October 21, 2013

This week has been a hard week. We had meetings and other interruptions I feel like my area really suffered. Anyways, this week was kind of a bummer. I really wanted to see some of my investigators get baptized before I leave this area. Yesterday on Sunday I was expecting really good attendance, it was a beautiful day and it just felt like today was gonna be a good day. Sadly, none of my investigators showed up and they all fell from their baptismal dates and the next one they can possibly make is after the transfer. I thought about this for a long while, thinking I was not doing something right or maybe I wasn't being a good missionary. Than I remembered something we learned earlier that week. Attitude is a choice. I decided God wasn't punishing me or saying I was a bad missionary. I think he want's me to work harder and do more than what I am already doing. I realized that because I have been in my area for so long I am starting to slack in my finding efforts, I am not opening my mouth and sharing to as much people as I used to. So I take this is a friendly wake up call to me. I am here to serve the Lord. I can't get comfortable with where I am, I need to do more and say more. "Where much is given, Much is required" Maybe this wasn't a very spiritual week. But I know that this Church is true. We must all take the Gospel to all nations. Right now as we speak the World has never seen such efforts. We have so many missionaries out, so let us all share it. The most precious thing we have which is the Gospel. I know that Christ lives and that God is our Father Heaven. I know that Joseph Smith is a True Prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that these things, these simple truths will guide us to the Gospel and to Everlasting life. Which is for everyone. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

October 7, 2013

We have just finished another transfer. Man time is flying! I feel like yesterday the transfer started. Anyways I still have another transfer in Mapayapa! This will make it my 4th and I will be here for 6 months and hopefully that is it! I love the people here and I am happy and have seen so many miracles. But, man it has been a long struggle especially with my comps. I have felt like it was me against the world here, my comps were either unwilling to help, or my greenie right now who is unable and in a way unwilling to, but I have grown so much and now I just want to leave this area the best I can. So this transfer good things are gonna happen. We have recently enlarged our teaching pool. We have found new investigators and we are seeing progress. I had a interesting experience this week. We have this... some what I would say crazy guy who always is telling us things about how Christ is here on Earth as a Filipino and he can't reveal himself because people would kill him again. At that time he was kind of drunk too I think. Anyways ... I thought he was a joke at first, but as we slowly just greeted him friendly and left him things to read he kept asking for more. We would always leave small portions of truth and things were just going well. One day he asked us for a Book of Mormon and we told him we would bring him one. We came back the next day, and we left him a short message on the Book of Mormon. Than out of nowhere I just felt like I should invite him to Church. So I did and he promised he would come. I thought nothing of it until the next day on Sunday.... HE WAS THERE! I knew as an Elder of God I had judged my brother poorly. But, God prepared him and I hadn't noticed but he came. We hope he will take the lessons and keep coming to Church. I don't know what will come of him, but what I have learned is I can't judge people in the streets. All are welcome to the knowledge of the Gospel and we should all do our part to welcome these people. I did a bad thing and judged the guy who I first called crazy. But I think he will be a fun miracle story for me. I know this gospel is True and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

October 2, 2013

We have had a lot of success this week. It seems that every transfer we just fry and grill in the oven of the sun and look for people who might just give us one chance to let us say a word about our message. But, when the sun goes down, that is when we get our real appointments in. We are having a good time teaching our investigators who seem to care! Anyways, as of right now I have just been tired.. more tired than I can ever remember. Really stressed out too, I have big pimples now! haha It is just a lot of pressure on me as a trainer and leading an area. My companion has been really slow at progressing and he would rather sit quietly than give it his all in lessons. It is kind of awkward when I give him a chance to do something and he just... stares at me refusing to do anything. I have really gained a lot of patience this past 6 weeks and I am expecting to gain even more the next 6. Anyways, I learned something about myself and maybe something that can help others. I have really been upset with my companion... we have not been getting along. It finally got to the point where we got into ... a bigger argument. The rest of the day... the spirit was not felt, and I feel like the Lord made sure I did not enter any homes with the attitude we both had. As we walked for a couple hours getting punted from our appointments, the spirit just nagged me. It seemed I didn't want to listen, I knew what he wanted me to do. By the time we got home, I felt miserable, and I knew that I had to humble myself. I built up my courage and me and my comp had a short talk. I started with the most heart felt apology I could muster. It felt like the right thing and I know that is what the spirit was telling me ... I just chose to ignore it. As I apologized, I think his heart was softened too. We had generally gotten along before, but I think both of us had some humbling to do. I see today, many members who have been offended. I clearly saw today the blessing and help of God withdrawn from my work. How can that affect our lives today? We can choose to be offended, but I know that if we just humble ourselves the Lord will provide. I am trying everyday to love my companion, and I see how it can make a big difference in our lives. I invite everyone to be as Christ and let go of hard feelings, forgive others and welcome back blessings that we could really use in our lives. I know that God loves us and he would want us to love each other. I really learned a lot about myself and how to better myself this week in this sense. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

