God led us the entire week

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Bugasong, Panay Island, Philippines

We had a great week - the best of my mission.  I can't really explain how crazy it was.  I really feel like God led us the entire week.  We taught eight more lessons this week than we did last week.  We blew the record out of the water.  Every day was so amazing.  We came home everyday completely beat.  But you know what?!  I am up to date on my laundry.  Let's talk miracles!

after church

On Sunday I went on splits with Elder Dalu.  It is important that I know his area as well.  We visited some difficult less-actives.  Man, they gave us a hard time.  It actually really got to Elder Dalu.  We explained the Sacrament.  They were throwing a fit about it not being wine first of all.  Then they complained that the church throws away the bread after Sacrament Meeting.  "It's holy, you can't just throw it away!"  (Balaan Guid tana, Hindi mo mahaboy tana sa basura!)  Man, we were beside ourselves on how to approach that. 

We wanted to give Sister J and family a baptismal date last Friday, but it wasn't the right situation.  We just taught baptism, and then offered the invitation to be baptized.  She said that she was open to it, but had so many questions that it was impossible to give a date.  She and the family aren't ready for that kind of commitment.  At least we talked about it, though.  They know where it's leading now, even if they don't have a specific date.  They actually asked us "If we are baptized, what is going to be expected of us?"  That's a million dollar question that we really didn't have time to explain.  We will explain it tomorrow.  At first I kind of felt defeated after the lesson.  We had set a goal to give them a date, but failed to.  Later, thinking about it, the lesson was just as effective, even without a date being given.

We also had one of the best Word of Wisdom lessons of my mission.  We had this 21-year-old investigator who has some addictions.  We knew it was going to be a rough commandment for him, so we focused on it in our companionship study.  We decided to first start off talking about faith, and then lead it into obedience, then have a member bring up the word of wisdom.  The lesson ran kind of long, but when we left the investigator understood it well, had committed to stop smoking, and knew how using the gospel he could beat it.  It was awesome.  We even took a picture as "the day he decided to stop." 

Church was dismal.  The speakers and teachers were not prepared.  The teacher in Priesthood was so quiet!  I was literally two chairs away from him, and I could not hear him.

Sacrament was O.K., but lasted only about 30 minutes.  After the sacrament itself there was a five minute primary program, a five minute spiritual thought, then a closing song and prayer.  I was surprised when we went to the closing song.  I was expecting another two speakers.  

Elder Montecer, avoiding the rain

It's been raining pretty hard lately.  In the morning it will be super hot, and then about noon it will rain on us until the evening.  Our shoes and pants have been just covered in mud.  I like the rain because it keeps it pretty cool, but it sure is a mess. I don't know if you guys remember in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" when the guy comes around saying "bring out you dead!"  Anyway, in that scene everything and everyone is just covered in mud.  That's what Bugasong looks like after five straight days of straight. 

Elder Montecer is awesome.  He is from Rizal, Manila.  He went to school to be a welder.  That's a pretty good job here.  He sleeps with his feet in a mosquito net.  We don't need a mosquito net in our apartment, but he can't fall asleep without one because he's so used to it.  It's like his teddy.  Whenever I speak English to him he tells me "Don't English-English me, I am not a school."  He is pretty funny.  He also always says "Patay Tayo Dyen" which basically means "that'll be the death of us."  He always says it while walking on small muddy rice paths.  He always jokes with me that I gave him TB because one day I accidently drank out of his drink.  I thought it was mine, then asked him why he was drinking out of my bottle.  He was like "What are you talking about, this is mine."  I argued with him saying it was mine until he pulled my water bottle out of the fridge and showed it to me.

I don't really have much to write about.  The work is going well. Sister M couldn't come to church because of her stomach ache.  Miguel confused Adam and Eve as the Savior.  I eat rice three times a day.  The couple missionaries made us brownies. 

So anyway, I won’t go to college when I first get home.  I will retake the ACT or SAT, though.  I feel more smarter now anyways.