April 28, 2012 E-mail!

Guess what I just ate. Yep. I figured you guys wouldn't guess. I just finished a Frosty. But it wasn't just any Frosty...I used my creative genius and made it even better. What were my additions you ask? Well here I'll tell you. They were Reese's and Oreos! Legit? I think so! I recommend you try it. Welp. I got an email from my parents (YAY!) but they didn't have any questions for me to answer. Sorry! So lets get on to my week I guess. It was great! Yeah! It's always great right? This week's flown by super fast but just trying to think back I can't remember anything that happened..haha Okay is this just me or is this everyone? But I swear when I was like 10 days were sooo long! Like even a half an hour was a long time! But then Junior High came about it was pretty long too. High school sometimes felt long but at the same time just flew by. And then with college and mission it's completely changed to like weeks are like days and days are like hours..haha It's soooo fast! It's freakin me out! haha Well it happened on a bright beautiful morning in Mandaluyong City. It was a Sunday. It was a great Sunday! For the past month we've had two elders living with us because they got their missions extended a month so they're our "Special Assignment" elders in which they go around the mission and work with companionships and kinda evaluate them and report back to President. So all their junk is thrown in our apartment and they're their only once and awhile. But on Sunday they were there, and they even went to our ward cuz they were working with elders that go to church there too. So in our ward on Sunday we had 7 missionaries...haha That's a bit of an over-load..haha Then we came home that night and we added one more elder to us because his companion got really sick and was at the mission home or MRC or somethin. But anyways we had 8 missionaries there that night. We have 4 beds, 1 Filipino mattress that is used to sleep on the floor, one decently sized couch, one love seat, and one air mattress....perfect, no?? haha Anyways, at church we got an English referral! Apparently there's an less-active lady in our ward whose husband is not a member and a daughter that she wants to get baptized. So they asked for the missionaries, but the thing is, I guess they said/the ward said that they understand English better than Tagalog..haha So who better to send than the two American guys in the area? haha So that'll be way interesting but I'm pumped! Cuz like forever I was dying cuz I felt so hand-cuffed and worthless cuz of the language so I was like I WANT ENGLISH! I CAN HELP PEOPLE! I'M NOT AS WORTHLESS AS I SOUND! haha So now I might get a chance to give English a shot..haha That afternoon we taught a pretty great lesson with the Gozon family. I like them! Then we went and had dinner at the Dietrich's! After dinner, I sat there and listened to a few of Elder Dietrich's blonde jokes...and added a couple of mine own in. #BroTalk. hahaha classic. Then Monday rolled around. And it was great! First things first, my good'ol pal Elder Groesbeck apparently has the area with the best shoes in the mission. So he got me a pair of fake D-Rose's that cost a 120 bucks in the states for 20 bucks..haha It's my Christmas gift to myself..haha But after that me and my computer wizzs of companions prepped a little present for Sister Dietrich. So what happened was I created a slideshow (it's attached) and planted it on Sister Dietrich's desktop. And then my computer geniuses knew how they could log in to her computer from our own computer so we did that. Elder Spencer distracted her while Elder Pugmire logged in and opened the slideshow and then when Sister Dietrich logged back in, she could just see the slideshow! It was great! She loved it! She loves us! haha I also got news that just his year 11,000 members have returned to activation here in the Philippines! And 800 of them are from our mission. Which is above average cuz if you do the math (I'm a numbers guy) and you've got 11,000 returned within 17 missions so you should have 650 returned per mission and we've got 800, so yeah, we're that good. haha Monday was also, slightly a crisis. We were supposed to have support that day, but for whatever reason it didn't come. So I've got everyone and their dog in the mission asking me where it is and I've got nothin to tell them cuz I don't have anything to do about it. So that was fun tell everyone ALL day that 1. We didn't have support. 