2016-11-27 Windows XP

Kamusta ka!

Wow, what a fast week! I'm growing to know and love the area here in Bustos. We constantly find members houses, learn the streets and side paths, it's like we are putting together a big puzzle, it's sort of fun actually. Just last night, we tried a house that we thought had a previous investigator, and we barely managed to find it because it was dark by then, and we actually were looking for someone else. Turns out there was someone interested, and their almost completely prepared already! Their testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith is really strong, and even though it's been a while since they were last taught, they were happy to have us. Miracles are happening here! 

We are getting to know our branch better too, we have a lot of members willing to work with us, and a good deal of returned missionaries who miss the thrill of teaching. We gave talks yesterday, and I had a very similar experience to last time I was at the pulpit. I'm not an energetic or captivating speaker, but it was comfortable which is still a strange feeling. 

Sorry about the lack of pictures, this computer is ancient and I believe I'm still using windos xp right now, which is kind of strange. The keyboard is definitely from the 2000's. Blast from the past

This thanksgiving I'm thankful for all of the luxuries I've had in my life. Even while I live here, I live in conditions that are stable and I have so many blessings that the people I teach don't necessarily share. It's been one of the most humbling things to serve a mission, and I am thankful for the life I have had. My spiritual thought today is about my reading in the New Testament. The different epistles or letters from the apostle paul to the members of the church of jesus christ in those times. All the letters are Paul attempting to keep the church unified because they have "one faith, one lord, and one baptism" (ephesians4:5) This passage really strengthened my testimony of the church of jesus christ, because there are thousands of religions on the earth, and the question we have is which one is the one Paul is talking about. I know that the church established by christ was restored through a modern, latter day prophet named Joseph Smith. I know that we are all children of our Heavenly Father, and He loves all of us, and we can better understand this relationship and His plan for us through the church of Jesus Christ here on the earth. Thanks for reading, sorry about the lack of color and the brevity, but next week should have plenty more tales to tell. Love you all!

Elder Fish

2016-11-20 – A Whole New World!

November 20, 2016 – A Whole New World!

Kamusta po kayo!

New area, new companion, new everything! My new companion is great, Elder Dela Cruz. He is from the Philippines, about a 4 hour bus away from our area (called Baliwag). Our area is so awesome, it's a completely different world than my last area, which was all city and tons of people and black floodwater. Here it's so rural and open and green, I must be dreaming. There are rice fields everywhere, trees, cows and caribou, you name it.

The Tagalog language here is DEEP. Even my comp, who's first language is Tagalog, said some of the words are hard to pronounce here, but he understands all of it. I, on the other hand, thought I had a pretty handy grasp on Tagalog until I got here. In some ways it's like starting over, they have a different accent sometimes, and the vocabulary usage is different. These next 3 months my comp and I made a deal, he will be fluent in English and I will be fluent in Tagalog. The people here are awesome, they're super nice, really goofy sometimes, and also a lot more conservative than in the city. It's really neat to just adapt to the culture wherever you go.

I'm learning so much from my companion, he is a really humble person, and we are going to get along just fine. I'm inspired by his example, he's pretty young but he's willing to try things, and we are going to push each other a lot. 

 The skies are still so pretty, and there are stars!!! I haven't seen anything but the moon and the north star in so long, but there are plenty out here. It really is like a different country even though I'm only 4 hours from my last area.

 Apparently you can ride these, but this one had a calf so I kept my distance. To a few feet. Caribou are pretty famous here, they have a Caribou festival, in April I believe, where a bunch of trained caribou parade around.

 We have sister missionaries in our branch, which is also new, we can share advice for who we are teaching every Sunday, and they have been a huge help since neither my comp nor I know this area. It will be a big challenge this first weeks, but I'm expecting miracles out here, the members are amazing and the area is white already to harvest. But it's not wheat, it’s rice. Lots and lots of rice.

 We shared in a baptism last weekend, which was a great experience, this family has such a strong testimony, and we get the opportunity to teach them and help them towards the temple now! 

 Here is the youth of Bustos Branch, they're a great group. Our first day in the area we participated in a combined home teaching activity. Jogging is really big here, so I'm looking to get back into a little running with some of the young men! 

