One month til I leave for the Philippines. Feels like a long ways away, but the past 2 months have went by fairly quick. I'm already a 12th the way done with my mission. (2 months/24months)
My last district was 2-B, my new district is 3-D. We have this thing where we "TATLO-D" don't ask...(tatlo mean 3 in tagolog) the members of my district are Elder Gagnon, Elder Leishman, Elder Morris, Elder Comish, Elder Tuitama, Elder Adrus, and Elder Tomasi. We'll be moving classrooms soon because we're going to be giving the senior missionaries our rooms. We're on the main floor so they won't have to walk up a bunch of stairs. I don't know where they went to class before, I think they went in the main building which holds the cafeteria and chapel rooms and a few meeting rooms.
So far, in my new district, things are going great. Right now I'm the new district leader, so I can cal it my district. although I would have been zone leader if it was possible, (they don't switch those assignments until transfers). My new branch president is much better than my old one who seemed to be really misinformed and didn't seem to like me.
I was told by my new president that the missionaries in both my old district and new district didn't know why I was the one who was switched. Many of the missionaries in my new branch have noticed that the other zone still messes around and is rarely on task. Where as they look at me in this zone and can't understand why the president would have sent me out. I have a feeling that the reason why I left was because the president really didn't like me. And I didn't really like him either. We didn't have a good relatoinship with each other. But I think that this challenge was put before me in order to strengthen me. Even through all this adversity, I have still had a strong devotion to serve. The Lord knows the feelings of my heart, whereas men only see the outward appearance. It is good to know that my new district president can see me for who I am and not be extremely judgemental. (my old district president was a jodge). I have faced tremendous challenges here, so much so that I was a few seconds away from turning in my badge and going home. But I stuck through it all. And the Lord blesses those who persevere through hard times. This is a very challenging place, and for those who are preparing to serve a mission, be prepared to face difficult trials that will test you.
On a side note, apparently I look like "vin diesel" and the "the rock". I've had plenty of people here tell me that I look more like Vin Diesel and so, my nickname here has been for the past 2 months "Vin Diesel."
I don't know if I mentioned this, but we've been making saunas in the showers which is pretty nice. It gives us a good chance to just hand out as a zone and talk. I've gotten to know a really humble missionary whi is in my district. His name is Elder Tomasi. Every night, we'll heat out into the hallway and share food and talk until ights out. He's from Tonga so he doesn't speak very good English but he knows enough to have pretty interesting conversations with. He competed in the Beijing Olympics in boxing for Tonga but has not bragged about it to anyone. He's very and always smiles and dinner meal time, he always takes everyone else's trays to the disposal area whether they like it or not. He respects me and I respect him so he lets me take my tray by myself but he still won't let me take his tray for him. It's very sad to not however that while he's been here at the MTC, his younger sister who was about 10 years old was hit and killed by a hit and run drunk driver. Even through all that, he's maintained a very good attitude and has been commited to stay here through it all. I don't know if I would be able to have that kind of strength, but I'm glad that he chose to stay. He's been a great example of what a missionary should be like.
Some elders in my zone who I'm gonna miss when I'm gone are Elder Paulu, Elder Leaulu, Elder Tomasi, Elder Leusa, Elder Nalesoni, Elder Malimali.
