Magandang
Hapon po!
Kamusta na po kayo!?
Happy Memorial day to
you! Definitely no such thing as Memorial Day here, so shoot a few guns and
have a few barbecues on my behalf.
There isn't anything
too exciting that happened this week other than we got to go to Tuguegarao for
a couple hours because that is the closest patriarch for Elder Llorin to get
his patriarchal blessing. It was kind of fun to go back to some of my old
stomping grounds and be in a few buildings that actually have air conditioning.
We even got to celebrate the occasion by going out to eat at McDonald's,
just because we could! It's kind of funny that eating
at McDonald's here is considered a nice treat. Even though I wasn't
actually with him while he got his blessing, it still caused me to reflect on
my blessing a little more. I realized how much more I have been able to learn
and experience from when I first got it over 4 years ago. I also realized how
much I miss having private transportation to get places rather than having to
squish 20 people in a van only meant for 12 for 2 hours, or in a chicken bus
sitting next to someone puffing a cancer stick for 2 hours, or how nice it is
to have roads that don't have gigantic potholes to swerve around.
Other than going to
Tuguegarao, it was just a normal week of sweating and not being able to teach
because of rain. Except this week, we learned our lesson about lightning and
decided to take a tricy back to our apartment so we didn't get fried. This is
definitely the worst lightning and rain storms I have ever been in. Sometimes
there is literally flashes of lightning every second or 2, all very close
by.
Tomorrow I will be
sending my virus infected memory card home in an envelope, so hopefully it will
get there in 2-3 weeks. If not, some Fillipino postal worker will enjoy a free
card.
Mom-I think I sent
Sister Shaners email a few weeks ago, but it's ....
Sometimes it
continues to surprise me how intelligent some people are about the Gospel
doctrine. We have several investigators that are abnormally intelligent and
interested when it comes to learning about the Church. Sometimes we ask them
questions about stuff we havn't talked about yet, and they still give a
textbook answer straight out of the Book of Mormon. We are really fortunate
here to have a good set of investigators and we are finally starting to see
some less actives coming back.
I also had an
interesting experience in church yesterday. During Sunday school,
just after Elder Llorin and I finished teaching Gospel Principles, I
immediately noticed an absence of spirit in the meetinghouse due to several
people yelling at each other about who was right and wrong during their lesson.
Over time, voices got louder and more people got involved to where it soon got
out of control. It was an obvious moment of awkwardness and discomfort,
especially because we had several investigators with us listening to what was
happening. The situation kept spiraling downward and before I could even think
about it, I found myself in front of all of them getting all their attention.
When I started to speak to them, I felt my heart pounding and voice shaking
from the spirit and the entire meetinghouse went silent. I told them that I
didn't know what they were arguing about, nor did it really matter, but I had
noticed an absence of spirit because of what was happening and that they needed
to stop. A few last words were said by people seeking a victory and wanting me
to pick a side, then I told the Sunday school president to close up the
meeting. Immediately afterwards was Sacrament meeting and it was honestly the
first sacrament meeting in Mallig that I have felt the Spirit. The talks were
fitting and delivered well, and the Branch President gave a powerful testimony
at the end of the meeting. I still can't figure out how it was my worst and
best day at church in Mallig and how the mood changed so quickly, but it was a
memorable experience.
Well, that is it for
this week. Salamat po sa inyong suportahan sa akin.
Mahal Kita,
Elder Nay
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