June 4, 2013

This week has been super rainy! It is close to Rainy season and I might be facing some floods!! oh well!! Life of a Philippines Missionary I guess. Anyways This is my last week in my area. I have officially received my transfer announcements and am heading off to my new area tomorrow. I am really excited. I am going to Mapayapa or something like that. So that will be sweet. New area and new companion I am freaking excited! Anyways we taught a lot of people this last week. Probably more than I have ever taught in my whole mission ever. I am glad I am leaving my first area with a good week. Anyways I have told so many stories in this area I just don't really know what to say anymore. It is kind of getting hard to have a good experience to share. I have just become kind of numb to them here I guess. I am really hopeful though in this area. My person I OYM is making good progress and is probably going to be baptized. I am so happy! I can't wait to see a picture! I actually had a cool opportunity to teach a Muslim guy. He is like the coolest guy I have ever taught, #1 he spoke English so I was like.. YEAH!! that is easy! haha #2 he is so open minded I could speak way freely. Anyways cool things that happened as I taught him the first lesson. When I told him about living prophets he had the best reaction ever. He was stunned and said, "Are you serious? I got to look this guy up! I wonder what this guy has to say? How can I like look him up or something?" I was stunned... usually most people tell us... oh that's cool i guess. We should all be amazed that we have a living prophet on this Earth. Than because he is a Muslim he asked us about Christ and why he is important. My companion and I bore our testimony of why Christ and his life was important to us and how it effects us all. It was a spiritual moment in the lesson. It is weird to me that he doesn't understand Christ, but I was happy to tell him why it should matter. Than after we told him about the Book of Mormon and reading and praying, he was completely with us. He said, I think people follow blindly, when they should be asking and finding out for themselves. He left us with a question and told us not to answer. He said, he thinks it is great we feel so strongly in what we do and he can see our faith and how awesome we think this is. He asked us, "Why do I feel exactly the same about my book my beliefs, almost exactly the way it seems you do?" This question was hard for me. I thought about it a long time. This is what I can say though. I believe all religions or beliefs all have a part of an eternal truth. We can always feel really good about those simple truths that lead us to greater understanding. During the Great Apostacy, we lost the fullness for a while, thus leading to so many religions. The way I see it is that he is happy with the few simple truths he already knows. I also know though that those few will not lead him to Eternal Happiness. I am have been here proclaiming the not just a Gospel, but the Full Restored Gospel that Jesus Christ taught. We can be happy with simple truths here and there, but I know that to receive Eternal Happiness we must have the whole thing. I know that this Church is true, and I wish, Allen, this guy I taught who was really open to hear will one day find out for himself that this is true. He is flying back to Holland for vacation for 3 months so I will probably never see him. But I was glad to have that opportunity, he told me discussing our beliefs openly like this is like Therapy. It really was like Therapy and it was a great experience.

Anyways besides that, funny story, We teach this new investigator who is a born again Christian. Haha it was way funny we showed up to her house while she was gambling, right when she saw us, she threw her hands up and yelled at her gambling buddies, SHAME ON YOU FOR TEMPTING ME!! She looked at us with these guilty eyes!! We told her we would come back so we went taught some other people and came back. She was STILL GAMBLING! haha she felt sooo guilty for some reason, which I don't know why. But when we got back she just yelled at her friends again, I TOLD YOU NOT NOT TO TEMPT ME! OK EVERYONE LEAVE!! haha ... it was a bad lesson after she was so unfocused and in the middle kept apoligizing for her sins and stuff... but it gave me a good laugh! She ended up coming To church this Sunday which was awesome!

 

