Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

As the end of another transfer draws near I again find myself looking back and thinking of what I could have done better this transfer.  Life here in Minalabac is fun, but quite difficult.  The people are nice but their hearts and minds aren't quite open to accepting the gospel into their lives.  This past week Elder Ursua and I found ourselves doing everything we could to try to be able to share the gospel with people but on a few occasions this past week we came home empty handed.  I guess I really know what missionaries Europe feel like almost every day.  But I guess my purpose in this area is to plant seeds and have other missionaries harvest.  I hope that I can see the day(even if I'm not there) when Minalabac becomes a group and when it is the top baptizing area in the Naga Mission.

On the bright side of this week we were able to help a less-active member build a new house which was pretty fun.  I still wasn't able to do a lot due to my boil but it was fun digging holes in the mud for the supports.  Just a quick note my boil is healed now so I'm back to full throttle.   Thank goodness for anti-biotics!!!  We also started teaching a friend of one of the members. She is still really shy of us but she is very willing and excited to learn about the gospel.  She even attended church yesterday which was awesome!!!  

Well it's quite crazy that it's already September and that I'm entering into my 11th transfer if you can believe it.  Elder Ursua and I both feel like he's going to be transferred so I'll probably be getting a new companion next week.  I sure hope I don't train if he does get transferred!!!!  I still don't feel like I'm ready to train a new missionary.  But I guess we'll have to wait and see. 

 But this past week during my personal study I was reading in Alma about Alma and Amulek when they were teaching the people of Ammoniah.  Even though I've read/heard that story many times it still never ceases to amaze me.  Through all of the challenges and the rejection, Alma and Amulek never gave up their faith in the Lord and they continued to walk steadfast before God.  Sometimes I like to put myself in their shoes and think of what I would do, honestly I don't know if I could do even half of the great things that they accomplished during their ministry among the people of Ammoniah.  Well continue to be steadfast like the prophets of old and always trust in our Heavenly Father for He will provide if we have faith in Him.  Mahal na mahal ko po kayo.  May God be with you till we meet again.

                                            -Elder Cole

Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

It's been a pretty eventful week this past week, not work wise but in different ways.  Just for starters, I ended up having a boil..... on my butt.  Well technically it's on my hip line but either way it's still close.  At first I thought it was just a scratch so I didn't mind it too much but it just kept growing until at last Elder Ursua just starts laughing at me and told me that I had a boil (Pigsa)  Might I say that this thing was the most painful thing I have ever had in my life!!!  I was able to work Monday-Friday but on Saturday I could barely even walk.  So on Sunday after church Elder Ursua and I tried to get all of the puss out so we could get the eye of it.  Might I just say that I have a lot more respect for women because that was probably the closest pain that I'm ever going to get to child birth and it probably wasn't even close to how that feels.  I'm not going to lie there were a few times that I just about cried.  But needless to say.... we haven't removed the eye yet.  Oh joy! 

We also had a pretty interesting experience with a Less-Active yesterday.  At the beginning of the transfer Elder Ursua told me that we have a LA in our area who he is afraid to visit because the first time he visited them they got mad for not helping them right after Typhoon Glenda hit.  So yesterday morning when we were greeting members we saw her walking to the church wearing a skirt so we thought that she was going to church.  So when we went to greet her she started just yelling at Elder Ursua really fast so I didn't understand all of it.  Long story short she gave him a death threat a long with one of the original Elders who was there and one other member.  It was fun trying to translate to President Reeder of what was going on because I had no idea of what happened or why it happened.  I was just the translator (even though Elder Ursua is pretty good at English).  

For the work part of the week we met a Nanay named Janith who was very open and kind to us.  She told us that she is open to listening to all religions.  The hard part about some of the Filipinos is that they have the idea that there are many roads (religions) that lead to heaven so it doesn't matter which one you follow.  But she was really excited for us to come back (when I get better) so that she can continue to learn.  We still don't have any progressing investigators and our teaching pool is still pretty small but the work goes on.  The ward is trying to do all they can to help us which is really great and I appreciate their efforts so much.  The Ward Clerk lives in our area and he said that from 1990 to now, this area has been closed three or four times because there hasn't been a lot of progress.  Well I sure hope that I can help that change, but even if it doesn't progress a lot at least I'm doing my best to plant seeds for future missionaries.  

