Phew! Time is just flying by! I can't believe it! Just been working so hard lately!
So the report.
Elder
Maiz and I have spent this whole last week tracting 3 or more hours a
day at least trying to increase our teaching pool. We have new
investigators but some of them we are not to sure about. It has been
really tough trying to teach good quality lessons and to be able to
finish on time to make it to the next appt. Our investigators live all
over the place and since Elder Maiz and I are almost out of money we
walk, or almost run everywhere! Things are getting better and I am
trying really hard to make something happen over here! Our numbers this
week were better then last week. We have a few more Baptismal Goal Dates
and so we are pretty excited for those but then again we are not to
sure how committed these people are to be baptized, so thats something
we have to find out. We have a few investigators that want to be
baptized so bad, but there are just things in the way that prevent them
from going to church and so they can't be baptized! Arghhhah...
aggravating.
I gave a blessing this last week to one of the sons of our
investigators. It was kind of cool actually. We when were teaching this
family right when we started they told us that their son was sick and I
felt the prompting to tell Elder Maiz that we needed to give him a
blessing. During the lesson I was trying to find a good time to bring it
up, because they are not members and don't really know what Priesthood
blessing is, so of course they would never ask for one. I wasn't able
to find an appropriate time to ask if they would like a blessing. After
we were almost done with the lesson the father walk in the house, and he
is the reason they are not able to go to church because he doesn't like
us, and doesn't really like it when we teach to his family. I was like
"Perfect!" and the prompting was stronger and I just decided to kind of
interrupt and ask the mother if she would like us to give a priesthood
blessing to her son. She was very happy, and really wanted us to do it.
So we gave the blessing and the father was watching, so I am hoping and I
have faith that this witness will help soften his heart, and allow us
to teach to him and his family so they can all be baptized!
Okay so the Apartment and the people I am living with, I
haven't said much about that yet. So I live with the Zone Leaders as you
know, and we also have a new Zone Leader, Elder Boyd. He is really cool
and is a great example, he works so freaking hard its ridiculous. He is
a really good missionary, he has been here for almost 2 weeks and has
all ready improved the area. Oh man! the water here is ridiculous! It is
like taking ice water out of the fridge! I am not even joking it is so
cold! After almost 3 weeks of taking showers with it morning and night,
it is starting to become refreshing at the same time. Especially cause I
am starting to work out every morning! Elder Boyd, Elder Inlayo, and I
all just love working out so we made a work out plan, we made our own
weights, and we are eating way healthy! Its freaking awesome! Every
morning we all wake up and just go crazy doing circuits and lifts in the
morning, it makes my day so much better and I feel so much better
through out the day. I have all ready lost almost 20lbs since I have
been here in the Philippines. I didn't look like it at first because all
my muscle turned into fat, but one of the Elders has a scale and I
weighed myself. Under 200lbs!? what!? crazy...
So quick funny story. Elder Maiz and I were out tracting at
night and we came across a few guys on the street, and they were
smoking. I was in such a good mood and I just didn't really care what
they would think, I decided to OYM them about the Word of Wisdom. So in
the best Tagalog I could I was telling them about the Word of Wisdom
real briefly, basically just telling them we think smoking is not
allowed! After I said this one of the guys looked at me and said, in English. " I don't like this! I throw it away." and he flicks his cigg
hahaha! after it was all ready finished! hahah and then they all agreed
to stop smoking and follow the Word of Wisdom. haha even though right
after we left they pulled out another one. tsk.. tsk... tsk..
So tomorrow we have the Awesome opportunity to go to a Mission
Tour! So basically this is when the whole mission gets together for
pretty much a devotional! but, the speaking is the Area Seventy for the
Philippines! Elder Neilson! Crazy! So he is going to talk to us about
what we can do to improve our mission and what ever else he would like.
So that is going to be really cool to experience that and also see all
of my friends from the MTC and all the fun jazz! Also! I have some
pretty cool news! I am one of the first to know and now you guys will be
too! So this Sunday we had a visitor that came all the way from
America... Santa Clause! hahah no... We had a man who is Filipino but
works for the Church's financial department and is pretty high up there,
his boss talks with the prophet about the Church's finance. He has been
living in Provo for the last 33 years. So when I heard him speak
perfect english I was a little surprised! He is a really nice guy, but
the reason why he is all the way back here in the Philippines is because
he has a dream that he wants to accomplish. He told us what his dream
is... and his dream is to build a "BYU-like school here in Lucena,
Philippines." What!? Thats freaking sweet! It will be the first LDS
school in the Country I believe if he is able to accomplish this. He
said the Church will not fund for more school because of the cost or
something like that, but he wants to try and build a school where kids
the live the poorer life here in the Philippines can still go to a good
school, afford it, and be able to have thing atmosphere of a BYU like
campus. So nothing for sure yet, but there could be something like that
happening soon!
So a crappy thing happen to me last week while I was
e-mailing! I lost all my pictures on my SD card! Noooooooooooooo!!!!
Some virus or something erased all my pictures or something and I
couldn't get it back! I was pretty bummed but oh well, what could you
do?
Something I came
across in church this week, is a few lines from the Hymn. The Lord is
my light. it says. " The Lord is my light, the Lord is my strength. I
know in his might, I'll conquer at length. My weakness in mercy he
covers with power, and, walking by faith, I am blessed every hour." - I
really enjoyed this and I hope you all do too.
A real quick
spiritual experience that I had this week, is that we randomly came
across a member as we were tracting and he invited us in and fed us.
Then he proceeded to tell us his story of life and what he is going
through right now. he just really needed someone to talk too. but, I
just wanted to say that he is probably the most humble man I have ever
met. I mean, here is this Father who has been through so much all ready
in his life, he kids are falling away from the church, and treat him
like dirt. He can barely provide for his family, but he has to sacrifice
meals, showers, clothes, entertainment, pretty much everything just to
make sure his family has a roof. He walks for hours every sunday just to
go to church. Through all these things and many more, this man
testifies to us that he recognizes the blessings in his life and he
doesn't need anything more. He puts his life and the life of his family
and the everything else in trust to the lord. And still this man still
strives to serve others and help others! He wanted to go take us out for
food because we looked tired, but didn't let him haha but man I just
can't believe how humble and submissive he was to the will of the Lord!
and the Faith that he had. It truly built my faith and testimony, just
to see a man who has pretty much nothing, and turns it into a lot.
Well
that's about it for this week, I hope you all enjoy Thanksgiving! I
can't believe I left in July and its all ready Thanksgiving! It is so
ridiculously fast! I hope all is well, and I love you all!
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