We had zone interviews to talk with president and get a training on how to better learn the language from the AP's. It was great. Pres talked about mastering my mind and it helped a lot this week to work on pushing thoughts out. Then on Wednesday and Thursday I spent on exchanges that were fun. I wrote about this in my letters home. So hopefully you can see them there. Anyways. Highlights: Dunking with all the kids and people screaming and cheering and videoing. I may not know a lot of what they said but it was a fun atmosphere, haha. Also I had my best lesson yet. I haven't had a lot of times where I was surprised with what I said but this week in that lesson I did have one of those moments. Most times its like I just know that I said it way wrong. haha. Anyways, its coming along. Also whats some other fun things?? Days are a lot the same so its hard to remember haha. Hopefully you can get some good stuff from my written letter pics. Or maybe even at least read them haha. Just been a good week that has gone by pretty quick. I'm excited for Christmas here. We will have a really fun ward party here on the 15th. Also we have a baptism of two kids this week and then brother Aljon whos 22 on Dec 1! Oh here's a unique experience that I had. So Aljons girlfriend is thankful for our help in bringing Aljon to the church. We are so excited too! So on Sunday / yesterday they offered us dinner! Little did I know that it would be at KFC I was like, oh we aren't suppose to do that on a Sunday, haha. I realize that that isn't suppose to be how it is. But that's not how life was. We went with brother Ed the ward missionary. Aljons girlfriend payed for all of us and I really had to just focus on being a friend, Not judging. It wasn't hard once I came to peace thinking about how they were sacrificing and how were we building a relationship. It was good. Sometimes things don't go the 'way they are suppose to". See the good in it. I don't justify it or anything and I wont do it if I have control of the situation, but here I've realized that sometimes its more important to be about the people and be a friend and kind then to say 'oh we actually cant take your offer because we want to be so strictly obedient. Thank you for offering your only time that works and quite a bit of money to offer though!!"See what i mean? I just think we should follow the rules the best we can and then love and serve. Be the best you you can be. The best you can with what you've got where you are.
People here are so generous too. They love the missionaries. This one area we go to, I always have like 4 kids on each hand and arm just holding on laughing and playing and they love when you just smile and talk with them! This area it is very apparent to see how poor people are. They all share strength in the gospel of Christ and its nice cause many people here believe in Christ already so we automatically share that common ground.
Ano pa? (What else)
Just working away. Lots of study. Lots of trying to remember stuff that I usually forget the next day. But its slowly coming.
i will try to write a little each day this week so i can give more to share about my life here. Feel free to send questions too if you have any
Keep being amazing!1 more next week as usual!!
Elder McAllister
THOUGHTS
I have had a little extra time to email today and I have read some emails of other missionaries. Wow, its crazy to realize that many missionaries, friends, brothers and people I call family are dealing with such similar experiences. I know that missionary work is soooo good and I absolutely love it!!! It is amazing!!! But there is a side many people don't see. They don't see the hours and hours spent learning a language, and studying the gospel. They don't see the times or days where you are so emotionally spent that you don't want to do anything but lay down. They don't see the times where you are so stressed and don't even know why. They don't see the times where you feel like your brain has stopped working or the times where you are sweating so much and sitting there just thinking and struggling. I read a quote that I think is true. " Some of the hardest, most vigorous battles will be fought in the depths of your soul." Some days feel crazy hard. Sometimes your mind will run for hours on end, and you will hit a low. A low of feeling like you will never get this language. A low of feeling like you will never be good enough to be an effective missionary. Feeling like you're tired and beat hot and uncomfortable and angry and frustrated. But then in these moments......sometimes nothing will happen, and you will simply start to move past it. You will continue on. This is where our patience is tried. This is where we must move on. Will you sit and give up? Or keep moving on? (moving on means you are having faith and you are also showing your faith- fun fact). Sometimes though, you will read, or pray, or something will touch you to bring about a change of heart. Something will inspire you to get better. Now these are the times where Christ works in us. He helps us and builds us up. He is always there for you. Now when you hit these lows, and for some they might be weekly, daily, or even hourly. But they are only for a short time. Time always moves forward and gets better. This is something I know to be true. I know that Christ will always help us get better. But now lets look at the flip side. Christ always helps us, we know that. I talked about how sometimes we feel so much stress. How you can feel as a missionary. But lets talk a little more positive. People don't see the countless hours faithfully spent diligently studying the gospel, or a language. They don't know that you only improve slightly each day. That it's little by little. They don't see that when we feel these ways, we continue on. These times of continuing on are what build us, Show our faith and make us better. These days come and will be hard. But that's ok. They make us stronger. As we move forward we learn to better control our minds, our thoughts, we improve and get better. I talked about what people don't see, but all those times are times of faith, hard work, diligence, long suffering, having hope, being obedient. These are all attributes of our savior. Sometimes us as missionaries don't realize that. Sometimes we think that its just hard. We need to realize that we are doing a magnificent thing. That we are trying and giving our time and lives to the Lord. And as we do all these hard things, we become more Christlike. We show willingness to learn. We are humbled, we are taught, we are tried and tested. And all of this is part of Gods plan. We left our families to be here as we left our families in heaven to come to earth to be tried and tested. One thing I notice is that when we take a step back and look a little broader we see far more good than bad. Far more growth than struggle. Far more blessings than heart ache.
Missionaries are a great example of trying to be like Christ and becoming more Christlike. They are a great example of learning and growing. Missions are great. Don't ever let the hard stuff keep us from the good. That's something we should apply to life. There are many things we can apply to life. We should always look with a big perspective. Always try to have those Christlike attributes and improve them. Always work hard for those things we want to achieve. Want to learn a language? Study and be faithful in that study. Want to get a certain job? Study for that thing. Work hard every day. I have lots of thoughts on this but the main message is that there is a lot of struggle in a mission. There is so much that people don't see. There is so much that I didn't even know about till I got in the field. There is also so much good. They do soooo much good. They grow so much. We grow so much. We must look to have a positive perspective on things. Look to broaden your perspective. Cling to those good thoughts and those positive things and don't let those negative hard things stay with you. Have a growth mindset that is strong. Now my last thought is that for all of this we must have a strong foundation on Christ to do so . When we are built on a sure foundation we can not fall. When we build on him we know that we will be supported and that he will not give us anything we can not bear. This is important. Life is tough, but so are you. Never is there too much bad in the world or in your life. Never is there enough bad to outweigh the good. Everyday is a chance to think like this. Everyday is a chance to learn and grow. Everyday is great day to be alive.
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