It's crazy that school is just beginning.  Life is moving by so fast and from the looks of it all of kids are getting pretty big.  I don't think I'll have my title as the "Family Ladder" for much longer.  Honestly I think I'm done growing now.  But I just want to wish you all good luck with this coming school year and work hard!  I know school isn't easy but at least you guys have weekends.  Missionary work is non-stop so it's hard sometimes to keep motivated but I know that this is what I need to do right now.  It's not always easy but it sure is fun and I wouldn't have it any other way.  As my mission is nearing its "4th term" I often find myself thinking about what it's going to be like to be home and what people are going to be like.  Life sure isn't going to be the same but I'm excited to see what has happened while I've been gone.  Mahal na mahal ko po kayo!!  Sana po maiintindihan nyo ako paguwi ako ha haa!!  May God be with you till we meet again.

                                   -Elder Cole

Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

This past week has been full of learning experiences that surly will help me with the rest of my mission and especially with the rest of my life.  Due to the fact that Minalabac is still a pretty new area our investigator list is quite small and our progressing is even smaller.  So that meant that this past week has been focused on tracting and trying to find new people to teach.  It's pretty emotionally draining to get punted day after day because they aren't interested or because there isn't a male present in the home.  Work here is defiantly a lot harder than back in Ragay!!!  But obviously I'm here for a reason and the Lord has something for me to learn here.  One hard thing about this area is that a lot of people speak mainly Bicol and I can understand it okay but speaking it is a whole different ball game.  Thankfully Elder Ursua is almost fluent in Bicol which really helps.  Gotta love all of the different languages in the Philippines ha ha!

This past we had exchanges with our district leader Elder Van Boreum (he's in my batch) and so I had the opportunity to work up in his area.  Well not a lot happened during the exchanges but we ended up eating dinner on the roof because it was so hot inside their apartment.  The sisters in my district also had a baptism that we were able to go to which was another great thing to be able to witness.  It's always a pleasure to be able to see someone come closer to our Heavenly Father.  But after the baptism I probably had one of the greatest experiences that I have experienced on my mission.  Elder Ursua and I went to go give a blessing to 9 month year old baby who had been in the hospital for five days and is still experiencing severe stomach pains.  After we gave the blessing all of missionaries (the Sister Cambell and Sister Tematang) bore testimony about the Priesthood or something along the lines and the mother just started to cry along with the father who is a former member of the church but was converted to Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ).  I won't ever forget that feeling that came over me and it made think to myself that I don't want to do anything that wouldn't allow me be able to exercise the priesthood that I hold.
It sure looks like you guys had a lot of fun up at the family reunion!  Yeah I can say that for a moment I was day dreaming about camping when I get home.  I still have some of the bug spray that I brought with me and every time I use it I want to go camping.  Well I don't have too much time left here in the mission so I'll enjoy my time here while I can and then I can look forward to camping with the family again.  It's crazy to think that summer is over and that well... I'll be home for the next one.  Elder Van Boreum and I were talking that we'll be back for the 4th of July!!!!!  It's going to be an exciting time to be able to be united with family in order to celebrate our Independence day.  I love you all and I wish you the best in all that you do.  Continue to do all that you can to follow our Heavenly Father and I know that your lives will get better.  "Wickedness never was happiness".  That statement has never been truer than while I've been on my mission.  I have seen the blessings of obedience and I have also seen what it's like to do things on your own without the help of our Heavenly Father.  Life isn't always easy, but it is worth the effort to be able to enter the kingdom of God.  Mahal na mahal ko po kayo!  Namismiss ko po kayo araw-aldaw at napaka-astig kayo!  May God be with you till we meet again.


