Best Man

From January 5

This week was awesome. We had a wedding/baptism (I wasn't able to get any pictures on my camera, so I'm working on borrowing an SD card from someone else. Sorry) for Reuben and Rochelle. I had the honor of being the Best Man and Elder Medios sang as the procession moved down the hallway. The baptism only had a dozen or so people attending because it was on a weekday, but I think it was just right.

Earlier today we had our district activity on the beach. That's where the pictures came from. Lots of fun. Sorry, time is short, and so is this email. Love you all!

(Picture attached he sent the next week.)

From December 22, 2014

Weeks Highlights:
Wednesday-Christmas Conference. All missionaries in the Legazpi Mission in a single room. Absolute blast.
Friday-Zone Training, after the meeting was over we had a white elephant (it was kind of funny watching Filipino missionaries figure out the tactics of the white elephant for the first time) I ended up with a pretty well made knife with a carabao horn handle. After getting home felt sick. Pretty sure I picked it up from one of the missionaries at the Training.
Saturday-Sick... Blech. We weren't able to go to the baptisms of two investigators from Malilipot or the Branch Christmas Party. I felt bad for Elder Medios, cooped up with me instead of having a good time with the branch.
Sunday-still kind of sick, but had no choice but to go to church, take a trip to Tabaco to get my blood tested (labs weren't open, wasted effort) administer a special sacrament to a member who lives really far away, and figure out the baptismal interview for two of our investigators... Yeah, I felt miserable last night trying to sleep.
Baptismal Interview: Reuben and Rochelle, our super awesome investigators, both passed their interview. They'll be married between now and January first in preparation for their baptism no January first (the date was at their request) I'm super excited.

Our Golden Investigators

Busay Falls

From November 23

This week was a pretty normal one, up and until Sunday. Then things went crazy. Our golden investigators, Reuben and Rachelle, were stranded in Tabaco by a broken down motorcycle. That wouldn't be a problem, except that church attendance is a requirement for baptism here in the Philippines, and may or may not delay their baptism, which is frustrating. Then, later in the day when we were teaching another one of our solid investigators, we found out that she'd already been taught and baptized. We've been teaching her for several months now, but she only thought to mention that she'd already been baptized in Manilla then... Mind. Blown. Having teaching objectives change that drastically in the course of three or four questions was pretty disorienting. After that appointment, we had a semi-progressing investigator hide from us because she was shy. Then, at the very last appointment of the day, we had an investigator mention that she knew a member that had watched pornography. That took quite a bit of time and following the Spirit to hash out. When we finally got back to the apartment and sat down to evaluate the days work, my companion said "Grabe si Satan" which pretty much meant "Holy crap Satan was active today."

Ironically, opposition to the work only makes it more clear the divinity of this work. Satan knows the importance of proclaiming the gospel, and works double time to do everything in his power to stop it. The third verse of the hymn "The Time Is Far Spent" it reads "Be fixed in your purpose, for Satan will try you; The weight of your calling he perfectly knows" I've come to know that's so true. Fortunately, we've been promised that "No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing." As saints, we'll experience trials and difficulties in the work of establishing His kingdom, but we'll come out successful in the end.

I love you all, have a wonderful week :)

Elder English

From November 30

This week was one of a lot of teaching, and a lot of getting fed. My favorite lesson of the week was with a less active sister in which we all went around and shared our favorite stories from the life of Christ, expressed our thanks for his Atonement, and then talked about what each of us think about while we're taking the Sacrament. There was such a strong spirit to the lesson, and I love having the opportunity to testify of the life and mission of Christ.

As for getting fed, Elder Nierves is being transferred tomorrow, and a lot of the members wanted to give him a send off, so we ate a lot. Good times in the Philippines. I'm going to miss Elder Nierves a ton. I've had him either as a roommate or a companion for all of my time in the field aside for a single transfer (a little more than ten months) and in that time we've become really close friends. The upside is that we already know where he's going and who my new companion is going to be. Normally, all transferring missionaries and their companions collect at a central point for the new assigned areas and companions to be announced, and then all of those missionaries disperse back out to their areas. However, Elder Nierves is being transferred to Bacacay, which is the next city up the highway, so we were informed beforehand and we won't be going to the transfer point. My new companion is coming from Bacacay. His name is Elder Medios. We actually met when we were both being trained in order to become trainers, and we got along really well. He did a really good job of walking my trainee, Elder Pangilinan, through his first priesthood blessing when I got sick during the training. I'm really looking forward to working with him.

Life is always changing and shifting. People move in and out of your life, surroundings change frequently, and our status and conditions of living can shift in the blink of an eye. May we all make our great strength in life a relationship with the one thing that won't change, our Father in Heaven. He loves us, and always will. His Plan of Salvation has as its most central purpose our welfare and good as His children. Let us find our place in His plan so that we may return and live in His presence eternally.

