Kamusta po!
To start off, we had a baptism this week! J- is the first person I've taught from start to finish, and it was awesome to see his conversion and to have the opportunity to prepare him for joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
This is the only picture we got off the card reader before the computers started messing up, these computer shops aren't perfect. I'll include more next week though!
I'm hearing a lot of things about Pokemon Go, but we have something better over here. In another Elder's words, "they play with bugs here like they're pokemon." And it's totally true. They have spider fights where two kids put their spider on a 10 inch stick and they just hold it either in the middle or on the sides while the spiders duke it out. All the little boys will just hold spiders in their hand, and blowing on them seems to make the spiders chill out a little bit. They seriously will just pick up any bug here.
On the other hand, I was starting my personal study the other day and opened up my desk drawer to grab some books. I indeed saw the giant spider but I've seen enough realistic fake spiders in my life that I guess instincts DIDN'T kick in and I thought it was safe to keep going. Then the real definitely not fake spider started charging me and I slammed the drawer shut. No spiders were harmed, and I think the adrenaline probably improved my personal study... Our apartment is pretty much a zoo, we have spiders, lizards, cockroaches, slugs, ants, rats, you name it, we got it
I asked M- to explain how smoking feels, and her answer was along the lines that it's a relief. However, we talked about how it's only temporary. Then I asked her to share the strongest experience where she has really felt the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, in her life. She shared an amazing story and afterwards I asked how that feeling of relief and joy is different. For one thing, she won't remember every little cigarette. They just blend together, there's nothing that sets those memories apart. But she will never forget that story, and the happiness she felt because of the Holy Ghost and because of prayer. Smoking and other similar things bring pleasure, which lasts just a fraction of a moment. I testify that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings lasting joy, and makes memories that are unforgettable and life-changing. It can be healthy to self-reflect and see how we can get more of those memories than we are currently making.
That lesson taught me a lot, especially how to teach by asking questions. After we closed, we convinced M- to go throw her ashtray into an isdahan (sorryfishes) which was really fun. She also had her prayers literally answered with a job interview 2 days later, and she mentioned her beliefs in the interview which shocked the interviewer. We text her every morning to check up, and with this solid foundation/start, I really believe M- will be able to leave smoking behind.
Just a short spiritual thought from my reading in Jesus the Christ. Jesus performed many miracles during his life on earth, but something that was similar between all of them is that none of them wasted the Godly power that Jesus had. For example, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He instructed men to open the tomb. Then Christ performed the miracle and called Lazarus forth. Then once again he instructed men to unbind the revived man, who was wrapped in burial clothes. The only part that was superhuman was the part that Jesus performed, everything else was done by normal means. Jesus could have done anything and could have moved the tomb door by the same priesthood power that he used to heal the blind, but Christ never wasted or used this power for any excess means. Even when Christ fed the 5000 with a few fishes and loaves of bread, the leftovers were taken up and saved.
Personally, when I remember the story of Nephi asking for the strength to break the bonds that his brothers tied him with, the part the sticks out to me is that the bond fell off. Nephi didn't receive superhuman strength, only what was needed was given, after Nephi asked for it through prayer.
My personal takeaway for all of this is that I and other missionaries will need to put in every ounce of effort every day for the blessings and miracles to start pouring in. Everything that can be done with our own two hands, and our own two feet, has to be done before miracles will happen. Jesus didn't use the power of God to do trivial things that could have been done otherwise, so before I ask for miracles, I'll need to put in the work first.
Thanks for reading, and pasensiya for the lack of pictures, but I'll have a bunch next week! Until then,
Love,
Elder Fish
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