April 8, 2014

This week was a pretty fun week. We are getting slower with our work, because we decided we could spend more time finding more progressing people than the ones we were teaching. We especially are struggling in the investigator department because we are just teaching 2 kids whose parents were less active but now are coming back! So .. we want to find those really quality good investigators that will really just help the ward and make Heavenly Father so happy to have them back in the fold. Not that he isn't happy when everyone is in, but you know what I am saying. Anyways We have been tracting and opening our mouths and we haven't seen huge progress yet so that is yet to come. Anyways I had an interesting week. We were invited to a Family Home Evening, this family was great. They were so nice and it was fun. I had previously met the sister because I bought some pearls from her, and she LOVES Koreans because she is a English Teacher to Koreans. So yeah while we were at this Family Home Evening, she was working periodically to talk to these Koreans and she kept having me come talk to them. Most of them were kids, but there was one particular one who was a dentist I guess. I definitely called her "Uni" which was a term younger sisters use to their older sisters. I also definitely was very disrespectful to her because I don't know how to speak proper Korean and that is kind of offensive. But, I got out the bare details, I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I wanted her to know that she could meet with the missionaries and learn about English and more importantly about Jesus Christ. I was unable to get her address or even explain how the heck I could ever get her to the church.. which made me feel so weak! haha But it doesn't matter, hopefully her life was affected and how knows maybe the missionaries will show up at her dentist office. All I know was is 2 things, now matter where you are or how you can share the gospel. This member decided it was perfect that even though she was thousands of miles away she could talk about the Church to her students, and more importantly, get a missionary who could barely speak Korean to talk more about it. Which.. maybe didn't help. The second was that no matter what God has promised all that if we do all we can he will do the rest. I was made a promise that I would not know the effects of my mission on others, but many will come in the next life to thank me for having given my service. Maybe a Korean will come say Hi to me.... I probably still won't understand her haha. Anyways I know this Church is True and we gotta get the word out. This week was fun and I hope everyone had a great conference, I haven't watched it yet. 

March 30, 2014

My new companion, my new area, my new ward! They are sooo amazing. My new companion's name is Elder Crabb, he is pretty new in the mission, but he is so cool. We just talk and talk for days and it is definitely better! I don't really remember other peoples names, and I don't really know what is going on, but all I know is that we have a lot of good people who really have a desire to return. We are in the jungle area and we walk a ton it feels! I definitely came here at the right time though. I have so much energy and people seem to need some good energy. Lately as I have been here I am notice we are working with a lot of part members, and less active families. These people are such good people and lately Elder Crabb and I decided, we definitely need to get these families a good goal to really fuel their desires. Of course we are going to get these people an idea about the temple and mostly on Eternal families. Some of the most basic gospel truths have so much power. Imagine a life where we spend so much time with our families, we give all we have to them, we grow such close bonds, only to see it all go away. Even when I hear that I can't accept it, Families are forever and I know that is true. This Gospel can unite us for eternity and I don't ever want to or could I ever accept it any other way. I am happy I am part of an Eternal Family, and I am also happy that my family are all doing their part to keep that holy spirit of promise. I know these things are true and I leave them in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen. I am so happy to serve in this new area and it has really been a great week can't wait for next week!

March 30, 2014

My new companion, my new area, my new ward! They are sooo amazing. My new companion's name is Elder Crabb, he is pretty new in the mission, but he is so cool. We just talk and talk for days and it is definitely better! I don't really remember other peoples names, and I don't really know what is going on, but all I know is that we have a lot of good people who really have a desire to return. We are in the jungle area and we walk a ton it feels! I definitely came here at the right time though. I have so much energy and people seem to need some good energy. Lately as I have been here I am notice we are working with a lot of part members, and less active families. These people are such good people and lately Elder Crabb and I decided, we definitely need to get these families a good goal to really fuel their desires. Of course we are going to get these people an idea about the temple and mostly on Eternal families. Some of the most basic gospel truths have so much power. Imagine a life where we spend so much time with our families, we give all we have to them, we grow such close bonds, only to see it all go away. Even when I hear that I can't accept it, Families are forever and I know that is true. This Gospel can unite us for eternity and I don't ever want to or could I ever accept it any other way. I am happy I am part of an Eternal Family, and I am also happy that my family are all doing their part to keep that holy spirit of promise. I know these things are true and I leave them in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen. I am so happy to serve in this new area and it has really been a great week can't wait for next week!

