Week 58: Time

Hello everyone!! It's been a whole week already! I've had a pretty great week.. It's been just awesome :) Last week was pretty short on the stories and pictures so let's catch up.

6/5/2019: Here is a picture of two sisters that we're teaching. At first when we met them, we talked with them for a long time about their families and got to know them really well and set a return appointment because of her grandsons was having a birthday party, so we said we'd come back and eat if they would listen to our message. We shared the message of the restoration with them and they both told us that they were completely content with their religion and their faith in Jesus Christ, but they felt something different when we were with them and they liked what they we're feeling. But, they assured us that they aren't going to be baptized again because she's a "closed door catholic" and a content born again. We assigned 3 Nephi 27 to them in the Book of Mormon, which they both read and felt the spirit so strongly. They both felt that it was "so, so true" after they prayed to know. And now they're both on track to be baptized sometime in July/August. :)

6/6/19: These are two kids of one of the families we're teaching. Their names are CJ and Tenten. Tenten because he was born at 10:10. At first I thought his name was Benten like the cartoon show. They're awesome and great at dancing when we play Frank Sinatra.

6/9/2019: Our branch celebrated Father's Day a week early due to a conference yesterday. The members cooked a delicious meal of rice and ulam for all the "fathers". Side note only 3 out of the 10 people in this picture actually have kids. All the other fathers either hid from the camera or had already gone home from church. ... I'm wearing glasses.

6/10/2019: One of the members in our branch cooked an amazing meal for our district because of my birthday. I love her. She said she didn't feel bad about buying all the food on Sunday because it's for us Elders and I laughed. I told her my favorite food was chicken curry because I really like the chicken curry here so she made that for us. We had no problem eating all of it.

6/11/2019: One morning I was startled from this thing on our fridge. It's a huge fly the size of my finger. I thought it was alive and was grossed out but it turned out to be dead and I was still more grossed out. I asked my companion about it and he said it was his pet. He found it while we were on an exchange and brought it home. He kept it for a little bit then it started to be eaten by ants and I finally threw it away. Weird.

Our district out to lunch. We went and got lunch after our weekly council. I love my district. It's absolutely a party and everyone is a lot of fun.

This is me and one of my favorite Nanays here. She always takes good care of us. We're working through her and one of our most progressing investigators is her friend who she gave a Book of Mormon to awhile ago. She always gives us Mountain Dew and bread and I love it.

My companion's leg. We were walking back from work and all of the sudden we got charged by dogs and he got bit. Pretty crazy, I was pretty freaked out and worried that he was going to get rabies. I learned from the office a long time ago there's still no cure for rabies so I was pretty worried. We've been going to the Animal Bite center though for shots and he's gonna be alright :)

6/12/2019: I turned 20 today! I loved all of the celebrations that I was able to have. The members here through a "Boodle Fight" for me, which is a feast where everyone has fun and eats with their hands. At first glance it might seem gross but it's actually a ton of fun. I love, love the members in this area. I cry a little thinking about the possibility of getting transferred soon. <3

Marjory, one of the people we're teaching, drew a portrait of me. I love it. I'm glad she made it a little more pogi than I actually am :)

Our family we're teaching bought some pudding/mountain dew for my birthday. I love them. I hope they find out these things we're teaching them are true. We're trying to help them pray to know so that they can act of being baptized again. I love them and have gotten pretty close to them.

This is our branch mission leader. He's awesome. We always eat dinner at his house on Wednesdays because he's the only one there. He's pretty lonely. His wife and family left him because he wouldn't deny his faith in Christ and the restored gospel but he's a great example of enduring to the end and staying strong in the church.

6/13/2019: This is a kid named JakeJake. He's adorable. We're teaching his family, and they are so humble and kind and amazing cooks. We love them.

6/14/2019: One of the members who always works with us got kicked out of his house recently from his father because he would not stop going to church and working with the missionaries. We helped him move his stuff to the other side of town, where some members kindly took him in. He's trying to save money to serve a mission, his dream.

this is a cool dragonfruit flower.

6/16/2019: My family sent me a birthday package and I absolutely love it. It's got beef jerky, germ X, sweet baby ray BBQ sauce, and herbal tea. all you need to be happy. We ate the beef jerky on rice.

6/17/2019: earlier today! This is a Nanay who was baptized a long time ago but hasn't been able to come to church because she's pretty far and she can't walk. She asked us to bring her a Bible so we went back today and I gave her my bible. She was so, so happy. She is so nice and such a good person. She currently hosts a group of born again Christians at her house and loves to sing songs and be happy. She refuses to be re-baptized though :) I love her. you can see her happiness pretty well in this picture.

These are my days as a missionary. I love my mission and I love the great times I'm experiencing right now. I came across this scripture this week which I love: "But all things must come to pass in their time." It's short, but great. I think that sometimes we can get caught up in living in the past or things that we want to happen in the future. But, there is a time and a place for everything.

I listened to a talk from Elder Holland this week, and he said something like "I yearn with you to not dwell on days now gone." To be honest I miss my good times and good friends that I had before my mission. I even miss other missionaries that have gone home or past areas that I've served in. Sometimes I dwell on those days. But I am trying to realize and put more of an effort in living in the present, and having hope and optimism for the future. My time on my mission is short, 10 months left. I want to make the most of it.

I love you all. I pray for your health, happiness, and that you will feel the love of God in your heart and mind this week.

Ingat po kayo 'lagi. Take care always.

Elder Childers