May 26, 2013

This week has been pretty good I guess. We have had a slow week because we had Temple P-Day and than we had Zone conference as well. Anyways this week though, we had some hard news. First off, one of our less actives, who we worked really hard for 3 transfers now to reactivate, passed away. It was something it was a bitter sweet moment I guess. She could barely walk, but she was able to. So we kept encouraging her to go to church. The ward didn't take our pleas of help for her very seriously because they had seen her walk places I guess. Anyways, in the end I decided it is better this way. I am sure she will make it to the Celestial Kingdom as long she keeps progressing towards it in the spirit world. Other than that, one of our new investigators that I was excited to teach moved away. His work accused him of stealing, and so he just quit his job and he left to go study abroad for 3 years. Man we got to teach him one last lesson though and it was the Restoration of the Gospel and I think it opened up a light in him. So hopefully he continues, but man it just means I have one less place to go. Oh well, I just have to keep moving on and working I guess. Anyways, the work here is slow, but progressing too. I had an experience yesterday though, teaching a part member family. The Seria family. The Dad was baptized but not confirmed, so he is not a member. The rest of the family has ... some issues, but also some really strong members too. Anyways, we taught them a lesson on baptism yesterday and how we need to remember that we need to be baptized, and stay active and partake of the sacrament. At the end I looked at all them and I felt overwhelmed with sadness for them. I told them, we need to be baptized. It is how we enter into a covenant with God, it is the gates to Eternal Life. I also told them that, your family can become an Eternal one, but we have to keep those covenants and obey the commandments. In the end I told them, I am so happy my family is sealed, and that we have the opportunity to become an Eternal family. I felt the spirit testify to me during that lesson that what I said was true. I know that God loves us, and he has given us such a wonderful blessing of Eternal Life with our families. I love that blessing. There is nothing more important than family, but we must all do our part. I know this Church is True. No other Church has the priesthood authority to bind and seal us on Earth. I leave these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Well anyways fun stuff of the week... well kind of fun to think about, but not at the time. We helped like re-build/extend some guys house. It was tree house work if anything. But anyways we had the pleasure of hauling ... a lot of dirt from the nearby river to his house to mix in with the cement. Yeah it totally sucked, I feel like I am in some sort of 3rd world country humanitarian work. Well it pretty much is! haha Anyways that was fun, we didn't get to finish the house, but we did all the heavy lifting. Also one of the members went on a road trip and bought us all these sweet souvenirs! I got a native bag! It looks pretty sweet!! Also she got us like 20 key chains! haha Got to love the members! 

Some of the moments of our service and also our third world country baby who needs help infomercial video haha!

May 22, 2013

So this last two weeks has been pretty good and not so good. I have been in this area for 3 transfers and it is hard for me to find real joy in teaching people I have been teaching for a while and there has been no progression. So that has been a struggle! But last week and this week has been sweet. I OYM'd a guy, or I talked to him on the street and he didn't seem interested. We have taught him 3 lessons and man was I wrong. His Uncle was a patriarch/pioneer member in the Philippines! He used to hear his Uncle share the Gospel a lot! After we taught him a couple of times, he is really interested and has been saying he wants to get baptized. So yesterday we invited him to get baptized. He said yes! I believe Joseph Smith is a true prophet and I want to be baptized! Man .... I feel so blessed I was able to be at the right place and the right time and just ask him to hear us out once! Anyways I probably won't get to see his baptism, but oh well I will see him in the Celestial Kingdom I bet! Anyways besides that, some sad news. One of my Less Actives I teach and have talked about a lot passed away yesterday. It was sad, because I was hoping to reactivate her before she passed on. But it didn't happen. I pray she will find a better life in the next, not burdened by her old age! Anyways this week has been a long and hard one. We have been working hard, but this area has been hard. We just can't seem to find anyone! So I am still praying and still working hard to find more people to teach. I just am not satisfied. Anyways I know this Gospel is true. I have had such a sweet experience just having the chance to recognize Heavenly Father's guidance in my life. Until next time!! 

May 5, 2013

Anyways this week has been a long one. My new companion and I have been doing good. He is really quiet, but he is all about doing the work. It is really quiet though haha. Anyways this week we have had some struggles. We are looking for new people to teach, especially new investigators and Less Actives. The problem is we can't get a ward directory or something like that and we have no referrals and no leads. So we took our efforts to the streets! Man for like 3 days we have been walking around talking to everyone! Nobody really wants to listen to us! Every night I have come home soaked with sweat and I am way tired from talking and walking. But we have had little successes. One day a girl called out to us, said she wanted to meet with us. So we have plans to go talk to here. Also one of our new Less Actives we found is having us teach her friend too! So  it hasn't been a total failure. But a lot of our investigators stopped listening to us! So I am pretty sad a lot of them are Part Member families and we are just trying to complete them! Anyways yeah so that has been our week! We are walking talking and sweating. We haven't gotten very many lessons this week so hopefully this week is going to change it. I don't have much to say for this week haha. Anyways crazy thing I saw this week. So there is this law here in the Philippines called coding. There are specific days where a car is not allowed to drive to help traffic and pollution. Anyways some taxi driver got caught, but he tried to run away. The Police here will stand in front of the car and let them run over them and try to not let them get away. Anyways this Taxi driver wasn't ready to kill, but he wanted to run. So he like pushed the police that was in front until the police moved to the side. Than the police guy ran to open his door, but he had them locked. So than he tried to break off the side mirror to stop the guy. Than his other police buddies ran over and they started breaking the windows with rocks! ... the taxi driver stopped and now he has way more to pay for than just a ticket! way crazy! Anyways also we had this Less active ... she is like 70 and she is big!! she can walk, but it is hard. Anyways, we were going to visit her and when we walked into her little cement hut, whoah I though she was naked!! I turned back, but the ward mission leader was there so he went in. Turns out she just was really hot so she took off her shirt, but she still had her skirt hiked up to cover the rest of her body... it was kind of gross haha. But it was kind of funny their conversation. The ward mission leader ask her, "What are you doing! Where is your shirt?" she responded, "What are you going to rape me? you can't rape me!" haha... it was funny me and my new companion Elder Juario laughed our heads off. Anyways I am learning a ton from my new comp by the way! He is way good at English and Tagalog... he is fluent though in his dialect over in Mendano so he is way skillful! haha Anyways It has been fun hope for better days in the work though!

