Hey Family!
How are all of you? Happy Valentines day! The work has been moving along here in Molo. My last couple of days with Elder Jenkins were really good. He was a really good companion and was hard working and always offered a strong testimony. I was lucky to have a companion like him. I learned a lot from his example and from the things he shared with me. We worked really hard his past couple of days because we really wanted to leave this area in really good hands. So that's what we did. We got a member with us and really focused on our investigators. We really wanted to change this bad streak we've been on where we've had no investigators at church. With our member on Wednesday, we taught 5 lessons and all 5 families committed to come to church. They were really good lessons. One of the members working with us was named Wilma Elizan. She is a really good fellowshipper and member. She used to be less active but now she loves the church and working with the missionaries. She shared a really good experience about her conversion and her coming back to the church. It was really cool because her situation at the first was just like the situation of our investigator and she shared her experience. It really helped our investigator understand and we know she knows our church is true and that she really wants to be able to go to church. I'm excited. We will keep trying to help this one be able to. Keep in your prayers the Hormina Family.
So after those days on Friday was transfer day. Elder Jenkins was transfered to Antique for his second area. He went from the most city area to one of the most bukid. But he was a little surprised and worried because he has to learn a different language again! Karay-a! But I think he'll have a good experience, especially because that is where God needs him at this time. I received my new companion that morning. My son. My bata! His name is Elder McClellan. He's a cool guy. He is a good guy. I guess he didn't learn a ton of Tagalog in the MTC because he thought he wouldn't use his Tagalog when he got here. That makes it a lot harder since he doesn't have a huge Tagalog background but now that he's here he's determined to work hard. It's hard being a trainer. Before I would pause and let Elder Jenkins pop in and bear his testimony or teach a little bit or share a scripture or ask a question but when I paused it was just quiet. I try to get him to talk a lot though by asking him questions and having him respond half Tagalog half Ilonggo half English. Actually we'll go we 32% 28% 40% since half half half doesn't make sense. So it makes things really difficult for me. I now feel bad if I ever gave my trainer a hard time, which is what everyone told me would happen. But I hope I was a pretty good companion to him. Anyway, we've had a really good time with him and he's been enjoying his first couple of days. I still haven't been able to convince him to try Balot. I think if he doesn't try then I'm not doing one of my jobs as a trainer. Oh well, I'm going to buy lokos today, or squid, so I'm excited for that.
At church yesterday we had a really hard time. Not all the investigators we expected to come came. Not even the ones the members tried to pick up. They were hiding or missing. I was dissappointed and sad again. We had made tons of plans and prayed and fasted for people to be able to come to church. For mostly all of our investigators, that is the biggest sablag. The biggest barrier to them to progress. And I was really confused what more we could do to get people to come to church. We used members, we bore testimony, we fellowshipped, and they even told us themselves that they would come. So it was tough. I was pondering that during sacrament meeting. Because me and Elder Jenkins and now with Elder McClellan having been giving it our all, for 3 weeks now, with no success. And I'm not sure what more we could do. As I was thinking, the stake president was speaking, and he read a verse from the Book of Mormon about Nephi and his brethren, that said that as the Lord liveth, we will not return to our father in the wilderness till we have accomplished the thing that the Lord has commanded us. That really helped me with my thinking. Just because, even though we're working hard, we're not having the most success. And just because I'm confused why the Lord would call me as a trainer at this time, this is what the Lord has called us to do. I felt discouraged because it's been 3 weeks, and now I'd have to do one more and give it my all again, and maybe with the same results. But that gave me faith. Nephi and his brethren tried many times. But we will just do our best and put our trust in the Lord and I'm sure next week, we'll have people at church. I do want more help, so keep in your prayers too Sallie and Nelson Constantino. They need to be able to get all their work done by Saturday so they can go to church. Also John and Mercy Patria, a new family that are really interested. remember the Molina family and the Labarro and the Betera Family too, wait.. and Sanz family, and Montelabano Family.. Thanks. I have a testimony God will fulfill his promises to us and he will guide us to those who are prepared. I know if these people can come to church, they'll have that spiritual experience.
Actually I want to share one thing from my personal study I thought was really cool. I've been reading in Alma about Ammon and his experiences with King Lamoni. He's a really good missionary and I want to be like him. But something that really hit me as I read was about Abish, the woman who was converted to the Lord, or who was a member already. When she saw the power of God, a miracle happening, she ran to get everyone she knew to see what was happening. When people saw and felt the spirit, they listened to the teachings of the missionaries, and they all accepted the gospel in their lives. When I read I thought about church and our members. We have something like that every week that we can go to: Church. At church we know we feel the spirit and have a good experience there. I thought about what if every member in the church was like Abish in this story. When they know if someone will come and see for themselves and feel for themselves the power of God in their hearts, they are so excited. They literally run from house to house invited their friends to see the miracles God has done for us. Church is one place where that happens. We know it will bless their lives.
Well thats about it.
I love you and thanks for everything.
This week I'm excited to see what happens. And we have zone conference!
Halong!
Elder Burton
P.S, My new companion has a sleep deficiency, so it's hard for him to sleep at night he told me. He seems to be doing fine though. I'll just tire him out every day. I'm getting to sleep way faster. Probably because I talk 2x as much as I did before.
I forgot to ask. I decided last night that I'm going to eat more Filipino and try to be more Filipino to access the hearts of these people. So I really am starting to try to eat more weird Filipino foods. haha. It's easy not to when your in the big city. When Grandpa Burton was here, what did he eat? I never got to ask him about his experiences here. Where exactly was he here in the Philippines?
Well, take care. I love you all.
Halong,
Elder Burton
No comments:
Post a Comment