2. I don't know why. and 3. No, I don't know when it will come. So that was the problem of the day so when we waited all day and there was no support I emailed the peeps in SLC to see what was up. On the bright side, it was Elder Pugmire's birthday on Monday! Woo! That means that almost everyone of my 5 comps (except for Hopkins and Elder Stirland) I was comps with them for their birthday...that's kinda cool right?? So the Dietrich's made Elder Pugmire his favorite for dinner...hot dogs! haha It was great! So Tuesday, we opened the morning with a couple crazy beggers wandering into the office. One was this crazy lady that came in and said all the guys dressed in white are trying to kill her. They're carrying around guns and they turn into spears. And then Elder Hernando walked in and she accused him of being one of them...haha And then we also had this one guy named Jordan who was rough looking but spoke nearly perfect english. On the bright side, support finally came in! I was pumped! And everyone was happy, so that was very helpful. Positive number two, I got a package from my parents! Negative number one, it was Elder Spencer's last night here in the office...so it was his last night to work in our area, so of course we had to hit up the Advincula's! Positive number three, they were there! Positive number four, Arianne likes Rocket to the Moon! I was like whaaa?? They actually listen to that here! Crazy! Super positive number five, they're doing their family scripture study and prayer every night! And Tatay is like leading it. He's always like re-capping what they had read the night before and like summarizing the story and what not. He's so great!! Positive number six, we had another great lesson there! Teaching the gospel is fun =). Now Wednesday was pretty great! We got to go to the temple for the first time in like forever cuz they had like at least 2 months of renovation done to it. So we were tried to go to the 6am session. So we got there at like 5:40. We talk to some missionaries outside (cuz we have temple days by zone, so there were three zones from Manila Mission going). And they said that the 6oclock session was full! We were like what??? And then a couple more walked out and they told us the 7 session was full too! So we hurried up and got in there and got reservations for the 8 oclock session before that even got full. So what had happened is there was a bunch of people there already, but then on top of that 3 missions sent missionaries! Us, Quezon City, and Quezon City North. It was crazy. So that was not good, but I saw a tonnnn of people I knew in those missions! I LOVED IT! I saw Elder Somner first, then Sister Roper, then Elder Stoddard and Elder Peterson all before we had our session. I was sooo pumped! Then we had our session and it was amazing! The temple is so cool! Afterwards, I walk outside and I hear a New Zealanders voice behind me, that I recognized but hadn't heard forever, he was like "Gadbury! (That's how it's pronounced to him) What the heck are you doing in the Philippines?!" I turned around and was PUMPED to see Elder CHADDERTON! I was like "I'm serving a mission! What are you doin here?!" haha Elder Chadderton was my monster of a ZL at the MTC. So we got to talk for a while and it was awesome. I thought I wasn't goin see him forever haha. And then I even saw Sister Weller and Elder Lynn after that! It was CRAZY! After all that....we said goodbye to Elder Spencer...sad. Oh yeah! When I walked out of the temple I looked at my phone and I had 2 missed calls and 7 messages! It was ridiculous! I was like come on! seriously?? haha I had a really cool learning experience at the temple this time. For the most part, when I had gone to the temple I never felt like super different or like super powerful, but I realized that that's okay because that's not how the Spirit usually works. The Spirit is soft, quiet, and natural and not usually overly powerful or over-bearing. And I realized that that's exactly what I feel at the temple. At the temple, everything feels natural. I feel at home. I feel quiet, happy, and peaceful. I'm so grateful for that truth that the Spirit has taught me because to be honest I always kind of concerned that maybe I'm doing something wrong or whatever else because at the temple everything generally felt very natural/at home for me, like it didn't feel common or ordinary, it felt sacred but very natural and now I realize that that is the presence of the Spirit. I learned that the Spirit doesn't work in loud, powerful ways, the Spirit works quietly and naturally because that's what it is. It's natural communication. After the whirlwind of an adventure at the temple we ran out to get Elder Pugmire's license to drive and then we actually ate Subway! It was awesome! But oh geez...when I got home I was sooo tired! haha It was a very busy day. But I LOVED it! Thursday morning, I started the day off great with an awesome study in Ether 7. I actually learned a lot about prophets. The Religion 121 Book of Mormon Student Guide talked a little about prophets and why they often get rejected, and that sparked my mind and made something click. I like teaching and using comparisons and stories to learn so I think that the Spirit helped