Share the Gospel With A Smile

Well here we go. Remember how I was telling you about making changes in style and appearance to switch up the whole missionary schedule? Well this last week, I went to the extreme and got myself a new haircut. Decided to go with the buzz hahahaha you should see me. It's not too short (that's against mission rules), but it's definitely the shortest it's ever been in my entire life. It's pretty nice not having to use gel anymore, and it allows for a cool head. Not sure if I’ll be doing it again though. The wonderful thing about hair is that it grows back (in most cases). 

Had zone meeting again this last week. It went well. It was probably my last zone meeting here in Bonifacio. Who knows what will be happening next transfer, it could have been the last zone meeting of my mission. Speaking of the zone though, Bonifacio zone is killin' it right now. We only have 7 companionships, but we're lookin at 17 baptisms and 18 reactivations for the month of August.  Gotta love working with these great missionaries though. There are some great people here that I’m working with. It's so cool to get to know people from all over the world and learn about their background. It truly is a blessing.

I have a great story to tell you about the importance of members and the huge difference you can make just by being yourself. Here is a little background. We have a recent convert, Jio, and he's the man. I've really gotten to know him well since I’ve been here and he is a great example of a member missionary. He's very outgoing and just loves everyone. All right, so here's the story. Elder Diamse and I were walking down the street when a man caught our attention and waved us over to him. We walked toward him and he introduced himself. His name is Elias. He then began to tell us about his new coworker, Jio. Elias told us that he and Jio had met at work. He then began to explain how Jio was one of the happiest guys he had ever met and he wanted to know why. Jio had mentioned that he was a member of the church and Elias concluded that that was one of the main reasons Jio was so happy all the time. He then expressed the desire to learn more so he could find out how to find that same happiness. That is missionary work at it's best right there. Let's all share the gospel by being ourselves. Let's realize how blessed we are to be members and let it show on our faces. Let that happiness shape our lives and become who we are. Never underestimate the power of a smile and a happy attitude.  

Just a couple more highlights from this last week:

Went on exchanges

Witnessed a drunk man threatening another man with a butcher knife. 

Witnessed some more drunk men. 

I decided to count how many pregnant women I saw in one day. I made it to 12 and then stopped. Everyone and everything is pregnant here. 

And finally, we have a baptism this week!! Her name is Princess and we've been teaching her for a while now. She's 18 years old and just loves the gospel. She is pretty much already a member. She's taking part in institute, all the activities, she even paid tithing already. That's dedication.

What Can I Do To Be More Like Nephi?

Well this week has been a pretty good week. It all started with a wonderful trip to the temple. I sure do love that place. You'll never guess who I saw. Do you remember the 3 ward missionaries from Cabar that always worked with us and we helped send off on missions? Yep, I saw one of them at the Temple the other day; Sister Lagan. It was so cool. She's been out on her mission for 9 months. She's serving in Tacloban with Elder Carlson (yep, they know each other). She got sick so she flew up to Manila for medical attention. Luckily, it was right at the same time that our zone was up at the temple. It was even more amazing because I could actually understand what she was saying to me. We could actually communicate. She gave me a great report about Cabar, everything is going great. The church is thriving (I use the term thriving very lightly). They have a new church building and everything. I sure miss that place. It was a great experience. 

A quick report on the work here in Bonifacio 4. It's amazing. This week, however, was kinda tough. The culture of the Philippines is quite interesting in the fact that a lot of people are extremely willing to make commitments, but more times than not, don't keep those commitments. For example, we were expecting upwards of 15 investigators at church this past week. They had all committed to come to church and were even excited to go to church. Sunday comes. Only 2 of the 15 actually made it. Elder Diamse and I were super stoked to have 2 investigators at church, but it gets kinda frustrating that the other 13 didn't come. Don't get me wrong, I love these people with all of my heart, but man, it's tough putting trust and faith in the agency of others. Just gotta remember that Agency is one of the key points of God's plan.

However, one of my favorite families in the world made it to church yesterday, Jenna and Edmar. Just thinkin about that family makes me smile. I sure love them a lot. They are the cutest family in the world. I wish I could send you pictures, I’m just worried that my memory cards are going to get a virus or something. Anyway, we taught them about the plan of salvation this past week and it was just great. I love testifying that through the wonderful plan our father in heaven has for us, our families can be united through the eternities in the Celestial Kingdom.  It truly is a plan of happiness. 

