This has been a really tough week work wise, although
we have had some great success too. Our investigator family didn't come to
church but earlier in the week they were all way excited about accepting a
baptismal date for February. Then they punted us this week. Not too sure what's
up with them yet.
I hate the feeling of walking to a progressing investigator's house and feeling all tensed, praying that they are not involved in things that will set back their progress. When I walk up to their house I am just hoping they still want to listen, that they don't hide or that they aren't drinking, etc. My companion and I talked about it yesterday. This really is the most physically and spiritually taxing work that we have ever experienced. Constant worry about a huge group of people - like having 200 kids to worry about and you can almost feel the peoples' salvation on your shoulders.
We are teaching Tatay R to prepare he and his wife to go to the temple. He is possibly the coolest old man ever. He has like 3 teeth and sparse long white whiskers - like an old Chinese wiseman. He said he only has a few crops that he can afford to plant but because he follows the commandments, for some reason those plants give more and more every time he harvests! How cool is that? Now we are teaching his son's girlfriend as well.
We were walking home the other night and saw two young people walking and felt inspired to give out a Law of Chastity pamphlet! We carry one each and hope for hilarious but inspired opportunities to give them out. He was about 22 and she's around 17. We didn't know how to explain the pamphlet so we said that it's to help us in our families - which is true. They actually loved it though and we are going back to the guy's house (they don't live together).
We had our zone training meeting this week where we pass on the training from President B to the rest o the zone. It was all about chapter 9 of Preach My Gospel. At the end of the training we gave the kicker - a parable about a jeepney. When you get on a jeep there is a hired conductor at the back who takes the money and tells people to push down. He also helps if people have baggage. When there is little space left they are the ones who yell for everyone to squish in. They are often hated for it because they try to fit 9 people on each side of the jeep which is too tight but it's the standard. So when there are eight on each side, they bang the side of the jeep and yell "SIYAM-SIYAM!!" (pronounced Sham-Sham), which is Tagalog for "nine and nine!" They also call to anyone passing by to get into the jeep to try to get as many passengers as possible.
This became our parable - that the jeep is running and ready to go and the jeep is the kingdom of heaven. These are the last days and the work is being hastened which is why there is a 300% increase in missionaries (which means a minimum of a 300% increase in people who are being prepared to listen to those missionaries!). We are the conductors. We need to be the ones that yell "Siyam siyam!!" and can always squeeze in one more. We should yell to everyone to get aboard and not miss any chance. At the end of the day the conductor gets wages according to the amount who rode in the jeep - as will we to an extent. Then we committed them all to be Siyam-Siyam missionaries! It was sweet.
We got punted all over this week and worked at finding a lot but we mostly got told to go away. We were guided to meet this one girl fromManila
I slapped a cow's neck fat this week too... a sort of challenge we have had for a while now.
I got to go back to Vintar to do a baptismal interview this week!!!! I loved being back there. They have a new meeting house being built. The neighbours of the missionaries gave their house to the church to convert into a meeting house and they moved to this tiny section in the back. They are so awesome!
We also met a way cool old couple in their 70's who are sealed and endowed and very active. Way back when they met the missionaries, they told them to go away. Then the missionaries came back and were told to go away again - then they came back a third time and finally were able to teach them. Eventually they were baptized in the river. Nanay spins her own clothes so she made their baptismal clothes!
I gave a talk yesterday on the apostasy in church. Things are progressing here slowly but surely.
I love you guys. Take care!
Elder Dustan
I hate the feeling of walking to a progressing investigator's house and feeling all tensed, praying that they are not involved in things that will set back their progress. When I walk up to their house I am just hoping they still want to listen, that they don't hide or that they aren't drinking, etc. My companion and I talked about it yesterday. This really is the most physically and spiritually taxing work that we have ever experienced. Constant worry about a huge group of people - like having 200 kids to worry about and you can almost feel the peoples' salvation on your shoulders.
We are teaching Tatay R to prepare he and his wife to go to the temple. He is possibly the coolest old man ever. He has like 3 teeth and sparse long white whiskers - like an old Chinese wiseman. He said he only has a few crops that he can afford to plant but because he follows the commandments, for some reason those plants give more and more every time he harvests! How cool is that? Now we are teaching his son's girlfriend as well.
We were walking home the other night and saw two young people walking and felt inspired to give out a Law of Chastity pamphlet! We carry one each and hope for hilarious but inspired opportunities to give them out. He was about 22 and she's around 17. We didn't know how to explain the pamphlet so we said that it's to help us in our families - which is true. They actually loved it though and we are going back to the guy's house (they don't live together).
We had our zone training meeting this week where we pass on the training from President B to the rest o the zone. It was all about chapter 9 of Preach My Gospel. At the end of the training we gave the kicker - a parable about a jeepney. When you get on a jeep there is a hired conductor at the back who takes the money and tells people to push down. He also helps if people have baggage. When there is little space left they are the ones who yell for everyone to squish in. They are often hated for it because they try to fit 9 people on each side of the jeep which is too tight but it's the standard. So when there are eight on each side, they bang the side of the jeep and yell "SIYAM-SIYAM!!" (pronounced Sham-Sham), which is Tagalog for "nine and nine!" They also call to anyone passing by to get into the jeep to try to get as many passengers as possible.
This became our parable - that the jeep is running and ready to go and the jeep is the kingdom of heaven. These are the last days and the work is being hastened which is why there is a 300% increase in missionaries (which means a minimum of a 300% increase in people who are being prepared to listen to those missionaries!). We are the conductors. We need to be the ones that yell "Siyam siyam!!" and can always squeeze in one more. We should yell to everyone to get aboard and not miss any chance. At the end of the day the conductor gets wages according to the amount who rode in the jeep - as will we to an extent. Then we committed them all to be Siyam-Siyam missionaries! It was sweet.
We got punted all over this week and worked at finding a lot but we mostly got told to go away. We were guided to meet this one girl from
I slapped a cow's neck fat this week too... a sort of challenge we have had for a while now.
I got to go back to Vintar to do a baptismal interview this week!!!! I loved being back there. They have a new meeting house being built. The neighbours of the missionaries gave their house to the church to convert into a meeting house and they moved to this tiny section in the back. They are so awesome!
We also met a way cool old couple in their 70's who are sealed and endowed and very active. Way back when they met the missionaries, they told them to go away. Then the missionaries came back and were told to go away again - then they came back a third time and finally were able to teach them. Eventually they were baptized in the river. Nanay spins her own clothes so she made their baptismal clothes!
I gave a talk yesterday on the apostasy in church. Things are progressing here slowly but surely.
I love you guys. Take care!
Elder Dustan
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