Dynamite and a broken pipe

So this week has been a good one. Pretty average actually. Some days we got punted and some days were good. One thing that's been hard this week was finding how to study. I am always changing what I study and stuff cause there is just too much stuff for me to flipping study! I have some plans this week and hope they work out. Anyways, I was kind of a little self conscious of my Tagalog yesterday cause it just so happened that when I was talking with people, or people were talking, my tongue got tied and my brain tuned out so when people asked me questions I just wasn't fully understanding and kind of looked like I didn't know Tagalog. But then after that people just assumed I didn't know Tagalog for a bit. Even my comp was like explaining things to me that I already understood in Tagalog. It was just one of those days, I guess. But it really got much better after that cause we taught a lesson to our investigator who will be baptized in a couple weeks and then I felt much more comfortable. I feel good when I can sit down and talk gospel Tagalog. Anyways He is really, really good. His name is Roberto and is 60 and he is great. Super tall and skinny and just a kind, genuine person searching and striving to be more like God and he is super excited for his baptism and so are we! Especially me! That reminds me, we had a baptism on Saturday and I baptized her. Her name is Ainna and she is a great girl! She is 15 and gave a great testimony and is a rockstar. I have a goal that when any of our investigators get baptized to have them very prepared and ready for the baptism interview. Our district leader was happy with the interview and said we did a great job teaching her, so that made me feel great. We are setting up top- hopefully have 7 baptisms in March and I think we can absolutely do that. I am really praying and faithful and hopeful God will help us reach that goal as we do our best. I think that that's true for life too. Make a plan and take it to God in prayer then work hard for it and he will help us. I want to share a little about my week starting with Pday. 

So, last pday we emailed and went shopping and got lots of food for the next couple weeks. Then we cleaned and did chores and stuff around the house then the other elders that live close to us came over and we made lunch. We did these giant long chilis filled with meat and wrapped in this tortilla thing then deep-fried and holy crap, they were so spicy, we were all sniffling and sweating and breathing heavy and drinking water and we just couldn't stop cause they were so good! Then while they were cooking that we had hung up a mirror over our sink using these sticky hooks, but the pack of hooks was in Japanese, so we didn't let them dry cause we couldn't read the instructions and it turns out that they fall if you don't let them dry. Anyways, the mirror fell and the mirror was totally fine! I can not say the same for out faucet however. All the sudden, there is water pouring out of our wall and we realized the mirror had broke the faucet off the wall, so I ran outside and shut off the water and looked at the damage and realized that The mirror broke a metal pipe and stayed intact. Wow. Anyways, so we tried sticking towels in the pipe and stuff so we could still have water to shower and washcloths and stuff and we just ended up getting wet. Nothing worked. So then while they finished cooking the "dynamite" or the peppers ( dope right?) I ran outside and cut off a big branch of a tree and then stuck a branch down the pipe and made it work surprisingly- lol . So we turned on the water and the branch worked! So for two days we had a branch sticking out of our wall and we washed the dishes in the shower-haha cool right? Just like they do on the movie (I think) Flipper with the dolphin? Anyways, it was funny to brush my teeth in the shower every night and morning haha! Then they got it fixed a couple days later andeverythingg is back to normal now. Also on pday I made this stuff called Mango Graham cake (and fun fact: Filipinos say gray-ham, haha ) so its pretty much layers of graham and cream and mango and then you freeze it and its way good. We actually took some to our investigating family. The dad is a member and the family is great. I actually hope to baptize the kids and hopefully the wife too.  So we brought that over and had dinner with them and a lesson and they are great. The dad asked us to use the bible in our lessons for his kids to have stuff to back up to tell their friends. Hope that makes sense.  Anyways the family is great and they really like to joke with me and have fun and our lessons are going good. We are trying to get the mom to come to church but the dad has been coming and his two oldest kids. Makes me so happy to see a good family like them. They are the reason we do what we do. To help families. Man, I love my family so, so much. 

So yeah that's kind of the fun stuff in my week! We have had some flipping scary dogs this week- man, they always bark and come for us but then stop, but there are so many times where I just keep walking and am so close to pooping my pants.  Nothing too close yet.

Some good things spiritual this week have been I have been trying to get better at using the scriptures. I need to try and memorize more scripture references. Note for all youth in seminary. Actually listen to the scripture mastery. The ones I have memorized already help a lot and I wish I knew more.  But I have to say that mission time has sped up and it seems like we are much more busy. I have some things I keep wanting to do and really I just can't find time. We really try and stay very busy and we really do. It makes life easier and more fun and time go faster when you are busy. So I am super grateful for that. Things are still hard for me sometimes but I know now a little more than I did yesterday and tomorrow I will know a little more than I know today. If we get better each day things get easier and life keeps moving forward. Learn something new and apply it and keep that life moving forward. I think the most spiritual experiences I have are when I bear my testimony. Cause I feel so strongly about this truth. I want all people to know what I know and I want people to know of Gods love for us. I am giving all my effort to this right now and so this means a lot to me when I bear my testimony. I know that this is true. I have meaning and feeling behind the words " I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that's why I am here today" I love saying that. I love sharing these messages with people. Also I loved hearing the testimony of Ainna who just got baptized. It was so cool to know that we helped her build a love for God and a desire to be more like Christ. That is the whole purpose of this. To invite people to come unto Christ. There is so many blessings along  the way too.  I love this work and I know I am doing the right things. I am where I need to be. I have to share that the knowlege of things doesn't make them change, but it makes them easier. I know that the mission is still hard and has its trials. I have been learning that first hand these last months and really getting a better sense of life and myself but also I have been changing my focus to others, to the good and to the positive. I have been able to find more peace in the hard. We can find peace. Its still hard at times and probably hard times to come. But that doesn't change my testimony, my purpose, or my drive. It will be hard, but like helaman 5:12 when we build on Christ nothing can shake us. I can not be shook. Even if all things are thrown at me and life gets really hard, It would be hard, long and super difficult, it wouldn't change my testimony. It can not shake me cause I am built on Christ. Kyler Welsh always wrote Phil 4:13 on his shoes cause Christ is how we can do all things. I have a firm testimony of the gospel of christ. I love this work and hope to continue to be able to do missionary work better. I am humbled by the miracles God gives me and the ground he covers for me when I fall short. 

The mission is super hard, harder than I thought, it's also great, and much better than I thought. Also, Im super blessed to see some prettier scenery which helps too!

I love you guys so much and hope you have a great great week!