Week 67 Expectations vs Reality

Hello everyone!! It's been such a good week. I've seen so many blessings and so many beautiful things in my week. But first I want to share a picture of one of the snacks I had this week.

8/16/2019

expectations vs. reality

Hahahah I thought that picture was pretty funny. We had just spent hours walking around in the heat trying to talk to people, and finally got to our planned snack break. I saw the picture of that delicious mango frozen treat and I wanted it. Opened it up, and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting!

I think that experience that I had with the mango treat can be likened to our everyday lives. We often go through things that are different than what we expected. For example, me and my companion have noticed that in the church videos about serving a mission, they always show two smiling companions talking to people, and the people look like they are just ready to accept the message. Although my mission has been full of great and spiritual experiences like that, I've noticed that these videos rarely if ever show the more common two missionaries who are wandering around in the pouring rain for hours on end or the two missionaries who spend all day knocking on doors without being let in a single one, or the two missionaries that have to deal with persecution and rejection. These two missionaries are as common if not more common than the previous.

To everyone wanting to serve a mission, I'm not trying to dishearten or scare you. The mission is full of great and spiritual experiences of teaching and helping people change and come closer to Christ. There is also another element of the mission that I didn't necessarily expect when I first came out. This mission is a much bigger challenge than I expected. It is full of times and trials where we have to go through things that are hard.

But, just like the mango frozen treat, this mission has been so, so delicious to me. I knew it would be awesome, but I never, ever expected how entirely beautiful and incredibly wonderful these last 15 months have been.

I am so grateful for a loving God and a Savior that came and made it possible for us to find happiness and peace through all our trials and hardships. I am so grateful for a Savior who can turn my messed up damaged mango treat of a mission into the most delicious enjoyable experience I've ever had.

Alright here's some more of my pictures: not a lot this week sorry guys.

8/13/2019

I got to go on an exchange with my trainer!! Elder Ruiz! Man it was so much fun. That was his last Tuesday in the mission, he's going home now tomorrow. It was really fun to catch up on stories and to see how much I've grown and improved since I was with him last year in Abulug. We stayed up super late just talking partly because we had so much to talk about and also because the power went out so it was hard to sleep with it so hot. Man I love this guy. Now, all of my trainers are home! Elder Cox, Jeppson, and Ruiz. I miss all of them. I'm grateful for everything they taught me.

8/14/2019

I got back to Batac that morning and we immediate went out to a FHM (family home morning) with one of the people we're teaching. We celebrated Buan ng Wika which is the celebration this month for the Tagalog language. Played games and had a lot of fun. He filmed it and put it on his blog which is fun.

8/17/2019

Butterflies. Nature enjoyment pictures once again. hehe

8/18/2019

This is one of the weirdest designs for a house I've ever seen hahahaha. How do you get to that balcony??

This is one of the coolest Nanay's here in batac. She is the first RM ever here. Her testimony is super strong and resistant to all the trials and hardships she has seen. More resistant even than my pants are to the Philippine rain.

Well, that's my week for you all. I hope you are all doing so well. Thanks for reading this or at least looking at the pictures haha.

Love you all!!

Elder Childers