 RIIIIIICE!

 don't have a ton of time, so my spiritual thought will just be one of the first things Elder Dela Cruz said to me when we met. He had cleft lip as a baby and went through a lot of speech therapy because of the operation. He still has a really strong lisp, but in no way do I see it as a speech impediment. He said, "I was worried about serving a mission because I didn't think people would be able to understand, but I know the Spirit will say things for me" We haven't been together for very long but I know the spirit does indeed convey the message we have, even though my tagalog isn't perfect, and his speech isn't perfect, it's not what we say that carries our message, it's the spirit. I'm excited for this whole new world, I have a lot to learn and a whole lot of places to explore. Thanks for reading, I love you all! 

Elder Fish

2016-11-14 – First Transfer!

2016-11-14 – First Transfer!

Kumusta po kayo! 

And we're back! A day late, because yesterday was transfer announcements, so today is our off-set preparation day. And for me, a day to pack my bags! I'm moving out! I'll be going to a brand new area, with a brand new companion, it will be quite the adventure. The area is called Baliwag, and is very province (rural) whereas my last almost 5 months have been in the city. So I have no idea what to expect, but I'm excited! I was a little surprised by the announcement, I assumed I would be here in Panghulo Ward for a nice even 4 transfers, and have Christmas here with my ward. But, alas, it is not to be. I will miss this area, the people here, more than I can say. I love them so much, and it has been a treat to be able to earn the trust of my bishop and the members here which I got to serve. Later today I will make my last rounds and say goodbye, but we are lucky nowadays with the technology we have. I've given my facebook to everyone so in 1.5 years I'll be sending them all pokes!

Another big sayong about this transfer, is the fact that I'm changing companions. Elder R- has been such a stellar example to me. From teaching lessons, to the language, to just being kind. He's a lot older than me, and was a great teacher and a real friend. Wow, it sounds like he's dying doesn't it? For real though, we both are kind of dreading tomorrow in a sense, it was a very good transfer. So many seeds were planted, and I'm sad I can't help them sprout, we have so much planned for the end of this month.

We had exchanges with 2 missionaries in our district, Elder T- (tongan) and Elder A- (Filipino). Exchanges are a great way to learn new teaching techniques as well as really kickstart the work in an area by having double the appointments. It was a fun time as well, they are a goofy bunch of guys.

 Here we are holding our favorite teaching tools. The Book of Mormon, goldfish, pamphlets, etcetera.

 We've been celebrating Christmas since August 31, and now the serious decorations are coming out. Get pumped!

 This is in the middle of the street!

 One of our last meals (i promise i'm not trying to make it seem like someone's dying)

We did splits with some members, E-, on the left, is preparing for his mission. J- J-, on the right, is preparing as well. But his mission is a little sooner. He leaves this Friday! He will serve here in the Philippines.

I don't have a ton of time because I need to go finish packing and saying goodbye, but my spiritual thought will be about perfection. We are all seeking perfection, that's the end goal. That's what God and Jesus Christ are, perfect. Perfected bodies, perfected characters. But in reading a talk called Becoming Perfect in Christ by Elder Gong I realized I have been applying to much stress to myself in this endeavor. Like in forging, there needs to be heat and pressure to change. We need to be in a growing zone, not a comfort zone. But we don't have to be a perfectionist insomuch that we actually limit our full potential. Studying the Atonement of Christ, as well as specifically about grace, is a great exercise for becoming perfect. I know that our Heavenly Father and His Son want us to become perfect, but they don't expect us to be there right now. I know He is proud of His "handiwork" even though there are flaws. I know He wants to help us on our journey. I know He lives. Thanks everyone for reading and following this journey, I love you all!

Elder Fish

2016-11-7 – Birthday!

2016-11-7 – Birthday!

Kumusta po!

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes and the love sent from around the world, this was a very happy week! Oct 31 and Nov 1 are holidays here, called Araw na Patay, or in Spanish, Dias de los muertos. And from the glimpse I got of it, this holiday is just the same! People flock to cemeteries and stay up all night sometimes, respecting the souls of their family who have passed. It's quite cool, I saw a ton of pictures of relatives with some food set out for them, super neat.

The sad part about all of the holidays this week is that it means an early curfew, going home at 5 instead of 9. And we had an extra meeting this week which was really far away, about 2 hours travel, so we didn't get as many opportunities to work, which is the saddest thing ever. 