teach me through a story/situation that I was able to think up (I'll post it at the end if anyone is interested. It helped me learn, so maybe it'll help you). And ultimately I feel like the conclusion was that piercing question of "why do I do what I do, when I know what I know?" The prophets, both now and of olden days, have laid it all our in front of us. Now it's our time to choose. If we believe in the prophets and trust in their counsel, we will never be lead astray. We have the two doors revealed to us. "We are free to choose liberty and eternal life. . .or to choose captivity and death." On a similar note....okay well maybe not so similar...but Elder Pugmire and I heard Footloose when we were in 7-Eleven and it reminded me of Stake Dances and it was really hard for us not to dance....like really hard..haha. After Footloose, they played 50 Cent and it was weird. I was like okay, you don't do that.... On the Finance side of things, I had to do my monthly Variance Report on Thursday (Report in which I tell the area office why we're over budget in this area and why we're so far under budget in other areas). But having done that and seeing, what I think, to be many errors in the budget request makes me wanna be here kinda till like July whenever they submit the next request for 2013 so that way we can get the right amount of money in each area. On Thursday, Elder Pugmire and I burned the last General Conference onto a CD and now we're listening to it every where we go! Especially when we're going to the Area cuz listening to Conference just makes you wanna share the gospel with everyone! It's like this is sooo good! Just listen to us! We've got a message that will change your lives and bless your lives forever! We're pumped cuz we're goin get Conference like memorized! haha Friday, I was gettin calls about problems before 8am! I was like okay....It should be illegal to call me with problems before like...1pm..haha On Friday I finally got I think all the payment stuff figured out for President's house help to the various stuff like Social Security, PhilHealth, and other stuff. I decided it wasn't terribly hard but it's still pretty confusing. We'll see what they tell me when I go in there and try to actually pay and turn in all the forms I tried to fill out. That night we had a great lesson with Ponce! We talked about the gospel of Christ and how it blesses our lives and how it's an essential part of our life here. While Elder Pugmire was saying the opening prayer I had like a flashback in my mind. I pictured us 8 months ago, sittin on a couch in the TRC at the MTC..haha I was like whoa! Me and Elder Pugmire were there together doing that practicing teaching stuff there and just hoping that we can teach in half-way understandable Tagalog, and now we're here! Teaching in full Tagalog! In real life! In the Philippines! Whoa! #CRAZY #MissionsAreFast. haha After we got home that night, Elder Pugmire and I talked baseball for a while it was weird! I haven't talked ball with anyone since Elder Farnesworth at the MTC..haha Now Saturday was pretty much craziness too! (Most of the reason why this email is a week late (but most of you don't know that because I'm sure my parents are behind on gettin this out to my beloved, lovely, awesome, everything-else-good, kind, and faithful readers...LOVE YOU!). So we had to go to the temple tour (Temple Tour is when missionaries bring investigators to the temple and they go around the outside from station to station being taught by other missionaries all about the temple and all that jazz...it's reallyyy good for investigators, less actives, everyone!) that morning because it was the Province's Temple Tour and we don't see them very often cuz they're out in the provinces, so we need to cover their supplies and financial needs as often as we can see them. So we spent all morning running around from group to group doing that jazz. And then one time we were going to switch out a cell phone and the sisters that were running the station (it was like the introductory station with like a song and prayer and basic intro and what not) saw us coming and were like "Hey look! Here comes Elder Gadberry and Elder Pugmire! They're going to come sing for us!" Ah geez....seriously?! I don't sing well, and I especially don't sing in front of people... But you can't really say no cuz they kept calling on us to go up there so Elder Pugmire and I went up there and sang Joseph Smith's First Prayer (love that song actually) and it was napaka-embarrassing! haha. I did have the opportunity to count my blessings though because it was SUPER hot! And this whole month pretty much has been super hot and it's just awesome that I get to be in the office in AC for most of the heat of the day..haha But on the bright side, I got a little sunburnt! Yay for tanning! haha Because it was our Preparation Day