Hello everyone, this week has been a good week.
To start off, last Monday I played basketball with some of the members and our investigators. It was way fun and I love to play but it was too easy though, ha ha, but actually some of them have got some skills. The problem is they are so short I can score down low every time. I also played ping pong with my comp, but the ball was broken. We plan on playing every Monday. Also last Monday I felt like a true Filipino because there was a brown out (meaning we have no power) and we were also out of food because we had not gotten support money yet. So my companion went and got this live chicken that he bought last month and we killed it and cooked it. It was pretty disturbing but I helped and got pictures and we ate in the dark. I will have to send some pics next week. Our apartment it is way cleaner now so that is good. For the water problem, we are getting the sink and shower fixed. There is also a bathroom upstairs that will be fixed. But right now there is no water pressure so we still just have a pipe that feeds in water each night. I just buy these five gallon water tanks which are supposed to be pretty clean and then put that in my filter. So far I haven't gotten sick so it has been ok. If all goes well though we will have a filter soon and the water fixed. This week has been a good week. We are really busy and trying to balance our work between the less actives and investigators and do both at the same time. We are trying to use time better and teach shorter more powerful lessons so we can do more work. On Thursday we got eight lessons in, which is the most I have gotten on my whole mission. Some of the less actives we are working with are the Sardido family who we are preparing for the temple, and the Yusores family. They both came to church so that was good. We are also teaching the Bacani family, who are part members and their kids have baptism dates. The father is less active and we are trying to get him to do the baptizing, but they didn't come to church on Sunday because they have problems with money. It is hard when you work with someone all week and then they don't come to church but we will be patient and not give up on them because that is how God is with us all - patient. Also, same situation with the Tigulo family - there is a kid with a baptism date and the father is less active so we are trying to rescue him to baptize him, but the father didn't come to church. Well, this week we will try harder. Some of our other investigators that we found from referrals are Orly and Alma, the guy who speaks English. I love him, he is so cool and they came to church and had a great experience and he is progressing in his reading of the Book of Mormon. Also Jonathon Arguillon - he is the brother of an active sister branch missionary in our ward that is so faithful and has given us many referrals. Alma is her cousin too. So with this family they are progressing and have baptism dates and another miracle is that their parents are less active members but this is an opportunity to get them to return. We want the father to baptize the family and they all came to church. The father is so funny he loves me just because he was baptized by an American but they hadn't been to church in like forever so it is good. Also we have this big family who all live by the sweet river we have to hike through. It is just like a community of four homes and it is the parents and their kids and all their spouses and kids. So we have like twelve investigators there and the one less active member. It is so awesome how nice and open they are. They all listen intently and are so interested and really understand and accept the restoration. They give us way good mangos and coconuts and coconut water which is way good each time. We teach them in this little bamboo hut. It is so third world but it is awesome. It is possible for them to be active, it is pretty far but only 20 pesos to church. They didn't come last week but promised this time so we’ll see. We also have the Buloc Buloc another great family referral from our BML who works with us every day and they have baptism dates. There is another family where the dad was way hard in the past but we got him to open up and will return. So as you can see we have a lot of work and are trying to stay balanced. It has been good and I have adjusted to the life here. It is so so so hot though. After my fast yesterday I felt so dead and feasted ha ha it was hard to not drink water in the heat. Also yesterday I taught the Elders quorum class. It was funny because they handed me an English book and I just had to translate into Cebuano. The language is coming line upon line but I really am improving and have learned that asking people about their families and testifying of eternal families has really helped people open up. I want to share some quotes from a way good talk called "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox and advise you all to read it. It is about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. "The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but that we can feel at home. The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly, not just to be cleansed and consoled but we can be transformed. Put it simply if Jesus didn't require practice we could never become saints. There should never only be two options: perfection or giving up... growth and development take time. Learning takes time. When we understand grace we understand that God is long suffering, that change is a process and repentance is a pattern of our lives... the blessings of Christ's atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness. Continue in patience until we are perfected." D&C 67:13. "Grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is achieved right here and right now." "God's grace is sufficient, Jesus' grace is sufficient, it is enough, it is all we need, don’t quit. Keep trying. Don't look for escapes and excuses look for the Lord and His perfect strength. Don't look for someone to blame. Search for someone to help you. Seek Christ and as you do you will fell the enabling power and divine help we call the amazing grace." I know that the atonement gives us the strength we need to overcome any challenges. I am not perfect and need this just as much as you. I am trying to improve each day and do my best and understand that when we trust in God and Christ they help us. Whenever it is hard for me the love for my family and the hope for eternal life and the atonement push me through. I Love you all.
Love Elder Mifflin aka nature man
No comments:
Post a Comment