Oh hey! Didn't see you there..
So this week's been awesome and a half! Our work has been incredible and its really paying off and really showing. Our branch leaders commented yesterday after very well attended sacrament meeting (116 =) ) that we're doing awesome! They're like its awesome how many investigators and less-actives that you guys are helping bring to church. And then we had our first baptism this week so that was awesome too! He asked me to baptize him, so that was pretty exciting too. Lets see what the parents have to say...
Well I already feel like we're related to the Dietrichs. In fact, when she comments on other's posts on Facebook I always check to see what she wrote
Haha yeah we're pretty much related to them.. haha They already made me and Elder Pugmire promise that we wouldn't get married till they get home so that they can go to our weddings.. haha
Never mind the "miracle of eating different food", I couldn't picture you, willingly, speaking in sacrament meeting, teaching a lesson and then following it up with a fireside.
Haha well I couldn't just say no.... I got to teach priesthood again this Sunday and this time it actually went surprisingly well I thought. It was on President Monson's talk "Willing and Worthy to Serve" it was a little bit harder to teach cuz its not like a set lesson and I haven't read it for a while but I'm grateful Elder Pugmire and I listened to the last conference over and over again so I still knew the talk pretty well. Favorite part of that talk: "At times the wisdom of God appears as being foolish or just too difficult, but one of the greatest and most valuable lessons we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right." President Vicencio visited our branch this Sunday and talked about that for a little while and about how we need to be obedient to even the little things and the blessings will flow and we will never suffer because of our obedience.
So what kind of area are you in? You mentioned no ATMs. What does it have business wise? Rural? How large is the area you are serving in?
Like I said I'm in the most rural area on the mainland! haha And Elder Antonio who is in Naic (Naic is to Effingham as Ternate is to Stew Stras..hahaha) but he's like Naic is the same as Narra which is the more province part of Palawan. So essentially we're super province here (oh yeah, here province = rural). There's not a lick of fast food or stores or that kinda stuff. Granted, like Coron there's a "city" area but its like not big and its not really city. Everyone here grows rice. haha The area is pretty big but its not like wayyy huge.There's no where that we go regularly that takes more than 20-30 minutes to get to. I think the area itself goes a lot further than that but we don't usually go out there.
So this week was pretty exciting. We had Zone Conference, I went on exchanges with the ZLs, and we got a baptism! haha
Zone Conference was way good! We had to leave pretty early to get there cuz it was in a difference Zone that the conference was being held but we made it. I made the mistake of letting Elder Handy choose where we sat and so we sat there right in the front.. haha It was good cuz I feel like I got a lot out of it probably cuz I sat right there in front of President Stucki.. haha Sometimes its like meetings like that where I realize how much I loveee missionary work and missionaries. I love seeing everyone (I've always loved seeing everyone) but I love the Spirit that exists around missionaries. It's probably cliche but I could be around missionaries and do missionary work and what not for like ever. It rocks!
Zone Conference was Tuesday, so Wednesday we got a full day of work in and it went pretty well. Oh but before that.. Elder Handy made me go jogging that morning.. haha He made me go 1. because I love exercising and doin kwan but in the morning I have zeroooo desire to do that stuff.. but I'm working on it! 2. cuz it was pouring! So I thought I was off the hook.. nope! He got me to go. I was reminded of Elf while we were jogging and I was thinking/singing to myself "It's raining... I'm in the raining and I'm running.. I'm in the rain and I'm RUN-NING!" (reference the "there's no singing in the north pole" argument between Buddy and his manager). Tuesday I was thinking about how I could be a more powerful teacher and so I remembered that to be an effective teacher you gotta do a lot more than present the facts and information. I remembered that its a lot more powerful when you can speak from personal experience. So Wednesday I tried to include in every lesson how that principle or commandment has played a role in my life and how I've been blessed because of whatever it was I was teaching. And I noticed a big difference! It was a lot better for the most part.
Thursday I worked in Naic with Elder Antonio and it was awesome! It was fun and successful! It was kinda weird being in another area but it was pretty cool at the same time. At the end he had lots of good feed back for me. He said that I was really good with people, approaching them, building a relationship with them quickly. He also complimented my Tagalog. #score! haha And he said I really know the doctrine and the lessons good. But I need to ask referrals from everyone.. haha #true. And I was like I feel like I'm not a very good teacher even though I know the stuff. He's like I can tell you're a good teacher, you know how to teach but if I were to have to fix something in teaching it would be to do better at eye contact... haha yeah.. I'm not good at that.. haha But I tried to do it ever since and its been great! It really makes a difference. The last thing he told was way awesome. He was like "you're really humble. You're the most humble missionary I've met on my mission." I was like whaaa?? hahaha I was like i don't know.. Well its like I don't have any reason to be prideful I still have way too many faults in myself, my teaching, my tagalog, like everything. And its only with the Lord's help that we can have success. I've tried too much I feel like to do it on my own and I know that it doesn't work.. haha But I thought to myself am I humble? or am I just quiet and fearful..? haha So the next day I studied humility in Personal Study and in True to the Faith I found an awesome quote! It says, "You can be both humble and fearless. You can be both humble and courageous." That was really cool and I referenced that with James 4:6,10. And then there's the awesome verse in DC 6:36 "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." So thats what I'm working on now. Trying to be humble but fearless and courageous.
So I'mma get running..we've got stuff to do! haha Hope you all had a great week!
Love
Elder Michael Gadberry
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