January 20th--Personal Growth

Dear Readers,

Kamusta na kamu diha sa America or bisan asa, kay naa ko mga amigo nga nagaserve ug mission! Tani, okay na man kamu! This week has been a lot better than last week, so I'm a little bit more happy. I didn't mean for my letter last week to completely just be a kill joy, but that's just how some weeks go in the mission, it's expected, just like anything else crazy that goes on in this place. So far it's still raining, non stop. Last week I talked about and it hasn't stopped yet! All my pants on muddy and I've got to wash them all today, and my polo's too, it's been a fun work week. Our investigators are all stoked that we keep visiting them because they're like, "Elders thanks for visiting, even though it's super muddy and totally not good weather." It's all good and we're happy to do it, not only because it's our job, but because who else can do it? I've really realized that this week. Who else in the world can help these people with their salvation? Only US! Elder Lenoy and I are the only one's with the authority to bring the restored gospel to these people in our area! I've always knew that, but it's fun to think about. If we don't work, nothing will happen and these people will surely be lost! 

Elder Lenoy learning how to make charcoal.

Cutest kids on the island!

Filipino house

Tungits--a Filipino game

So I learned something really cool in my personal study this week. I've decided my lats 9 months I would study the 9 Christlike Attributes in Preach my Gospel, as in STUDY JUD! Meaning, look up all scriptures, cross references, talks, anything on the topic. The first one is faith and that is now done all last month. Now I'm on to Hope. But while studying this week, I caught myself going to the Plan of Salvation and WHY was Jesus Christ the one that had to be the Sacrifice? I got to thinking of the Bible and the stories and the things in there. Then I got onto sacrifices. In the biblical times, the best, oldest, most pure lamb was to be sacrificed. So then I got to thinking, it's all symbolism. Which I've always known that, but it just clicked better this week .So it makes sense now why Jesus Christ was the one to be the sacrifice for all of us. If you think of a family and something happens to the mom or dad or just something happens in the family, it's usually the older son or daughter that steps in and helps out the rest of the family. So it would completely make sense that Christ did that for us. The most pure and the best person in all of existence. So it just clicked a lot better this week. Another thing that was brought to my mind this week was what is the difference between belief and faith? So one of my personal studies was just dedicated to that! Because we're told to have faith in Christ, but Christ told all the people before he healed them if they believed that it was possible... so what's the difference? So far, I've concluded that faith is a deeper step of belief. When we believe something we usually just think it's there and yeah, maybe that can happen, and so on. But when we have faith, we do all we can to make that thing happen or make it come true. If there's a dream that we have and we have faith that it can be achieved, then we'll do everything to achieve it. However, if we just believe, that's nice, but it's more of a passive term I think is what I'm trying to say. It was brought up in district meeting this week and since I was already studying faith, I wanted to see this difference.  So it was a good week of study. 

On to the work portion of the week. Work has been rough. Super muddy and there's been just terrible weather. People are getting sick because it's been colder than normal, but I've been loving. I've turned my fan off a couple of times at night since it was so cold. The wind has been a nice gift and all is well. I love it. The only reason I don't love it is because Filipino's hate it! Any mud and they don't want to go to church. They'll go by rice at the market in the afternoon, but they won't go to church in the morning. So funny! That was one of our less actives that I saw yesterday so I talked to her and said, Sister! What are you doing! You came all the way to the market, but the church is right across the street and you didn't come! She just kind of laughed about it and I was like,"You're killing me sister" So it was funny. But, I let her know I was upset. We went to her house later yesterday too and taught her and her family, she has daughters that aren't baptized yet. She only stopped going to church about a year ago I think, she said January, but he kids are like 12 and 10, so that doesn't make sense, they would be baptized by now. So we're doing out best. 

The Aberido Family, like one of my favorite ones, didn't come to church this week either. Something happened with the roof on their house and Sister Melanite Aberido said that she had to fix it, so they didn't come to church. So we were sad and upset. We has some great lessons with them this week on the Plan of Salvation and they were totally stoked and like focused on it. They're like, "We get resurrected?" They were stoked by the fact that that is going to happen to us after we die. Analou is another investigator of ours, who recently has been in the hospital. She got appendicitis this week. So she's been operated on and we don't know what's going on, we haven't been able to talk to her or text her or anything. So hopefully this week is better with her. She can be baptized too, just all of sudden this thing happened. 

We had a broadcast this week from the area presidency about the area goals for 2014 here in the Philippines. They didn't change from last year, of 2012. It's all the same goals. Because they're not getting completed because nobody is really willing to do them! So, it's a huge problem, but we're doing our best. The attendance from our branch for the broadcast was 5 I think... which goes to show how important it really is. 

Elder Lenoy and I are doing good. It's a little rough, but all is well! The work is still continuing and I'm trying my best. I still love the work and all is doing well. I love you all back home and hope everything is doing okay! Keep praying for me if you would and our area. Thanks so much! I love you again. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Ellis