Had a great experience at MLC this last Thursday. It’s amazing how fast things change. It seems like just yesterday I was in my first MLC. Now, I’m one of the veterans. Crazy. We had a great meeting that was full of the spirit. President Ostler is an amazing man. The Lord truly does hand pick his Mission Presidents. It's another testimony to me of the importance of this work and always reminds me whose work it really is. 

Well that's about all for this week. Nothin too crazy happened. I would just like to end with a quick spiritual thought. Nephi is one of my favorite book of Mormon prophets for numerous reasons. His testimony is rock solid, he's full of charity, he has complete trust in the Lord and is an amazing teacher (Nephi and I have another special connection. From all of the pictures, it looks like we have about the same body structure). I often wonder what I can do to be more like Nephi. The answer is found in his last words written in the Book of Mormon. 2 Nephi 33: 

Thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen. 

If we desire to develop the testimony, faith, and teaching power of Nephi, we have to start with obedience. There's a reason that it is the first law of heaven and all blessings are received in accordance with obedience to a specific law. Be obedient. Nothing else will bring the same blessings. 

I Sure Love Families

I have stated the following about missions: When you don't think it can get any more difficult, it does. When you don't think it can get any better, it does. This week I was blessed to experience both ends of the spectrum. I have truly witnessed the Lord's hand in this, His Work.

I'll begin with Elsi's baptisms this last Saturday. It was wonderful. Elsi is such a kindhearted person that wants nothing but to do what is right. She is very conscious of the needs of others and wants to serve them. It was amazing to witness a daughter of God make sacred covenants with her father in heaven. It was amazing to see the ward embrace her and help her feel apart of their "family". The gospel is amazing. Elsi asked me if I would baptize her and I gladly accepted. (We were hoping Polo (the one that referred her) would baptize her, but he insisted on us). It was a great experience, until I found out that she was terrified of water hahah. When she got in the water, her body got rigid and I felt like I was trying to baptize a tree. It took a couple tries, but we finally got her to bend her knees and the sacred ordinance was completed. It was great.

Elder Diamse and I have truly been blessed in this area. I have been often stated my love for Less Active Part Member families and I’m about to share two experiences with you that explain why.

Pia, Micheal and fam.  I love this family so much. We were able to teach them a couple times this last week and it was just amazing. Upon arriving, Michael (non-member) told us that he has been reading the book everyday and is now in chapter 9 of 1st Nephi (that never happens in the Philippines. people hate reading). We taught them about the importance of prayer and church. We then invited them to attend church. Sunday came and ... to be continued.

Edmar, Jenna and fam. Oh my gosh. I feel like I have known this young couple for my entire life. This is the family I told you about last week that we randomly found while looking for a potential investigator. Edmar has been a member for most of his life. He got in the wrong crowd and fell away from the church. His wife Jenna is amazing. Seriously, they are the cutest family ever. They have a 5-year-old girl, MJ, that is absolutely adorable, and a 7-month-old boy. From the very first lesson we could feel that this family was special. We began by teaching them about families and progressed into the restoration. The spirit was tangible. We also invited them to come to church after an amazing lesson. Sunday came and... to be continued.

Sunday Morning: Elder Diamse and I were walking around greeting the members when we saw the elevator open (yeah we have an elevator in our church. What up.) Out walks Edmar, Jenna and their family. Did I mention that they are the cutest family ever? We took our places next to them as sacrament started. However, still no Pia nor Micheal. Five minutes later, I look back towards the door to see Pia's smiling face staring back at me with her young daughter in hand waving at us. They walked in and were followed by Micheal and the rest of the family. Words can barely describe the excitement I felt. They sat right in front of us and ate up everything that the speakers said. By divine intervention, the topics were perfect. We listened to two amazing talks about becoming a worthy priesthood holder and the importance of womanhood. It was one of the most amazing sacrament services of my life.

