Gettin down with the sickness!!

Name that band!! lets see who catches on to that... haha

Hey!! Its so good to be able to e-mail you guys again, it seems that it comes and goes so fast! Well I just get straight to things because there really isn't much to tell...

I was SICK this whole last week!!!! I got slammed with dual Ear Infections! at the same time! ahh man it was a pain in the butt! so long story short, I got two ear infections, I couldn't leave the apartment for entire week! ahh it was terrible, the pain was so consistent haha I couldn't eat, sleep, or read! and most return missionaries especially from the Philippines can testify that when you that getting sick in the mission is the WORST because it is so boring! I mean you can only study effectively for so long before you get bored, and you have no tv or anything like that, so you literally end up just staring at a wall for hours everyday! so it was a interesting few days, Elder Pepa and I did a lot of talking, lot of laughing, and a lot of sleeping (when I could). 

The good news is that on Sunday I was good enough to get back to work, so we taught a few investigators, and we FINALLY got to visit with the Branch President and his family, we had a Family Home Evening because they were to busy on Monday. It was really fun, we had a good time, and I think we really built the trust with him so I think things are really progressing there and hopefully we can meet with him personally to know his visions for his branch.

so because we were not able to get out and work this last week, I will just share about the things I have studied. well, I really just want to share one thing, and I actually gave a talk on this last Sunday and it turned out to be a very spiritual talk. 

I was reading in 1 Nephi 16 and most of us are familiar with this scripture where nephi's family and others are complaining because of the loss of Nephi's bow. I read in verse 22, and the word Complaining caught my attention pretty strongly. I probably talked about this before, but I am going to talk about it again! because its so true! I started to think how often I complain and why I complain, turns out I tend to complain a lot! I think its only natural for all of us to complain because of challenges, and things not happening according to our desires or wants. Then I thought why didn't Nephi complain? The Spirit taught me that it was because for one Nephi trusted in the lord, and two that Nephi understand the will of god, or was submitted to the will of God. He knew if he was to keep doing what God has told him (keep the commandments) God will provide for all things, and fulfill his promise that he gave to his Father.  

I started to think about myself, and the reasons why I complain and how I can submit myself more to the will of God that I may be humble and follow his commandments, and then I started thinking about the members, and the Less actives we visit all the time and how they complain all the time about so many different things, and all the excuses the give us for not being able to do different things, and thats when I started to think that this should be my topic for my talk last Sunday. I came to know that if we can really understand the will of God, or submit ourselves to His will, we will never lose hope, we will never complain, we will always have a purpose, and we will always know where to go, and what to do. Because we know the Promise in D&C is true, which says "... I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say..." When God makes a promise he plans to keep the promise, all we have to do is our part. Thats it, sometimes its a hard thing to do, but if we will just start to exercise more faith we will see the miracles of God, but we have to act now, and not tomorrow and the next day, and the next day, and the day after that, we have to act now, and we will see God's hand in our lives and recognize that he does now our problems, or challenges, and our weaknesses, because sometimes He is the one who actually gave us those, to help us, to strengthen us, and to prepare us for greater things. 

This really helped me to be stronger, especially these last weeks of my mission come to a close to keep working, and to keep a smile on my face no matter how hard it gets. Sounds like the Kikel style to me;) 

Well hope the encourage someone to start complaining less, and start trusting more and act on that faith that you have! I ready to get back to work this next week, and hopefully we will have something good to report!

love you all!

--

Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

The Last Sprint

I just want to say that I can not believe it has all ready been 3 weeks since I have been in my new area, and that the transfer is all ready half way over! each transfer is 6 weeks by the way.

This last week was another rough week! phew! We spent most of the week just tracting because we still don't have any progressing investigators! We are still trying to find new investigators, especially through the members, but we are really struggling, we are still not able to work with the members. Because of recent events between missionaries, and members. The trust between the members and the missionary is gone... so yeah, now Elder Pepa and I are here to fix that, and hopefully we can do some good in these last few weeks of the transfer! 

