Hello Everyone!
I'm so sorry it has been a long time since I have written an email. A lot has happened since I have last written. There has been a lot of changes to where I am and what I am doing.
At the current moment I am assigned to the island of Biliran. I have since become the zone leader of Biliran and am in charge of all the missionaries on the island. This is one of the smallest islands in my mission and it is also known to be the most rural. I am currently in Naval and have switched back languages to Bisaya. However, this island is known as the Tower of Babel by the missionaries, and the language will often switch with every person you talk to. This has allowed me to continue speaking Waray-waray. What an amazing blessing.
Last week I had the opportunity to do exchanges on another part of the island. In some parts of the island, they sell fish and other goods on motorcycles that tour around the neighborhood. It is very similar to an ice cream truck, but instead of a fun song, they have horns made out of conk shells. Every morning you will hear the conk shells announcing the presence of all the merchants, and everyone will go outside to buy their morning fish.
For a district activity we went to a place called Ulan Ulan falls. We rented a small tricycle to take us, but it couldn't fit all of us so me and another Elder ended up having to jog a good way up the mountain before being picked up again. It was super fun, and the view of the waterfall was definitely worth it, but it was exhausting. That was the first time I had run in a while, and I can conclusively say that I am not in shape.
It was hard for me to realize that I was not in shape until I had started running. I hike and bike across mountains on this island every single day, but it wasn't until I started running that I could tell how out of shape I was. Sometimes the Lord will send an activity our way that can test our spiritual fitness. Like our bodies, our spirits need to exercise and sometimes a trial will make us realize just how spiritually unfit we are. These trials are not meant to punish us, but to help us remember the God who gave us life.
In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites followed the word of God, but God also promised to them that if they began falling away, he would send their neighboring nation, the Lamonites, to "stir them up in remembrance" In 2 Nephi 5: 25 it states:
"And the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction."
This a wonderful blessing of God that shows his long suffering and love towards his children. Sometimes we are doing what we think we need to be doing, but our perceptions of ourselves don't always match up with the Lord. Sometimes we may be exercising, but it may not necessarily be helping us get in shape. We can become lazy, slothful, and ignorant of our true situation while simultaneously becoming prideful in our fitness. Without a more eternal perspective, how will we ever grow? This is where the Lord will come and help us realize the truth of where we are. In Hebrews 12: 6 it says,
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth..."
As we realize that our trials are not meant to put us down, but to realign us, we will be more willing to accept the growth that can come from them. These constant reminders are one of the many tender mercies of the Lord. He loves us enough to hurt us, to redirect us, to remind us. There is no greater love than His. He doesn't just want us to be who we are now; He wants us to be better. He wants us to become alike to His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only way that we can achieve that growth. His atonement is what makes it possible. I say these things in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
I'm so sorry it has been a long time since I have written an email. A lot has happened since I have last written. There has been a lot of changes to where I am and what I am doing.
At the current moment I am assigned to the island of Biliran. I have since become the zone leader of Biliran and am in charge of all the missionaries on the island. This is one of the smallest islands in my mission and it is also known to be the most rural. I am currently in Naval and have switched back languages to Bisaya. However, this island is known as the Tower of Babel by the missionaries, and the language will often switch with every person you talk to. This has allowed me to continue speaking Waray-waray. What an amazing blessing.
Last week I had the opportunity to do exchanges on another part of the island. In some parts of the island, they sell fish and other goods on motorcycles that tour around the neighborhood. It is very similar to an ice cream truck, but instead of a fun song, they have horns made out of conk shells. Every morning you will hear the conk shells announcing the presence of all the merchants, and everyone will go outside to buy their morning fish.
For a district activity we went to a place called Ulan Ulan falls. We rented a small tricycle to take us, but it couldn't fit all of us so me and another Elder ended up having to jog a good way up the mountain before being picked up again. It was super fun, and the view of the waterfall was definitely worth it, but it was exhausting. That was the first time I had run in a while, and I can conclusively say that I am not in shape.
It was hard for me to realize that I was not in shape until I had started running. I hike and bike across mountains on this island every single day, but it wasn't until I started running that I could tell how out of shape I was. Sometimes the Lord will send an activity our way that can test our spiritual fitness. Like our bodies, our spirits need to exercise and sometimes a trial will make us realize just how spiritually unfit we are. These trials are not meant to punish us, but to help us remember the God who gave us life.
In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites followed the word of God, but God also promised to them that if they began falling away, he would send their neighboring nation, the Lamonites, to "stir them up in remembrance" In 2 Nephi 5: 25 it states:
"And the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction."
This a wonderful blessing of God that shows his long suffering and love towards his children. Sometimes we are doing what we think we need to be doing, but our perceptions of ourselves don't always match up with the Lord. Sometimes we may be exercising, but it may not necessarily be helping us get in shape. We can become lazy, slothful, and ignorant of our true situation while simultaneously becoming prideful in our fitness. Without a more eternal perspective, how will we ever grow? This is where the Lord will come and help us realize the truth of where we are. In Hebrews 12: 6 it says,
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth..."
As we realize that our trials are not meant to put us down, but to realign us, we will be more willing to accept the growth that can come from them. These constant reminders are one of the many tender mercies of the Lord. He loves us enough to hurt us, to redirect us, to remind us. There is no greater love than His. He doesn't just want us to be who we are now; He wants us to be better. He wants us to become alike to His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only way that we can achieve that growth. His atonement is what makes it possible. I say these things in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
week 64 . Capoocan
And a quick trip to manilla
week 65 . capoocan
Week 66 . capoocan
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week 67 . capoocan and naval
Capoocan
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NAVAL
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week 68 . naval
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week 69 . naval
week 70 . naval
week 71 . naval
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