Now, some pictures from Nov 1! It's day of the dead here/Halloween, but to me it means I'm no longer a teenager, but also not a legal adult. Somewhere in between.

 We treated ourselves to some pizza, kowabunga!

 I got treated to Bicol Express, my favorite dish here. It's pork and coconut and a bunch of other stuff but the main ingredient are these tiny little peppers, which make it super spicy. It's amazing, if you perfect the spiciness you have just about the best dish in the world. And I got it 3 times this week! One time was coincidence and the other time one of our investigators fed us lunch. Saraaaap! 

 E-, a member in our ward, put together a little get together for me. It was awesome!

 After doing splits with some members we met up at Palangoy! It was a great day for work and we got to bond with the members. One of them leaves for Bukolad mission here in the Philippines on Nov 18, so we gave him some good warm up for his mission! 

Sorry, but I had to include this: tatay P- getting rid of a cockroach the manly way

Here's a picture of basketball this morning. Important details are that Filipinos will wear anything, jeans included, except shoes. Yet they still kick butt. Hopefully I come out of these 2 years being mediocre at basketball

To sum this week up, it was full of fun times, and even more fun doing missionary work. I wouldn't be out here if teaching people of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ if it didn't just make me the happiest I have ever been. Maybe it's a little selfish, but missionary work is tough as nails sometimes and the biggest redeeming quality is the love and joy that comes from it. 

Spiritual thought:

1 Corinthians, chapter 12:

There are two main themes in this chapter, maybe even more but on a first read-through this is what I got out of it:

1) Spiritual Gifts

Paul makes it clear that there are many spiritual gifts, and different people will have different gifts. They are kind of like talents such as music, drawing, etc. because clearly some people are more naturally inclined to one sort of gift than others. Likewise, we can practice our gifts and pray for spiritual gifts, just like music and drawing. I am extremely grateful for the spiritual gift of tongues, I have seen miracles in my mission, lessons where I didn't realize but the Tagalog came out more fluidly than it ever had, or maybe the Spirit was so thick even if I didn't have a perfect knowledge of what I was saying. I testify that spiritual gifts are a powerful tool, and everyone can access them. I recommend studying this chapter and other mentions of these gifts. It is amazing to me how just like other hobbies and skills, the gospel is something that is truly unique for everyone.

2) The Body of Christ

The body of Christ, or His kingdom here on the earth, is not a literal castle or building, it is the members of His church. There is an extended metaphor in this chapter about the different parts of the body. The concise meaning is that one cannot live fully without certain parts, for example without a foot, or a hand, or an eye or a nose. Each body part performs different functions, and it is quite miraculous how they all work together to give us this experience of life. The point of the metaphor, related to spiritual gifts too, is that everyone has a different purpose, or in other words a different skill that they add to the pool. Some people are hands that provide steady support, some people are eyes that give vision, some people are feet, that work hard and provide a foundation. There's all sorts of ways to find a personal understanding in this chapter about our purpose in building the kingdom of God here in the earth (missionary work)

I especially love verse 15, which is about not comparing. I need to work on this so much in my own life, now and forever. Don't compare! I have always been so prideful, and part of humbling ourselves is not comparing with others. Don't be envious of other people when they have success, be happy for them. Don't be like the brother of the Prodigal Son, who would not join the celebration because he was upset at his younger brother's loving reception, just because he felt he deserved more.

Verse 21-22 are about the usefulness in everyone, even if we feel like we are "feeble" sometimes that means we are all the more "necessary".

Verse 26 says "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it" This concept has a sister verse in Mosiah 18:8-10 from the Book of Mormon. If you lost a pinkie toe, would you notice? Of course! We should be more aware and circumspect with other people's suffering and pains, because they are a part of the body of Christ, and our fellow sons and daughters of God.