I will give one example: every Monday since we have been here we have fun punted from every single Family Home Evening appointment we have set with the members, every single one! ahhhhH! why!!! hahah its so frustrating, we are trying to teach, and help these members, and build a trust with them and they keep punting us. sigh... and we still haven't had a meeting with our Branch President, he is just so busy! so at times things get really frustrating, and after tracting all day everyday for a couple weeks, its starts to really test your Faith, and thats when the testimonies come into play. 

This has really been effecting me this last week because I only have 2 months until I get home, and with this difficulty and magnitude of work, satan just likes to keep throwing the thoughts in my mind " its okay, relax.. work here a little bit, work there a little bit, and just enjoy the last little bit of your mission stop trying to so hard!" NO! its not going to happen, this is my time to shine, and use all the skills that I have acquired before I go home! I could go on and on with this subject, and my thoughts and feelings about it, but it would take to long, lets just say Im still striving to sprint till the end! 

So nothing super interesting has happened work wise, we are trying to follow up with those we have talked too, and trying to get member cooperation in our work, help, love, and support them in everyway. 

So fun little fact, last night while Elder Pepa and I were walking, some guys drove by on a motorcycle and threw a flippin softball sized rock at me! It hit me square in the chest and almost knocked me over! I didn't really feel anything at first because my adrenaline was going, and frankly i was quite angry, and Elder Pepa and I both almost sprinting after them to get them back, but then I thought that we are missionaries and we can't be like that so we didn't. hahah I got over it pretty quick because I am not really one to fight anways, but Elder Pepa on the other hand could not just get over it, its in his polynesian culture haha he kept wanting to hunt them down and beat them up, he had the same rock in his hand too hahah I had to keep forcing him not too. He was so angry. It feels kind of nice that when you have a huge poly that has your back haha Those guys really got some nerve considering the fact the just threw the rock at the two biggest guys in Siniloan haha but we aren't looking for any trouble we tried finding that guys house today to talk to him, or who ever knows him, and why he did what he did, but he hid, and we were told he was drunk and under the influence of other drugs. My companion says if he sees him again at night he is going to scare him hahah so hopefully we don't see them again! 

well thats it for this week, we are just keeping on and endure to the end like bosses! Don't give up anyone, because Christ has never given up on you! 

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

General Conference

It is sad know that this last General Conference was my last General Conference in my mission! it is such a weird feeling! its coming way to fast!

I absolutely loved General Conference this April, probably because It was the Conference I was the most excited for! I tried really hard to prepare for it, and seek for revelation! I said this last time about General Conference but it just seems to go by so fast now, and its almost just not enough! I can't believe i wouldn't watch Conference on Saturdays back at home, what a wasted opportunity.  For all you youngins or those who just don't really enjoy conference i got a little advice for you, I was the exactly the same way back before my mission, conference for me was a waiting game, and because of that I never got any of the messages shared, and I was only counting down the hours until I could play xbox again! but take my words when I say you can make conference an enjoyable experience, and a blessing in your life, you need to do what King Benjamin asked us to do in Mosiah 2:9. We need not trifle with the words that the prophet and apostles speak as well as with all his servents, and we need to open our ears to hear, our hearts to understand, and our minds to be enlighten, and as we do these things he promises us the we will come to know the mysteries of God. As i have done these things I have received so many blesses, and as we taught members this principle these also came up to me and told me that they were bless as well! so try it! its not to late, watch them online, in a private quite place, and just listen to what they are saying and something they say will apply to you i promise! 

I don't know if Conference has always been like this but I love that fact there is some humor involved, especially when President Uchdorf "accidently" spoke german that killed me hahahaha  for one it keeps the listeners more attentive and entertained, and also it makes me feel more like these people are actual people and not these perfect robots that have no personality or lives. Of course General Conference a sacred ordeal in its self but its nice to see this sometimes. 

I could go on and on about how good each of the Talks were, and as always Jeffrey R. Holland never lets us down with his powerful teaching skills. but one thing I want to share the really pressed upon me as I was listen was something I was taught at the beginning of my mission that I didn't really understand at first but now understand a little bit.