April 28, 2013

This week has been good! We really haven't done anything new. Just teaching the same people and looking for new ones. A lot of our investigators have stopped progressing and it is kind of frustrating. We really don't have very many people to teach. So it's ok though because my new companion just came to sent by God! His name is Elder Juario! He is a way cool guy! Actually it was funny because we went to transfer meetings and when I first met him, he told me he was mad haha. He thought I didn't know any Tagalog and he would have a hard transfer haah! So he didn't really talk to me at first. He told me though he was happy because I am actually OK at Tagalog which made me happy! So yeah he didn't talk to me at first, but now he does! So I am way happy! He is way cool! He is a Philippino! He is like the same personality of my trainer, he likes to piano, singing, and anime. But, it is all cool because he takes me seriously and depends on me and I depend on him. He doesn't try this solo act! Anyways I am happy too because he is way good at English. So he can teach me Tagalog really well! I really needed him this transfer, and I am blessed to have him! Anyways though besides that he is also really excited to look for new people. Something this area needed, because we really have such a small pool of investigators! It is way frustrating! But, we are kind of transitioning now the work is slower. Anyways though I am working hard and doing work. I know that this Work is true, and every time I share the gospel it confirms my feelings that this is the true church. I want everyone to be a part of it! I feel so lucky to be part of this work. No matter how hard it is, no matter how tired I get. Everyday someone is waiting for me and I need to be there. I read a scripture... I think it is Mosiah 28:2-3 it talks about the sons of Mosiah and how they remember the feeling of eternal damnation. They wished that no man would ever have to endure that even the Lamanites. So they decided to go on missions to teach them. I feel the same way now. I don't know where I could ever be in this world without the savior and his atonement. I know that he lives and I want everyone to not eternally suffer. I am sad all the time because of people, especially my Inactive members I teach who once knew the gospel and forgot. I pray for them everyday and I hope we all are for them to come to know the truth, so they don't have suffer eternally. I know that we can be clean and all those feelings of guilt and shame can be gone. Our savior took those upon him and now we can be happy. How great the Atonement is and How great is our Savior. I leave my witness in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. Anyways I am way excited for next week. This area is about to sky rocket! I am excited!

April 22, 2013

Alright this week was really sweet!! We finally got the Loyola's and Bro. Balosa baptized! Their baptisms were way awesome! Bro Balosa got baptized first and he is so old! I guess he didn't close his nose or mouth when he went down, he just covered his face, he came up coughing and stuff it was kind of sad. haha but than my Trainer, Elder Hibbert messed up and didn't dunk him all the way so he had to do that twice! Also than he Baptized Bro. Loyola and than I baptized Sister. Loyola. I was way nervous, but when I started the prayer I just felt calm and happy. I dunked her way deep so I wouldn't mess up haha and they were so happy when they were done! It was great! After they bore their testimonies. Bro. Rodolfo went first. Haha way powerful strong testimony. Sister on the other hand just talked about the missionaries ahah she was also way excited to talk on the mike. She was like screeching and yelling and the speakers were going to explode I swear haha! Man than Bro. Balosa didn't get to bear his testimony because the stake president forgot about him! But it was a great baptism and I was really happy that day! The next day on Sunday only Daniel Balosa showed up at first... We were way sad, but that Sister Loyola showed up way late, saying they couldn't find a babysitter so Bro. Loyola had to stay home. So understandable 2/3 confirmed! Funny story about the baby. He is a miracle baby! He was born the morning of their baptism, by the way it is the Loyola's daughters baby. She had her that morning at like 1and we went at like 9 in the morning to check up on them. They were way tired and told us about the baby. Well first off they live on a farm and don't sleep in their house just out on dirt. So she had the baby on the dirt... really suddenly.  Secondly it was coming out backwards so it should have probably died, but they said her daughter pushed it out way fast and it lived! ... Dirt and backwards... not ideal for a baby! But it is healthy boy! and they Named it after my trainer Elder Hibbert. haha new baby Hibbert! So weird. Anyways That was a great day, we had some weird experiences too that just shows me that God really is guiding people to us. First one was it was a really hot hard day. We had been punted from like 8 appointments straight and were aimlessly looking for people to teach or somewhere to go! It was hot and we finally decided to go get something to drink. Right next to the shop where we bought drinks some Less Active member came out and said Are you Missionaries? We said yeah , do you know us? She was a member before, got into some trouble, and now wants to comeback! We said, OF COURSE!! So we went and taught her and she was really awesome. She wants to find God again and her faith so we are helping her with that. Too bad she didn't come to Church though... Anyways another cool experience was that Elder Hibbert and I were way HOT!! we wanted ICE CREAM! So we went to the store to buy Ice Cream. After looking around for a while, we decided we wanted Doughnuts instead! haha So we walked over to the Doughnut store and the cashier lady was like, "What church are you?" We obviously told her all about it and gave her a Book of Mormon and a Pamphlet! It was awesome! We got her information and she said I would love to meet and learn more! Too bad she is not in our mission but, we got her information and now her hands are in the fate of someone else, but God lead us to her! It all was about changing our appetites. Haha Awesome week really! I know this Church is true and God is looking out for us! He has guided me and I saw it so clearly this week! Anyways man so many things so little time! Anyways The work is true and I can't wait for my fun times. This is the last day of this transfer and I finally am done TRAINING!! My trainer was great... Can't wait until tommorow when I meet my new one! Yeah life is good! haha 

