Elder Jordan Paul Kocherhans: September 7, 2015-- Email #97

September 7, 2015

Echague, Philippines

Magandang Tanghali!

It was a great week! Although I can't really remember what happened much; it all went by so fast... I can tell it was a great week for you as well! That's what I call football! I just remembered that I'll be coming home during football season... Great timing, I'm glad God worked that one out for me.

On Tuesday I had splits with Elder Murdock. We had a really great day talking with various people. He's a great missionary. We had a certain goal for new individuals to talk to that day, and when we got to a point when we couldn't see anyone else, we went back to the center of town and bought some balut. We talked to the people around us and invited them to learn more about the Church, and they were astounded that there was two white guys scarfing down boiled duck fetuses like it was nothing. All in a days work for the missionary in Philippines Cauayan Mission.

Wednesday was my last Missionary Leadership Council! I've had so many great experiences in those meetings and I'm going to miss the wonderful, personal instruction from President Rahlf. He's such a great teacher and there's so much I've learned from him. I've learned to be a more confident teacher and to live what I teach, as well as many other powerful lessons. I'm excited to teach Zone Meeting tomorrow.

My health was dwindling this last weekend and it made it difficult to concentrate part of the time. But I've been good about eating healthy and building my immune system so it's been fine. It's not just me; there's been a bug going around lately. Something in the weather is strange, and I think the water has been effected by the nightly down-pours as well. There's also a compounded anxiousness from being close to coming home that I think has triggered some of that ailment. The good thing is that the work is going really well so it's easy to get lost in it. Joshua, Irene, and Monica are getting baptized this Saturday! I'm so excited for them. They have really made some significant changes in their lives and come closer to the Savior and I'm so excited for them to take their first step in following His example, and becoming members of the restored Church! They are some really special people and I'm so blessed to know them. They've been fitting in really well with the Ward too, which is an answer to prayers!

This email doesn't have a whole lot of detail, does it? The pictures can provide some of that... I'll write more next week. Time goes so fast, it's crazy! I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is indeed the Lord's Church and it becomes clearer and clearer every day. This is such a wonderful work. I love the Savior. He's help me change beyond my own capabilities. He's help me to be the man of God I need to be; the one that this world deserves, the one my future wife deserves, the one my future family deserves. I'm excited to continue a life-time of service to Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Kocherhans

Birthday FHE shindig for Elder Arorong.