Elder Derek Fisher

Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry, I know it's been a couple weeks since my last email. Just want you all to know that I'm alive and doing well. These last couple weeks have been an adventure! I don't know where to start. For one thing we had our first batch of new missionaries come in so we've spent a ton of time planning/preparing the transfers. Not only that but because only 6 missionaries went home and 24 came in we had to prepare to open a ton of new areas. In our ward we have 4 Elders, 2 Sisters, and the Office couple (8 missionaries in one ward). I anticipate within 6 months each ward will at least have 2 elders and 2 sisters. The work is truly hastening, with this many missionaries though it's going to call for more member missionary work to be done. Thus I believe we had the Work of Salvation broadcast not to long ago. Lets see what else has happened? We found a day to go to Tagaytay with the Bacoor zone the other week, It's nice to have a half day off every now and again. What else? Oh for the last 2 days we've had very heavy rain, good thing I'm driving now haha. The other day it was an adventure to get home driving through thigh high flooding. Sorry my camera is broken so no fun pictures. Today we went to the rescue of some missionaries who's apartments have flooded though. Lets see, oh one bit of good news is despite the business of the Assistant lifestyle we managed to have a baptism this week! I love this family. It started as we found ourselves riding in a Jeepney with a member on her way back from church in our first week in the area. We asked her if she knew someone we could teach and she mentioned how her mom is less-active and her father and brother aren't members yet. We felt the need to change our plans and visit this family. In the first month the mother returned to activity. After that things seemed to fall into place for that family, the father and son started going to church. As they prayed for a way the Father managed to get Sundays off of work despite the fact that he hasn't been able to get Sundays off for years (he works at the Philippines Airlines). In so many other ways I witnessed how living the Gospel has blessed this family, sure they made sacrifices, sure it is hard work, but nothing can compare to the feeling of living the Savior's teachings. Just the other day they made the decision to follow the Saviors example and be baptized. It's days like this that I love being a missionary (not that there are any days I don't). I love this work, I may not be the best at it, I may not be the most skilled, or the most fluent in Tagalog, or the most well versed, but I love it. I fully plan to end my mission the way I started. Thank you all for your love and support. Until next week! 

Elder Fisher