The Best

June 16, 2019

Hey Family, 

This last week was great we had ten lessons. We teach a-lot of people, we try to balance our efforts, meaning half ivestigators and half re-activation. Our hard work payed off. We had two of our investigators come to church. (Ang ilang names Maribel Celmar and Teresa Lanugon We also had a less active family come to church 2nd time in a row (Togonon Family)! Almost a returning member.! We have three investigators committed to baptism for July. We have two progressing investigators

! The people we are teaching are awesome.         Of course some of them are less committed than others to keep and do our commitments that we give them. This last week I learned why St. Bernard has trouble progressing the members told us stories of how previous (previous meaning 2010-2011) missionaries were being disobedient and not fulfilling their purpose as missionaries. (All of them being Filipino). Boy do I have some stories for you when I get home about that! Basta that doesn't matter, what matters is that we are taking good care of the area and helping it progress. Wow that is awesome Oh plz tell dad HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!! (>0o)> I LOVE YOU!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR ME!!!!!!! My cloths are holding up fine if I need anything I can just buy it here. Wow you make me jealous I miss thrift shopping!! Wow I am glad that you have been able to lose 20 lbs!! Thank you so much for that last paragraph I really needed to hear that. My comp goes to Tacloban on the 27th of this month for a leadership training meeting so hopefully he can snag it while he is up there. It should be there by then.        

Excerpt from the letter I sent him:

Love you bunches and bunches, keep working hard and enjoy every moment of your day.  Continue in obedience to Heavenly Father's desires for you.  You are a faithful young man that has his whole life a head of him.  The Lord blesses those that love him and follow him.  I know that because Dave and I are blessed to be your parents.  We must have been doing something right to have such a wonderful son as you.  You, my dear Dylan, inspire me to be a better person.  

Always having an adventure.

Fantastic Week

June 9, 2013

Dear Family

I am doing fantastic! This last week was awesome. We got a-lot of good work done ,14 lessons. We got one investigator to church and three of our less actives who we taught came to church. It was great because has been a long time for them. My compship with Elder Ramilo has been getting better. Just the usual. There was a earthquake  but it was small. I have felt some in the past

, it is kind of weird feeling the ground shake. Wow I can't believe it is Trek again! I must be getting very old. Thanks again for the I-pod I can't wait for it. Yeah my package probably wont get here until, towards the end of the month. Ok lang kay my comp will in Tacloban on the 27 so I will see if he can pick it up. Haha mango in Visayan is mangga. Personally I have started to eat a-lot of pakwan (water melon) its lami kaajo. If you can make mango shakes. Those are really delicious. There are so many delicious frutas here in the Philippines. I hope you have fun tomorrow with your get together. Its funny me and Cody have been emailing each other every week, so we have been staying in touch. Speaking of talks I just got the General Conference edition of the Liahiona. !!!YES!!!! I cant wait to read it cover to cover!! Well I love ya'll hope you are doing great! Amping hangtud sa sunod!!              

Keeping the Faith

6-2-2013
 Dear Family,

Thanks so much for sending a package. Did you get a music player with church music on it? If not that's ok. Thanks for everything. I am so glad that you are recovering well mom. Just keep holding in there. My birthday was great, really its just another day in life. 20 years doesn't really mean anything. I bought a 1.5 liter thing of Ice-cream and that was it really. Thanks for posting those picture's on Facebook. Did anyone else wish me a happy birthday? (On Facebook?) Its been the same old in St. Bernard our investigators are great they just need to come to CHURCH!! We did do another service project or the same sister this last Saturday, we cut bamboo and put up a fence. I love sundangs! Great story though, last Monday after work and everything we were just doing the norm before we go to bed. We received a txt from somebody (We had no idea who) basta it was one of our former investigators (who dropped us at the beginning of this cycle). Anyways she wanted us to teach her again. So that next day we did. We asked her why she wanted us to teach her again. She said during those last 3- 4 weeks when we did not teach her, she did not feel the spirit like the times before when we did teach her. Long story short she missed the Holy Ghost in her life and wanted it back. That was a cool story. Wow I can believe Tristan is 5' 3" she should start playing basketball or something!! Wow you guys are getting old 25th anniversary.    

Sa kanunay naghigugma ko sa inyo!! Ayaw kalimot ana!!

Loving St. Bernard

Dear Family

I would love it if ya'll were to send over an I pod over full of church music. Its totally pwede (Yes you can).  If you were to do that could you please put the album :Reflections of our Savior on it. That would be cool. Thank you so much for the mini's the Filipino missionary's love the small ones. Plus my small one got real dirty. Just the regular beef jerky. This last week was a very trying we struggled to teach and find people we have few lesson's. It was hard probably one of the hardest of my mission. I am currently reading in 1st Nephi. Reading about the stories of Nephi humbled me. How he keep enduring his trials and relying on the lord knowing that he would strengthen him even when everybody around him was murmuring. As you know sometimes when I get discourage I begin to murmurer. I have worked really hard at trying not to do that. I know that bisan lisod sija the Lord has strengthened me this last week and I haved learned from it. Well I am looking forward to another week of service to the Lord. That service can take many forms this last week (Saturday) we helped clean and shape up here a house that she will be soon moving into. We csped 8 sa buntag hangtud 4 sa hapon it was a great experience. I learned nga a sundang is the multi tool of the Philippines!!        

Getting into the Groove

Dear Dylan,

How are you doing this week Elder Kingsbury, it was so nice to hear your voice earlier this week.  I hope you are doing well.