March 25, 2014

Anyways This week was good. I am transferring to my 4th area. In San Jose Del Monte.. it is like the mountain area and I am so happy to get away from this pollution. But at the same time, I am kind of sad I am leaving this place. This past week I realized just how close I really am to this area. Even though it has been hard and the progression has been slow, I really came to love this place. It is hard saying bye and leaving now. I thought about just how great missionary work is. It makes you love people you barely even know. You get so close to those you share the gospel with, and the members who you have helped and that have helped you. The Church is so great and this is one of the things that help me to testify this Church is true. The people I know, whether faithful members, or investigators who learn something new from you, they all have helped me in one way another. I am sad to go, but it is also time. I am excited. I hope the saints in Caloocan 1st ward know I love them and will miss them! 

March 17, 2014

This week was good too. Last week, I thought I might just kind of try and coast, and as I was kind of getting into a comfort zone, we were reminded in a training meeting about the parable of the talents. Each servant was given their own talent from the master. This can be represented as my area, and the master gave them time to work and multiply their talents. There was one who didn't do anything with his talent and thus was titled the slothful servant. I thought to myself, "How many times have I been the slothful servant?" I began to think, maybe the Lord is not well pleased with me right now with my attitude. Kind of the same about how I feel about the attitude of my companion. My studies have really put me a little further too, especially in Doctrine and Covenants."For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;" This part in D&C 4 really hit me. I need to thrust in my sickle with all my might, which in turn helps me to gain my salvation. This week really gave me a new perspective on my mission. Time is precious, and not to be wasted. This area has been kicking my butt, my investigator who we were going to baptized, just kind of disapperaed, I haven't been able to get a hold of him or to really talk to him. He didn't come to church like he said either. We have gone through so many different investigators, and none are really making steps to progress. We don't really have many Less Actives who care, and our area just really doesn't have active members. It has been easy to get discouraged but this week I decided I am gonna give it a last kick maybe before I get transferred. I knew the Lord had given me the motivation and I hit the pavement hard. Talking to everyone trying to just find anyone who would listen and in the end we were able to find 4 new investigators. I don't know if they will progress, but it doesn't matter anymore, I am going to give it my all to not waste my time and proclaim this gospel to everyone. I can't get discouraged no matter how hard my circumstances, People need to know. This gospel is true, and this church is true, and without it they cannot live with God again. It is that important, and I cannot get into my comfort zone. It really was an inspiring week this week. I really want to carry it on too, for the rest of my mission.

March 10, 2014

Anyways our baptism wasn't able to go through. My investigator suddenly started working again, so we haven't been able to finish the lessons with him. Also he didn't come to Church, so now we have to restart the process until he comes to church 4 times out of 5 Sundays. It is frustrating! I won't get to see his baptism unless I stay here another transfer... I have been in caloocan for a while.. so that will probably not be happening. Oh well sometimes the harvest season is different, it doesn't matter as long as they all stay active that is my true desire for anyone I teach and gets baptized. Anyways, this week was slow we just had a lot of challeges, things just weren't working out. We had conflicts left and right. Our new investigators were reluctant to progress and now we are just on the search again. Man .. sometimes it seems I can just coast a little and teach more than walking around, but I guess the Lord has different plans. Hmm... Anyways.. it may sound way bad, but it has been worst. I can't just disregard the tender mercies of the Lord. It has been a great blessing serving in this area. I may not be able to have baptized anyone, but maybe there has been a different focus. We have been working really hard with the ward to gain their trust and to involve them in the work with the missionaries. The ward has main long strides with new plans and goals. We are actually seeing action and progression too! It is so great. Even though my area is struggling sometimes, our ward is growing, and we have 4 Elders in our ward. The other two have the majority of the ward in their areas, and they are so busy! It makes me kind of jealous, but I know that is how important Members can be in the work. Anyways, I am really going to give it my all these next couple weeks. If ever I transfer I want to make sure the area is the best it has ever been, I want to leave it telling myself even it I didn't get to harvest any, there will be fruits of my labors.

March 3, 2014

This week was really good. We just had a lot of blessings. I had been fasting and praying for my investigator Joaquin. He was progressing so well, than last week he kind of hit a obstacle. He told us to give him a week and he would decided if he really was gonna get baptized. I still don't know what his choice is we haven't been able to talk to him. But he texted us and said sorry he couldn't come to church, but he would be there next Sunday. So I take that as our answer! YES! Also, things just kind of worked out for us. We found two families to teach. One we tracted out through our own efforts! The other one was just a sweet blessing from the heavens. We had a little girl come up to us, so cute, she just asked if we were Elders. We of course said YES! She said Elders used to come teach them, but they stopped coming and she was sad. So we told her we would go to her house to teach right then and there. We got there and a whole family who seemed to have a desire to get baptized was there. They are way poor so this is going to be a tough one because we don't want them to be less active, but I am excited just because.. things are just going better. It just seems like my time here is getting so short in this area. I am probably going to be transferring at the end of this month, and things are getting better slowly. I have truly been blessed in this ward and this area. I am excited to see what else is going to happen in the coming weeks I have left!