April 14, 2013

Anyways this week has been a long one. I am just exhausted from this heat and from lack of sleep. Man I feel so weak sauce but it is starting to pile up on me! The work has been hard this week. Everything went like usual but, a lot of our appointments just fell through and so we had a really hard time when we try and make last second plans. Also we need a male over the age of 18 to enter into the house of women so it is hard when we don't have someone working with us that day when we really need them to enter their homes. So anyways we did what we always do we teach, if we don't have a lesson, we go and invite people on the streets. Well the highlight of this whole week though was general conference. After a long week, we had what I like to call MISSIONARY VACATION!! Man what a blessing it is to hear a prophets voice! Haha it was also weird to see people I recognized in the YSA choir and the Mormon Tabernacle! TRUNKIE!! haha Just kidding but man what a great message they shared. Priesthood especially was good. I especially liked the effort that has been set forth to get the youth involved in this great work. Seriously a something I wish everyone in this church would take seriously is this effort to rescue the one. Here in the Philippines that is a big effort and we have seen success, but not in the missionaries teaching, but in the members. We as missionaries have been given a responsibility to help those who are fallen away here, but seriously the most effect I have seen here in the Philippines is when their friend in the ward reached out and invited them back. I echo what President Monson has been saying for much of his years as a prophet of the lord. Jesus left the 99 to rescue the one. I also strongly believe it is our duties as members to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those who need to be comforted. To reach out our hands and just invite someone back or in other cases make sure everyone feels welcome and accepted at Church. It is important we not only spread the gospel, but retain those who have found the way. Anyways it was a very spiritual day to hear the prophets voice. Than on Sunday that was a great day. Day 2 of conference and also another spiritual vacation!!! Man air con and prophets and apostles. What more do you need huh? Anyways our 3 candidates passed for baptism so this April 20th the heavens will rain down doves upon our investigators! haha We were way excited about that. Also I really enjoyed Elder Holland and President Monsons talk that day. President Monson has always brought it down to earth for us to all to relate. Seriously how simple is this, if we do as God commands, we will have safety and peace here on this Earth. I we don't we have no promise. Yet we all struggle to do the simple things to keep ourselves in tip top spiritual shape. Also Elder Holland is one of my favorite speakers for the reason which he showed us in this conference. His talk on faith and doubts was great. I too had a question like that in my heart while in the MTC about how much faith do I really have? Would I be able to walk across the plains if the Lord commanded me to? Man to this day I want to say yes but when the time comes I guess that is going to be a trial of my faith. But I loved what he said when he said, "Do not give up the ground you have won."Everyday I am growing and my faith and my belief in this Gospel grows everyday. I will never go back to where I was 5 months ago before I got here and I am not going to give up that ground I have won. My very favorite part of it all, is the part where he bore his testimony. The scriptures say that the role of the apostles and Prophets is to help us believe in Christ. Elder Holland invited those who might not have the advantage of age and time as he has to gain his divine witness to lean on him. I believe what Elder Holland said and I echo his testimony. I know God is our loving Heavenly Father. Jesus is son and our savior who gave his life so that we may become as them, perfect. They both love us more than we can comprehend. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God. Through the power of God and Jesus Christ, and the help of angels, Joseph Smith restored the one and only True Church here on this Earth. He also through the priesthood restored a record that contains the fullness of the Gospel, The Book of Mormon. I invite everyone else to believe these things and to search to find if these things are true. I look forward to the day, that I might receive a knowledge like the Prophets and Apostles. I lean on his testimony as I continue to further grow mine. I don't have a perfect knowledge in these things, but that is OK I have faith in them because I know where happiness lies. This life is for us to walk in faith and I will continue to do so as I have put my Trust in God. I cannot deny these things. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen