Hey Family!
That's exciting that you're in Germany! Why didn't Rob go? It sounds like your having a good time. Actually, while I was in the MTC a bunch of missionaries going to Grandma and Grandpa's mission lived on the same floor as me. You can ask them if they knew the filipino missionaries while they were there. ^^ I told them my grandma/pa was going to their mission.
Anyway, this week has been really good. It's just now I'm almost to my year mark in about a month. It's scary and frustrating. I guess you just always wish you were better than you actually are. I think that's the way everyone would feel though, no matter how skilled they are, because we're always striving to be better every day. And as we continue striving and trusting in God, no matter how skilled teacher you are, or however magaling you are at speaking, you'll still see miracles happen, even if you don't really know the best way to do it.
I've been having some struggles lately... mostly with speaking. The language is so weird here. Naturally still, Ilonggo still comes out of my mouth. Then my companion is trying to speak Aklanon, but all the members speak Tagalog to me. I'm mostly trying to focus on Tagalog, but I have Ilonggo words in my head and I always hear Aklanon. My head hurts man! When I speak like 4 languages come out. Maybe a little chinese too. Just kidding. I don't really know what language the word I am saying is. So it's way frustrating! I mean I'm like a year into my mission and I can't really speak the language! Well, I guess I speak, I hope they understand mostly what I'm trying to say.
In my personal study of the Book of Mormon, right now I am in Alma. So I've been reading about the ultimate examples of missionaries. It's really good and nice to reflect on these things. I've just been wondering how I can be a more bold, powerful teacher, especially since I can't really say too much say to much! I can't say everything I would like to say the way I would in my head. I think even if I was speaking english I'm not like the boldest strongest teacher ever. But I realized again, that that isn't the most important thing. I've been called to this mission. I'm entitled to receive revelation for the people I'm teaching. And I am. I ought to be content with the things God has allotted to me and remember that he will make my weaknesses become strong. I know that will happen, and it is happening. Even though I don't understand how to be the best teacher I still find myself saying things I don't expect. And things are happening good. President Eyring said "Let us do whatever is required to qualify for the Holy Ghost as our companion, and then let us go forward fearlessly so that we will be given the powers to do whatever the Lord calls us to do." As long as we receive the holy ghost and do everything, not worrying or being afraid, we'll see miracles happen.
I want you to know right now there's like 6 kids behind me watching me type. It's really awkward but I'm kind of used to it because it happens all the time. I don't know if they understand what I'm typing or not but if they do I guess it's all right.
Anyways...
Elder Quinantoto and I have been really trying to figure out how to get our area progressing. We have a couple way good investigators, especially Brother Noel Arrieta. He's great. He's really losing his shyness. Yesterday he came to church for the 3rd week in a row and he is set for baptism. In our mission people have to come to church 4 times in a row before they can be baptized. I understand the rule, since like 60% of the people here are less active. Missionaries in the past have just baptized people who weren't really ready. There's these 2, 9 year old, girls who were baptized. Their parents aren't members or anything, so they are less active now. It's tough man. It's weird how things happen. But I want to make sure all my converts are active, that they are truly converted, that they have no desire to do evil, but to do good continually. Like the converts of Ammon and the sons of Mosiah, they were truly converted, so they never fall away. That's really tough to happen here. But I'd feel a lot worse if they went less active.
Anyway, we've been discussing about finding people. We were talking about it and how we've never felt really strong we have to go to that particular person or we have to go to that particular house. When we go tract, we plan an area we want to go to. We plan members we want to visit and ask for referrals, and then we go there. We tell the Lord that's where we are going to be and ask him to put people in our path who are ready to accept the gospel. That's our style anyway. But then it's our job to talk to everyone, to tag baeay at every single house, because I don't really know who is prepared. Anyway, it's been working.
We were tracking this week and we called this one door. This guy walked out and he was just covered in scars and blood. It was crazy. We talked to him and I guess he got in a motorcycle accident the day before. He invited us in. He has one 4 year old kid and a wife and we asked if we could share a message with them. We shared and talked to them. Brother just laid on him bamboo couch and didn't really face us because he was in pain. The wife, Sister Mamaril, was asking a lot of questions and it was amazing. As we taught Brother was curious and kept like turning over to see what we were saying because he was in so much pain. I think they have potential. Sister said we came at the perfect time to teach them and they really appreciated the message. I just hope they will act on it and change so they will receive these blessings in their life.
Later we were trakting and we talked to a lady named Sister Reyes. She was way cool. She told us her best friend like 20 years ago was a member of the church and even took her to church activities and sacrament meeting, when she lived in Manila. But Sister Reyes never met with the missionaries before, but she said she missed the feelings at church and wanted to hear our message. She said the speakers and what she learned at church was really interesting. We taught her and invited her to pray about our message. Anyway, the next time we visited her she said she prayed and before we even started she committed herself to coming to church. She has potential! Her husband is a little more hard to get him involved but we're praying and inviting him. I see what's going to happen to them. That's something else Elder Quinantoto and I have been talking about... how we can have faith in the converting power of the gospel.. Sometimes we teach and we just assume things about a person, that they won't do anything. But we really want to try to see what can happen to this person in the future. Because they can change, because that's the power the gospel has in the lives of people.
