This week was busy as always with transfer day. Thankfully I did not transfer. We did get a new missionary in our Cobalay though his name is elder Capinig.
This week I almost got robbed!! I was buying groceries and as I was about to get my wallet out of my back pocket to pay (it was night and fairly dark) I felt something needed my immediate attention to my left. As I came around I looked into the eyes of a Philippino man about 25, unusually close (maybe a foot away) walking directly towards me. When I made eye contact with him he immediately rerouted and went the opposite direction because he could see that I knew he was going to try to grab my wallet and run. It all happened very quick but the moment I saw his eyes I understood what his intention was. He aborted the mission to steal my wallet when I saw him silently walking towards me from behind. That was pretty spooky.
Something else that was interesting that happened this week is that we got told by a catholic sister that it is taught in their church it is a mortal sin to entertain missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ.
Other than that me and my cobalay have just been monkeyin around, interviewing baptismal candidates, doing missionary work, and of course climbing coconut trees to get coconuts.
This week at one point we had an investigator ask a particularly deep question about marriage. This question that they asked was the first opportunity that I have had on the mission to respond with I don't know. Sometimes as missionaries or members we get caught up in all this knowledge that we become shy or afraid to say I don't know. A scripture in Mosiah 4 talks about this, verse 9 says:
" Believe in aGod; believe that he is, and that he bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.?
I replied to their question with the basics.
"I don't know the answer to that question. What I do know is that this gospel is true, god loves you and me and everyone else. What I do know is that as missionaries (and members alike) our purpose is to invite others to come closer to Christ."
As we teach and learn about the gospel if we stick to the basics we will always be grounded through our faith in Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple but life changing. I promise if your faith is centered in Christ that when the whirlwinds come, the advanced questions come, the policies change, "that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds... when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat up on you, IT SHALL HAVE NO POWER OVER YOU TO DRAG YOU DOWN TO THE GULF OF MISERY AND ENDLESS WO, BECAUSE OF THE ROCK UPON WHICH YE ARE BUILT, WHICH IS A SURE FOUNDATION, A FOUNDATION WHEREON IF MEN BUILD THAY CANNOT FALL." (Helaman 5:12)
The gospel is built upon basics, built upon Christ, if you ever feel you are lost in the storm of today's world turn to to the basics, turn to the five principles of the gospel, turn to your faith in your redeemer and savior. As we do this we will better understand the gospel, god's plan for us, and how to find calm in the storm.
A few Pictures:
Blinded by the light.
Me on my bike
FHE with my favorite people from Osmena.
A monkey asking for a filipino "up here" (high five)
with his foot.
This place is unreal
how pretty it is, rock straight up right next to white sandy beaches.
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