Week 58 - 20 Week

Peeps!! hello :) another week. August is almost over! Also brithday day shout out to my little sister! Sofia. She is 9!! What the oldie... Enjoy your time as a kid. haha but it was a good week. Struggle but in the end a lot of learning. Funny how things work out sometimes.

We had Zone Conference this week. Always a huge blessing to hear from our mission president. President Reeder. He just gets it! I feel way blessed to have him as my mission president because he has just been a huge help. Everytime he talks, things just hit me. This Zone Conf, we talked about the sense of the sacred. Just how things that used to be really sacred are now being taken for granted. Hit me how much things are changing and how much more we need to stand up for what we believe in and how much we have to stay alert. Huge! Just awesome.

Work has been up and down lately. We have been finding a ton lately and we actually started to have some success. So this week we had our schedules booked and ready to help these people. But everytime we went, they were gone! And we would come back in a day or so and they would still be gone! Punted for days haha it was tough.. But all is well! We had one of our part member come to church for the second time. Which was awesome! he is really cool and really prepared. Just lacking marriage haha this has been our biggest problem. People getting married! Since there is no such thing as divorce in the Philippines and it costs a lot to get married, people just skip over that part... Its a headache sometimes! But he is really awesome and we will be working with him to hopefully have them married soon.

This week I realized how important the Book of Mormon is to our conversion. We have a ton of less actives in this area. As in a ton! the membership record is up to around 600 and we get around 100 plus to church. So sometimes we spend a lot of time trying to find them. And we figured out that most of the less actives, never read the Book Of Mormon, Others have problems with Joseph Smith being a true prophet.. And it just hit me how important The Book of Mormon is in our lives. It is everything to us. It is another testament of Jesus Christ, It is what proves that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. With the book being true, it just proves everything else is. It is that simple!  I never realized it before the mission. I even struggled reading it. But here on the mission, I have grown to love this book more than anything. They are the words of christ. And they truly do tell us all the things we need to do.

I have learned more on my mission than I have probably learned in the first 20 years of my life. I have felt a love and gained a knowledge that God lives and he is there for us. Even when times are dark, I know he is there helping us through. He knows everything and sometimes he just needs us to find out things about ourselves. I could not be more grateful for all of you. The past 20 years have also just gone by way too fast! I shouldn't be this old... But I am grateful for everything I went through. All the good times and the bad. And more importantly,  all the people i have met in my life. You all have helped me out so much. More than I ever thought. Time is precious. Make the most and remember, you are here for a reason. I love you all! keep classy my friends. I leave you with a scripture. D&C 127:2. Until next time folks.

Week 57 - Surprise Week

So I ran out of time and just remembered I have to write you all! so this will be really short! Same old same old right now.. Still finding, but we are seeing some success! tracted into some cool families and we will see how it goes. Also been trying to find all the members here since there is 500 plus but only 100 come to church.. Less actives galore! but we have found some that show some potential of coming back! and they are basically are part member families so we should have some fun soon!

Explaining the pics, saturday we had a child of record baptism so we show up and the person who was supposed to be the baptizer didnt show up! so they asked me to baptize the girl... Well i didnt bring my baptismal clothes so they made me fit in a filipino sized suit... It didnt fit!! hahah I could not stand up straight or else bad things would happen. so I slouched the whole time and the members had a fun time laughing at me the whole time hahahaha it was classic, definitely a good memory. so there is the jump suit. have a little laugh :)another pic of the moon! it was orange! and then just a full moon.

I love you all! the church is true.. Jesus truly died for us and through him we can become like him. I leave you with a scripture. Moses 6:57 Until next time family.

Week 56 - Simple Week

Hey peeps! The internet is back to normal! haha finally back to our usual email place and it feels good. So this will be a better email than before!

This week we went on a hike! It was up to this catholic church haha it was awesome, hopefully we will hike up this killer mountain one day and it will be dope! but we got some sick view pics and the church was pretty cool got some pics of that! We also have had a ton of CSP's still from the storm. Still hacking down some trees. Nothing better than having a machete in your hand :)

Well work is still there haha it has been tough. still stuck on the finding part! But all is well. just trying to take it step by step. It has been getting hot though! Which means no one likes being outside and they just love sleeping... So it makes finding just a little more harder! but it's ok, we continue on the path! Been a battle lately but i truly wouldn't trade it for anything. It is funny how things work out. But even though I walk more than I feel like I should, I still feel happy, I still feel good inside. I know that it is just one huge blessing that has come from this restored gospel. One thing that cannot be replaced.

This week during my study something just hit me. How simplicity is the key to life. It is just everything! Sometimes we think we have to be the best in this and that and that we just need to be everything. That is how I was thinking before. But it just hit me that being simple is how the lord works. This gospel is simple. His work is simple, and our goal is simple. To become like him. And He works best with the most simple of ways. When Jesus called his Apostles, they were just simple fishermen. Not having any clue what to do. But he made them what they needed to be. When he called Joseph Smith, he was an unlearned 14 year old farm boy, but he made Joseph what he needed to be. And no matter who we are, if we let him, he will make us who we need to be. If we are simple just as the people he called.

The mission has been maybe the thing I need the most. It crazy how much time has gone by and how much has changed. I have been in the field for over a year but I feel like I have grown more here than compared to the 19 years I spent before. I have felt the love of our Heavenly Father and I know he is there. I wouldn't trade this time for anything else.

