December 26th

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all

Well Christmas was good. Not like anything back home but it was Christmas. We ate dinner Christmas Eve with a family and it was good. Chicken, Roasted pig, and it tasted like Alfredo but she said it wasn't. anyways we ate dinner last night. Tonight we also have a dinner/FHE. I have to leave here pretty soon to make it that. But it was really good hearing everyone voice. Time always flys!!! The time i spent talk to you all felt like 10 minutes. We will be having a baptism/ marriage on the Dec 31. The ward is planning a ward FHE that night so that the family has a special time with the members and a good welcome to the ward. I was kinda worried about that the other day. The family is to wealthy. They make it by and they were hoping to have some food at the wedding and I told them its not important. The important part is that you are getting married and baptized. We have also been visiting a lot of less actives helping them come back.

The pics....That is Letson baboy, my shoes, The bus we rented to go to the temple, the pic the member sketched of the Willard family.

Well Sorry I dont have a lot of time but I will write again next week.

Elder Cobbley

November 23rd Letter

Sorry I am kinda in a rush at the moment. Well today my comp and I went to Outback Steak House for lunch after we went to the temple this morning. We actually met his dad and brother there at the temple and the talked and gave him a package and then we split. But this Saturday we are going back to the Temple for a sealing of recent convert of Elder Hernando's. I was suppose to have one on saturday too but they moved it to december. I just told them basta before april. haha before I go home. I think we are going to go back to Outback and have lunch again. Also Friday night I talked to sister missionaries in our zone to cook dinner for me so yeah. My birthday should be pretty fun!

I went on exchanges with the district Leader here Elder Velasco. He is going home in 1 week and we is having a hard time staying productive but when I worked with him he explained the he doesn't want to go home but that he wants to stay. I explained that when he goes home he has nothing to back to. Here his life is set. Sleep, Study, Preach. But other than that we had an awesome day of work. We to some people who are awesome. We gave out some bap. dates and I will say it again it was a AWESOME night. on the other hand the night before with elder hernando we experienced one of the and worst lesson I have experienced on my mission. It was a our last lesson and it went no where. The investigators were not focused. They asked questions that had no importance to the lesson. For example this haha I asked him if he had any questions about the purpose of a prophet and he paused and than asked hmmmm do you guys ever get tired from walking every where. There was no spirit at all due to distractions. I COULDN'T SPEAK TAGALOG!!! I was even messing up with my english ha. it was not good and we were frustrated. But I did eat octopus for the first time and it was actually really good!!

I guess the way im going with this email im telling everything backwards. so when you read this just think of it backwards to haha.

Well these last few weeks and last 2 transfers I have struggled. Why? I didnt know why until yesterday morning. I read in Alma 37 and it just hit me really hard. Almost the whole chap. I applied to myself in a real way. This is Alma speaking to his son Helaman. I love the whole chap but in verse 33 is where it begins! Verse 33 until the very end. In verse 38 it talks about the Liahona or in our time and MY CASE, The Book of Mormon. It explains everything so well in verses 40-43. To tell you the truth I was lacking, I was being slothful, I wasn't reading as much of the B of M as much as I should and very thoroughly. So what happened was I did not progress in my journey here or in other words my mission. I hit a stumbling block. I tried to remove it but it was to heavy for me to carry it, and to big to climb over. I just wasn't following my Liahona and those marvelous works and miracles ceased. But now that my eyes have been opened, my Liahona, The Words of Christ will carry me beyond that vale or sorrows into a far better land of promise.

I testify until everyone that The Book of Mormon really does have answers to our problems and helps us become more like Christ. I learned so much from this Chapter. Also this has become my favorite chapter. I know we all experience it sometime in our life and I tell you this is the KEY!!! I love you all and know that God is watching us, listens and answers our pleads of help. If any of us are wading in that dark and dreary waste, grab hold of The Iron Rod, Our Liahona I pray in the sacred name of Jesus The Christ, Amen

November 13th Letter

Well this week has had its ups and downs of course, but the ups are so much better. I will start with Monday night. We headed out to work and went exploring looking for someone to share the gospel with. As we walked and talked with some people we walked by an old tatay sitting outside his house and we actually walked past him and I looked at him and thought he needs to know the Plan of Salvation. I grabbed my companion and we went back. We started talking and he let us in. When we went inside we met his kids and their families. We ended up teaching them all and giving them a Baptismal Date for Dec 24. After that THEY ask us where the church was and what they should wear. After we left my comp and I were on top of the clouds. We felt SOOO happy and guided! It was like we couldn't breath. I wont share the rest cause that first part is the UP of this story the other have is the down. Lets just say that my comp and I are suppose to learn something from this experience. From that time last Monday night until now we haven't seen them. We have dropped by but no one there. We are not giving up or getting discouraged about this. We learned a lot from this week of work.