September 22, 2013

This week has been slow, yet we are seeing good results. The family me and my last companion found has been progressing really well. The 13 year old in their family, who has a brain of a 19 year old and looks like she is 16 got baptized. She was way excited and nervous and all but her baptism went way good! Also the family is almost considered return. I had a special experience with them though. We were talking about how we can continue to stay active and build our faith so that we never fall away. Reading, praying, and going to church. They told me about what had happened to them, that they just forgot the little things until they stopped doing everything. But they were so thankful that we showed up at their door. They were so happy and I felt like we were all prepared to be there at this time. I have notice a lot in my life how I have been prepared by the Lord. Preserved for this work and at times I wonder what the heck I am doing here in the Philippines. Than it is times like this when I see that I have played an important role in the lives of others. I know our Father in Heaven is mindful of all. That those who are lost, he is mindful of them. I hope all those are searching for the truth are looking for the ones God has prepared for them. I hope all those who have the truth are searching for ways to be God's instrument in bringing his sheep back to his fold. It has been a great week, but a lot of work has to be done. We are having our struggles, but through struggles comes great reward. 

September 15, 2013

Being a missionary has its ups and downs. It rained a lot again this week. I hate wet shoes! No matter how waterproof your shoes are... they still get wet somehow! haha but it is fun and not super hot! Also, this week we just couldn't get our lessons in. Everyone we seemed to plan for became very busy! So we did a lot of searching for new people. Well basically it was me carrying out a big Fijian kid because he doesn't know how to say anything or do anything. So it is just a overall me against the world kind of mission now a days. It is all good, the Lord will bless me. Anyways, we have a baptism this Saturday which I am very excited for! The Livelo family we have been working really close with is doing great. They are very active now ... well the girls and after the baptism we will focus on the father, and the other non-members who live with them. Lyka was a classic example of someone that was prepared for us, we just happened to stumble upon Flor who in turn lead us to this awesome family that was ready to return to church. I am seeing a lot of fruits from my labors and I am really happy now a days! I am hoping though I can leave with the area flourishing even more! Anyways there is a lot of stuff to do here and I still have one and a half transfers left to do this stuff! So wish me luck! But, as a missionary I have to say, through all the good and the bad that has happened in the mish I know this church is true. I am learning and learning more and more and coming to know for myself even more that Jesus is the Christ and God is our loving Heavenly Father. Joseph Smith is a true prophet, and the Book of Mormon is True. I want to leave these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

September 2, 2013

Anyways this week was good! I got my new companion and he is a really really really big Fijian. He eats half a loaf of bread each day and ... yeah ... it has been really worrying for me cause I don't want to pay for extra food haha. Anyways He is really nice but he is a brute. He knocks things over ... man yeah he is such an islander! Anyways our area has been ok. We have spent a lot of time this week getting to know the members in our area so that we could start hopefully getting some referrals. Not too much success. But, we got 2 referrals from less actives... so that was good! Less active referrals are always good. Anyways ... yeah getting a those referrals are like a great answer to my prayers we seem to be missing a teaching pool now a days. So hopefully we will work hard and  turn that right around! Besides that we had an incredible Sunday. I had 15 Less Active members show up to church. I was so happy to see them all! It is seriously like .. the best thing when members come to church and especially less actives. When I got to this ward we were only hitting average 80 members, and now we hit 130 last Sunday. So I am pretty stoked I hope things keep going this way. The ward has seemed really excited and so has our Bishopric. So I am expecting good things. Anyways yeah it is stressful training but I like my trainee. He has a way sincere testimony and I love his attitude. He is a testimony to me that missionary work is true. He has only been baptized for about a year, and he is now on a mission. He has tattoos, but they just are small scars from his life before his baptism. I know this work is true. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints changes lives for the better.

August 26, 2013

Anyways this week there was this rain storm and for safety the mission president decided to keep all the missionaries locked up in the houses. It was a miserable two weeks of reading and sleeping. Sounds good but nope it is awful!! Anyways it is the last week of the transfers so we have been saying goodbyes and wrapping up lessons. We have done a lot of work with retaining our recent converts! and I am excited to start finding again. I am also stepping up as a trainer and will be a senior this next transfer so that is exciting for me i guess. Anyways nothing much happened though. This Sunday like I said last week was a repeat of last Sunday. I think our Bishopric is really happy with our work, our sacrament attendance used to be 80 people average now it is 120 average so there definitely have been miracles this week. Anyways next week will be way better with new trainee and new ambitions for this area!