Sunday April 24, 2011
Dear World,
Hope you had a great Easter. The holiday itself slipped in and out quietly, but that's how all holidays go as a missionary. But the purpose of the holiday was so much clearer in my mind this year than previously. Easter signifies the completion of the greatest sacrifice ever made. Because of the atonement of Christ, every person on the world will be resurrected and we all have the opportunity to live with our Father in Heaven again. "He is risen," the words of an angel on that morning, was a declaration of freedom.
Often people ask why there aren't great miracles in the world today, the red sea isn't parted, mountains don't move, people don't rise from the grave. Yet I think back to that morning, the morning the Son of God was resurrected. Two women went to the tomb and found an angel. The guards were paid to lie about what happened. And no one else knew. It wasn't a big deal, no one published it on the news, people didn't run down the streets shouting it. His resurrection, much like his birth, was simple and quiet and only a few people really understood what was happening on that fateful day. That doesn't mean it's not a miracle- the greatest on earth- the one that's changed all of our lives.
Now- for a poem I wrote a few weeks ago, it's easter-y and I felt like sharing.
Her King
For the light became day
Then the dark was called night
The Land emerged from the sea.
Mountains formed, flowered bloomed,
To show Mother Earth's joy
In her creation by her King.
A storm raged in the dark,
The land shook and it broke.
The Mountains fell into the sea
The wind tore through the world
As our Mother Earth Cried
Because of the death of her King.
Nature fights with itself,
The sea tears at the shore
The destruction that all can see.
Do you cry, do you fear?
For now Mother Earth calls
For the soon return of her King.
This week has been really unusual, but of course- really fun. One interesting thing about this week was the fact that it is Holy Week. As a predominately Catholic country, each day in the week is important and celebrated in a different way. The day that was most notable was Friday.
On this day, everyone stays home to rest, meditate, and think about the Savior, Jesus Christ. This leaves the streets totally empty. At first I thought it was really strange, there were fewer people out and about than there are in the middle of the night back home. But then I started to notice how peaceful it was. No one is stressed or worried about what needs to get done. There aren't noisy cars or shouting people. Even the animals seemed to have fallen quite. The whole city was in a state of reverence. It was really neat.
Other than that, the week was filled with adventures. Yesterday we got caught in the rain and I was literally dripping wet by the time we walked in the door. We found a new investigator who is incredibly receptive. He found an old Libro Ni Mormon from the previous time his family investigated the church. He committed to reading it, praying to know the truth, and being baptized when he receives and answer. We met him yesterday and he's already on our progressing investigators list. (kinda, we aren't actually allowed to call him progressing till we visit him a second time)
Wednesday was a crazy adventure too. We went to visit a less active member in the ward. She invited us in and asked us to sit and wait for a while as she finished tidying up. While we waited, her grandmother came down stairs, walked over to me to shake my hand, then grabbed my head and kissed me on the forehead. Unexpected...very unexpected. She sat down beside me and continued to play with my hands and try to talk to me and it only took a few moments to realize she was very drunk. This sweet women is maybe 4'10" and I'm always afraid I'll break her hand when I shake it because she is so skinny. She's 84 years old! And yet she has a surprisingly strong grip when she's drunk. Ah- the adventures of the Philippines.
Love you all!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
WOW!
April 17, 2011
Time goes so fast when you only have an hour to email everyone you want to email!
This week has been a pretty exciting week, it's definitely had it's ups and downs like all the other weeks, but it's been worth it. I've begun to find it interesting how ups and downs in a given week are often both caused by the same thing. This week, once again, it was language. One of these days I'll understand this language and stop mentioning it. Until then, my apologies for the frequent references to it. However, it plays a huge role in everything I do. Without it, I can't talk to anyone, or understand anyone. With it, I've been blessed with the opportunity to change peoples lives. With simple words that I'm finally starting to understand and be able to easily use, I'm able to tell people about the unique messaged I've been called to share.
As a missionary, I get to share the Restoration with people. I get to tell people that God loves us and speaks to people today through a living prophet. He has prepared the way for us to return to him. All we have to do is follow that path. It takes more than just faith that there is a way- we actually have to follow it.
In addition to this, I've been blessed to be in this world. The Philippines is so interesting. It's a place in which Crayola's Sky Blue crayon really describes the color of the sky, the sunsets appear painted in the heavens, and obnoxious roosters decide to wake me up at 3 am. It's a place where the smiles are genuine and beautiful, regardless of how many teeth the person has. It's a place in which city and field both exist side-by-side. It's a place that I love, and one of these day's... I'm really going to miss it. That day is so far away though, for now I'll just focus on the time I have here.
Palangga Ko Kamo!
