Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

15th transfer in the mission complete.  It still can't believe that I'm in my last two transfers of the best two years of my entire life (I'm not saying that marriage is any less exciting but you get what I mean).  It's going to be hard saying goodbye to Elder Bienvinuto but the people of Butuan need his great spirit and abilities!!  We got a call from the ZL's this morning and well.... I"m going to be a dad.... or in other words I'm training for my last two transfers.  I can't think of a better way to end my mission by helping another missionary get excited about missionary work.  This new assignment will also help me think about the work instead of the playoffs ha ha.  

I think this past week everyone remembered that they were Catholic because work was pretty hard for us this past week.  There were a lot of parades going on where they brought around their "Saints" and people walked behind carrying candles.  It was pretty cool to see how different religions celebrate Easter but I felt like a Twinkie in a Zinger box because everyone was looking at me funny while we were trying to walk to our appointments.  

We're still trying to get the Pasiona Family to go to church which is kind of frustrating.  They're so awesome and they love hearing the gospel; they just need to attend church!  We have to move their baptismal date now because they haven't attended church.  This is where I've really just had to learn to have patience with people because the Lord probably feels the same way when I don't do what He wants me to do.  We also met a potential investigator family this week while we were finding.  Two nanay's started calling me "Joe" so I took that opportunity to approach them and to share a simple message.  We showed them the video "BecauseHeLives" and it really brought the spirit into the lesson.  Then we testified about Jesus Christ and that he lives today.  They didn't commit to a specific appointment but they told us that we could come back; so I hope it goes well.  We are also teaching the sister of one of the less-actives in our ward who originally had a baptismal date but she wasn't baptized because the missionary who she wanted to baptize her was transferred.  Lorelee (the investigator) is still super shy of us but we're really trying to help her open up to us.

Angela was also baptized this past Saturday even though there were chances of having a typhoon that day.  That's how we do it in the Philippines.... No Fear!  Ha ha.  Well we just got a lot of strong rain but that was it; nothing to worry about.  I felt so bad, I had to conduct the baptism and when I invited Angela up to the front to bear her testimony she cried because she was so afraid.  But Bishop Flororita's closing remarks were very spiritual which helped me feel better after that incident.  

Oh, "Happy Birthday" to my gorgeous sisters Kat and Maddie along to my studly Grandpa Woolstenhulme!!!  I still can't believe that Kat's going to be a senior this year, time sure does fly.  I just want you all to know that I love you so very much, day in and day out my heart is full with gratitude for everyone who has helped me get to this point in my life.  If it wasn't for my family and friends I wouldn't have been able to go on this mission and my life would have been so much different if I didn't go on this mission.  Sure times have been hard and I have been discouraged, but I have no regrets about serving a mission.  Ingat po kayo palagi!  May God be with you till we meet again.

                                                  -Elder Cole