we went and bought groceries and guess what I got! I got Ray Bans color number 2! haha I got white this time, they're snazzy! The ate (Tagalog for older sister) there remembered me (cuz you don't have a lot of white people that can speak Tagalog buying stuff from you) and I told her that I was trying to get a bunch of colors and she was like oh yeah? What are you short? I'll order those. Then I told her that I only had those two that I bought from her..haha So she said she'd order a bunch more colors for me so I'm pumped! #GottaStayFly. haha In other news, Elder Pugmire drove for the first time on Saturday and it was great! I think I'm so used to driving all the time that it makes me nervous a little bit when someone else drives..haha But don't tell him that! Well that was pretty much my week! It was great! I loved it! Hope you too had a great week! Let me know if you all have any questions about the Philippines or life as a missionary or anything like that, I'll be happy to answer them! Cuz a lot of times I don't know what to talk about so I just ramble on about my life, and I'm sure that's not terribly entertaining...haha "Basta, mahal ko kayo! Namimiss ko kayo! At patuloy lang kayong ipamuhay ang ebanghelyo ni JesuCristo. Mas lalong...patuloy lang sa pagbabasa ng mga emails ko..hahaha" LUV Elder Michael Gadberry Pictures 0171-0179 -- Elder Pugmire's Birthday! haha 0180 -- Jakey apparently decided that here in the Philippines it would be more appropriate to have an Easter Fish instead of an Easter Bunny...haha "Basta, chocolate siya, kaya masaya ako." haha 0181 - Arianne and Tatay! 0182/0183 -- Early morning for the temple 0186 -- maganda talaga ang templo di ba?? 0187 -- Elder Chadderton and Sister Roper! 0188 -- Me and Elder Peterson! 0189 -- Busy road + boredom + Elder Pugmire taking forever to do his urine sample = this picture 0190 -- He's so happy! 0191 -- Oh geez... (If anyone knows Elder Pugmire's parents, please let them know that he is driving because I think he refuses to tell them..haha) 0193-0207 -- Temple Tour pics! (The APs borrowed my camera for pictures because they didn't bring one and we needed pics for the mission) 0209 -- I found Elder Pugmire and I in this pic! Isn't it pretty epic? 0211 -- Bus full of people for Temple Tour! 2013/2014 -- My new Adidas kicks that came in an Air Jordan box. Pretty cool huh? haha 0215 -- Check the shades.. P..........24 -- Some of our batch that was at the temple! Heart them! SAM 0970 -- Temple tour pic with me in it! 1862-1871 -- Picture time at the Advincula's! -----1870 -- We're all looking at the Book of Mormon but you can't see it... -----1871 -- I got Elder Pugmire to rock the open mouth smile with me! =D Hope you're happy! You got a really long email and lots of pictures! haha My story thing about prophets, us, and free agency We're still free to choose but we must accept the consequences of those choices. The prophets are just there to warn us of those consequences, to give us "sneak peak" so that way we don't have to suffer consequences that could have been avoided. It's like a game show in which the contestant must choose between two doors. The show host in his kindness gives our contestant a hint. He advises him not to choose door number one. After some thought, the contestant still can't make up his mind. The host, sensing the uncertainty of our friend, again offers his insight and almost pleads with our contestant to avoid door number one or he's going to walk out with nothing. This really throws off our contestant. Is he really telling me how to win? But of course, you can't always trust the host, so he continues to ponder, hoping that somehow the answer will just come to him. Finally, in a last hope to persuade our friend, the host informs him that the vacation, car, experience or whatever else of his dreams is waiting behind door number two. There it all is laid out in front of our contestant. Is agency robbed? No. Ultimately, it's his choice. Is the host lying to him? Should he go with what he might feel to be his own insights and wisdom and choose door number one? Or should he trust the host and choose door two? Ultimately it's up to me and to us to decide if our prophets are truly "who they claim to be" as prophets and servants of God. They've laid it all our in front of us. Now it's our time to choose. If we believe in the prophets and trust in their counsel, we will never be lead astray. We have the two doors revealed to us. "We are free to choose liberty and eternal life. . .or to choose captivity and death. (2 Nephi 2:27)" If we say that we believe in the apostles and prophets, then why do we continuously deviate from the path so clearly lit before us? Why do we pridefully walk alone amidst the pleadings of the prophets, our loved ones, and even our Savior, Jesus Christ, to join with them, hold fast, and press onward?