Sometimes as missionaries we refer to the life that all you life as the "real life' and our life as the "missionary life" and I remember a leader in our mission told me, maybe it was the President, or AP, but he told me that the missionary life is the "real life" and your life is the "Babylonian life" and after this recent Conference the Spirit just testified of the truthfulness of that statement to my heart. This really is what the real life is about; serving others in the Name of Jesus Christ. Think of the Prophet and Apostles, that is what real life is, and thats where I would like to be after my mission. and not do what one of the general authorities talked about by "swan diving into Babylon!" when I get home, I want to strive to maintain the spirituality that i have obtained in my mission after I return, home its going to be really difficult, and might take some time, and maturity but i konw the Lord will help me with those things.  

I am grateful for everyone who commits to life the "real life" and devote themselves to god always, those are the real men and women on earth. haha Also i just love how many talks were given about families, fatherhood, and eternal marriage! hahah 2 months left!!! and thats meeeee!!! hopefully... haha anyways thanks everyone one for you support, and keep on keepin on! 

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

The Last General Conference

Its just that time of the week again! its just goes by so fast!

Things here in Siniloan have been going by way fast because of being in a new area and all trying to figure out where things are, and getting things going! so lets begin!

So first off after reading my last e-mail i wasn't very careful on explaining some things that you might of mis interpreted haha, my comment about the "flirt to convert initiative" was more of a joke meaning that we will have the sisters in our branch flirt or shall we say attract there guy friends t come to church or even be taught by the missionaries. You should of seen our church attendance last week... there was maybe.. 15 or 20 priesthood... and then rest females... we literally only had 2 young men came to church! with about 20 young women ! its crazy, so ELder Pepa and I are seriously trying to figure out how we are going to work with the sisters in or ward to find more priesthood referrals haha. THere ya go. 

Honestly pretty young women wether members or not haven't really been a temptation for me in the mission, unlike other missionaries. I mean cmon we are MISSIONARIES! and i am not about to go out and try to find a pretty filipino to come back for after my mission, what a waste of time, talent, and service. Yes, on occasion I will admit i catch myself flirting a little bit with the sisters in the areas I have been a assigned in, but more just the friendly kind of thing, but its still not an excuse and I have seen what happens to a missionary when they are not careful. they get sent home! and that is not happening to me haha, YEs, sometimes this stuff happens in the mission field, and satan is stronger then we think he is, and missionaries are still people, and 20 year people at that! recently there was a missionary in the area I am serving in right now that made-out with one of the Branch President's daughter, and set a whole plan to come back for her and get married. then right before he left he dropped her, and their plans... so yeah now i know why we have been having such a hard time trying to get a meeting with the Branch President! hahahaha Hopefully we can change that view he probably has for missionaries now. Why am I even talking about this?! haha

I really do want to serve these members, and continue doing the work of the lord.

we had a pretty great week, we got a lot of referrals from members that we have been trying to work with, and we have been finding some new investigators to try and get that teaching pool increasing. Serving and living is all that we can do haha

Here in the Philippines we are going to be watching conference on the 11-12th, I am so excited, like i am going on a vacation excited! I wish I could of had this look on General Conference a long .long time ago. I just enjoy so much feeling the spirit, and receiving revelation as I listen to the spirit, and the speakers. Its jst amazing how much knowledge and power these men and women of the church have because of their faithfulness in the church. I love it, adn I am sad that this will be my last General Conference in the mission, but kind of glad because nex time I can watch in a big recliner, with good ffod, and some real clothes! I am at the point where I almost literally just sleep in my slacks.. . haha I hpe you were all able to get something out of General conference, and re-read or re-watch the great messages given to find inspiration, and guidance in life.

We had a zone p-day this week, it was awesome, went to some falls again, it was pretty intense, but not as intense as the last trip we went on! I send pictures next time! 

I am sure most of you want to hear abut the whole easter or holy week here in the philippines. Elder Pepa and I avoided most of it for safety reasons but we did see some of the action, its pretty scary haha. They literally whip themselves! until the bleed! they do it weird so its not as intense as it sounds, but still something i would suggest. Also I heard that someone actally nailed himself to a cross! these people are crazy! 

Thats it my friends, Ill try and have something more spiritual next week, Please pray fof this area, and these members. I love you all, and I will not see yu next week haha.

P.S. this keyboard is dumb, some I sound like i am dumb..

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission