11-1-11 E-Mail!

I'm just about caught up...

Alright! What's up people!

It's been an exciting week! So I'm in Manila (9th plane flight of the mission, ha!) and I have no access to stuff to review what happened this past week so this will probably be a fairly short email telling you the exciting news of the week!

This week started off dumb though, I was stuck inside the apartment all day Tuesday cuz I was sick, it was annoyinggg! But then I pretty much got better and was able to work the rest of the week, so yay!

So this week we had two investigators (people interested in learning about the gospel) pray, and receive answers to their prayers regarding the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. They were Angelo Cuizon and Florenze Lagrosa. We are pumped for them, its really exciting. But it was slightly overshadowed by the events later in the week.

So President and Sister Stucki (president over the entire mission of Manila) as well as one of his counselors, President Peterson and his wife, came to Coron on Saturday and Sunday. So we had to get the apartment all cleaned up for them of course, and that's when the excitement started. Robbins was cleaning the kitchen area and found a pretty huge spider just chillin right by his hand. Elder Osumo and I were hanging out, toying with his ukulele, when Elder Robbins let out quite the scream, it was hilarious and chaos ensued. Elder Bagahansol, being a man, picked up the blender it was on and took it outside and set it down. Shortly after he set it down, it came running back inside towards me, Robbins, and Osumo, so of course, we took off the other direction and ran out the front door. Bogs came to the rescue and swept him back outside, of course towards us for his entertainment. Eventually we got him on the broom and threw him into the woods and all was safe. But that was almost a crisis. The spider was nearly the size of Osumo's hand! I'll have pictures next week, I have a ton I need to send in general.

Saturday they got here, it was a great day! We received a little instruction from President and each of us had interviews with him. He's awesome! I love him. And his wife brought us stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch! It's been a longgg time! And she brought oreos and doritos and just the good stuff, it rocked. They also brought me two packages from you guys! And mail! It was a great day! Then President Stucki, went out and worked with us that night for a few appointments it was sweet working with him. Even though he knows absolutely no Tagalog, the lessons were still awesome.

Sunday morning, before church I got "the news." President Stucki asked to have an interview with me before church. In that interview he extended to me the calling of Branch Executive Secretary. In sacrament meeting, CORON BECAME A BRANCH! Just three months and a day since we/the missionaries arrived in Coron, we received clearance to go ahead and form a branch! Brother Arnold, the group leader was called to be the Branch President with Elder Bagahansol as first counselor and Orlan Arbado as second, and me as Executive Secretary. It's crazy! Michael Arbado was called to be Elder's quorum president and Michael Jubilado as branch clerk. Crazy stuff! And that's all we have for now but I think we'll be extending more callings within a week. But the important thing is... CORON'S A BRANCH! We celebrated. Hopefully this is somewhat exciting to you guys reading this too, cuz I'm still pumped! (This means that there are enough members to formally organize their congregation )

Monday was Halloween and they don't celebrate it here. They do more of a Dia de los Muertos kinda thing on Nov 1st I think.. And it was Tyler Semples birthday! Happy birthday!

We flew to Manila this morning (Tuesday). And were able to eat fast food! and go to a mall! and see people! and go to the temple! It was a sweet day too! But tomorrow we get to meet Elder Ian S Ardern of the Seventy (he bashed Angry Birds in General Conference, haha). He's doing a mission tour of our mission and that's why we're in Manila, for a special mission conference. President asked me if I'd share my testimony in that meeting tomorrow, ugh! I gotta get up in front of like, at least half the mission (cuz they're having a couple difference meetings for different areas) and a General Authority and speak! Ugh! So hopefully that goes well, I guess you'll know next week.

So that's what's been up this week, it's been excitinggg! I have a ton of pics, but I couldn't send them, sorry! Next week you'll get a bunch though!

The End. WE'RE A BRANCH!

Love
Elder Michael Gadberry

PS -- The Cardinals won the World Series!!! =D WOOOOO!