Feast Upon the Words of Christ!
Hello. I hope that everyone is having a good week so far. It's only Monday I know. So I guess I should say that I hope that everyone had a good last week. I also hope that y'alls weekend was great. This week was filled with tons of adventures, rain, and you name it, it happened. Well, for the most part. I've learned to cook some pretty good stuff this week, mac and cheese from Grandpa, Potato soup, and tootsie rolls have been hitting the spot.
Trying to find Investigators
Last Monday, Elder Edem and I dominated everyone while playing basketball. We played with our whole zone here in Escalante. It was super fun. There's 4 American Elders now here in the zone. One is 6'3. He's tall, but we still worked him. haha. FADE AWAY. Thanks dad so much for showing me "your move" and always doing it on me, because now I know how to overcome tall people. Then we went back home and cleaned the house because every single dish was dirty, welcome to missionary life. And... yeah, Monday's are pretty chill and busy at the same time. We like to play basketball because it let's off a lot of the stress that occurs in Missionary work. I was supposed to wash my clothes, but I forgot what we did instead. So I didn't get a chance to wash. So that would mean that one night during the week, I would have to wash them...
Contemplating farming for a living!
On Tuesday we had no district meeting because we were having a zone meeting on Wednesday. So we decided to get a good start on the day. We ate lunch and then went to Moncada. That wayyyyy far place where the family of Sister Despojo is from. So we went there, this time rode a motorcycle, which is a 30 peso ride each! So expensive, but that's the sacrifice to bring people the gospel right? A cheeseburger one night, or a lesson in the sugar cane fielded mountain. We'll take the lesson in the mountain any day over a cheeseburger. haha. After that lesson we get to enjoy the sacrifice by walking down the mountain! So after walking for an hour we arrived at a recent converts house. Sister Desuyo. She was baptized last October and her husband isn't a member. He actually ended up in the hospital a few weeks ago, but we've started teaching him and seeing if he'll be ready for baptism. He didn't come to church on Sunday though... so we're going to try and get him to come to church next time. Then we went to a less active. Sister Madonna. Her and her brother are members, but the rest of the family isn't. She is 16 and her brother is 18. I'm not sure who baptized them or why the rest of the family didn't get baptized with them. The brother is Active and was ordained a Priest last Sunday. So we taught him and his sister a lesson about the importance of prayer. Madonna didn't attend church this Sunday. On Tuesday I also made the mistake to thing it would be good to touch some new born baby dogs. Out of nowhere the MOTHER comes running after me and tried to bite my leg off. After I kicked it in the face it ran away. Then I ran cause it was coming back for more! Not a fun experience there... Don't touch new baby dogs.
Coconut Trees! Loves coconuts now!
Wednesday we had our Zone Training Meeting by the Zone Leaders to deliver new things that President wants us to know. The meeting ended at 12 and we still had to do our studies, so the day was pretty much shot. However, we went to Sta. Ana, where there's a lot of people to teach. We taught Sister Ayo, who's a less active, about 2 Ne 31, and enduring to the end and our promise that we made at baptism! She seems to really listen. She still didn't come to church on Sunday. We actually went to teach Sister Caren too, she didn't want to talk with us. She just stayed inside the house. It was really weird, she lives super far so we were a little upset that she didn't come outside, because it takes a lot of time to walk to her house and when she doesn't want to meet, just a little hurt. Then we taught Sister Jorolan, the one who can't be baptized yet because of marriage things that we've got to work out and all these rules about the Philippines. But we just continue to teach her. She actually DID come to church on Sunday. So we were happy!
