This week ended off with a BANG with Interviews with President Johnson!! I love interviews with him, because he just like pours out wisdom and amazing personal quotes and scriptures, and he is so inspired.  One thing he said that I liked... "Baptisms is one measure of success, but not THE measure of success, the REAL measure of success is Who you have Become..." There were so many other things i learned from him, and I am thankful for an AWESOME mission president!!!

Me and Elder Tupuola went on exchanges this week and found 10 new investigators highlighted with the Ortega couple... As we talked to them, they were so nice, but they also shared with us their beliefs about how they go to church but know that it isn't true... Some of the things she said were... "they were baptized when they were babies, and she doesn't believe they had any sins then... also how she wishes the prayers weren't recited... and she went on and on.  Then we were able to testify to her of a church that has all those things she wanted.  That really is true and she can know for herself through asking God through a prayer from her heart... It was super cool, and SOO spiritual!!!  I am thankful for people that have open hearts to listen and will act on what we share.  I am also thankful to be a representative of Jesus Christ and His restored church, I KNOW its true, and there is no where i'd rather be...:) 

As for the Sawasi family, Tatay is AMAZING!!!  He went without cigarettes on Thursday and Friday, this was the FIRST time in over 30 years that he did that... He had only 1 on Saturday and pulled another 0 on Sunday:) We are SOOOO excited for Tatay Abelino Sawasi, he has super faith, and MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING!!!  But he needs help on prayers, so thanks for the help:) He and his family will be baptized in March, as he keeps getting rid of those cigarettes... The Gospel truly changes lives, its the best, i love it!

Love, Elder Alldredge

This week has has changed me and will change the rest of my mission.  I learned some things that are amazing, and I realized lots of things that I can improve on.  It was because of MLC and Zone Conference this week.  They talked all about becoming "The One" for a person, and for a family.  President Johnson taught us all about how, and what we were literally all lacking on, and I learned so much and our work is changing because of it!! Me and my companion are happier because of our focus on teaching families... We are really having success finding by doing this and literally talking to every possible family, that we can see.  So cool to see the progress when we follows counsel of leaders!!

Me and Elder Guia also had an experience on Saturday that will change my mission and probably my life forever, its not too crazy insane, but it made me realize something that is so COOL!!!!  

So we were walking down the street, after being punted on our appointment, and Elder Guia saw this dude maybe in his 30's at his wooden hut house, down off the road a bit.  He asked if we could introduce ourselves and even though he looked angry, and not a nice man he said we could come down and introduce ourselves.  As we began to introduce ourselves and ask about his life, he totally opened up to us.  He started telling us about his life, how hard it was, how his wife left him, how he had so many sins and he didn't know what to do.  So we shared with him about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, about Repentance, about Change, about Forgiveness... It might have been one of the very most powerful spiritual lessons in my entire mission.  He told us that he just wanted to "bawas" or take away some of his sins so he could feel more peace.  Then I testified to him that through Christ not only some of those sins can be taken away, but ALL of them, that he could become completely clean, because of Jesus Christ.  I was seriously so filled with the Spirit, and we knew he was feeling it too, he was tearing up pretty bad, and was super quiet.  We left him an invitation to pray to God, to ask for forgiveness, and to do everything that he could to make right what he did wrong, and to never do it again.  With tears in his eyes, he told us he would... Then he prayed, and it was such a sincere prayer... As we left brother Loloy had a big smile on his face, he was basically a totally different man than only 20 minutes earlier... That was because of an obtainment of knowledge, the knowledge that God loves him and is there for him... We were basically speechless about all that had happened, and we were so thankful that we found brother Loloy... 

As we were walking a few minutes after this lesson, we walked passed a man sitting in his chair in his yard in front of his house.  He looked sad, he looked confused, as we were about 2 houses passed his house, i told Elder Guia, we need to go talk to that guy.  So we went back and asked to introduce ourselves, he said we could introduce ourselves but nothing else, because he has a religion that doesn't allow them to listen to other faiths or beliefs... He told us sorry and was super nice about it, but we could tell that he had a big problem, he was not happy at all, and he needed help.  After we left me and Elder Guia came to an amazing realization for us... 

Every single person has problems in life, every single person needs to know of Christ's sacrifice for them, every single person needs to feel forgiveness, needs peace, and needs hope through Christ...  But not every person will receive this good news, some will reject it, and they will be left to deal with their problems alone.  When we compared the 2 men that we met, they both had problems, they both needed help, we talked to both of them, but were only able to share these amazing truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with one of them.  We as members are SO LUCKY!!! Can you imagine being that one man not knowing that Christ suffered for him?? Or can you imagine being left to deal with all problems in our life, alone without the help of a perfect Savior who knows EVERYTHING we are experiencing?? To be honest, I can't imagine what it would be like... I honestly don't want to imagine what it would be like... But I came to the realization, that I don't want anyone to have to feel like that, the feeling of loneliness, no one deserves that... This is why I am here, to Preach Repentance, to let people know of Jesus Christ, and the peace that comes through him... Just like it says in PMG "Bringing our Lives in line with God's will through Repentance, is the central purpose of our lives."  And I am a missionary here in the best mission in the world;) to share to people the how of that... Its so good to be a missionary!!! So I will for the rest of my mission talk to everyone i can, to share this message of hope through Jesus Christ to all the people i can here in the Philippines!!!