                                                 -Elder Cole

Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

Heat...Heat.... and might I add.... more heat.  In my opinion this has been the hottest week that I've experienced on my mission.  Maybe Al Gore was right on his theory of Global Warming ha ha.  I haven't even been able to eat in our apartment without sweating!!  All of my shirts smell bad so for once in my life I think I'm excited to do laundry so my clothes will smell good again.  This week Elder Ursua and I have been focusing on tracting and we have actually had a lot more success than I thought we would have.  We met a young man named Juan last week and we followed him up this last week.  When we went to visit him he immediately told us that he was sorry he could go to church because he had stuff to do.  We taught him about prophets and by the end of the lesson when we extended the baptismal invitation he accepted.  I sure hope that he continues to show interest in coming closer to our Heavenly Father.  We also had Zone Training this past week which showed me that I could probably push myself a little bit harder and stretch a little further.  There's always something I can do better to make myself a better representative of Jesus Christ.  

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking for the third time in three weeks.  Oh what fun right!  I was asked to speak about "The Importance of Members in Missionary Work".  I never realized of how important we as members are to missionaries until I've experienced being a missionary.  I just always thought that members went with missionaries to help gain experience and so that they could teach to females/males.  But we as members are essential to helping the Lord Hasten His work.  If we look around there are probably only 4-6 missionaries in one area while there are hundreds of members in a ward.  The missionaries are foreign to the area while we know the people who live here.  If we can just step out of our comfort zone and invite even one person to listen to the missionaries; just think of how much easier work would be for the missionaries.

Just to let you know mom, there was a 11 year old who told me that I was her idol ha ha.  So yes I guess there are a "few" people who like me.  I'm not getting big headed because well... when I go home it's going back to Napeoleon Dynamite status again.

Mahal na mahal ko po kayo!!!  May God be with you till we meet again.

                                                    -Elder Cole 

Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

Well you guys have been waiting a whole week to hear where I am now
assigned so here we go.  I'm now in Minalabac (kind of close to Naga
City) and my new companion is Elder Ursua.  He's from the Northern
part of the Philippines.  Let me just say that Mom.... don't get mad
at me for this but I think his cooking competes with yours.  He is one
great cook and the great thing is that he likes to do it.  I don't
know what Heavenly Father was thinking, but he finally thought I was
ready to be a senior (I would have been satisfied with being a junior
my whole mission, it's a l lot easier that way.  Our area is still
pretty new and I'm the first American to be actually assigned in
Minalabac in like 4-5 years.  We live close to a catholic church so
most people are hard catholic which makes working rough sometimes but
oh well, the work moves on.  We almost literally have no investigators
so our work is almost pure tracting.... the thing that every
missionary "loves" to do.  Tracting's not bad, it's just a little
demoralizing when you get punted over and over again.  But we have a
lot of support from our ward which makes things easier.  It's weird
coming from a church attendance of 50 or so to 158.

On a different note, it was hard for me to leave Ragay but I'm looking
forward to working in Minalabac with Elder Ursua.  Let me just say
that it was an emotional night for a lot of people when we left Ragay.
(I didn't cry... but Elder Bolambao did).  There were a few people who
confessed  to me that they had a big crush on me which was pretty
funny because I already knew it before they told me.

Well as school is approaching I bet mom is getting excited to being
able to have the house all to her self for the first time in almost a
million years.  I love you all and miss you all greatly but my time
left here in the Philippines is almost up.  It may seem like a long
time but in reality I'm almost a returned missionary.  Take care and
good luck with everything.  Mahal na mahal ko po kayo.  May God be
with you till we meet again.


                                              -Elder Cole

Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

Guess what??? I'm transferred!!!  I guess the Lord thought that 1 year in two areas is long enough for me.  I truly am going to miss Ragay, probably more than I did my first area.  I do love my first area, but I have grown so much here in Ragay as a missionary, but also as a man.  Well as my chapter in Ragay is coming to a close, a new chapter is just beginning in an unknown place (for right now).

We haven't had electricity here in Ragay for two weeks now and let's say that it's been rough.  We have had a curfew at 5:30 which makes teaching difficult sometimes due to the fact that some of our investigators have school during the day and they don't get home until 4:00.  It's been a fun experience trying to survive by candle light because the life on our emergency lights aren't very strong.  The city hall has a generator so we have to go there to charge our cellphone every two to three days.  But hey, we still have running water so I'm not going to complain.  As long as I can take my shower every day I'm okay.

