Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Week 11


Hey everyone how is it going? 

This week has been a good week but if I could explain my mission in three words I would say... ups and downs... but that is just how life is.  First off last Monday I got a haircut ha ha mistake, all they had was a 2 and 3 for shaving so I thought that would be too short so I decided to just get barber style like Elder Natural.  I don't like it- I think I look dumb ha ha.  He cut my side burns and the sides way short and then cut a little on the top and didn't even cut the very front -ha ha worst haircut ever. Mom please send me the hair clippers in the next package.  

By the way I forgot to mention about the milk here. One time I got chocolate milk which was ok. So next time I bought two normal milks because chocolate is rare.  It is gross!  I miss the milk back home I couldn't even drink it. Also they have really good bread here. There is a bakery where it is really cheap and they have really good donuts and this chocolate-sugar bread.  Also, about some of the animals- there is a stray dog that always sleeps by our apartment.  His name is “zombie dog.” Every night when we come back he runs out to us biting his own tail - he legit looks like a zombie.  There are many stray dogs here but don't worry, they are afraid of humans. There are also roosters, man, I hate them.  They cock a doodle doo every morning at like 4:30 and they don't stop!  They just keep going and going. There is one by our house so I hear it every morning.  I am getting used to it though. There are also a bunch of cows, goats, and water buffalos everywhere.  

It is the rainy season now- it has been raining every day and is really muddy.  I have lost weight definitely, probably from the heat and the fact that we walk everywhere. We hike a lot- my legs are getting strong but my pants get looser each day ha ha. Also we had to go to Bacolod this week for a zone conference because my companion is a zone leader.  He had to get an x-ray because he is going home soon so we stayed the night with other missionaries.  I got to take a hot shower which was nice.  It takes 3 hours to go to Bacolod so I had a lot of time to study the language and I am also reading "Our Search for Happiness" by M. Russell Ballard. 

We have done a lot of hiking through the mud this week and taught a lot of people.  The hardest thing here is getting people to come to church. It is different here than in America. The people are all farmers here and many work on Sundays.  Also the church isn’t as developed here as it is back home.  For example, back in my ward everything is very organized and everyone knows their duty and the ward is really involved in missionary work. Here it’s not that the people are bad, they just need experience and knowledge of how to do their callings.  Elder Natural and I taught the young men’s president his duty this week and we also have been trying to get the branch involved in the work more.  We made copies of our less- actives tracking sheets and gave them to the leaders in the ward.  Every less- active or convert needs three things:   1.  friends 2.   responsibility   3. To be nourished by the word of God.  As missionaries we can do number 3 but we need the ward for the rest or we will never have true converts or rescue less- actives.  My understanding of the gospel and putting it to action grows every day.  I am learning how to have faith and much patience.  I like Ephesians 6:13-19 that is what I am trying to do- that is the key to being successful in life.  I know that this church is true and Jesus Christ is our Savior and we all need the gospel.  That is something I liked from "Our Search for Happiness"- Elder Ballard talks about how across the world we are all so different with cultures and languages etc., but he says that at the same time we are all alike, we are all children of God and need the gospel.  Anyways love you all I have to go.  Always trust in God. 

Love Elder Mifflin aka Nature Man

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