Thanks for all the letters and prayers!!!

Love, Elder Alldredge

Kyle's study desk at the apartment

Batch picture - Sister Bandoy is leaving this transfer (she is the last of the Sisters to go from Kyle's batch)

I just want to say how thankful I am to be assigned here in the Philippines.  The people here are SOOO Nice!!! Sometimes too nice like my mission President says, it can also be hard, because they are sometimes too nice to say no even when they don't want to listen to us.  But This week I had a first... We were on exchanges in Dingalan and we were sharing to him about prayer, we were asking him about what his beliefs about prayer are, and how he prays to God.  After one of my questions he stood up suddenly and said "Ang Dami kayong tanong!!" Or "you have a ton of questions..." And he walked out of the room.  First Walk Out lesson in my whole mission...:)  We came to know after that, that he was a little drunk so his mind wasn't all right, so it was actually our fault for not figuring that out earlier.  But after that, I then realized how amazing the Filipinos are.  Because of one person rejecting I realized again that these people are incredibly nice people, they are a respectful people, and I hope that it has rubbed off on me and will continue to do so in my time here.  So i love Filipinos and the Philippines!!

Another miracle i saw this week is about the Sawasi Family.  They are so progressing it is making me so excited for them!  This week Tatay didn't drink Alcohol even once!! MIRACLE!!! This week Tatay went from almost a whole pack of cigarettes to 3 sticks on Saturday and none on Sunday!  MIRACLE!!! I cant wait for this family to be baptized.  They were all at church on sunday at their countenance was a testimony builder to me.  From what I remember of Tatay before he did not look at all like he did on sunday, he has changed so much, that whole family was sitting in the seats in sacrament meeting, and they basically look like a member family... MIRACLE!!!

The last thing for today was about a Baptismal Interview on Saturday.  I interviewed a girl, Shane who lives in Bongabon and one thing she shared with me seriously strengthened my testimony.  I asked her to share her testimony with me, then she said "the one thing that has stuck out to me more that all else is the Gospel of Jesus Christ." I then asked why and she said "Because the Gospel will change anyone's life who truly understands it, just like it has changed mine.  She then said I just wish everyone would have the chance to know the Gospel"  She is so missionary minded, and i believe every word that she said, I know the Gospel changes lives, I have seen it SO many times here in the mission, its so true.  I know that with all that i am!!

Thanks for all the emails, LOVE YA'LL!!!

Elder Alldredge

The banana tree

Kyle putting on a way too small levi jacket, shoulda been a cowboy pala :)

Decked out trike!

First off I didn't get transferred:) Me and Elder Guia are starting our 3rd transfer together here in Palayan, and while this week wasn't quite as successful, and not quite as many miracles as last week, is was still a fun/solid week!!

So I want to share something I learned this week.  We were sharing to a Less Active member family.  And before we started the lesson their little kid who is like 2 years old, was trying to put on his shirt.  Because everybody waits till we come to put clothes on their little kids;)  But anyways he was trying to put it on and he kept saying "Kaya ko ito!!!" In English, "I can do this!!!"  He said this maybe 10 times while he was arranging his shirt to put it over his head.  We were all just watching because it was so cool and funny to watch.  He finally gave the shirt to his dad and he helped him out.  Me and my companion talked about how cool that was afterwards.  The Faith of a little kid is really Amazing!!  He tried and tried telling himself that he could do it, even after many times failing.  Then he asked his Father for help.  Its kinda like us we can try and try and try, and fail sometimes, succeed a few times, but without the help of a Father in Heaven we cannot truly succeed.  I learned from little Jacob the 2 year old this past week, that Kaya ko Lahat!!! We can do anything with our Heavenly Father, he is there to help us, he loves us so much.  I am so grateful that I have better came to know of his love here on my mission.  My Father in Heaven Loves me.  And he loves me so much, he will help me with whatever I need, just like little Jacob and his Father.

Some of our investigators are struggling with their concerns, especially with the WoW, but we are working with them and are doing all we can to help them out.  There are improvements, its not all at once, but Tatay Sawasi and Bernard really have a desire to change, Satan just is really working on them with all his might.  But we know miracles are coming in their lives.  We know it will take a little time, but the good will always over come the evil... I know that for a fact!!!

Sorry this email isn't quite as exciting a last weeks:)  Its kinda hard to beat D Day of Miracles like last week...  But we will strive for that to happen again this week!!

We also had a super fun Zone Activity last P-day, we had a Boodle fight, or eating off palm tree leaves with our hands:) Then we played some Filipino games and some basketball, it was a Partay!!!

Oh and btw my batch of Sisters are gone now:( Weird stuff!!!

Thanks for all the prayers!

Love, Elder Alldredge