Monday night: One last experience that fills my heart with unexplainable joy. We went to Edmar and Jenna's house yesterday and had the most amazing lesson ever. We felt inspired to focus in on the importance of the spirit and how it would bear testimony to them of the truthfulness of the church. As we concluded, Jenna spoke up and stated, "I’ve already felt that this church is true. I already know." Oh my gosh. The perfect moment.  Later we asked Jenna if she could offer the closing prayer. She hesitantly accepted after some encouragement by us and her husband. We knelt and listened to an amazing prayer. Half way through the prayer,  Jenna began to get choked up and tears began to flow. She closed her prayer and I opened my eyes to see Edmar with his arm wrapped around his wife in humble, kneeling prayer. It was an amazing sight. A sight that will continue through eternity. It won't be too long before those two are kneeling as husband and wife in the only place that compares to the home in glory: The temple. 

The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

Well this week has been, for the most part, extremely epic and exciting. I have a ton to talk to you about. We had something special happen pretty much every day so get ready. 

Tuesday: One of the greatest days of my mission. We were blessed with the opportunity to witness the sealing of Elder Atoigue and his family. It was truly amazing.  After the sealing we came home to a typhoon. It was quite epic. We were all told to be in our apartments by 6 pm and to wait for the storm to subside and the flooding to go down. The real storm actually didn't hit till the following morning. From about 5-10 in the morning, we experienced 60 mph winds and heavy rainfall. We were safe inside our house so it was actually pretty anticlimactic. At 1 we left our apartment to head up to the chapel to help with transfers. We drove by trees that had been uprooted and tree branches scattered across the streets. Lucky, nothing too serious happened. The storm wasn't too strong in our area so no one was injured nor were houses destroyed. Gotta love being a missionary in the Philippines. They say that there's more where that one came from. 

We had a pretty great finding experience this last week. As we were walking along the street, we came across a wallet that had been dropped. We picked it up determined to find the owner. Inside was a little bit of money, a watch and an ID. We examined the ID, the address thereon, and began our search. It was actually only a few streets over so we quickly found it and knocked on the door. An old man came to the door. We explained that we had found this wallet and believed it to belong to his wife (the picture on the ID was a women). He took the wallet, looked it over and discovered it belonged to his wife. He graciously thanked us and talked with us for a while. Turns out they were prepared by the Lord and we are now teaching them. The Lord sure works in mysterious ways. 

Another great finding experience. We were on the search for a taxi driver we had talked to a few days earlier. We knew his first name and the street, but not his house. We turned on to his street and began to walk. We came to a house that we felt inspired to try. We knocked and out came another old man. He wasn't very happy to see us. He told us that he didn't know that man and he left. However, out came a younger women.  She opened her gate and began to talk with us. She then expressed that her husband was a member of the church, but hasn't been in years. She then expounded how about 3 years ago she attended our church with her husband numerous times. However, they moved and then stopped going to church (Don't you just love those less active part member families?). Long story short, we will be teaching them this week and she will be baptized. 

We have a baptism this Saturday! Elsi will be making sacred covenants this Saturday and I am stoked!! I haven't said too much about Elsi. She's one of those investigators that just does everything she's supposed to. Nothing too crazy has happened while we've been teaching her, she is just one of the sweetest ladies ever and wants to know the truth. She was a referral from one of our members and that member has just been the best support for her. He brings her to church, answers questions and genuinely cares for Elsi. Members and missionaries coming together, there's no better way.

Hiding from True Happiness

What’s up y’all? Another raining day here in the Philippines! They've actually reported that a storm is headed our way and could hit sometime in the near future. Nothin to be worried about though.  This country is hit by hundreds of typhoons every year and rarely are they note worthy. We might be wading through the water by later tonight though! It's those little things that make the missionary experience that much better.

Pia and her family are my absolute favorite people ever. We visited them again this last week and I have grow to love them so much. She paid us an amazing compliment.  She told us about her years of inactivity and how she often saw Elders walk by her house, but she never felt the desire to call out after them. She saw them as she drove on tricycles and jeepneys but never initiated a conversation. For some reason, the day we walked by her house was different. She was filled with a unique feeling that caused her to finally call out after us. She then looked at us and stated, "There's something different about you guys. I guess now is the time I’m supposed to come back to the church." The Lord definitely has a plan. The longer I know Pia, the more that plan is unfolded unto me. I begin to realize that we have something specific (character trait, knowledge on a specific subject, a personal experience, etc) that she needs. I have been placed in this specific area to help specific people. They need something that I have. Other missionaries will affect other missionaries that have been prepared to talk with them. Those people need something that they have. I'm just happy that I am worthy to heed the call. 

