Time to Work!

noowww the Holidays are over! Yay! Time to go to work!

This last week has been a little ruff for Elder Strobelt and I. We spent this whole last week trying to find members houses and also less actives that we can start to more closely work with. It was really successful, and I think we built a lot of relationships and trust. We weren't able to get a lot of lessons though which was kind of disappointing but God knows what we are trying to do so thats all that matters. Elder Strobelt and I have been trying really hard to do our best out here and to try and get things going. Elder Strobelt is awesome! He is all ready leading lessons, OYM'ing people on his own, and just doing everything else like a missionary should be! I am such a proud father! On those terms, Elder Boyd, who is one the Zone Leaders I am living with talk a lot about marriage and families and all the jazz all the time, and every time I just think to myself. Why am I talking about this I am way to young for anything like this, but man just teaching the Gospel, and how the Gospel can bless families without comprehension, it just makes me want a family of my own. I won't get too deep into that because thats not important right now. But, ladies prepare yourselves for the KeakSneak. haha jokelang. Everything else is going good in my mission just enjoying being in the Philippines, getting up in the morning and doing the same old routine, just hoping and praying that we can find new investigators to teach, and baptize. Speaking of Baptism, this last week we had Sister Annabel come to church for the 4th time in a row now so I really think she is going to be baptized on the 25th I am super excited! Your sister didn't come to church so now we have to extend her baptism to the following week, and I feel that she isn't really ready to be baptized which makes me sad, but I don't want anyone being baptize unless they really know this church is true. 

Something that has been difficult for me is to see the success of others. While we had 1 investigator come to church our Zone Leaders had 8! Freak! At first it really made me feel like a failure to see that, and just kept asking myself what am I doing wrong, what can I do better. Then I realized of course, one; they are Zone leaders, they have been here for over a year and a half and have way more experience as a missionary, and can fluently speak the language. I am just trying to be more patient with myself and the Lord. Also reading D&C 18:15 really comforted me also. So now its not a big deal its just something that makes me to want to work harder!

So for another funny story of the week, I had a pretty interesting experience.

Elder Strobelt and I were OYM'ing a few tricycle drivers about the Book of Mormon and how it is another testament of Jesus Christ, and as we were talking and right when I said that he lifts up his shirt and pulls out a gun! Holding it up and saying in English.  "This is my New Testament" the funniest part was the I thought it was a Airsoft gun at first because little kids run around the streets with Airsoft guns all the time, but then I quickly realized it was a real gun by the way it looked. It was custom and it was freaking sweet. but, Elder Strobelt and I looked at it for a second and just kept talking hahaah didn't really even take heed to it. After we kind of realized the situation we were in, saying to each other that this guy pretty much pulled a gun on us! It was funny but I am glad that it didn't turn out to be anything else.

This last week Elder Strobelt and I have been getting into deep Doctrine of a lot of things. From stuff in the D&C's to the Book of Revelation. I have found that when you really take the time to pray and study and use the cross references that are given to you, that you learn a lot and also find out really cool stuff that just blows your mind! And all you need is the Scriptures! There is just so much to this Gospel that we just don't understand, and that the average person only knows just the skim of the Gospel. Everything can go so deep, and you will find out that everything here on earth is just nothing compare to the blessings in heaven, and what we do and what we all have in-store for us! I invite you all to read the scriptures more and try and more fully understand the Gospel and how much of a blessing it is. You kind find out some pretty cool stuff, that if you talked about it, people would think your crazy. Its cool and its really fun to find. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years, and is now back to the Normal grind! Good Luck with the New Year, and I will see you all Next Year!

-Elder Kikel