Time goes so fast when you only have an hour to email everyone you want to email!
This week has been a pretty exciting week, it's definitely had it's ups and downs like all the other weeks, but it's been worth it. I've begun to find it interesting how ups and downs in a given week are often both caused by the same thing. This week, once again, it was language. One of these days I'll understand this language and stop mentioning it. Until then, my apologies for the frequent references to it. However, it plays a huge role in everything I do. Without it, I can't talk to anyone, or understand anyone. With it, I've been blessed with the opportunity to change peoples lives. With simple words that I'm finally starting to understand and be able to easily use, I'm able to tell people about the unique messaged I've been called to share.
As a missionary, I get to share the Restoration with people. I get to tell people that God loves us and speaks to people today through a living prophet. He has prepared the way for us to return to him. All we have to do is follow that path. It takes more than just faith that there is a way- we actually have to follow it.
In addition to this, I've been blessed to be in this world. The Philippines is so interesting. It's a place in which Crayola's Sky Blue crayon really describes the color of the sky, the sunsets appear painted in the heavens, and obnoxious roosters decide to wake me up at 3 am. It's a place where the smiles are genuine and beautiful, regardless of how many teeth the person has. It's a place in which city and field both exist side-by-side. It's a place that I love, and one of these day's... I'm really going to miss it. That day is so far away though, for now I'll just focus on the time I have here.
Palangga Ko Kamo!
Hey There Family!
April 17, 2011
Sorry these past few weeks have been so scanty on family emails, I've had lots to do and needed to email fast. How is everyone? I miss you all. This past week was really great! Saturday and Sunday was conference, we watch it a week after everyone else. Wasn't it just amazing this year?
Monday was a fairly normal p-day, nothing particularly exciting. The only interesting bit was that the water pump decided to stop working properly. This has resulted in a week of the water randomly deciding not to work for hours at a time.
Tuesday was a long day in Pavia, a section of our area that is really progressing. We are teaching several families and they are all really interested. This is also where sister Jennifer lives, one of my favorite investigators just because she loves the gospel so much. Unfortunately she hasn't yet been baptized. She's having a lot of trouble getting a copy of her birth certificate, which she needs to get married to the man she's living with.
Wednesday was interviews with the mission president. These are fun just because I get to feel like I'm special for half an hour!
Thursday was really fun because we found two more full families to teach. Both of them had been taught earlier, but in the case of one it was just one daughter that was taught- the rest of the family now joined. In the case of the other, the previous lesson was really short. On Thursday we committed this family to baptism! Both have the last name Janas, so it's going to be fun to keep them straight.
Friday was really similar to Tuesday, another day in Pavia!
Saturday consisted of a lot of walking. We had 6 lessons planned, but only taught 4, and more interestingly only one of those 4 were planned. the others were all new investigators.
Sunday was church again, then more teaching. We went home early because I ended up with a really bad headache and felt too sick to speak Hiligaynon. I ended up going to sleep almost as soon as we got home. The headache is gone now though- so all is well!
Sorry these past few weeks have been so scanty on family emails, I've had lots to do and needed to email fast. How is everyone? I miss you all. This past week was really great! Saturday and Sunday was conference, we watch it a week after everyone else. Wasn't it just amazing this year?
Monday was a fairly normal p-day, nothing particularly exciting. The only interesting bit was that the water pump decided to stop working properly. This has resulted in a week of the water randomly deciding not to work for hours at a time.
Tuesday was a long day in Pavia, a section of our area that is really progressing. We are teaching several families and they are all really interested. This is also where sister Jennifer lives, one of my favorite investigators just because she loves the gospel so much. Unfortunately she hasn't yet been baptized. She's having a lot of trouble getting a copy of her birth certificate, which she needs to get married to the man she's living with.
Wednesday was interviews with the mission president. These are fun just because I get to feel like I'm special for half an hour!
Thursday was really fun because we found two more full families to teach. Both of them had been taught earlier, but in the case of one it was just one daughter that was taught- the rest of the family now joined. In the case of the other, the previous lesson was really short. On Thursday we committed this family to baptism! Both have the last name Janas, so it's going to be fun to keep them straight.
Friday was really similar to Tuesday, another day in Pavia!
Saturday consisted of a lot of walking. We had 6 lessons planned, but only taught 4, and more interestingly only one of those 4 were planned. the others were all new investigators.
Sunday was church again, then more teaching. We went home early because I ended up with a really bad headache and felt too sick to speak Hiligaynon. I ended up going to sleep almost as soon as we got home. The headache is gone now though- so all is well!
Not much Time!
April 10, 2011
Elora didn't write an actual blog post, just a quick note - here it is.