Now, being a foot doesn't sound all that appealing. It's the smelliest, roughest, most worn down part of the body, right? But when I thought of that, I was reminded of which part of the body Christ focused on. Which part of the body he paid specific attention to, washing and anointing with oil before supper. I testify that we all have a role in building the kingdom of God, and sometimes it's about understanding what that means for us, as well as becoming better at it. "Seek earnestly the best gifts" (Greek translation) means to practice and apply spiritual gifts to better fulfill our purpose. We are not all called to be prophets and apostles, but like President Eyring has said (paraphrased) we can all have the same joy and sense of fulfillment from even the smallest of callings. I know that Christ's church has been restored to the earth, and even now is being spread and offered to people willing to listen and seek for themselves and hear the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:11). But it is not spreading fast enough, because we all have more that we can give, whether it's the worn down foot or the eyebrow, we all have a purpose. 

Thanks for listening to my ramblings :) I love you all, thanks for the birthday wishes and a fantastic week. I can't wait for more to come!

Elder Fish

2016-10-31 - Sunsets

October 31, 2016 - Sunsets

Kumusta po kayo!

I'll just jump right in! These pictures are from Maja's birthday 2 weeks ago, but pictures are the best part so I'll include them anyways:

Maja (pronounced Maha) just turned 7! One memorable part of this FHE/birthday celebration was when she grabbed my face and looked me in the eyes, and said how close it was to when she turns 8, and can be baptized!

We had chicken adobo and buko (baby coconut) salad for dessert. The buko salad was a huge treat, it's fairly expensive for the ingredients but E. Rellita and I threw it together. Worth it, even if we are living on instant noodles right now.

I'm in a very urban area, the running joke here is shock whenever you see a tree, so I'm looking to the sky for my thirst for nature. And nature is delivering. It's like the heavens are just a reach away.

We had to call the fire department because I got stuck... 

My goofy comp Elder R-. I love this guy. Probably one of the best roommates I'll ever have, our unspoken policy is if you love your companion, serve him. So it's a race to the dishes, to sweeping, to offering the last piece of chicken. We sometimes have cultural barriers and we don't always understand or communicate everything, but charity, the pure love of christ, has brought us together and will help us in hard times. 

A new investigator, sister hazel joy rubi. A lot of names here are either ironic english words or spanish, very few actual tagalog or filipino last names.

So for my spiritual thought, I'll share about my talk on Sunday! I had prepared to talk about Zion, and was really excited for that, but on Friday we got a text saying what our assigned topics were, and what I spoke on was Faith in Jesus Christ. I'm not upset though, because I learned a lot from my Zion talk preparation, and even more from preparing another talk. I borrowed a lot from Uchtdorf's talk in the General Womens session, about the power and limits of faith. I, like many, have serious nervousness when it comes to public speaking. But yesterday I had an Ether 12:27moment. My weakness was turned into a strength. I had zero jitters before my talk, and all I could feel was peace of mind and the spirit before and during. Not like my talk was even that good, no one laughed at my joke, but it was in a different language and within the time limits (I have a habit of using waaay too much time) and best of all I wasn't scared. This is one of those tender mercies of the Lord that Bednar has talked about that I got to experience. i can't explain it other than that I could only feel the spirit and there was no room for nervousness. This is completely the opposite of my normal pattern for performances and public speaking, i'm always just shaking in my boots, so this meant a lot for me. 

Thanks for reading, I love you all!

Elder Fish

2016-10-25 Calloocan City Wildlife

Kumusta po!

And we're back! Sayong talaga because I forgot the cord for my camera, so there I'm missing the pictures from M's- birthday, so I'll write about that next week.

Week 2 with Elder R-, and we are really getting the ball rolling. You can't really make drastic changes week by week, it's like training for a marathon. You have to build up endurance, doing everything right, then the results will come in increments. So that's exactly what we are working on, to make every week better than the last, and I know if this continues we will have success.

So now, some miscellaneous pictures. The theme this week seems to be animals, which is mainly wild cats, dogs, and chickens since I'm in a very urban area. Dogs are either wild and roaming around picking at trash, always chained up and eager to bite, or imported and super cute. I've seen so many huskies here, which shocks me every time.

Here is the endangered roof dog. Some say they spend their whole life in the canopy of this concrete jungle.

 Now this was a treat, this beast looks ferocious, but is really quite lovable. King of the beetles. 

 Then there is this, the couch potato. Sleeps 25 hours a day, and if woken up, goes into a rage. Offerings of food can calm it down. 

This past Sunday was awesome. Last week we had so few because of the storms, even though it was really pretty mild weather, but this week we had every investigator show up, as well as many people I haven't seen in weeks, and the talks were great. 