President Saraus had me speak last minute yesterday about The Authority of the Priesthood and Keys of the Priesthood yesterday because the assigned speaker had decided not to show up.  Oh what fun!  I'm alright with giving talks, I just like a little more time than 5 minutes to prepare a 8 minute talk(which ended up being like 4 because I ran out of material to use and I didn't want to ramble).  But it was great because most of our investigators attended church yesterday for my last Sunday here.  

As you all know I like to put a little humor/or funny story in my email if I have one so here it is.  The other night while Elder San Pedro and I were charging our cellphone, we were talking and this girl came up to me and just started looking at me.  So naturally I put out my hand to introduce myself but she just gave me this weird look so I offered a fist bump instead.  Long story short, I was in her way of someone that she wanted to talk to and she wanted me to move.  Boy was that an embarrassing moment!!!  For all of you basketball fans "Shaqtin a Fool moment".  

Summer Break is almost over?????  Boy time sure does fly.  I remember when mom said that she was annoyed of the kids being home all the time because they were always fighting; and now Sam's officially in High school and everyone else is growing like a weed.  As for myself I'm only growing outward, not upward anymore.  Rice is killing my stomach but I can't stop eating it!  Well good luck with everything and I hope that things continue to go well for you guys at home.  Continue to be amazing and never give up in anything! "Missionary work (life) isn't easy because salvation isn't easy" -Elder Holland  Mahal na mahal ko po kayo.  May God be with you till we meet again.  

                                           -Elder Cole

Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

I know you were all anxious to hear from your studly missionary who just had his first really experience with the power of nature.  The typhoon was a pretty scary experience and isn't something that I would like to experience again.  We were evacuated to the meeting house because our apartment only has one floor.  There we spent the night with a few families as we awaited to see what Typhoon Glenda had to offer.  Let me just say that that was probably one of the worst nights of sleep that I have ever had in my life.  You could just hear the wind whipping and breaking branches and uprooting trees.  For most of the night I thought that the roof was going to be ripped off.  But thanks to the mercy of our Heavenly Father everything was all right.  As we walked to our apartment the next morning seeing the damage that Glenda had caused, my heart sunk lower and lower.  A lot of people lost their homes and two people even lost their lives.  But there is one word that describes these Filipinos... Perseverance.  Despite the fact that most people had a great deal ripped away from them in one night they still kept going.  They didn't sit and cry and say, "Why did this happen to me".  They said, "Let's get to work".  President Reeder related typhoons here in the Philippines to snow storms in Utah.  When it snows in Utah, we shovel it and keep moving on with our lives.  When a typhoon hits here, the Filipinos rebuild and move on with their lives.

Well as for the after effects, we haven't had electricity for a week now and shouldn't expect it for another month or two.  Oh joy!!  But thankfully enough we still have water pressure unlike some people here.  Right now I'm emailing from the SM (a really big mall) in Naga so I'm grateful that President Reeder gave us the opportunity to email.  But I can say that it's been a great pleasure being able to help serve the people here in Ragay.  My life has been changed through their example and their diligence to the Lord.  No longer will I complain about what I lack, but rather I will give gratitude for what I have, for I truly have been blessed.  The humility of the people is almost for me; a reflection of our Savior.  I truly am going to miss these wonderful Filipino people as my time here is halfway complete.  It's a weird thought thinking that I'm to this point in life, but I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything.  Not even for  an autograph of LeBron James.

Just to let you know Dad, Joselito and his family is just fine.  Their house is still standing but their yard is still flooded and their pig pen is destroyed.  Joy (his wife) is about to have a baby but I won't be here to see him/her.  But hey, at least if it's a boy their going to name him after me!!  That's not something everyone can say.  But I'm grateful for your support through this time and I love you all.  Take care.  Mahal na mahal ko po kayo!!  Namismiss ko po kayong lahat at masaya ako para makita kayo sa SLC kapag uwi ako.  May God be with you till we meet again.

                                         -Elder Cole

PS.  Just ask Sister Shultz or Google translate what I said.  I'm sure she would enjoy translating it for you guys ha ha.