Ok- I just sent another picture email, I was going to send a third but I don't have time. My companion is finished and logged off already, so she's now sitting there with nothing to do and I feel bad just leaving here there while I write a lot. Just a few quick answers to questions - Bananas are in an overabundance here. they have like a million types (I've tried 5 already) I don't have leg cramps, just sore feet. My companion is great, most of the time. She's working on some bossiness issues that she is aware she has and I'm working on being more patient when being bossed around. Please explain in my blog post that I didn't have time to write because I was uploading pictures. I'm really bummed about not getting to write a blog post because I really wanted to write about my conference experience and about what all that has happened this week. It's been such a good week and I don't even get to write about it and my companion is "humphing" because I'm taking a long time. I haven't tried uploading pics online because I have no clue where I would upload them too. I have tons of memory cards with me I don't really think memory space something I need to worry about.
Well, that's all. got to go, really!
Elora didn't write an actual blog post, just a quick note - here it is.
Ok- I just sent another picture email, I was going to send a third but I don't have time. My companion is finished and logged off already, so she's now sitting there with nothing to do and I feel bad just leaving here there while I write a lot. Just a few quick answers to questions - Bananas are in an overabundance here. they have like a million types (I've tried 5 already) I don't have leg cramps, just sore feet. My companion is great, most of the time. She's working on some bossiness issues that she is aware she has and I'm working on being more patient when being bossed around. Please explain in my blog post that I didn't have time to write because I was uploading pictures. I'm really bummed about not getting to write a blog post because I really wanted to write about my conference experience and about what all that has happened this week. It's been such a good week and I don't even get to write about it and my companion is "humphing" because I'm taking a long time. I haven't tried uploading pics online because I have no clue where I would upload them too. I have tons of memory cards with me I don't really think memory space something I need to worry about.
Well, that's all. got to go, really!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Picture Finally!
April 3, 2011
Here is one of the pictures I promised last week (or was it 2 weeks ago!) Just a reminder. From March 21st entry - [I had my first baptism this week. The brother who was baptized is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He's in his 60's, never lets us leave his house without snacks, and trusts in his Heavenly Father with absolute solidity. After his baptism, he stood up to bear his testimony. After a long pause, just standing in front of the crowd, he finally began speaking. "I cannot say it, the joy is too great." He gestured to his heart and his eyes began to tear up. Later he explained to us how he still felt like he was floating. I'm eternally grateful for opportunity I had to be raised in the gospel and baptized at 8, yet I wish I could remember that feeling. I was too young, the memories are too far away. I'm grateful for the chance I had to see that joy in his eyes and to know that he could feel God's love for him.]
This week has been fun and utterly exhausting. We've spent long days opening up new sections of our area to work in. We often go with one or two appointments, maybe a referral. After those appointments we spend the rest of the day finding new investigators. These past two weeks we've been blessed with 30 new investigators and many return appointments with people who were too busy for us when we passed through. We were blessed with doors in our faces and people inviting us in before we have a chance to say who we are. Each day has been filled with miracles, gasps of surprise when people hear me begin to speak their language, and sore feet. I've grown far more appreciative of my bed the past few days and the hours that I've been given to sleep.
I've tried really hard the past few days to make sure that I'm thankful for the difficulties I go through as well as the positive things. It is due to those slammed doors that the open ones are so great. It is because of sore feet that I'm able to be physically reminded I've worked my hardest. The cold rainy days only make the hot sunny ones more fun. I've started to realize that through our tears we see are joy most clearly. As I said last week in my blog, I'm so happy for the chance to cry about those who were taken away from me, because it shows me how much I was blessed to be with them.
Now- don't get me wrong, I still love the blessings while I'm in them. I was grateful for each open door in and of itself, disregarding the closed doors. We have to be grateful for the rain, however, because if life was all sun- it would be a desert. (Vegas is still a great place though).
Here is one of the pictures I promised last week (or was it 2 weeks ago!) Just a reminder. From March 21st entry - [I had my first baptism this week. The brother who was baptized is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He's in his 60's, never lets us leave his house without snacks, and trusts in his Heavenly Father with absolute solidity. After his baptism, he stood up to bear his testimony. After a long pause, just standing in front of the crowd, he finally began speaking. "I cannot say it, the joy is too great." He gestured to his heart and his eyes began to tear up. Later he explained to us how he still felt like he was floating. I'm eternally grateful for opportunity I had to be raised in the gospel and baptized at 8, yet I wish I could remember that feeling. I was too young, the memories are too far away. I'm grateful for the chance I had to see that joy in his eyes and to know that he could feel God's love for him.]