Grand ma caught a bad cold from Tristan and now Dad has it , so hopefully they will feel better soon.  I am gaining back my strength little by little.  Grandma goes home early next Wednesday morning, so hopefully, I will be able to stay on my feet a little longer that at present.

We celebrated Taylor's birthday yesterday.  He had  ordered himself a Dodger cake at Albertson's, and boy was it not good.  It made me wish for a costso cake.  He loved it and the balloons that Dad got for him.  He got a game he wanted.  Dad grilled us hamburgers, it was good.

How is your Branch doing?  After we talked I went and looked up images of St. Bernard on Google.  Which baranguay do you live in?  When you planted the mangrove trees, was it in the area of the slide of 2006.  Wow, that must have been some hike you took.  I am so proud of you.  It must have been an incredible view from the top.  How are other things going?  How is your companion?  Is it hard to overcome the language barrier.  I know that you know the language, the people will begin to understand you, just pray for inspiration and speak a little slower than normal.  The Lord will help you.  He is award of each of us and our distinct needs.  I know you must be super busy since you have more that just the missionary responsibilities now.  You will be blessed for your service in ways you may not have thought about.

I have been home for a week now recuperating from the awful surgery.  It is so good to be home again and not wake up in a strange place and wonder where I am.  Dad has been a blessing in looking after me and the children.  I am glad the grandma could come and keep him company and help him in the kitchen.  We have not sent your May package, so please, buy yourself a birthday cake and share it with others.  I have not been able to find english minis of Preach My Gospel, only spanish minis.  Which of the 41 principles are you focusing on at the moment.  Maybe our family could study the same one that you are studying.  We are so grateful for your service.

I have not heard of other calls. I will let you know when I do.  Well Elder Kingsbury,  please let us know what you are stuying, so maybe we could study it too.  I downloaded all of the scriptures and the hymnbook to my I-pad.  Tristan has the scriptures on her I-pod and we are trying to figure out how to download the scriptures to Taylor's Kindle.  Now Dad just needs his own device.  It is so neat because the i-pad will read the scriptures out loud, so no excuses for not reading scripture.  

Oh, the church released the architectural rendering of the Meridian Temple.  It did not state when It would be finished.  Not much else for now, keep up the good work our son, you never know the seeds that you may be planting.  We love you.  Love Mom, Dad, Taylor and Tristan

Hello Family,

So I live in brgy Himatagon. No we did not plant mangroves near the landslide area that is way out in the bukid. We planted mangroves in the bay area we planted around 150-20. The branch is doing ok. Its may so all the brgy's have there separate fiesta's so some of the members skip church and go the different fiesta's. The last two weeks attendance has drooped to the fortieths. I am honestly a little disappointed with them. Just Filipino's have a lack of understanding. I will tell you more after my mission. My companionship has been getting better we resolved some problems in our companionship inventory this last Thursday. The language is going great I can totally speak it. I just get frustrated when Filipino's think I can't. Its rough sometimes. This last week was ok lang we went to Maasin for our Zone Conferences then me and Elder Ramilo stayed is Sogod for a district leadership meeting. It was interesting to learn some leadership.  I have been able to find comfort in my patriarchal blessing just reading over and over brings a peace to me. Oh could you wish Taylor a happy birthday for me. Oh before I forget if you could look for a book call "New Evidence of Christ in America" I have been reading (When I have time in Parley P. Pratts' autobiography (Well I finished it already)  It was really good. (My Zone Leader Elder Morley gave it to me.) Right now I am mostly focusing on the lesson's for chapter three in preach my gospel. I started to read the Book of Mormon again I am currently in 1st  Nephi 16. I am glad that you are doing well and recovering mom. Just keep looking for a a small PMG mini my comp really wants one. We can't get them here because they are only in America. I love ya'll to death. Keep up the good work.  Remember that Jesus is the reason I am serving.

Mother's Day... Not What I Expected

I had been in the hospital recovering from some major surgery and I begged my surgeon to please let me go home on Saturday so I could have my Skype call with my beloved Dylan.  After much begging, I was released late Saturday evening.  We tried all day to get a Skype connection, but it was just not working out.  There were national elections going on in the Philippines and it was impossible for Dylan   to get a bus to a better area of the city with newer internet cafes.  He emailed me his phone number and I was able to finally talk to him on the Tuesday after Mother's day.  Boy did I cry.  But I know he is doing what he has prepared his entire life to do.  I am so looking forward to my Christmas Skype . . . .

.Love you much... get the calling info. The number I gave you is exact.

SO I will look out for your call this week. Love you all.

Elder Kingsbury

New Companion Time

4-28-13

Everything is good here in the Philippines. Elder Parsons was transferred this last week. My new kauban is Elder Romilo. He is an awesome pinoy. So gahapon (yesterday) I was set apart as 2nd counselor in the branch presidency. So now I have additional responsibilities instead of just being a missionary. I know as I do my best the Lord will do the rest. Gaah yesterday we had a set appointment with Ganda family but they were not there. Our branch had a service project this last week we harvested mangrove seeds then we planted them. It was cool we planted around 200 mangroves! Missionary work is very hard here in St. Bernard this area has not had a baptism in over a year. Sogod Zone as a whole is lowest baptizing zone in the whole mission, but I wont let that discourage me. I know I just need to work my hardest. How is everything at home? That sucks that the Lakers are getting destroyed. How is Elder Lundberg doing in Russia has he made it ok? How is Mom doing?  Wow school is almost out. I have  been gone along time (8 months in May). Oh if you guys send me a package (for my birthday) could you plz send some beef jerky? I love ya'll .

Love your son Dylan.

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