smith. I was so excited!!! Her story is really long and I cant remember every detail. She got her answer Nov 7. and she didnt tell anyone but she was just pondering about it trying to really think about what she felt. So I wasn't the only one that got a witness that the BOM and Joseph are true that day. Elder Kaka and I gave her a little notebook to write the things she feels and learns and ?'s she has. She wrote the whole thing in the notebook and now she has been writing ever since about things she learns, her testimony, etc. This last week we have had very little progressing investigators and so we have been finding alot and since im the only one that knows the area I decide where we find. So we were in this area that we have found in alot so I wanted to try a new place. So I just started to walk into a new area and I was just talking with my companion and Im just turning right and left down different road and we didn't knock on any doors but I walked right up to a door where there was a guy just smoking and for some reason I didn't say anything to him but he just said im busy and left and a sister came out and she said Hi and I was like Hi we're missionaries and she said I know. and I was like you know? she said yes. She said I'll be back, she went to the next house and she got her sister who back in the day the missionaries taught her and she went to church a few times. We shared a little message and left a BOM. I dont know how I got to the house but I do know that the spirit just guided us there to her. The same thing happened the day before that. We were walking down a path in a new area and I turned around cause people were talking about us so I said Hello and they ran off but there were some people in a house we were next to and they said hi back and came outside. We soon find out that they were taught by missionaries about a year ago and no one ever went back to them. I dont know why stuff like that happens but it turns out to be good. I have 2 story of the same thing happening again. But we found less actives and sunday the mom came to church and now were teaching her family. Yesterday we went back to one of those less actives and they weren't there but this lady saw us and heard us speaking Tagalog and she invited us to come eat at her house and of course we weren't gonna pass that up. We shared a message with them about Jesus Christ and told them this Christmas dont forget to to remember the Savior. My birthday was pretty good. Nothing big but it was good. we ate at a members house. Thanksgiving was good to! We ate again at a members house and we ate my favorite....Sinigang na Baboy. Well thats about all I have this week. Hope everyone's holiday was a great one. Mahal ko kayo!

Elder Cobbley

11-22-2010

11-22-2010 (I know, its a little late... sorry)

Hello family and friends:)

This week has been an awesome one!!! Yesterday we went to church my new companion and I for the first time and there was no investigators and as we were greeting everyone. I saw sister Elisa!!! She has been an investigator for so long and it was her first time to go to church. I was so excited!! After our lesson with her the night before we forgot to invite her but she came. She had a good experience and thats the good part! My companion and I have been finding alot to get some new investigators added to our pool. I will update you about my language haha I think im about normal. Haha I cant talk and understand but there of course some words I dont understand and of course I find those out right way and start using them. Lately I have been focusing more on the people than what we teach them. I learned that if you listen and ask the right questions you can teach to there needs instead of putting some in front of them that doesn't meet there needs but just to teach. My new companion and I are doing really good with that. Today we taught a lesson about the BOM and shared and scripture that pertained to there lives. I like to ask them if you could ask God any question what would you ask them and then finding a scripture from the BOM to show that it really does answer questions of the soul. Today our new investigator wanted to know how Mormon became a prophet so I explained to him how God called him as a prophet. My companion try to really focus on the needs and wants of the investigators and that keeps them more interested until the start gaining a testimony for themselves. This last week since its close to my Birthday members are all asking me to come by there home to eat dinner. So Friday night we have a dinner with a member. We will be eating white spaghetti. I think its just alfredo sauce and noodles. Friday afternoon for lunch we will be eating PIZZA HUT hahaha. Im pretty stoked!! Anyways something that happened that I think is a werid but of course sad story. One night when my old companion and I were going home from one of our investigators we walked past the strip clubs and got on a jeepney and I was sitting there. My companion was talking to someone and I was just sitting there. A man got on the Jeep with two friends and he had blood all over his shirt and pants and no one really noticed but me. I asked them what happened and they said that he was stabbed a few minute earlier. I thought that is crazy. I first I thought he was shot. They were going to the hospital. Something about the area here in Bicutan....is there is a Muslim church. There is this big area where no on ebut muslim live there. we're not really aloud to go in that area cause bad things happen. Everyone tells us to stay away from there so they will capture us. We try to stay out of that area. The other day we found ourselves right next to the building. Another thing...they use this loud mega phone type deal and they do that hummmming type thing. Im not sure what it means but I thought it was kinda cool haha. Thats about all I have for this week haha. Oh my companion caught his ear and a hook on a clothes hanger and it ripped some of the skin off. This was yesetday so we went to SM Mall on a sunday to get im fixed haha I gave him my sweat rag to keep the blood from getting on his shirt haha. Well thats all.... Hope everyone has a great week and a wonderful Thanksgiving as I do here:). Also a Maligayang Pasko (Merry Christmas) and a Happy New Year!!!! Mahal ko kayo!

