Philippines!! A Video AND Photos!

Playing basketball!! (Elder Rubow is wearing the white t-shirt.  Second in from left.)

Hello Mom!!

First of all, yes I did!  they are hanging right over my bed.  (I sent him some plastic snowflakes in his Christmas box because he misses the snow so much.)  Pressing end was indeed hard.  (Saying goodbye at Christmas when we Skyped).  Sorry you have all been so sick.  Thats not a fun way to spend Christmas.  I will be praying for you all to get better. 

So attached is a video of me!  I was thinking about sending you a video every week about the week and everything.  Let me know your thoughts and everything.  Ill send the weekly letter of course and all of that but the video is just an add on.  With such a short email I hope this will help a bit more.  So yeah!  I miss you all more then I can say!  Good thing May is so close.  (He gets to Skpe again for Mother's Day). I love you so much!  I promise you more next week!  This whole two hours I have been trying to figure out how to send videos.  Expect more next week!

Christmas is now over and New Year is just around the corner.  I did not believe that this day would come to be honest but I am so surprised just how fast it did come.  Christmas was amazing!  I got two packages from home which was awesome and we were invited to one of the members to play games and have food.  All of our investigators have been either very busy or have left for the holidays so we have spent most of our time with members and less actives and trying to build up the kingdom of God.  Then I was able to talk with my family face to face which I have not done in over 6 months.  It was incredible and I love them so much! That was definitely the highlight of the week.  2 hours was not enough at all but way better then not at all.  (Agreed.  Two hours Skyping wasn't near enough but we'll take it!  We're grateful we were able to Skype. Best Christmas present gift.)

My companion got sick after Christmas with a nasty flu of some sort so we spent two days in the house where he rested.  I was able to do some reading, origami, paperwork, cook, and pretty well just wait for him to recover.  This week was rather boring really.

We did have another highlight!  The stake had planned all the way back in October for a "White Christmas" to happen Christmas morning.  As part of that, we missionaries were to bring people to baptism for that day.  25 people were baptized that day including one of our investigators.  The spirit was very strong and I feel so lucky to be here serving in the Philippines.  Many testimonies were given at the end and I feel the testimonies of those who attended were strengthened.  I sure was.

A white Christmas. (Elder Rubow is bottom row.  Third in from left giving the thumbs up.)

I apologize for the short letter this week.  I just really don't know what else to say.  I can hardly remember what happened past talking with my family. 

Elder Rubow baptizing.

So I will just end with my testimony:  I do know that Jesus is the Christ.  He is our Savior and Redeemer and that only through Him can we come unto the Father.  We are so blessed to have the Restoration of His eternal Gospel.  We have living prophets and apostles, we have revelation, and we have the restored priesthood all here on the Earth again.  And all we need to do to know if this indeed really is true is to pray to Him in the name of Jesus Christ.  Then by the power of the Holy Ghost, we will know it is true.  Which it is.  With so many wars, storms, calamities and so much confusion, we can know the truth if we shall seek for it.  Those who seek shall find.  I know this to be true and I leave this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Elder Rubow