Again I am very happy with everything that happened this week, and I continue to love it here in the mission. I am starting to love this area more too. It's definitely not the easiest thing in the world. Still hard, but I am just adjusting better now!
There were a couple of days that were quite boring in this week. But I still had some things to learn from them. I never realized how happy I am and how fun it is to teach people until there are no people for us to teach. In our finding we still meet lots of people who don't want to talk to us. Now even though it hurts, I just laugh it off. One person we saw through the window walking inside his house and tried talking to him, but he just acted like we weren't there and totally ignored us. With another house we told these kids to get their mother, and she walked out, saw us, then went right back in. Guess some people just aren't ready to listen.
When we do find people that are willing to listen though, it's very enjoyable but sometimes interesting and sometimes weird. One day We found this one old nanay who spoke English very well. We taught her all of the restoration and asked her very direct questions, but she stayed strong in her religious beliefs. She believes that as long as you're trying to worship God and remember him, all religions are fine. I admire her beliefs and am sad she didn't really accept what we were trying to help her know. Maybe eventually her heart will soften. Guess she still has a while though, because the last missionaries to visit her was back in October of 2000.
We had another interesting experience that happened to us this week. We have been going to this one investigator who is a single 20 year old mother with one child. One day we went to her house and she told us she was depressed. She then broke down and told us she has been trying to fix things with the father of her child, but he doesn't want anything to do with her anymore. He got a new girlfriend and told him he just doesn't want anything to do with her and the child anymore. The whole time she was explaining I had no words.
I wanted to help her so bad but I didn't know what to say, especially in Tagalog. I've also just never experienced what she is going through. After we tried to share 2 scriptures with her, mine was going to be D&C 121:7-9, but we never got to because her child was being way too misbehaved, grabbing everything, crying, spitting milk and gum on the floor. She told us that she wanted us to just come back tomorrow instead because she needed to clean and take care of her child.
I didn't want to leave it like that, so I told her we would clean. She kept refusing. Eventually she brought out a broom and we took it and refused to let her clean. Afterwards she tried to mop and we took that too. We swept and mopped her whole house, and made it all tidy. She was very thankful and told us that was the cleanest her house has been. She said she wanted to treat us to lunch and be taught again later that week. She also said she would go to church. It was a fun day, but sadly she ended up being busy every day and we weren't able to visit her. When church came around, she wasn't there.
It's sad and slightly hard to get people to come to church but it's up to them. All we can do is just do our best to get them to come. It's up to them though.
One day as we were proselyting I was deep in thought. I was a little sadder because our area isn't the easiest to find people who are willing to listen. As we were exploring a farther area we passed by a big field with corn and rice. As we passed it, I was looking and marveling at how beautiful it was. After looking at it I started thinking about the area and the struggles of it. Then I thought about missionary work. We are always hearing about how even if sometimes the investigators don't accept our message, all we can do at this time is plant a seed.
In my area, because we are starting from scratch, we just plant the seeds for now. Sometimes there will be rough ground where maybe the plant isn't ready to grow. We seem to hit a lot of rough ground in this area but that's why we have to just keep trying. We can find the softer ground where the seed is at least ready to be planted. It may take time, but that is what we are here to do.
Eventually when we do plant the seed, even if it takes time, the seed will sprout and grow. Then one day it may be a beautiful and marvelous field. But for now, we just gotta keep looking for that soft ground, keep planting the seeds.
Although its hard work, I still enjoy being out here. Of course there are slower days and better days, but every day I am here I can find something to learn. My invitation now to you all is to try to be the ones to plant a seed into someone else's heart.
This church is growing, and we can always help hasten the work! Once again I love you all, and thank you for all the support you have shown, even though I don't even know or have seen it! :)
Till next week, be the example that God wants you to be!
Elder Espiritu
**you can email Elder Espiritu at joseph.espiritu@myldsmail.net
One of our investigators and her daughter
Just kickin back at the apartment
The Banty District
Proselyting
Just a cornfield
Taking the family everywhere I go (the cornfield and path I talked about in my email)
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