Sunday, October 15, 2017

Count Your Blessings

You know, some weeks can seem similar to others, but you can still get something cool out of it if you really look into it. For example: I can now say I've tried duck and dried ducks blood before. You just gotta try new things right? Just to start, Duck doesn't taste bad. To me it honestly tasted like cow that's been cooked in stew or sinigang na baka (hindi ako baliw palagay ko lang iyan). 

So I said last week, we are now at the start of another 6 week cycle. Turns out, all 4 of us in Vintar are staying in Vintar. It wasn't a surprise for the other 2 but for Elder Trinidad and I it was. More often than not you stay with a companion for 12 weeks then switch, so this is Elder Trinidad and I's first time having a companion for 3 cycles or 18 weeks.  

So now that I'm here for 6 more weeks, I've been looking at the blessings of staying in Vintar. 1) I get to be here for a baptism of a kid who is like my little brother, 2) I get along with all of my house mates in my apartment 3) I get to build a stronger relationship with all the members, less actives and investigators here in Vintar 4) I still get to eat fast food every week in Laoag (don't worry i'm not getting fat) and 5) I know that my mission President and God trust me for being able to help a struggling branch.

It's easy for me to focus on the blessings like the song says "count your many blessings name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done." I have a lot of blessings that I have received in my life, especially in the mission! We have have to have hard days and better days in order to experience life! 

So for some good news: we got our branch attendance up a slight bit again! This week we got it to 46, 8 coming from a different ward and 4 being us 4 missionaries. So 34 from Vintar including children. But it's still going up slowly. Maybe I'll see the day where they hit 50-60 here! If we can get the less actives to come back, that's possible. Another fun fact: I also got to teach primary yesterday, or at least attempted to. It wasn't very easy to keep them all paying attention. Let's just say I have more respect for our primary and Sunday school teachers.

Although we still don't many progressing investigators we still have one almost for sure baptism this cycle (Kyle Brent Soriano) and we are just going to prepare him for his baptismal interview. Other than that, we're still working on the less actives and finding people. I don't really think much about it anymore when people hide from us or say they don't wanna switch religions. I have respect for them.

Here goes to another start of the cycle, and I'm happy with my mission. Looks like I'm a District leader again here for Bantay district! I'm grateful for all the lessons I've learned about hardships and blessings, and about obedience and just the gospel in general. 

The message we bring is still the message of happiness and we just gotta keep looking for the people who need it! Happy 3rd week of October to you all! 

Elder Espiritu

**you can email Elder Espiritu at joseph.espiritu@myldsmail.net



Vintar Elders for 1 more cycle 



Just me and the church meeting house






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