On Thursday we only had one lesson. A less active name Sister Garcia. We went to a placed called Labi Labi to find some less actives that live there and they weren't home so we went there for about 2 hours searching and asking people where they were. Anyway, not home! Sister Garcia, this is the first time that I've actually taught her. The cool thing is she's way cool and actually we found out that she's endowed. Bad thing... she doesn't wear garments anymore. So we're not really sure what's going on there. Not really our job or business, so we're leaving that one to the branch. We're just going to continue to teach her and nourish her by the good word of Christ.We then went to try and track down some less actives on top of a big hill called Upper Mabini. However, they weren't home. I don't know who baptized all the kids without their parents, but that's what we've found a lot. There's so many kids and young people that are baptized, but the rest of the family isn't. It's super hard because then there is no support system you know? So it's something that I'm trying not to do. Teach the whole family. Not just the children.
Lunay Mountain
Friday we probably had the most productive weekly planning session of my entire mission. We really tried to buckle down and focus and see what we can do to help this place. We've come up with some ideas and then met with the Branch President and we've got a one day mission coming up this weekend for the Branch. Hopefully that will get the missionary energy a little bit more in the Branch. On Friday nobody was home. Caren wouldn't come and talk to us again. Then the Ayo's were working and not home. Sister Jorolan was working, so nobody was home. We taught absolutely nobody. We talked to a woman working in the sugar cane though and she said we can stop by and teach their family. They are actually former investigators, so we'll see where that goes. Normally we eat dinner at Pres. Delaguit's house, our Branch Pres., but his cousin died, so he was needed in San Carlos, so we didn't eat at his house that night. That was pretty much my Friday, walking. then it rained. Then we were waiting for the bus and it didn't stop. The bus only comes once an hour, so we had to wait till the next bus! I was very upset.
Saturday was a great day actually and you want to know why? Because once we got to the top of the mountain, it poured rain! POURED! Everything was wet, but we didn't care, we still worked and walked in it. No umbrella baby! We taught Darwin, a less active who still won't come to church. No matter what we do, no matter what we teach, never ever ever ever will come to church! Then we taught Sister Ayo again about Enduring to the End to make sure that she would come to church on Sunday. And... didn't come to church on Sunday. Caren actually met with us finally, but didn't say anything about why she wouldn't meet with us the other couple days. Then said she was moving to Bacolod to work there. She's only 16, so I'm not really sure. It rained so much. Everything was wet and our white shirts were totally not good, our pants, totally all muddy from sliding in the mud. So we decided to go home and change before going to Pres. Delaguit's house for our dinner appointment. Then we shared with him in Jacob 1:19 about magnifying callings. It was really well.
After the rain storm! Shoes are nothing but mud.
Loving green mangoes!
Had to wash our clothes again!
Sunday was a good day too. Kinda. It's sad when people don't come to church. Sister Jorolan was the only one at church that was an investigator. Sister Garcia was there too. So that was good. Then we went and taught 3 less actives. 1 gave us a bunch of Mango's. They're the green kind, before they're ripe. They're way sour, but I've really started to like them. You can just eat them while walking and they're small because they're not grown all the way yet. So that was nice, they made us hit them down though. All you do is get a giant bamboo stick and twist... yeah it's hard to describe over email. I'll show you someday. Just know we got a whole plastic bag of fresh young mango!
Preach the Gospel to all the World!
So that was pretty much my week. It's been good and a lot of things are still to be done in Mabini Branch. I do know that the Lord answers prayers. It may take a long time, a lot of effort, and continual prayer, but eventually, He will answer them. In his own time and in His own way. I love being a missionary. It's super hard and super insane all the time. I feel like I"m just trying to survive here sometimes, just like cooking the most random meals ever. Mac and Cheese, with Rice and Tuna. Don't think I'd ever have though I'd eat tuna and rice with mac and cheese on top. I'm crazy I know. I love being here though. Never stops being hard, but that's the fun of it right. This is my hardest transfer so far and only going to get harder. I'm just glad that I have a great companion by my side. Elder Edem is great. I hope all is well back home and I love you! Keep being good and reading the Book of Mormon. That's where I always find my comfort and peace whenever I'm down is in the Book of Mormon. I love y'all! Talk to y'all again next week! Let's kick off a new one! Happy Monday!
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