Fun Fact about the Philippines.  When some people don't want to talk with you, they hide.  Some people don't want to say no, so they just hide. We had one experience this week that cracked me up. I opened my mouth to this old man the other day that wasn't interested at all. A couple days later, we were walking down the same street and I saw this same old man in the distance sitting on a plastic bench. As we got closer he noticed us. As soon as he noticed us he jumped to his feet and ran inside. Then, he realized that he forgot his bench. He ran back out, grabbed his bench and again retreated inside. We walked by and continued on to our appointment that was just a few houses down from him. As we were talking with someone else, I looked back at where this man was and he was just inside his door peeking out at us. I made eye contact and he pulled his head inside. A few minutes later, I looked back his way, and there he was again peeking out his door. This happened multiple times. At this point I was laughing my head off. I then hid myself a little bit so he couldn't see me. I waited a second and then peeked around again. This man was half way out the door and then he saw me. He turned around and ran back in faster than I thought possible for a man of his age. It was hilarious. Every time we walk down that street, we go through that same routine. It's so funny. However, it's also sad that he's hiding from the two men that can help him find true happiness. Maybe one day he'll understand. 

"How Far Will Our Faith Take Us?"

I got some great news as well at MLC. Elder Atougie told me that a brother (one of the less actives that we reactivated in Manila 1st) just received his temple recommend and will be taking out his endowments in the upcoming week. Then in the following weeks, they will be sealed as a family for eternity. As a missionary, there is nothing more amazing to hear.  I sure love that family. 

So my boy, King. Have I mentioned how great this guy is? We taught him this last week and his progression continues to amaze me. Every answer he gives is perfect. He states things that members haven't grasped yet.  For example, you said the following to us in our last visit. "I hear about some people that don't go to church because of how much it costs to travel or how far the church is and I just don't get that. If I didn't have the means to pay for a tricycle (public transportation) I would wake up 3 hours early and walk if I had to." That's just one example of many. He taught me a great principle this week.  He began to share with us about the role of faith.  He said that we all have to ask ourselves "hanggang saan ang pananampalataya natin?" or the English translation, "how far will our faith take us?" Is your faith strong enough to get you up 3 hours early to go to church? Is your faith strong enough to sacrifice Monday nights for family home evening? Is your faith strong enough to get you out to home teach every month? Is your faith strong enough to get you out of a movie theater playing a bad movie or stand up for the kid being bullied? How strong is your faith and how far will it take you? 

Quick story. Can't remember if I told you this already or not. The other day we were on exchanges and we were heading toward an appointment when a woman called out to us. We went back and began talking to her. She told us that she was a member! But hadn't been to church in years. Her name is Pia and she's been wanting to come back to church, but has been too shy. Her husband isn't a member nor her 2 kids. Her husband had never taken interest in the missionaries or the gospel. We had a great conversation and built a great relationship. We set up a return appointment. The return appointment was amazing. We gathered with the whole family and taught a powerful lesson about families and the role the gospel plays in our families. The whole time we were wondering what the father would think. The next day (Sunday), Pia came to church! She brought her kids, but no husband. We began to talk to her and she said, "My husband wants you to teach him. He couldn't be here today but he'll come to church next week." YES! Don't you just love part member less active families? I sure do. She then expressed how excited she was for her husband and family. Needless to say, I’m just excited for her and her family. 

Don't you just love missionary work? Heavenly Father keeps the golden investigators, the ones that are truly prepared, until after you have done absolutely everything you can do to find them. Sometimes he leads you to them, other times, he leads them to you. The church is true. 

Some missionaries may feel bad that they are missing out on what everyone else is doing. I'm the exact opposite. I feel bad for everybody else because they are missing out on what I’m doing.

