Ari pa ako di!
Well I'm still here in Mina! This is now my 4th transfer here and going on 5 months as well! I will hit my 1 year mark in just my second area! How crazy is that. Oh and I'm still Junior Companion, so that's always great. No real pressure or crazy responsibility on my back, but if there was I could handle it! So this week we had a very interesting visit with a brother named Mario. He is Seventh-Day Adventist and straight up told us while we were there that he didn't really want us to teach us but he wanted to teach us because he's learned the truth and received his authority to teach from his study, which makes absolutely zero sense haha but ok. He just argued that the Bible says that the Sabbath Day is Saturday which is false. There is no mention of a specific day in the bible. It merely says Seventh Day. Or even 1st Day in other places. Never Saturday or Sunday. He then argued that Webster even proved that the Seventh Day was Saturday which is also an invalid argument because Webster is simply a person with no God given authority about such matters. Every scripture that he had us read from the Bible was translated differently in his Bible. His flat out said Saturday where it should've said Sabbath or Seventh Day, so I'm not sure about them.
They just changed the words in the Bible and are focused on things that have no significance at all. The day of the week makes no difference, the principle is Keeping the Sabbath day Holy no matter when it happens to be. If the Prophet said ok Wednesday is now the Sabbath and it was backed by the Apostles ok Wednesday it is. Why, because they have the authority of the Priesthood given from God and are entitled to receive such revelation. The authority of the Priesthood is the most important thing in the church and this is the only church where it is found. That's what people don't get, and they just close their hearts and minds to the truth. It's frustrated when people don't get it. But it's all good. I got to experience what it felt like to be an investigator while he was "teaching" us. I felt awful, like I was being put down. He didn't care to listen and had to correct the tiniest of mistakes. The spirit was definitely not with him. While Elder Fernando was saying the opening prayer, Mario wasn't even listening, he was saying his own prayer, so I don't understand haha. Some peoples kids.
Well that was my excitement for the week. I'm still here in Mina and loving it! Can't wait to have more baptisms! Hopefully Jessica's parents give her permission because she is so ready and is the smartest little 12 year old girl I've ever met!
I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week! Hello June! :)
Monday, May 26, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
5.19.14
Another good week here in Mina comes and passes. Elder Dela Cruz was transferred, so that was kind of a relief. I did learn from him, but I did not enjoy our time together as companions. After he left tuesday morning I was companions with Elder Agbuya for the day until our companions arrived that night. We went to Hinoba-an for our District Meeting. I've always wanted to say i've gone to Hinoba-an so that was cool. It's the farthest area in our mission! But apparently they're going to open a couple groups farther south that are part of Hinoba-an. But that was a fun ride. It's like another hour farther south than Mina. My new companion is Elder Fernando, he's awesome. He's from Nueva Viscaya (same as Elder Orlanda). He is super easy to get along with. I've been doing all of the teaching mostly since he arrived. He's only a couple transfers ahead of me, but I've been leading the area and he's just been following along. So we'll see
what's next in line for me.
We had another succesful baptism at the beach on Saturday! Last week it wasn't allowed, this week it was all good, not sure why, but it's all great it was fun! We rode back from the baptism on a tricycle in our wet baptismal clothes because there really wasn't anywhere to change comfortably, so we got some weird looks but it's all good! Tatay Arellano was supposed to be baptized last week but was sick, so he was baptized this weekend. His testimony after his baptism was solid. He has come such a long way. It's amazing to see the impact the gospel can have an individual and a family. He wants us to visit other members of his family and help them as well! Marlon was the boy that we baptized. His older sister is a member and has two kids that are the same age as marlon so he has friends already, and he is super solid as well. He joined us yesterday when we visited his mom and he taught her how to pray. It was so cool! When I looked at his mom while he bore his testimony at his baptism she wiped tears from her eyes. She wants to be baptized as well but they problem is she said her husband has no real care for religion like at all, so that's our next project! I love helping people and teaching them the gospel!
We also have a super progressing investigator named Jessica who's 12 and has been to church 4 weeks now. She thumbindexed her Book of Mormon that we gave her and borrowed mine so she could see how I mark mine and I gave her a couple hi-liters too, and she borrowed my bible yesterday so she could read that as well. She's crazy smart!
The work in Mina is great, I love the people here! But transfer day is Wednesday, so we'll see what happens I guess. Don't know what is coming my way! but we'll know tomorrow! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!
what's next in line for me.
We had another succesful baptism at the beach on Saturday! Last week it wasn't allowed, this week it was all good, not sure why, but it's all great it was fun! We rode back from the baptism on a tricycle in our wet baptismal clothes because there really wasn't anywhere to change comfortably, so we got some weird looks but it's all good! Tatay Arellano was supposed to be baptized last week but was sick, so he was baptized this weekend. His testimony after his baptism was solid. He has come such a long way. It's amazing to see the impact the gospel can have an individual and a family. He wants us to visit other members of his family and help them as well! Marlon was the boy that we baptized. His older sister is a member and has two kids that are the same age as marlon so he has friends already, and he is super solid as well. He joined us yesterday when we visited his mom and he taught her how to pray. It was so cool! When I looked at his mom while he bore his testimony at his baptism she wiped tears from her eyes. She wants to be baptized as well but they problem is she said her husband has no real care for religion like at all, so that's our next project! I love helping people and teaching them the gospel!