Love,

Elder English

From December 15

So, this last week was a lot of fun, with some great breakthroughs int he work. The first was with a brother who we're preparing for baptism, and we taught a lesson where he just hit a wall. Despite being very eager to be baptized, he was really resistant to the idea of living the commandment that we had taught. We taught for a good thirty minutes, explaining the commandment in several different ways, and to be honest, I thought it was a bust. I expected to leave with him still uncommitted to living that part of the gospel. Out of nowhere halfway through, he looked at us and said "give me until the twentieth, and I'll follow that commandment" I was pretty mind blown. There was no warning or indication that what we were explaining to him made any sense, he just made a 180 position flip. I know that wasn't our doing. I'm glad the powers up top have a significant interest in this work.

Then, this Sunday, we had a less-active brother attend church, which blew my mind. My entire stay in Malilipot we've been inviting him to come to church (we teach his nephew most of the time we go to their house, and we make sure that he knows he's welcome at church) and nothing. Every time he tells us he'll come when we invite him, and then comes up with reasons why he couldn't afterwards. I was really happy to see him there, and hopefully it'll be the first step in the journey of reactivation.

I think what I'm trying to say is that people can surprise you if you don't give up on them. Too frequently we underestimate our fellow man and the influence for good the Light of Christ can have on them. God loves them just as much as he loves them, and he certainly hasn't given up on them. Let's sustain Our Father in his work.

I love you guys.
Elder English

Catching Up

I've been doing a bad job of updating Elder English's site, so I'll try to rattle some of these off.

From November 2, 2014 - 

We had the opportunity of attending Sister Samar's baptism. She's not in our area, but we've grown really close with her and her family (she has two children who have recently been baptized, and a few more working to make that happen) and she asked Elder Nierves to baptize her. It was great seeing the baptism itself, and even more great because two of our investigators, who both have decided to be baptized and are in the process of preparation, were able to attend and see what it's like.

From November 9, 2014 - 

For those of you who didn't get last weeks email, we were recently booted from our apartment because the landlady wanted to sell the place. For the majority of the week, we lived with the Zone Leaders out of our suitcases and looked for a new place to stay apartment. A few days ago, the Finance Secretary had a chance to talk to the landlady again, and apparently she hasn't found a prospective buyer and is willing to extend the contract, so we've been able to move back in. While I'm very glad to have a place of my own, I was really enjoying getting to know my Zone Leaders better than I had before. When we were first forced to move out of our apartment, I was really really annoyed, but at this point, looking back, I'm glad it happened the way it did. I suppose that's often the way it works when blessings are veiled as challenges.

This last week, we talked to an investigator about some pretty heavy problems with employment in his life. He talked about the fact that he did really well in testing when trying to gain employment, but because of a natural birth defect, he had failed in every interview to confirm employment the last few months. I related with him the story from a talk delivered by Elder Christofferson in which a man in the military was denied a promotion because he was a Mormon, and how that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I also pointed out that if he had obtained employment in previous months, he very well may not have ever met us, or may not have had time to be taught.

So often, the things that we see as a problem or a challenge is simply a loving God redirecting us, or offering us a blessing that we do not have the vision and foreknowledge to ask for ourselves. God knows our potential, and he knows when we require needed sustenance, or the refiners fire. The key to finding the blessing behind the chastisement is both gratitude and humility. He has a plan for each and every one of us. We just have to be patient enough to see it ourselves.

He loves us.
Love,
Elder English

From November 16, 2014 - 

This week, I had the opportunity to go on two different exchanges, one while Elder Nierves was attending a leadership training, and one we had scheduled in advance with the Zone Leaders. While I love Malilipot and the people here, it's always a great experience getting to see other areas and meeting other wonderful people. I had seen the Zone Leaders area two transfers ago, so I got to see some familiar faces as well as new ones, and had a blast working with Elder Decicio. Truth be told, he's the first companion (albeit our companionship was just for exchanges) who was larger than I, and it was kind of a weird transition. Also, their area is one of the few with bikes. That was fun.

We had a Zone Training on Friday associated with the Leadership Training on Tuesday, in which we were taught how to help those we teach do Family History Work, and I'm really looking forward to making that a more significant part of our proselyting. Back in the MTC, I was able to go through my family tree and learn a bit about my ancestors, and I've treasured the stories and their legacy that they have left for us. The Zone Training really opened my eyes to the fact that the Work of Salvation really isn't confined in any way to the living, and that we as missionaries are in the ideal place to help others look to their dead. The division between missionary work and work for the dead is a division that we need to dissolve. It's one work.
Love,
Elder English

October 19, 2014 - Fantastic Week

My companion and I with Reuben and Rachelle.

This week was a fantastic one. It rained a lot, and we got more than a little wet. On Friday, we had two members come with us to our appointments to act as fellowshippers, and between the four of us, there were only three umbrellas. I lent my umbrella to the member that didn't have one, moved everything that the rain could hurt into my bag, and got absolutely soaked. Despite being wet, cold, and more than a little tired, the day was amazing. Our day ended teaching Reuben and Rachelle. (Reuben is the investigator in the last email) We taught the portion of the Plan of Salvation concerning Pre-Mortal Life and our first parents, and teaching it to them was delightful. They asked questions that delved so much deeper than we normally go, and made comments that made it crystal clear that they not only understand what we taught, but believe it. We went home physically uncomfortable, but that didn't matter because our spirits were so full.

View of the chapel from the back

As a side note, before I left on the mission, I really didn't understand the doctrine behind the Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. Early in my mission, I felt like I taught it poorly because I didn't really understand it myself. That has slowly been less the case as I've taught it more and more, but it still hadn't felt like it had settled fully. That night, I feel like it just clicked for me. It's hard to explain, but I feel like I understand our origins as God's children on a level that I certainly didn't before, and that only adds to my faith in God's love for his children.

Saturday night, transfer announcements were sent out. Seeing as Elder Nierves and I have been companions for two transfers, we expected one of us to be transferred, and Elder Nierves was so sure that it was him. When we read the announcement, we were very surprised, but quite glad, that neither of us was being transferred. Three transfers though, that's pretty unheard of. (at least in our mission) I realized that when the end of the transfer comes, I will have either been roommates or companions with Elder Nierves for all but six weeks of my year in the field. Not gonna lie, we're pretty tight. *crosses fingers* Kinda like this. Heh. Life is good, God loves us, there is a plan. Birth is not the beginning, nor death the end of life. May you all have an enlightening week :)

Love,

Elder English

October 12, 2014 - Rollercoaster

My district

This week was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Among the happenings
of the week were an interview with the Mission President, the death of
the adult son of a sister in the branch, finding and teaching one of
the most promising investigators I've ever had the honor of teaching,
and General Conference. I don't have nearly enough time to talk about
all of those, so I'm gonna stick to our new investigator and General
Conference.

Our new investigator is actually a pair of investigators, the Branch
President's nephew and his fiance. We taught them about the Book of
Mormon, which they'd actually already started reading. They
appreciated learning about where the book came from, why it exists,
and how it's related to the church. After we finished teaching, the
brother's eyes started tearing up, and he asked, "can I serve a
mission?" We explained that seeing as he was getting married, he
wouldn't be able to right now, but when he and his fiance were
retired, they could serve a senior service mission. Then we asked why
he asked. He told us that he was so grateful for what he's learned,
and he feels this desire to share it with others. That was by far the
fastest I've ever seen someone desire to share the gospel after having
received it. When he watched General Conference this weekend, he told
us that he loved Elder Bednar's talk. I expect that's in large part
because it resonated with what has already felt.
General Conference is and was fantastic. If you're reading this and
are not yourself a member, I highly suggest you watch Elder Bednar's
talk. It's entitled "Come and See." For me personally, President
Eyring's struck me to the core and made me cry. The spirit was so
strong throughout all of Conference, but the words "He knows your
name" hit me like a spiritual train.
I know the Church is guided by living prophets. He knows His people,
and He knows your name, and so much more than just your name. He loves
you.
Love,
Elder English

P.S. Random gospel tidbit for the day. I've been reading the Old
Testament lately, and Solomon's temple had a font on the backs of
twelve oxen. The record reads "but the sea (font) was for the priests
to wash in." (2 Chronicles 4:6) This font or "molten sea" wasn't just
a big pool for the priests to bathe in. Our word baptize is of Greek
origin, and wouldn't have been used in the Hebrew of the Old
Testament. They would have used the word wash, or something similar.
This font was for baptizing in. (I'm not smart enough to have figured
this out on my own, I've been using a manual as supplement to my
study)
The Gospel and the God that makes it known to His children have been
the same throughout all history.

October 5, 2014 - "The Time Is Far Spent"

The Catholic Church in our neighborhood.

This week was an interesting one. We had exchanges with the Zone Leaders, and since their area is closed because it's too close to Mount Mayon, they both came to Malilipot to work. Let me tell you, you can do all kinds of things when you double the number of missionaries working in the area. We found several new investigators via tracting, some of which seemed to have genuine interest in our message. We'll see what happens with that.

The most interesting thing that happened this week was on sunday. Later in the evening, we were teaching a lesson with a less-active family, and a drunk neighbor walks into their home and sits down. At first I thought that was slightly amusing, until he started babbling unintelligibly, loud enough to disrupt the lesson. I turned to him and kindly asked him to either listen or leave. He glared at me, and I got the impression he wanted to punch me. I kind of hoped he would try so I'd have a reason to manhandle him out of the house. He didn't, and we quickly ended the lesson. While we were closing with prayer, he stumbled out.

A line of the song "The Time Is Far Spent" comes to mind. "Be fixed in your purpose, for Satan will try you; The weight of your calling he perfectly knows." I know that Satan spends a lot of effort trying to slow/stop the Work of Salvation. I know there's a lot hanging, both in this life and in eternity, on the missionary work. I love the scripture from Doctrine & Covenants "Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor" (D&C 88:84) It so simply impresses the fact that missionary work isn't just the work of missionaries, but everyone who has come to know the truth of His love and His plan. So next time you feel restrained from sharing the gospel, ask yourself, is that you or the adversary discouraging you? I testify that this is a divine work, and we all have a part in it. I have seen first hand how impossible missionary work is when the missionaries are the only ones involved. God loves us, and has promised us great joy in the work of salvation (D&C 18:15-16). Now let's get it done!

Love,

Elder English