We're Never Riding Alone

Kumusta!? Alam niyo ba na kayo ang pinakamagandang pamilia sa buong mundo? Namimiss ko kayo araw araw. How are you?! It's been a great week here in the Philippines (every week is great). I'm glad to hear that all is well for you guys. 75 miles? I'm impressed mom and dad. I've got some pretty amazing parents. I'm excited to be able to ride in the Best Dam Bike ride next year. Speaking of which, Bob, can you do me a huge favor and put together some sort of work out plan for me? These are my resources: Jump rope, perfect pushup, exercise bands, yoga mat and a rock solid body. That would be awesome if you could send me something. I miss organized exercise. Well I guess I’ll go ahead and dive into this past week. It's been pretty epic. 

I'll start with one of my favorite men (no homo). King Magalig. Seriously, he's the man. We taught him a couple times this last week and he is just loving the gospel. One of those lessons was the word of wisdom. He's been a smoker for numerous years. At one point he was smoking a pack a day. We had a great lesson and by the end of the lesson he was excitedly telling us how he truly wants to stop. We created a plan and he's well on his way.  He even reported in our last lesson that he's been teaching all of his coworkers about the Word of Wisdom. He's so prepared. King told us this last week that his house feels different whenever we're there. Gumagaan daw ang pakiramdam niya.  It makes him happier and changes his attitude throughout the rest of the day. He works at a Mexican Restaurant that Elder Diamse and I are hittin up later today. Partly to say hi to King and partly because I love Mexican food more than words can describe. It'll be an adventure. 

Went on exchanges this past week with a new missionary in our zone. It was way fun. Reminded me of my first area and the great/frustrating experiences that come with being a new missionary. It's amazing how much you grow and learn over the years. Quite crazy. 

We had our first flood of the year!! The raining season is upon us! As we were walking to an appointment, all of the sudden the windows of heaven were opened and "the rain came tumbling down. The rain came down and the floods came up." We took cover in a member’s house while the streets around us began to become rapid moving rivers. The gross thing about the floods is they occur when the sewers reach their maximum capacity.  As a result, the water from the sewers brings other undesirable substances. The water is literally black. Not only that, but it also causes the cockroaches to flee to the surface. Gross. It was an adventure. The first of many. 

Had a cool experience the other day. In our nightly planning, we were inspired to plan a visit to one of our members we don't visit too often. The next day when we visited him, he expressed to us that he was praying that we would visit him and was even thinking about calling to ask us to come share with him.  He was going through some hard times and we were really able to help him out. Really goes to show that Heavenly Father is conscious of all of his children and leads us to those that need our help. When I say "us" I’m not only talking about his missionaries. Every single one of us has been given the opportunity to care for our brothers and sisters around us and should strive to recognize any prompting to offer a helping hand. Random thoughts about members, friends, family members, or neighbors are actually not random at all. They are divine promptings leading us to those in need. Follow them. If you question whether they are from the spirit, just act to find out. If they cause you to do something good, don't hesitate. One of my favorite quotes from conference: "Tomorrow you might not remember the nice things you said today, but the receiver might cherish them for a lifetime." Don't pass up the opportunity.

Elder Diamse went on a referral chase that resulted in a man that is prepared for the gospel. It all started with an OYM. He wasn't interested. He told us to visit his friend. We did. His friend wasn't interested. His friend then told us to visit a man down the street. We did. He was prepared. He's a young father and is looking for direction in his life. We'll be giving it to him. 

We have an investigator who is just a great lady. Her name is Elsi.  We love her and she loves us. She told us that every time that she sees us she gets super excited. She told us that she sometimes sees us as she's looking out her window. She always says a little prayer that we'll come back and visit her. I just love her. When we knock on the gate, she comes out with the biggest smile on her face and sometimes skips to the door. Gotta love not only being a missionary, but also a friend. 

That about wraps up this week. I sure love being a missionary. There are moments where it's extremely difficult to continue. However, the enabling power of the atonement always takes over and you find motivation where you thought there was none. The times when it gets the hardest are the times it's the most worth it. One may might say it's like a 75-mile bike ride. Sometimes we're faced with a steep hill and we feel like we can't push any further. Right after we've put in our very last effort, we feel a hand on our back that gives us the extra strength to continue climbing till we reach the top. We then realize that we're never riding alone. I love you guys.