Week 59: Never Forget Why

Hello everyone!! It's been another week! It's just flown by. I can't believe it's Monday again. It didn't feel like it when I woke up this morning. But another week has gone and I'm still here in beautiful San Juan.

I'm loving it here. I feel like I'm having the time of my life. Not everyday is perfect, of course. But I'm happy and I'm doing great. Let's get going on some pictures and stories for ya all :)

6/18/2019: This is one of the many beautiful flowers here.

Each Tuesday we have what's called a "District Council". It's a pretty fun time. We bring our concerns that we each have in our different areas and we council as a district to solve them. My district right now is full of Elders, and a lot of Filipinos. It's such a party. Afterwards we went and ate at a place called "Chicken Inasal" right across the street from the church. It's delicious. You can also order unlimited rice. I downed 4 cups.

Pretty sunset pictures with our good friend. This is Jumar. He's such a good guy and he has a strong testimony of enduring to the end and living the gospel. He's pretty fun to work with. We have a running joke with the people we're teaching that he's someone we found on the street and he asked for rice, we told him we had work for him to do and so he came with us. It's hilarious.

This is a nice family that picked us up and gave us a ride home. In the Philippines, it's totally normal to just pick people up and give them rides if theres room in your vehicle. It's kinda a "everyone helps each other" culture. I love it.

6/19/2019: I was on an exchange in another area and forgot my camera. But my companion used my camera and also my beef jerky... haha.

6/20/2019: Cooked dinner and ate with some of the people we're teaching. One thing I really like here is that people are so nice about food, the just kinda share everything. One thing that we like doing is cooking with our people we're teaching. It's so fun and such a good way to get to know them and to become a part of the community.

This is the food we got from people one day (bananas, onions and squash). This happens pretty often. Just one example of how giving the people are here.

6/22/2019: We helped a member dig out a hole for her pigs. It was a lot of fun. I love being with the members and serving with them is awesome. I feel like I really have become friends with them.

6/22/2019 This is a great family that we are close to. The mom is such a good cook and she tells me she doesn't taste the food while she's cooking and I don't believe her because it's so good.

6/23/2019: Double birthday! Some of the best nanays there are here in the Cabugao branch. Often when it's a birthday in the Philippines they have some traditions that I think are pretty funny/cool. They always have "pansit" which is this noodle dish thing. They say it's "for long life". I'm not sure why.. maybe because the noodles are long? haha. They also always have videooke. which is like karaoke but it's got a tv attached to it. The people here are so very into karaoke. Like everyone. Kids, old people, boys, girls. Literally everyone. It's pretty awesome.

Well that's my week, it's gone by so fast.

Yesterday in Elders quorum the lesson was on the "WHY of ministering". I've been reflecting on the reasons why we do things. When we know the reason why, something hard can get a lot easier.

The mission is not easy and I don't know if I would still be out here if I didn't know WHY I'm out here. I know the book of mormon is true and that the gospel is restored. No matter how hard it gets or whatever happens to me, I will not leave and go home.

Congrats to all the people who recently got mission calls! (Double congrats to those who are going to the Philippines or Lima, Peru!)

You're all gonna kill it :) Go out and serve with all you got, and never forget why you're serving.

Ingat kayo 'lagi

Elder Childers