2017-1-30 Exchanges

January 30, 2017  - Exchanges

Kamusta po kayo!

This week has been awesome, filled with good news and good things coming up. We had a chance to work in another area with our zone leaders, and I learned a ton. The night before my companion and I were super sick, but we were good enough to work the next day. We had a lot of appointments, and normally you plan for about 15 lessons, and you don't get nearly as many as you think you will. But it was a small miracle, we went from place to place and everyone accepted us. We had a ton of chances to help people, it was great. Even though I had practically no food in my stomach, it was a blessing to feel that drive to keep going, because it seemed to be an inspired day.

 I'm not sure who is photobombing who in this picture.

This week, I would like to bear testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I've been doing a sort of speed-read of the book. Just last month I finished the New Testament, and after I was done it looked like a coloring book inside. As I'm reading right now, I am focused on only a few specific things only. The names and references to Jesus Christ (I think it's 90+ unique names right now, for example the Lamb of God, Messiah, God of Isaac), and His gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end). As I read it quickly, I realize each and every story in the Book of Mormon can be so relatable. For example, we have someone we are teaching who works in a factory as a manager, and is stressed because of the new workers they hired who are young and not very quick yet. She related to Jacob 5, the beautiful allegory to the olive tree, and how the Lord of the Vineyard wants to give up, and cast all of his work into the fire. But then He keeps going, keeps pruning, dunging, grafting. This gave her strength in a job that consumes almost all of her time, even though she has only known about the Book of Mormon for a month. She also related to Lehi and his wayward sons, because she is a mother and worries for her kids. I know the Book of Mormon will help everyone. And as I finish up again, I have gained another perspective, another testimony of this book. This church is centered on the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ is the corner stone, but the Book of Mormon is the keystone. If it were not true, then Joseph Smith died for the testimony of a fictional book. But I know it is true, and that reading it every day brings power and perspective to my problems, and to others. More importantly, it helps me understand God, and His Son Jesus Christ, and how to return to their presence. Thanks for reading! And, if you want a good read, pick up the Book of Mormon. I promise it will be worth it. Love you all!

Elder Fish

2017-1-23 Buko!

January 23, 2017 – Buko!

Kamusta! 

I almost forgot about sending this, so it's just pictures again!

This morning we visited a member's 'farm' where they take care of some animals and fruit trees. We spent some time with their kids and I witnessed what the day of the life of a young filipino is like. We skipped rocks, caught tadpoles, and just enjoyed simplicity. We also got to make an awesome drink out of coconut, which included help prepare all the young coconuts! 

Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Fish

2017-1-15 Exchanges

January 15, 2017 – Exchanges

Kamusta po kayo!

This week will have to be short for lack of time, next week will be a little more composed!

We got to go on exchanges in our area, which means my companionship and another companionship swapped in order to learn different techniques and skills. It was a great experience

I really like when the bukids are freshly harvested because you see so much change so fast. A week ago it looked like an ocean, now it's almost a soccer field :)

This week I witnessed a lot of miracles. I can barely express the gratitude for all of them. I'll share a few that happened in our area here. We have been working very hard in finding people who are ready for our message, who we can help. It's been daily for a few weeks now that we have searched and prayed for this. Just this last week, we tried a few different things and our prayers were answered as we visited with members we had found through an address that didn't even have a house number. Because of this, we found two separate families that have taken the lessons, but just weren't baptized because of random roadblocks. This was a direct answer to our prayers, and we know we will be able to help these families. Not because I or my companion are anything special, but because the gospel of Jesus Christ helps everyone, regardless of who it is. I know this to be true!

Thanks for following up all this time, I love you all!

Elder Fish

2017-1-9 Sunshine!

Kamusta po kayo!

And we're back! We have had some beautiful weather here, the breezes have been so perfect, and the views aren't bad. A lot of the rice has been harvested but they will be planting again soon so they're still irrigated, and it's kind of like the ocean even though a cannon ball would be very inadvisable. I'm loving the area right now.

My companion and one of our young men that worked with us! We knocked on a lot of doors this day, exploring a different part of the area. And he does have an arm.

Last week I realized I needed to make a change in my mentality, and so I read up a little about that. I found a great source in the last prophet before Thomas S Monson: Gordon B. Hinckley. His teachings on this subject were just rattling for me. Being optimistic is something I've always appreciated in other people, and respected in them. But I've never been very great at nailing it in my own life. I mean, day in, day out. It's not an easy thing to do. But here's some things I learned about this:

We will cultivate an attitude of happiness and optimism by walking in faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature (whether it's 4 feet of snow or 4 inches of water), recognizing the goodness in others, and relying on our testimony in things divine. In Matt 5:5 it says the meek shall inherit the earth, which means being grateful. Being grateful rather than adopting an attitude of self-sufficiency. We live in such an awesome time. Medical care, technology, the restored gospel, we are so blessed by all these things that we look over every day. 

This life is tough, for sure. But it's meant to be enjoyed. I'm learning I need to stop complaining, because there will always be work to do. More work than can be accomplished in reality. So just continue in faith, and remember the Lord's promise in Matt 11:28-30

We see in the Old Testament a clear example of how being optimistic and faithful can bless us. When the Israelites came upon the land of Canaan out of the wilderness, they sent 12 spies from the 12 tribes. 10 came back with bad news: the Canaanites cant be defeated. Caleb and Joshua came back saying that through the Lord they would succeed. Because the pessimistic were the majority, they chose not to trust the Lord, and we know that of those people, only Caleb and Joshua lived long enough after the 40 years in the wilderness to see this promised land. I testify that the Lord will be with us in our afflictions, and I will be developing and trying actively to be grateful for the things I have, and for the future. Let's not look at the past mistakes, that's why we have repentance. Thanks everyone for reading, love you all!

Elder Fish