I am starting to use different phrases now to extend my vocab. Even though I mess up basically every time that's okay! One thing that was really cool was that we were teaching our progressing investigator Raja, and her mom got interested in learning too! She also seemed really interested in the apostasy, and why there are so many churches. We haven't been able to teach her all yet so that will soon come!
A similar thing happened, where we were teaching an older Nanay, but we went to teach her and she was still at the market. So we asked to teach her daughter instead. So now we are teaching both mother and daughter too! It was also really cool to teach her to pray because she didn't know how to pray. So we taught her and it was actually pretty cool! I loved teaching them both, the problem was when I did I was with a fellowshipper, and he only spoke Ilocano to her so I only understood about half :P.
This past Sunday we taught Nanay Magdelina again during splits. I was with 5 other members and Elder Daclag was in a different area. When we got there, she already had the pamphlets and Book of Mormon ready. She had questions about the apostasy which I did my best to answer. It was hard for me to explain in Tagalog, but she said she ended up understanding it! I love teaching her, and we learned that she actually does want to join our church and she loves the plan of salvation. She struggles to understand the pamphlets we give her but she will always try. She also told us that she can see how happy we are in this gospel and how friendly we all are. The only problem is she doesn't want to leave her own religion. We will have to figure out what to do with her. I really hope she and her daughter will decide to join our church though!
Even though I got a couple of really good lessons, the reason I wasn't able to teach as much was I got bad stomach pains accompanied by having to use the bathroom often for 4 days this week.
The stomach pain started Wednesday night and was really bad for Thursday and Friday, then Saturday and Sunday was slightly less but the pain was still there. I was so mad at myself. I hated having to be in pain and I wanted to just go out and work but I couldn’t. My body wouldn't let me.
I got stuck at my apartment and bathroom for almost half of this week. It was brutal. When I did work, a lot of times I was distracted by the pains in my stomach. But something I promised my parents that I would always do, is to stay positive. It was actually a little harder, because I felt like I couldn't find anything positive in this little trial in my life. I wasn't able to work for a couple days and I felt if I wasn't sick I could've talked to so many more people and got a lot done. It was really hard for me to find the positive. But sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper than what you can see
I remember a quote that my mom always used to tell me. "I was crying because I had no shoes, until I met a man that had no feet." Even though it seems like the trial you are going through is hard, almost always there are others going through worse. It made me think, I felt like I was in a good amount of pain. But the pain I was in wasn't even as bad as a lot of other people in this world.
I still have a lot of good to look at aside from the pain. I am in the Philippines and I am able to teach the gospel to the people here. Then it made me think about the Savior. Trying to imagine the pain He went through. He suffered beyond comprehension, and I just had a little stomach pain. He suffered because He loved us. He suffered so much. I just had a small suffering for a little bit. Even though it's hard and not fun, it's only for a little bit. I still have so much good in my life that I can focus on instead of the pain.
Then I related it to life. Everyone has trials. It’s part of God’s plan. But no matter what the trial may be, the gospel can help and comfort you.
So always look for ways to look up and be positive, instead of focusing on the negative. I felt like when I focused on the pain I was in, It felt worse. So find a way to find good out of it, and everything will be alright.
After you are finished being sick, you feel so much stronger, so maybe that can be the small blessing! There is always something good you can find out of everything. Sometimes it's just a little harder to see!
The teaching my parents have taught me about staying positive has been such a blessing in my life. I am very grateful for it. So stay positive and find the good always! Hope everyone is alright!
Mahal ko kayong lahat!
-Elder Espiritu
Elder Daclag and I by the Beach outside of Buguey apartment
Queenie Yere and I (she really likes the camera)
The Pajarillo's dogs had puppies, these are all of them! (It was extremely difficult to get them all in one picture together)
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