One night when we were just about to go to sleep and I decided I wanted to find a study group. Here in the Philippines people gather together and study from the Bible. They have no religion, they are just looking for truth. I want to find one of these groups and study with them and help them find the truth. Im sure this does happen just in the Philippines. Anyways we were looking for "the group" we found the Moore Family. They were pretty shy at first but the second lesson they softened up.

We have been teaching The Jimilgo Family for a few weeks. They are so AWESOME!!! They have a baptismal date for Dec 17. They have gave us some really good referrals this last week. Jimmy Jimilgo is so cool. He testifies to those he knows that this church and that The Book of Mormon is true. I love this work!

Lately I have been studying the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have been studying this for some time now cause there are so many questions that it answers. I really like the scripture in Mosiah 3:5-10. In verse 7 we learn that he suffered temptations, pains, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer. He bleed from every pore for us. In Jacob 7:12 we learn that if he had not atoned for us, all mankind must have been lost. Through the Atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ all things are possible. I love my Lord Jesus Christ. He made the atoning sacrifice for me and you so that we can live with our Heavenly Father again. I know this is true in the name of Jesus The Christ, Amen.

Elder Cobbley

November 7th

Love you all!
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Novmeber 6th Letter

This last week we had a Mission Your with Elder Ardern of the Seventy and his wife came and talked to us. It was a really good experience be able to meet with a general authority. We had a mtg with just the leaders of the mission and Elder Ardern and it was really cool. We also had a temple tour this last saturday and we rented a bus to get everyone there. The total cost of the bus was 12000 pesos and we got some help from President Stucki and and the rest we split between the missionaries. It was an awesome experience. We planned on having 80 investigators go and plus 20 missionaries. We knew we wouldn't all fit in the bus which sat 60. hahaha We looked for a jeepney to take the rest cause 12000 pesos is already a lot. We had a plan b and worst case scenario hahaha what we ended up doing is if we didn't all fit the missionaries would just travel themselves. Saturday morning came around and not everyone showed up and we fit perfectly in the bus. We watched The Prophet of The Restoration and The Testaments. We took Hermina, Jimmy and Cathy Jimilgo and we had a great experience at the temple. We taught them on the grounds and we were able to give them a Baptismal Date while we were there for Dec. 17. They had a really spiritual experience and they really enjoyed everything. Yesterday we had a fun time working and giving out baptismal dates to everyone we taught. That is one thing we have been focusing on here is giving baptismal dates early and often. I thin I shared that our baptismal dates as a mission doubled in the space of 4 weeks. We are now almost at 600 baptismal dates as a mission. Here is the area we have 8 yesterday. What this does is helps us find those who are prepared and have a desire to follow Christ's example and be baptized by someone holding Priesthood Authority. Our goal this Dec. is to have a total of 300 baptisms as a Mission. In Sept. of last year we had 229 baptisms. I know this church is true and The Book of Mormon is true. We NEED to read it everyday! Love you all!


ps. see if you can find me in the picture.

-Elder Cobbley

November 1st Letter

Where to start haha. Well this Thursday we are going to have a Mission Tour with Elder Ardern of the Seventy. I had a good experience at my first ZLC. An awesome experience we had this last week beside the whole day we work Thursdays with the Teaching Assistants. Sunday morning we went to an investigator and as we were coming back to go to church a man stopped us and asked if we could teach him. He shared what happened to him in his life and what he is experienced and what he wants. We invited him to church and he had some stuff to do but we went to the church before it started and showed him around and introduced him to the members. I am shown so many times each day and week that the Lord does lead us to those who are in search of the true Church of Christ. My companion and I are focusing on personal progression. We set some goals to help us be more sensitive to the Spirit. We are trying to Sanctify ourselves. I know we have a living Prophets and Apostles. Without them I wouldn't know what to do. Yesterday we had an FHE with the senior couple. We ate tacos and they were the BOMB! I know this Church is true and the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. The Book of Mormon is the cornerstone of our religion. Without it we would not have a sure foundation. Like it says in Helaman 5:12. I am focusing on reading and study The Book of Mormon everyday! I know it is required to have a strong testimony of the Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. I challenge each of you like our prophets do and read The Book of Mormon. In Septembers issue of the Liahona there is a message about the tree of life. The difference between those who "clinging to the rod of iron" and those who "continually holding fast to the rod". What happened to those who "continually holding fast to the rod", endured to the end and partook of the fruit which is eternal life. That is what we need to do. That means feasting upon the Word of God EVERYDAY! Until next time.

Elder Cobbley