We also have a super progressing investigator named Jessica who's 12 and has been to church 4 weeks now. She thumbindexed her Book of Mormon that we gave her and borrowed mine so she could see how I mark mine and I gave her a couple hi-liters too, and she borrowed my bible yesterday so she could read that as well. She's crazy smart!
The work in Mina is great, I love the people here! But transfer day is Wednesday, so we'll see what happens I guess. Don't know what is coming my way! but we'll know tomorrow! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!
5.5.14
Worst Car Ride of.....My life! haha
So the title. This morning we rode all the way to Bacolod, in a pick-up truck. Doesn't sound to bad yet. Until I say that there were 12 of us. Two Elders in the front, on driver one passenger. And then 4 sisters in the seat behind that. And then 5 elders and Me in the truck bed, with a topper. It was so so so so hot and humid I about died. It was a 4 hour ride and we had like no space! It was a free ride so we saved quite a bit of money, but if that were to be suggested I will definitely put it down right away! I don't want to do that again if I don't have to! But we're here in Bacolod and we're alive. I'm sorry I missed some of you today! We were supposed to leave for Bacolod tomorrow morning and have our meeting tomorrow night. That was the plan as of last Monday, so that's why I didn't mention it to anyone! But the plan changed midway through the week and no I'm here in Bacolod. We have a Mission President's Training later tonight and then tomorrow morning we have our Zone Training Meeting before we head back to Sipalay!
I also have some excited news! We have a Baptism this week! :) We have the Arellano family of 5 and then Sister Elizabeth who will be joining her as well! Jonalyn Arellano is one of our Recent Converts and her family is now following in her footsteps. She was baptized on February 1. When I first got here her family wouldn't listen to us, just her. And actually right now Jonalyn has left town to work for the summer. So all this progression in her family has come without her here. It's amazing. Once again, I've seen another man quit smoking and drinking in order to qualify himself for baptism. It's amazing to see your hard work pay off. But at the same time, I know that I didn't have a whole lot to do with it, it's the Lord's work. I'm not the best speaker of Hiligaynon or the best teacher so I know that without the Lord's help none of this would be able to happen!
I've had a rough few weeks with my companion Elder Dela Cruz, but we continue to work through our struggles and our clash of personalities. I'm trying to help him through his problem of "This is who I am, this is what I do." With that attitude nothing positive will happen. Members and people here don't really like his personality and attitude and he notices that people don't really get close to him, so I've tried to help him realize that he needs to be the one to change to them. It isn't just one person that doesn't get close to him, it's many, sometimes even me. Which means the problem isn't with them, it's with him. So hopefully we as the missionaries can adapt to the people in our area. This is who they are and where they live, we're hear to help them not the other way around, so we need to be the ones to make the changes in order to work with them! We continue to work together to improve and I've realized that I haven't been the most humble of people in the situation either, so I'm doing my best to be better and work with him as well! This is just one of those situations that the Lord has put me in so I can learn how to be a better person, challenge accepted! ;)
I can't wait to talk to the family this next week! I hope it all works out! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! :)
So the title. This morning we rode all the way to Bacolod, in a pick-up truck. Doesn't sound to bad yet. Until I say that there were 12 of us. Two Elders in the front, on driver one passenger. And then 4 sisters in the seat behind that. And then 5 elders and Me in the truck bed, with a topper. It was so so so so hot and humid I about died. It was a 4 hour ride and we had like no space! It was a free ride so we saved quite a bit of money, but if that were to be suggested I will definitely put it down right away! I don't want to do that again if I don't have to! But we're here in Bacolod and we're alive. I'm sorry I missed some of you today! We were supposed to leave for Bacolod tomorrow morning and have our meeting tomorrow night. That was the plan as of last Monday, so that's why I didn't mention it to anyone! But the plan changed midway through the week and no I'm here in Bacolod. We have a Mission President's Training later tonight and then tomorrow morning we have our Zone Training Meeting before we head back to Sipalay!
I also have some excited news! We have a Baptism this week! :) We have the Arellano family of 5 and then Sister Elizabeth who will be joining her as well! Jonalyn Arellano is one of our Recent Converts and her family is now following in her footsteps. She was baptized on February 1. When I first got here her family wouldn't listen to us, just her. And actually right now Jonalyn has left town to work for the summer. So all this progression in her family has come without her here. It's amazing. Once again, I've seen another man quit smoking and drinking in order to qualify himself for baptism. It's amazing to see your hard work pay off. But at the same time, I know that I didn't have a whole lot to do with it, it's the Lord's work. I'm not the best speaker of Hiligaynon or the best teacher so I know that without the Lord's help none of this would be able to happen!
I've had a rough few weeks with my companion Elder Dela Cruz, but we continue to work through our struggles and our clash of personalities. I'm trying to help him through his problem of "This is who I am, this is what I do." With that attitude nothing positive will happen. Members and people here don't really like his personality and attitude and he notices that people don't really get close to him, so I've tried to help him realize that he needs to be the one to change to them. It isn't just one person that doesn't get close to him, it's many, sometimes even me. Which means the problem isn't with them, it's with him. So hopefully we as the missionaries can adapt to the people in our area. This is who they are and where they live, we're hear to help them not the other way around, so we need to be the ones to make the changes in order to work with them! We continue to work together to improve and I've realized that I haven't been the most humble of people in the situation either, so I'm doing my best to be better and work with him as well! This is just one of those situations that the Lord has put me in so I can learn how to be a better person, challenge accepted! ;)
I can't wait to talk to the family this next week! I hope it all works out! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! :)
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