This week has been fun and utterly exhausting. We've spent long days opening up new sections of our area to work in. We often go with one or two appointments, maybe a referral. After those appointments we spend the rest of the day finding new investigators. These past two weeks we've been blessed with 30 new investigators and many return appointments with people who were too busy for us when we passed through. We were blessed with doors in our faces and people inviting us in before we have a chance to say who we are. Each day has been filled with miracles, gasps of surprise when people hear me begin to speak their language, and sore feet. I've grown far more appreciative of my bed the past few days and the hours that I've been given to sleep.
I've tried really hard the past few days to make sure that I'm thankful for the difficulties I go through as well as the positive things. It is due to those slammed doors that the open ones are so great. It is because of sore feet that I'm able to be physically reminded I've worked my hardest. The cold rainy days only make the hot sunny ones more fun. I've started to realize that through our tears we see are joy most clearly. As I said last week in my blog, I'm so happy for the chance to cry about those who were taken away from me, because it shows me how much I was blessed to be with them.
Now- don't get me wrong, I still love the blessings while I'm in them. I was grateful for each open door in and of itself, disregarding the closed doors. We have to be grateful for the rain, however, because if life was all sun- it would be a desert. (Vegas is still a great place though).
Prayer
April 3, 2011
This week has been a wonderful reminder of the power of prayer in my life. With the insights I received from my reading last week, I decided to continue reading the November 2010 issue of the Ensign, a church magazine. This issue contains all the talks that were given during the October 2010 General Conference. As I've read, I've been amazed at the number of talks that center on the importance of prayer, regardless of what the subject matter of the talk is. A talk about overcoming addictions lists the first step as fervent prayer. A talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost emphasizes how that is the method through which we receive answers. Prayer is such an important factor to life.
Prayer is the way that we communicate with our Father in Heaven. It is a wonderful blessing to talk with one who loves us more than we can comprehend. I've often heard prayer related to a cell phone. While I was at home, my parents gave me the amazing gift of a cell phone so that I could call them whenever I wished, despite being miles away. My Heavenly Father has given me a similar gift. Through prayer I can tell him what I'm grateful for, express concerns, ask questions, and request blessings. Then I can listen as he answers my prayers through the power of the Holy Ghost.
One of the most amazing parts of this week was teaching a new investigator this concept. At the end of the lesson she was very reluctant to pray, but we reviewed the simple steps of prayer- begin by calling on Heavenly Father, then say whatever is in your heart and be willing to listen for answers, then close "in the name of Jesus Christ- Amen." She finally agreed to give the prayer. She began quickly as though it was a task she just wanted to be finished with already, but then her words began to slow down. As she realized that she really could express whatever was in her heart, the spirit in the room began to change. For the first time in her life, she spoke to her Father, recognizing who she was as his child. A women who initially didn't want to speak to us requested us to come back before we could even suggest a return appointment.
Have you ever taken the time to pray before, knowing that He really is listening. He's your father, he loves you, and he wants to talk to you.
This week has been a wonderful reminder of the power of prayer in my life. With the insights I received from my reading last week, I decided to continue reading the November 2010 issue of the Ensign, a church magazine. This issue contains all the talks that were given during the October 2010 General Conference. As I've read, I've been amazed at the number of talks that center on the importance of prayer, regardless of what the subject matter of the talk is. A talk about overcoming addictions lists the first step as fervent prayer. A talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost emphasizes how that is the method through which we receive answers. Prayer is such an important factor to life.
Prayer is the way that we communicate with our Father in Heaven. It is a wonderful blessing to talk with one who loves us more than we can comprehend. I've often heard prayer related to a cell phone. While I was at home, my parents gave me the amazing gift of a cell phone so that I could call them whenever I wished, despite being miles away. My Heavenly Father has given me a similar gift. Through prayer I can tell him what I'm grateful for, express concerns, ask questions, and request blessings. Then I can listen as he answers my prayers through the power of the Holy Ghost.
One of the most amazing parts of this week was teaching a new investigator this concept. At the end of the lesson she was very reluctant to pray, but we reviewed the simple steps of prayer- begin by calling on Heavenly Father, then say whatever is in your heart and be willing to listen for answers, then close "in the name of Jesus Christ- Amen." She finally agreed to give the prayer. She began quickly as though it was a task she just wanted to be finished with already, but then her words began to slow down. As she realized that she really could express whatever was in her heart, the spirit in the room began to change. For the first time in her life, she spoke to her Father, recognizing who she was as his child. A women who initially didn't want to speak to us requested us to come back before we could even suggest a return appointment.
Have you ever taken the time to pray before, knowing that He really is listening. He's your father, he loves you, and he wants to talk to you.
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