I've gotten better in tagalog, I made a talk about free agency and for almost all of it did the translation myself. But for parts ot it towards the end U used an English gospel principles with a Tagalog one right next to it and just copied down the sentences. :P
here's how it goes:
magandan po hapon mga elder at mga sister. ngayon araw pananalita ko tungkol sa karapatang pumili. isa, ano po ang karapatang pumili? gaano itulong kami? bakit mahalaga para kami? Ang karapatang pumili sa pagitan ng mabuti at masama at kumilos para sa ating sarili ay tinatawag na kalayaan. Sa buhay bago tayo isinilang mayroon tayong kalayaang moral. Ang isang layunin ng buhay sa lupa ay ipakita kung ano ang ating mga pipiliin. Kung napilitan tayong piliin ang tama, hindi natin maipapakita kung ano ang pipiliin natin para sa ating sarili. bago buhay na ito na naging katulad tayo ng diyos. lumakha siya natin at mahal tayo niya. lumikha ang diyos ng balak para matuto tayo sa loob ng buhay na ito. ibinigay ng diyos ang karapatang pumili bale pumili tayo sa gitna ng mabuti at masama. hindi puwede ang diyos tumulong sa atin o hindi makatuto. sa halamanan ng eden, binigyan ng diyos sina adam at eve ng karapatang pumili. kung hindi kumain siya ng bunga, hindi nila naalam mabuti kaysa sa masama. sa pamamagitan karapatang pumili ang buhay na ito ay nagbibigay sa atin ng karanasan na piliin ang mabuti kaysa sa masama. dahil na ito maaari silang pumili o may kakayahan silang matuto at umunlad. pagkamatay natin, magdadala tayong ating kaalaman at mga karanasan kung alin matuto tayo sa loob ng buhay na ito. kung tumanggi tayo ng balak na ito at isinudon lucifer, hindi makaunlad tayo sa buhay na ito. magbasa tayo ng isang talata tungkol sa pagsisisi. ang talatang ito ay matatagpuan sa Ang Mahalagang Perlas, sa aklat ni mosies kabanata lima, bersiculo labing isa. mula sa mga talatang ito natututunan natin ang kahalagahan ng kalayaang pumili. (MOSES 5:11) At si Eva, na kanyang asawa, ay narinig ang lahat ng bagay na ito at natuwa, nagsasabing: Kung hindi dahil sa ating paglabag tayo sana ay hindi nagkaroon ng mga binhi, at kailanman ay hindi nalaman ang mabuti at masama, at ang kagalakan ng ating pagkakatubos, at ang buhay na walang hanggan na ibinibigay ng Diyos sa lahat ng masunurin. Kalayaan ang nagbigay-daan para maging panahon ng pagsubok ang ating buhay sa lupa. Nang planuhin ang paglikha ng Kanyang mga anak sa lupa, sinabi ng Diyos, “Susubukin natin sila upang makita kung kanilang gagawin ang lahat ng bagay anuman ang iutos sa kanila ng Panginoon nilang Diyos” (Abraham 3:25). Kung wala ang kaloob na kalayaan, hindi sana natin maipapakita sa ating Ama sa Langit kung gagawin natin ang lahat ng ipinag-utos Niya sa atin. Dahil nakakapili tayo, tayo ang mananagot sa ating mga kilos. Hindi natin mapipili ang kabutihan maliban kung iharap sa atin ang mga kasalungat ng mabuti at masama. Sinabi ni Lehi, isang dakilang propeta sa Aklat ni Mormon, sa anak niyang si Jacob na para maisakatuparan ang mga walang hanggang layunin ng Diyos, dapat ay may “pagsalungat sa lahat ng bagay. Kung hindi, . . . ang kabutihan ay hindi mangyayari, ni ang kasamaan, ni ang kabanalan o kalungkutan, ni mabuti o masama” Inilalayo tayo sa panganib ng mga utos ng Diyos at inaakay tungo sa buhay na walang hanggan. Sa matalinong pagpapasiya, magtatamo tayo ng kadakilaan, uunlad nang walang hanggan, at magtatamasa ng lubos na kaligayahan. nagsasabi ako sa loob ng pangalan ni jesucristo amen.
when i get home, i wanna have a list of things that i want to do. i can't really write it anywhere permanent, but i know that i'll probably be able to come back to this blog and read over it once i get home.
i want to:
get a paramedic certification
learn piano
start longsnapping again
attend BYU (walk on) and visit springville
join up into the airforce
go into either police, fire or doctor
i've also seen a few wooden watches and i'm assuming that they were bought in the Philippines. when i'm out there, i'll look out for a few wooden watches to send back home.
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