Magandang
Hapon po!
Kamusta!
Well this week was transfer week, which is just weird to think
that another 6 weeks went by. Elder Reyes got the boot out of Tuguegarao for
his last 6 weeks so he can train. The trip to Cauayan was pretty exciting
because the van we rented was not only air con (a rare commodity with cheap
public transportation), we had 2 roadkill points. We flattened a dog that
wandered in the middle of the road at the wrong second, and then we hit a
chicken too. Pretty rare to get 2 points in one trip!
When my new companion was announced, most people just started
laughing because Elder Lasay just switched from one side of Tuguegarao ward 2
to the other. It takes about a 3 minute walk to get from his new apartment to
his old one. I was his companion a lot in his first week here so I can show him
where to go when he came to steal all of our investigators and people we were
going to. Now, I am going to be his companion for at least 6 weeks! Pretty
funny because he already told all the ward members bye, and then they were all
surprised and confused when he came back. He lives in the part of the
Philippines that has a bunch of Muslims and non-Filipino missionaries are
not allowed. :)
I had a fun couple of days this week when I lost my voice again
after getting a little runny nose thing. I had to teach lessons and talk to
people in a raspy whispering voice for 2 days and I didn't even try sing the
hymns in church. Luckily, it decided to come back by now. One of the older
members told me I must have lost it after drinking too much cold water when it
was hot and I needed to go to the doctor and get some antibiotic. But seems how
I've been drinking cold water for 20 years of my life, I'm going to guess that
it just came from a little cold. I'm going to miss hearing really funny and weird
wise tales.
I really love teaching whole families and helping them learn the
Gospel of Jesus Christ as a family. It makes me appreciate growing up in such
an awesome family that has the benefit of the knowledge of the truth. It makes
me appreciate the simple things a lot more like having access to a Book of
Mormon my whole life after going to an inactive family for many many years and
they beg us for a copy because theirs was lost in a flood. How blessed we are
to live where we do and the knowledge that we have.
Maraming Salamat po sa lahat.
Mahal ko kayo,
Elder Nay
This is a letter from Michael for the Missionary Christmas
letter exchange for his friends currently serving a mission.
Giving letters to old friends sounds pretty good, so I'll try
to write a few thoughts together… Thanks for your help and participation!
Kamusta!
I have been in the
same Tuguegarao South Zone here in the Philippines Cauayan mission for almost
12 months now. It is pretty fun to get to know people on a more personal basis
rather than being transferred every 6 weeks. I have only had 3 areas for my
whole mission, so I really haven't seen too much of the mission other
than the hottest city in the Philippines. After being out for almost a year and
a half, it is fun to surprise people by speaking Tagalog after they try to talk
to me in English first.
I'm not really sure
what the weirdest food I have eaten is...probably a tie between dog, snails,
and some weird beetle thing. I must say that frog is actually pretty good
though. The Philippines is pretty much awesome. Not too many places can you
just pee off the side of the road and be okay. Eating with hands is also proving
to be effective. There are only 2 traffic laws: don't kill anyone, and don't
get hit.
Some of the greatest
success from my mission so far, have been from reactivating members that have
been inactive for many years, usually after being offended by someone. Whether
teaching inactive people or investigators, it is all the same work. They all do
not understand the basics of the Restoration and they need to gain a testimony.
The joy from seeing an inactive person come back to church or an investigator
come to church is the same. If there is one thing I have learned most from the
mission, it is what the meaning of the baptism covenant is and the importance
of keeping it. Too many people do not understand what enduring to the end
really means. It is really cool to see people change before your eyes just from
understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ better. I've seen coffee addicts turn
away from coffee just to be baptized, fathers give up smoking and drinking just
to set an example for their family and be the first one to be baptized, and
people with nothing to eat somehow find a way to pay for public transportation
to get to church. I've learned to never be upset when people reject the message
because they just simply don't know what they are missing. Success doesn't come
from having baptisms or a certain number of lessons in one day, it just matters
that you did your best. The thing my mission president is always teaching us to
do is only one thing: just love them.
Just like they
say-the more obedient and diligent you are on the mission, the better
looking your wife gets. :) At least I hope that's how it works.... Haha.
Go get 'em
boys.
Love ya
Elder Nay
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