Elder Cobbley

11-17-2010

Magandang hapon sa inyo lahat family and friends

Today was transfer day and i got my new companion Elder Nye. My first american companion. Im still in the same area. I learned alot the last transfer. About my companion, how to be a better missionary and about myself. Alot of time my last companion and I would clash and that would slow the work in the area. I learned stuff I could to better as a missionary. This last transfer was a pretty rough one. It felt like the work we did was wasted but I know that it wasn't. Something that was said at transfer meeting was that everyone has there strengths (BRT, Asking ?'s, teaching, etc) But thats why there is two of us and thats why we are assigned to our companions. They may be good at teaching but not good with BRT and your good at BRT but not as good at teaching. Our companions streangths make up for our weaknesses. Im greatful for my last companionship even thou it was alot different. Our relationship is alot stronger now. Im greatful to be here serving ever thou it is hard at times. It can be stressful at times but its all worth it in the end when you can see them enter the waters of baptisms. Anyways im greatful for everyone support. I enjoy the letters that come. Anyways thats all for this week take care everyone. Mahal ko kayo

Elder Cobbley

11/8/2010

Hey everyone!!!!

Transfers are getting close and it feels like just got here. Its so crazy how time flys!!!!!!! Anyways something that I thought was really cool and I want to share it. Yesterday we were teaching a lesson to our investigators Sis Mary Ester and Sis Elisa. They have been praying about the BOM and Prophet Joseph Smith and they still have received an answer. We were teaching about faith, sincere heart,and real purpose. They thought we were telling them that they were lacking one of these things and it did kinda sound that way and I was trying to fix it by telling them that they do have those things and that maybe they need to wait to receive an answer. Brother Aries jumped in and added some really good things. At the end we all got on our knees and had one of them say a pray and ask if these things were true. Before the pray the people outside were really loud but when we started to pray everything got really quiet and I felt a burning in my chest and everything was really peaceful. After about a few seconds of pondering I told them of the feeling I felt and that I knew with out a doubt that the BOM and Joseph Smith are true! That was the first time that I have ever done a pray like that with our investigators. Than after the lesson it got loud again outside. Another thing I liked about the week was yesterday also. We went on splits with the ward missionaries. Brother Aries and I went to the family we found last week. They were just was nice as they were the first time. They brought chairs when they saw us and they brought out water, juice and snacks. We taught a lesson and they were really receptive again. We are definitely going back to that family!:) My companionship has got a lot better as we talked about thing we can do to be better examples and work together. I have noticed lately that people listen really closely when I shared personal experiences. We taught a less active family and I shared an experience when I didn't want go to church for a little excuse. They really listened and told them that our Father in Heaven will make a way for them to attend church. When I shared I wasn't planning on talking about church but it just came out haha. Well thats all for this week. Until next week.

Elder Cobbley

Us at the there house for dinner, The chapal(Real small), The view from the apartment roof in the morning, The apartment, Apartment again, and us at the apartment. Elder Kaka, Elder Edwards, Me, Bro. Juncel and Bro. Aries

Theses are pics oh my new area. The two guys are ward missionaries and they are cooking pig. The one in the white is going on a mission pretty soon. The other is an RM and there both real nice. In the last three weeks I have built a good relationship with them. Next this is a stroller that this guy made out of wood. Its a Helicopter. Next this my recent converts Mark Sia, My old companion, ward missionary, ME, Kathryl Sia, Juleen Jaunico. Next the Sia family minus the mom and dad. Next at there house after for dinner. (shes trying to rub my head for good luck or something haha).

11/1/10

This week was pretty good. We found some really good people. First off we were in the area and we went to back of a house and there was a stairway going up. I told my companion to go up so we did and we knocked on this door and a nanay answered. She let us in and we taught he and here daughter. Later the tatay came home and we sheared with him to. He said they would go to church with us on the first visit. We then went to the next door. A brother answered but the was busy he gave us his number and we have been going back ever since. His wife left him and she has the kids and he wants to get remarried but he cant cause he's not divorced and he told us he doesn't want to break a commandment. The problem is a real divorce is really expensive and hes poor. So we promised we would find out what he had to do to get divorced. Next we met a Tatay last week and he was nice but we weren't planning on going back. I walking walking past his house one last week and he seemed pretty interested so we went back and we taught a lesson on faith. he got fired as a security guard cause they say hes to old but he's only 55ish. The spirit was REALLY strong!! Next I went on splits with a ward missionary and we were just closing for the night and looking for just 1 or 2 more lessons. We walked past a little walk way and I saw someone sitting down there. I stopped and said we need to go back. I walked up to the family and said good evening can we introduce ourselves. The Nanay stood up and went inside the house I thought she was leaving but she brought out two chairs. We taught and the spirit was REALLY strong also!! We promised to come back later the next week. I dont know why I said we need to go back but I just felt like we should and it turned out to be a really good lesson. Anyways this last Saturday a family was baptized in my last area. The Oñate Family. I found them when I was on splits. I just found out they were baptized today. They tried to invite me but I didn't hear about anything and so right now I feel really bad about not being there:(. There were real tough back in the day and then they opened up and now there members. Well those are some of my experiences. Last night I fixed the toilet weird to bring that up yeah I know but I felt really good haha. What happened was a spoon was thrown in to the toilet and no one had the guts to pull it out so it got deeper and deeper and it was stuck so the toilet was clogged. Well I took a hanger and stuck it up there and and fished it out and now its all good. I dont know if this is bad but they one of the Elders in the apartment sang "Praise to the man who fixed the toilet" haha. Anyways last week we were coming home from my area and we saw a little kid sleeping on the side of the road. I had some bananas so i took one and put it next to him so that we would wake up and see it and im hoping smile haha. Anyways thats all for today......Until next week take care. Mahal ko kayo!

Elder Cobbley