I freaking love you all! Seriously, you guys rock. Thank you for all of your examples. Thank you for all of the prayers. I have been blessed with some great people in my life! I hope you all are doing well! Every email from you is heaven haha so thank you for the time! Keep partrying my friends, keep doing what you ened, and just enjoy life! it is too good not to enjoy :) haha i love you all, i leave you with a scripture. D&C 64:29-30. Until next time my family.

Week 55 - Enjoy Week

So the internet is still struggling here and just causing problems! But this week was really good. I wish I could update you on the week but I just can't take this comp shop so I will leave some pics and we will always have next week! I love you all, stay classy... I leave you with a scripture. Mormon 9:27. Until next time folks.

Week 54 - Short Week

So I feel like I just emailed you all, because i did... So this may be short... Nothing too much has happened since last email. Transfer announcements! I'm staying for another 6 weeks. Only companionship in the district not having a transfer haha so that makes things fun. When we got the announcements I kind of felt I was staying and it happened. To be honest, I have been struggling in this area haha and I was trying to go the easy way out... Not my proudest moment, and I know I shouldn't have felt that way. It was a battle that I was having within myself and it was eating me alive the whole time.. So me staying has been kind of an answer in disguise. Right when I found out I was staying, i felt the fear sink in but I also felt the comfort. That night, I was reading the story of Nephi when he gets commanded to build the ship (1 Nephi 17) and I just love how Nephi always follows the lord. No matter what he asks, Nephi never complains and just puts his head down and gets it done. It was just a huge comfort and a big answer to a lot of prayers.

I am still learning, still far from perfect. But everday I feel the Lord's hand in my life. More than I may deserve... And I know for a fact that he loves us. Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father love us. They want us to have the life that they have. But it comes with a price. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we wouldn't have too. Each day I try my best to not take for granted for what he did for me. Some days are better than others but I know he will always be there. I know he is always there for us..

I love you all! Seriously, the influence you all have on me has been unreal. I know I wouldn't be the man I need to be without you. So thank you. Thank you for everything you do. Keep fighting. Keep laughing and let the good times roll. I leave you with a scripture. D&C 88:125-126. Until next time my friends...

Sorry no pics again! i forgot my card reader... I'll make up for it next week!

Week 53- Glenda Week

What a week!! Holy moly haha i feel like I have a ton to update and a little time to do it! but I will try my best.

So we got hit by a typhoon.... Glenda is the name. It hit on Tuesday night. We got word on Monday night and we had to be moved to the church on Tues. So tuesday morning we went to the church and the weather was actually really really good. We were just joking around and thinking we would be fine. So we brought some food and few things thinking we would be back home by the afternoon.  and went to the church! So from 8 in the morn till bout 5 all seemed well. By this time is slowly sunk in that we would be sleeping at the church and it was too late to go to the house to grab things we actually needed to sleep at the church. haha this led to the worst sleep ever. but the storm hit around 6. and it lasted until bout midnight. It was crazy! the church was shaking at one point haha but we made it!

it was all well.. Then the next morning we went out and checked out the damage. Man it was bad.... Trees everywhere and power lines down. So we have been without power for about a week. But still doing ok! We have been curfewed too since there is no power so one night we had a campfire and roasted hot dogs haha things to do when you are bored!

This week has been one of the most humbling weeks ever. We have just been out helping people with their houses and things.. Haven't had a ton of work, just been
trying to help people with all the trees that have fallen and parts of their houses destroyed. Some people have even lost there house. So it has been crazy. But one of the best things to see how quick the people have worked things out. The next morning people were already outside hacking away at trees and trying to clean everything up. So it has been a blessing in disguise!

In the process of cleaning and all that jazz i lost our cellphone! That sucked... I feel like a pro tree chopper and nights have gotten boring with the curfew. But all is well! i feel so blessed to be here and to help the people out. To see how people have been has just hit home to me. Helped me realize the most important things in life. Family and this gospel.. That is what life is about. So tell your fam members you love them. and don't forget we are just one big happy family. I know Heavenly Father loves us. I know he cares and I know he is waiting for us. Don't give up my friends. Even when you feel like there is no light. Sometimes you need to walk in darkness. Trust him. I love you all! i leave you with a scripture 3 Nephi 9:14. Until next time family

Sorry no pics! this comp shop is struggling.. Next week!

Week 52 - Battle Week

Another Week! They just blur by and everyday I get to this point i really dont know what to write about. haha I need to do a better job on collecting my thoughts so I can update you all a little better. We will see what happens!

Work is a struggle right now... We are still suck on the finding part.... And we are seeing not the greatest success.. But all is well! things are still good. haha we have some good first lessons and then we come back to follow up with people and we always just hear " We are really busy right now, don't worry we will have many chances to visit so they just wait it out and see what happens..." The worst!! But we will just keep finding and searching. Someone is bound not to be busy and want to listen to us.

The big help with all of this is that I feel like I am on top of the world. this is the point of the mission where they say nothing can really go wrong and that is how i feel. Like even when i should feel terrible, I just see this cool ole name tag on my shirt and it just makes me feel like i am unbeatable!! haha I am losing it or something. But really I am loving life. Even though it is hard, I would never ever trade this time for anything else.

The gospel is true people! I know it is. This is the same church that Jesus Christ established when he was on earth. This is his doctrine and this is his way. So when all is said and done, no matter what happens in life,  don't forget that the church is still true. I love you all! Seriously you guys are everything. I feel your love everyday and I could not be more thankful. I leave you with a scripture. 1 Timothy 1:12. until next time my friends.