February 18, 2013

Hello everyone,
This week has been great, and the next 2 weeks are going to be crazy busy here for us, with the visit of 3 general authorities! We are excited for that.
Here is some cool stuff that has happened this week...
Vivian, our part member investigator is reading her book of mormon even though she is busy taking care of her new born baby
Tatay Fontanilla came to church after just one visit!
Tatay Balagbagan has stopped drinking and his family is so happy
We Started Teaching Tatay Cabunots wife and she prayed the first lesson and is reading in the Book of Mormon
and all because of the truth that we teach as missionaries and because of the Love of Christ and his everlasting and Infinite Atonement.
Have I told you I love this work? well I do
and I love you
Love Elder Proctor
PS tatay is a term you use for old men that are your friends or that your know well

February 25, 2013

Hey Everyone,
Y'all are right I didn't send an assignment last week, I kind of rushed my email.
Last week has been great, Last Saturday we had leadership training with Elder Ardern, He is in the Area Presidency. It was great, and he gave some great advice about writing home. He told us to not tell our families what we are doing, but instead tell them what we are learning as missionaries.
And so from now on that is what I am going to try to do.
I have learned so much as a missionary, but one thing that I cherish most is what I have learned about The Atonement of Jesus Christ. I now have a better understanding of it, I know that it is for everyone. I know that we are to use it to better ourselves, to become more like Christ.
I have also learned and experienced that Prayer is a 2 way communication, that Heavenly Father listens to us, that he knows our needs and desires. I also have learned that Heavenly Father really does answer our pleas to him.
For this weeks assignment I want to hear from ALL of you, share your favorite verse of scripture and tell me why its your favorite and what it means to you.
I love all of you,
Love Elder Proctor

Febrary 11, 2013

 This has been a great week, we had interviews with President Carlos, ZLC at the mission home, and my companion got to go back to his last area and baptize a family there. All and all a good week.
We saw a big snake last night as we were walking home(see in picture) and some guy on a motorcycle got a stick and killed, I got a video of it haha, he said that he was going to cook it and eat it, typical Filipino.
This weeks assignment I want to hear from ALL of you is an experience of sharing the gospel to a non-member.
Obviously as a missionary this is a daily thing, but I want to tell you an experience I may have told you in the past, I was still in my first area and I couldnt speak tagalog to save my life, we were coming home in a tricycle and the driver started to talk to me, wanting to know where I was from and what brought me to the Philippines, I told him why and then he told my about how he is a pilot on a ship and that he loves to read, the spirit was so strong as it told me to give this man a copy of the Book of Mormon, I gave it to him and never saw or heard from him again. But even though I havent heard anything from him I know that he has been given a chance to know the truth. I am grateful to be a missionary and have these experiences and learn and grow from them.
I love you all Sorry this is short and sweet
Elder Proctor

February 4, 2013

 Hey Er'body
 I am so glad that you guys are answering these questions for me, it really makes emailing a whole lot better.

I think that things have settled down back home, unless the Jones' are going to take another chance at buying a pet, maybe they should try a cat haha I am just kidding

So things are going great here, we just moved into a new apartment and its a huge improvement, I am sending a picture of our new place.

As far as the work goes, two less-active families that we have been teaching were able to come to church yesterday and they both had a great experience and saw old friends and It was a blessing to see it. I think that the biggest struggle in my mission has been seeing these less-active people, people that have served missions, been endowed or sealed in the temple and still fall away from the church. Its just an eye opener that shows me that even after we have served missions or gone through the temple that things aren't "all downhill" from there. I remember something that Jake said, "falling out of the church and bed happens for the same reason, your not all the way in."

So this week I want you to tell me about a time where you heard modern day revelation, or council form Prophets then applied it, For me it was just this last conference where President Thomas Monson said that we should look at people not as they are but as what they can become, this has helped me so much as a missionary whether dealing with non progressing investigator or a companion or less active members, I try to imagine them in the temple, or at their baptism, it has helped me love the people here so much, Its like I can see a glimpse of how Heavenly Father sees his children.

I love all of you, mom I haven't received the book yet I think it will come this week.

Love Elder Proctor