Week 10

Hello everyone back home or across the world serving the Lord.  

This week has been great.  We had companion exchanges on Wednesday.  I went to Calatrava-still Cebuano speaking but right next to the ocean.  It was awesome to smell the ocean and see all the palm trees.  Also they baptize in the ocean there.  I hope sometime on my mission I get to serve near the ocean.  

Elder Natural and I have had a good week.  We are getting better at making decisions together and having unity.  There are a lot of good people here in the Philippines.  They are very humble and don’t have many material things.  Families live in like one or two room bamboo open houses and their nicest possession is an old TV.  Some are lucky to have bigger houses made of concrete, but still being here has really made me appreciate all the blessings God has given to me.  For example now I have to wash my clothes with my hands.  I never realized how thankful I am for a washing machine.  It is hard work.  I use a board and a brush.  Cleaning the white shirts are the hardest, literally to get out stains and dirt takes me forever -probably about an hour for two shirts.  Because of this it is impossible to clean all of my clothes on P day.  I wake up at five on P day to wash and I also wash on Fridays at 5.  Then we wake up early on Tuesdays for district meeting.  It's ok if you know me then you know I don't need sleep ha ha.  I have learned a lot of patience from washing ha ha.  

Also, the nature here is great and if you know me then you know I love nature, that's why I call myself nature man ha ha.  Anyway, there are some great sights here.  Some beautiful rice field steps and views down into the valley.  I am up high by the volcano in Canlaon.  One area we go to is called Brgy Pula which is up high.  I have such a sweet view of the valley and the ocean far below.  Also I love hiking.  I get to hike here every day - it is awesome.  Sometimes I feel like I am just enjoying a great hike.  We have to hike on dirt trials and through rice fields to get to people's homes.  Also something funny here is that a lot of people don't have a specific address.  It just says what area they are from so when we try to find someone we have to ask a bunch of people and they point us one way, then other people point us another ha ha.  Also the stars and moon here are awesome at night so I am enjoying nature.  Sometimes I start humming a little Jack Johnson to myself when I am enjoying the nature and the animals.  Luckily there are no rats or spiders in my apartment so that’s good.  The scary thing is sometimes we here rats running in the pipes.  We have bug spray though so it is mainly just ants and some cockroaches in the apartment.  Also it is way funny that there are ducks that someone has by our home and when we leave our door open they come running in ha ha.  Also today we found a frog in the bathroom but it jumped out so it’s all good. My apartment reminds me of my cabin in Priest Lake Idaho.  There is a stream nearby, purifying water, showering with a bucket of cold water, but I am enjoying it. 

Now to the food - I have learned to love rice, I didn't care much for it but now I eat it with every lunch and dinner.  I eat a lot of meat, veggies, fruit, and rice.  The fruit is great, especially the mangos.  I am learning how to cook my own food ha ha and Filipino recipes. 

Anyway now to the work.  I'm not just here on vacation ha ha I am here to serve the Lord.  We have had a lot of success this week.  We have found some families on the list and from referrals that are really interested in the gospel, they are truth seekers.  This one guy we taught said he was way tired before we taught him and after he had so much strength and happiness.  We explained that he felt the Holy Ghost and the truth.  There are people here who are open and closed just like anywhere.  Eternal Life with our families is God's greatest gift to us but he doesn't just hand it to us.  That is why not everyone accepts our message.  Just because we have the gospel it doesn't make our lives easy but it gives us strength and a direction to turn and overcome our challenges.  Here are some scriptures to read and think about D&C 101:4-5,35-38, D&C 121; 1,7-8 , D&C 122: 7-9, D&C 58:1-6 about trials and hard times.  Then read 1 Nephi 3:7, D&C 31, 2 Nephi 4;34-35, 1 Nephi 15:24, D&C 123:17, Luke 1:37, Mor. 7:33, Alma 26:12,22,26-30, and Alma 32:41-44. I know it’s a lot ha but I hope you read them if you have time. They are great.  Whenever life is hard I think about the people who sacrificed so much for this church like Joseph Smith and the pioneers.  Then I think about Jesus Christ and His atonement.  Jesus Christ descended below all things.  It wasn't easy for Him he had to trust to God with perfect obedience.  I am so thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ - without it I am nothing or have nothing.  We need to apply the atonement because Jesus pleads for our souls(2 Nephi 8:22-25).  Without the gospel of Jesus Christ and the atonement I realize that I would have nothing.  I have the best family in the world and so many blessings more than ever, but I realize that all of my blessings, all of the happiness in my family is because of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  Without it I am sure I would have a broken home.  Without the gospel I know I would be lost, I wouldn't be here, that's for sure.  Everything I have is because God is our loving Heavenly Father and from the gospel(Mosiah 2:41).  I know that these people here need the gospel.  There is no other way to true happiness.  I am so thankful for the privilege to serve.  Two years is only a moment in eternity and will go fast.  It will be worth it and as my friends and I in high school used to say "It's not always easy to live the gospel but it is always worth it."  I know that is true.  If I labor for two years and only help one person receive eternal life it will be worth it.  I hope more but just saying. We are having ups and downs though but I am enjoying it.  We are teaching great people and hope to have some baptisms in June.  The hardest part is helping the people come to church because they are busy on Sundays.  That's what I have learned also is that whether you are a missionary, the prophet, or just a normal person we need to build our testimony every day or we will fall.  That is why people fall away here is because they don't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, prayer, or church.  I am improving in the language.  The CLO has really helped my grammar and vocab.  I am applying what I learn each day when I teach.  We teach every day - it is awesome.  It is still really hard to understand the people though but that will come over time.  Anyways stay strong I have to go, I know this church is true.

Elder Mifflin 5/28/12