First Baptism!

wow what a week! this week was definitely a trying one! it tested my patience and everything i had haha. but it ended up being really rewarding! so the work has been kind of tough lately and i was getting frusturated with my tagalog but i felt the lords blessings and things worked out. i realize how much the lord really provides for us out here and it really blows me away. just when we are discoureged cause we cant find someone or have nobody to teach the Lord blesses us and something comes through, it truly is great! well the most exciting part of my week or most spiritual was definitely saturday!!!!! My 1st baptism! wow let me tell you we were stressing cause friday night was the ward christmas party and so we talked to our ward mission leader to see if he had gotten everything ready for the baptism, the speakers, clean font, clean clothes all that stuff and he hadn't done a single thing!!! and we tried getting him to ask people at the party but for some reason i couldn't really undestand, he wouldn't really. so we were stressing to find speakers and all that stuff to make it a good baptism! well saturday morning came and we were at the church by 8 so we could fill up the font and try and get things ready cause the baptism started at 10. so we were working and cleaning calling and trying everthing. so 9:30 rolls around and no one is there! finally a sister shows up to type up the program thank goodness! 9:45 still no one! im stressing cause i'm hoping people show up! espically our investigator! 10 comes and still no one! then the bishop and our assistant ward mission leader comes he's a stud he's an Rm and helps us a ton so anyway our investigator still isn't here! i'm thinking man i really hope she shows up! haha but at about 10:10 she finally shows up at the church and everything ended up working out great! we had speakers clean baptismal clothes everything worked! what a tender mercy from the lord! oh man it was the most amazing experience seeing that baptism it was truly neat! it made everything worth it! i'll send some pictures from it! but that was a great experience. then we interviewed two of the koreans for baptism and i really dont know what's going to happen there cause the girl is super ready but her brother still wants some time and says he wants to be baptized with his sister so we have to work on him and help him get prepared! so saturday was a really cool day. but sunday was when it got really real! so were sitting in sacrament before it starts and Elder turns to me and says your going to confirm her. i was like are you serious! he's like you'll do fine and so i was gettting way nervous! for some reason sacrament and church is all in english so i could do it in english but still i was way nervous cause i was put on the spot big time! so we go up there and i thought bishop was just going to have a counselor or elder katigbak do it but when he asked who, elder said elder machen will do it! so i confirmed her a member and gave her the gift of the holy ghost and a blessing. it was a amazing experience i was way nervous but the spirit helped me big time. i truly felt the saviors love for this person and us as missionaries. i never thought i would be doing anything like this and it is amazing work we are doing! seeing someone take those steps and put their faith in christ is awesome! our investigator also bore a powerful testimony and it really blew me away! she's a very neat person and has a desire to learn more about the church! so that was the really exciting part of the week! just a fun fact for you haha i've lost 15 pounds already hahahah. a member had a scale and so i weighed myself and couldnt believe it! haha it's good though cause i was kinda chubby before so i'm good with it! haha. My zone leader Elder Frandsen has been helping me with the language so much! we went on exchanges and had like a two hour language study and it helped a ton! every philipino here says he's the best foriegner tagalog speaker in the mission so i'm in good hands. he's a stud and we get along really well. I can't skype but i'm thinking about calling home next p day or on sunday just depends on when we can get members phone so just be expecting either sunday or monday haha cause i'm really not sure yet! and it will probably be in the night time there so morning here. haha sorry i don't have more details. i'm doing good though just keep plugging along. we have our christmas zone conference tomorrow so i'm really excited about that! well family i love ya and wish you a merry christmas! i'll talk to you next week!!!!! Mahal Kita Elder Machen