MERRY
CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR YA'LL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry there was no
email last week. We had a Hurricane for Christmas Eve here in the Philippines
so when we woke up most people woke up to their houses either partly destroyed
or completely gone on Christmas day. There was no electricity for about a week.
If there is no electricity, that means no fans, no fans means no sleep, because
of the mosquitoes and the heat it is hard to sleep here at night if there is no
electricity. Unfortunately two American elders right now have dengue from the
night after the bagyo (hurricane) because there were so many mosquitoes. We all
woke up the morning after Christmas with mosquito bites covering our legs and
feet.
This Christmas is by
far the most humbling Christmas I have ever had. The people here have so
little, after the hurricane they had even less. Yet they still remembered the
true meaning of Christmas. They still celebrated and loved even though their
houses were in shambles. They remembered the doctrine of Christ and it was
truly a humbling learning experience for me. I hope I can always follow their
example and always remember Christ's perfect love.
STORIES THIS WEEK: 1)
TENDER MERCIES 2)PHILIPPINO SIZE
TENDER MERCIES: This
week was full of tender mercies. The first was that 70 people attended
sacrament meeting yesterday, our average is 47. Our tiny pink
meetinghouse was packed from wall to wall. The second was the number of
investiagators that came to church this week, we had 13 investigators come to
church. We usually have 3 or 4 come if we are lucky. This has truly built my
testimony about our lord's work. Doctrine and Covenants 84 reads
88And whoso areceiveth you, there I will be also, for I
will go bbefore your face. I will be on your right hand
and on your left, and my cSpirit shall
be in your hearts, and mine dangels round about you, to bear you up.
He truly is preparing
the people,this truly is his work. I know this without a shadow of a doubt. His
spirit is in each of our hearts and he goes before each and every one of us
preparing our way, preparing people to receive his gospel and take his name
upon them. He is the reason why we had so many investigators come to church, he
is preparing his work and preparing the people in Marabut branch.
PHILIPPINO SIZE: I
came to a realization this week. Everything here is Philippino sized. The
shirts in comparison to american shirts are all tiny. In america I wear a large
t shirt. Here if I wear a large it looks like I am wearing my 11 year old
brother's shirt. I immediately transform into TIGHT T SHIRT TOMMY if I put on a
large t shirt here... EVEN the transportation here is Philippino sized. When I
get in the jeepney(like a large public schoolbus) my head will push into the
ceiling if I sit straight up. The seats in vans are lower than I am used to
because philippinos have shorter legs so my hips when I sit in a van feel like
they are going to explode. Last but not least the space in vans is perfect for
philippino knees but if you are american and have a little bit longer legs your
knees are immediately jammed into the seat in front of you. IT IS A PARTY.
Transportation here is pretty funny, the busses they pack full of people, so
much so that people will be hanging on to things inside and their bodies will
be hanging out of the entryway into the bus. If you drop a peso, good luck
finding it because their isn't room to move. It is amazing here, though
difficult I truly love becoming part of the philippino culture and becoming a
true PHILIPPINO.
Last thing I would
like to share is a scripture in 3 nephi 27.
6 And whoso taketh upon
him my name, and aendureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.
7 Therefore, whatsoever
ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in
my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the
church for my sake.
8 And how be it amy bchurch save
it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be
Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of
a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that
they are built upon my gospel.
16 And it shall come to
pass, that whoso arepenteth and is baptized in my bname shall be filled; and if he cendureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my
Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.
I know that this is
his church, I know that as we serve, love and live here in this life taking
upon us his name we are preparing to meet him again. As we take upon ourselves
his name, picking up our cross and following him we will inherit the kingdom of
god and experience a joy unlike any other.
2 nephi 9
18 But, behold, the arighteous, the bsaints of
the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they
who have endured the ccrosses of
the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall dinherit the ekingdom of
God, which was prepared for them ffrom the foundation of the world, and
That is all my
scattered thoughts today love you all!
Picture time.
The damage to our apartment ceiling. We live in a different apartment now.
My area. Imagine the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow as you view this work of art.
A tree that got straight clapped by the hurricane.
Me and some amazing investigators.
Hurricane damage.
Christmas night with the classic gingerbread houses. The elder who is making a weird face is the one who has dengue right now.
Water left after the hurricane.
Christmas party in Basey the day before we got evacuated to Tacoloban because of the hurricane.
The classic camera selfie with the district.
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