Elder R- and I have been asked to give talks next Sunday, so I'm going to use you all as practice and share the prototype of my idea. I'm choosing to speak on Becoming Zion. 

Zion is a city that was established by a great prophet named Enoch. They prospered so much spiritually, that the whole city was taken up "into his own bosom" meaning all the people ascended. So less focused on that and more focused on how they prospered spiritually. 'Zion' means "the pure in heart" and the location Zion, outside of the initially established city, is the place where the "pure in heart" live. In Matthew 5:8 it says "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" which is the pinnacle goal we all share, we all want eternal life, because it's the only thing that endures past this life. The unique thing about Zion, is all of its members attained the goal! They helped each other, it was a group effort instead of individual struggle. No one can make the journey of life alone, we have to depend on Christ, and even other people. 

 Another ideal civilization can be found in 4 Nephi, after Christ's visit. There was no contention in the land, because of the "love of God" As Christ said, the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This love of God will lead to the second greatest commandment, to love your neighbor as thyself. The Nephites and Lamanites after Christ's visit are a testament to the import and power of these two commandments. There was literally no contention, and everyone who lived in those times also lived the gospel of Jesus Christ, and although it is in a different manner than the city of Zion, they will have eternal life because of their works.

In the Second Coming Zion will be established, but before that we know that Zion is actually not one place. Zion is everywhere where the church of Jesus Christ is established. "Where one or two are gathered, there I am also" (paraphrased, I need to find the verse later) So Zion is a place for the pure in heart, it is the best way to attain eternal life, and it is everywhere. It is in Sydney and Cebu, Omaha and Ohio. Anywhere there are saints gathered in worship, holding each other up. This means it doesn't have to be a massive ward, the size doesn't matter so much as the quality. Of course as a missionary I'm trying to increase the size of my ward, but I'm realizing another, just as important task, is increasing the power of the ward. It is possible to fulfill the commandments about love, and become strong and closely-knit as a group. This is important for retention of new members, reactivation of wayward members, and just as important for the very active members, because we all should be able to rely on one another. We are literally a family through our Heavenly Father! 

So, I'll be fleshing it out since this is just some random thoughts, but I feel like this will be a benefit to my family out here in Panghulo ward, and could be a benefit to every member around the world, also remember that as Elder Holland says, this isn't some competition where we have to claw and scrape to the top, we are to help each other. So that's all, send some revisions, even if it's after i give the talk I'll appreciate it. Thanks for  reading, I love you all!

Elder Fish

2016-10-17 Typhoon!

Kumusta po!

Something unique about missionaries is that we don't really get the news. For example, I don't know a thing about the election right now (and I actually like it that way, I don't have to think about it). After reading some emails before authoring this, I realized people were a little concerned about a typhoon, which was kind of news to me actually, even though I'm here. I heard some people talking about a storm coming, and I was informed through our tiny cell phone what precautions to take, but all we had was a little wind and some light showers, so in short, I'm safe! 

Because there was a lot of talk about the storm, which actually passed by us without hitting us, not a lot of people showed up for church. I think we were in the 30's, which is basically 3 families if I was back home. It was Elder R's- first Sunday in this ward so it wasn't the best introduction, but there were some fantastic speakers! I've started taking notes during sacrament meeting, just of impressions, really simple stuff. Church can be a lot more than just an attendance number if we really sit down, or kneel down, and worship. Search for the Spirit. Invest in it. Not going to lie, I used to be on the verge of falling asleep at church sometimes. Or just distracting myself with something. But I've started to see the blessings and feel uplifted from attending church with energy. Listening actively, maybe jotting down a few thoughts. I regret all those times I went to church and the only thing I got out of it was a hungry belly and a need for a nap, but I don't have to regret those times as long as I continue to do things better. 

To conclude, here's some pictures from the week, which was pretty eventful, yet uneventful. Lot's of finding and teaching! 

 Here's mustache cat, although I didn't get a picture of his son, Hitler cat

 No photographers at zone meetings means that pictures usually end up like this with an unintentional action shot

Thanks for everyone who replied to the last weekly, I really really appreciate it! And yeah, that's a guilt trip for those who didn't ;) I love you all, ingat po kayo!

Elder Fish