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

2017-1-2 - Happy New Year!

2017-1-2 Happy New Year!

Kamusta ka!

When I was in high school and we came back from winter break, I messed up every time without fail on writing the date on my papers. Nowadays I still have a lot of paperwork, so really nothing has changed. My New Years Resolution is to stop writing 2016 in ink!

Really the holidays were a cool experience, very different from home but also fun in it's own way! I'll only have 2 Christmas days out here!

This week we were cursed with early curfews but blessed with members who worked with us. It's really cool to have someone who isn't a full-time missionary share, and their experiences are invaluable. 

Elder DC- and I got a chessboard, and I'm learning a bunch from him, he's way good. He said the people from the province are even better because they don't have any computer shops there, so it's basketball, and chess, and very few other pasttimes. We also have a new elder in our district who worked in a gold mine! It's not a general rule, but mostly the people here are hardworking, it's impressive.

New Years was fun here! Our day for fireworks is July 4, but it's Dec 31 here, and man did they go crazy! Our apartment is second story, and it's just a big field out front so we had a view of about 3 different shows. Someone attached some old tin to the back of their bicycle then dragged it around just to make a ruckus, then they did it one better. They hooked the scrap metal to the back of a motorcycle and zoomed back and forth on the road for a while. If anyone remembers the South African World Cup, it was just like that. So many plastic trumpets. They are not called vuvuzuelas here, but they're still incessant! We actually got some as well, if you can't beat them, join them! 

That's it for now! I've almost completed the new testament, and it's been so cool to read. Especially near the end, you can finish entire books in just 5 minutes because they're so short. Jokes. I'll just share a cool verse about faith in James 2:17-18 "even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone." This means faith is something that cannot live, or doesn't exist if it lacks action. In verse 18 it says we can show our faith through our works. And people will know us as disciples of Christ through our deeds, before they find out we are Christian. As we start the new year, just remember to always act and think as Christ would! Even if we are only partially successful, imagine the change we could make in our persons. Happy new years sa lahat! Thanks for reading I love you all!

Elder Fish

 participating in the revelry from our porch!

self-explanatory

2016-12-26 - Merry Christmas!

December 26, 2016 – Merry Christmas!

Maligayang Pasko! At manigong bagong taon!

Merry Christmas! And happy new year!

Christmas season is great in the mission field! I really missed my family and everyone at home, but at the same time I got to reminisce with all of the great people I've met out here. We had a conference of about half the missionaries (100 people) and it was super fun just to see old friends, old companions.

 Here's Elder R-, we had a QUICK transfer together and he taught me a ton.

 Here are all of the elders that have served in my first area, Panghulo Ward, for about the last year! Panghulo Panthers! My trainer is on the right, Elder S-. It was great to see everyone!

 We had some full stockings thanks to my family! 

 Branch Christmas Party! 

  Hello again! The pictures are too large so I'll send another batch!

This was the highlight of highlights, I got to talk to my family for a while, and take a nice family photo! 

 These little light rings made our Christmas Eve entertaining! You can't dance super well to Silent night though. New Years will be great!

Okay, sorry again but short on time! I'll just share a cool quote I enjoyed from someone who was key in founding Brigham Young University, Dr. Karl G. Maeser: "Not only will you be held accountable for the things that you do, but you will be held responsible for the very thoughts that you think"

To me this isn't something to stress about, just a cool concept or philosophy. In the life hereafter we don't have physical things from this life, but we keep our intelligences. Our life will be a grand sum of all our thoughts, so we ought to make them good! Just a cool reminder for me to keep focused on the right things, and to not judge people even instinctually. Also, I'm excited for my top 10 replay reel where I get to watch those soccer goals or cool tricks over and over.

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, I know mine was a little different but there's always a way to enjoy it. Thanks for following this crazy journey, love you all!

Elder Fish