Anyway, as we've been praying and working hard, we've been blessed with investigators just given us. At church a LA husband just decided to come to church and he brought his wife. They decided to come back and the wife wants us to teach her since she's not a member. It's sweet! I'm excited to visit them this week.
We also got this new investigator named Carlito Nebor. He's sweet. Sorry I'm going to go Babylonian, but you know that disney movie that before it starts it has that man playing chess with himself. yeeaaahhh.. well CArlito reminds me of that guy; the way he speaks and the way he looks. He's old and doesn't really have any teeth. I think he has one. But he's way tight. He actually asked us for a blessing after church on sunday. He went to church. At church Elder Quinantoto was sitting next to him and was holding the gospel principles book and showing Carlito where we were in the lesson. Carlito like yelled into his ear, "Yeah I can't really read!" Everyone heard even though he was trying to whisper. He's a sweet old man. I love him. He has a good fellowshipper too. The fellowshipper is this sweet old sister who really knows how to magnify her calling. She's the ward greeter. She arrives at the church an hour and a half early to greet everyone, she's so nice and welcoming and just a great example to our members.,So Carlito came early too.
Oh, on Thursday we had our Zone Conference. It was sweet. President talked about the Doctrine of Christ. About how there's things we can change and things we can't. For example, I can't change my nose and how everyone is always distracted about how big it is. I can't really change my face, so people think I'm actually 19 years old and not 12 like they all say! But I can change my attitude. I can change the way I work. The study of the gospel will improve attitude and behavior, quicker than the study of behavior will improve behavior. (quick, who said that?) He then talked about Ammon with King Lamoni's father, and how the power of the word is more powerful than the power of the sword. (sword=half the kingdom, word=all the kingdom.) Then he left us with the question, "what are we willing to give up to obtain eternal life?" and then "what are we willing to sacrifice so others obtain eternal life?"
So I've been thinking about that, and we've been making goals to do it more effectively.
I have one more experience too about this goal we've been working on to talk with everyone. It really helps to have goals every week about how to improve. I mean we should always be striving to do everything, but if you make a plan to focus on developing something, I think it develops a lot faster. Anyway, we were walking to a less active on Saturday and as we walked we walked past this man herding goats or something. We completely passed him heading quickly to our appointment when I remembered our goal. I quickly, and belated ningly, shouted out to him, "Hey! Where are you going?!" (That's a common welcoming phrase here) He said to me, "Where are you going?" He stopped walking and we were kind of far apart, so we went back and talked to him. But he just started talking to us. "Are you going to share the word of the lord? I've been wondering about that. I've been meeting with some other religions and just wondering how I can know what's true, because I really want to know." It was perfect! He was so prepared. I know God put this man in our path because we've been praying for it. I wonder what would have happened if we didn't stop him and talk to him. It scares me. How many people has God put in my path that I haven't talked to? Anyway, I'm excited to see what happens to Brother Ricardo Delacruz. The next day I was on splits working with Angelyn and Benedict and actually I was asking this kid, named Laurence, he's 21, if he knew where Brother Ricardo lived. As I asked, he showed us the house and I asked him if he wanted to listen too. Laurence is way good too. We shared them the message of the restoration and when we were teaching about prophets back in the bible times Laurence just asked, "Is there a living prophet today?! There should be shouldn't there?" It was way sweet. Wow! I'm just way pumped, this area is going to do awesome. I just have to keep striving, even though I feel I have a million weaknesses, God's on my team, and I can't think of any weaknesses God really has, so I just have to get the rebound and give him the ball. Put everything in his hands.
Anyway, speaking of basketball, we've been playing on Mondays. The kids in my ward are so good. Philippinos are just way good at drippleing and doing trick plays. Anyway, this one RM in our ward, Jayson, did this crazy trick play and dribbled past everyone and threw me the ball right by the basket. I didn't even see it coming and it just hit me in the head and bounced back to Jayson and he put it up. So it all worked out in the end. Anyway, after that I was said to JAyson, "Wow! Good pass!", then he said to me in english, "Wow! Good complimentor." hehe. So now that's been my nickname at church. It's because I like to go up to people and say, "Whoa, your hair looks especially outstanding today Patrick." I think that might be weird, but that's fine. I'm awkward. Anyway, at the Zone Conference sister Pagaduan shared about getting along with your companion and Elder Quinantoto shared my nickname with everyone... hehe. It's better than Elder Cornnuts.
Well, That's about it. I'm going to Kalibo to get Manginasal! Horray! I'm so excited. Until next time..
I love you! Be safe there in Germany, or wherever you are. You're in my prayers.
Elder Burton
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