Hello mga tao,
So this time my ever so clever mother called me "Elder berry, ....get it? Like elderberry the....berry,"
No. No, I don't "get it." hahaha But I thought I had heard every variation of Gadberry that there possibly was before my mission but when you take that name and take it to another country.... you learn a few more.. haha People here are a big fan of my name cuz it looks and sounds like Cadbury. I like to tell them its not Cadbury its a fake/off-brand. Its pretty funny cuz the Philippines is swimming in fake/off-brands of popular companies.
I'm thinking of you right now with sounds of "Elf" in the background.
Good! =D I miss that movie like a Gadberry misses a soccer ball after being in a foreign, basketball loving country for the last year and a half. It's actually kinda bad I've had a few dreams recently of soccer.... haha
So how are the reactivation efforts going? Do you have a lot of support from the members?
Umm... its alright.. so far we haven't seen too much success... Actually the less-actives that Elder Tenny and I are teaching are less-actives that have already been counted as "returning members" but have essentially started to fall back into less-activity... Which goes along with the thing that I actually talked about in our special ZLC with Elder Neilson.. Our job is not done at baptism or at reactivation. Especially for less-actives, if they don't experience that "mighty change of heart" or experience the cleansing power of the Atonement through repentance, it is often only a matter of time until those recently reactivated members my slip back into the less active status. Its really just a matter for becoming more and more converted to the Lord like a lot of General Conference was about last time. (By the way, do I have a GenCon Ensign on the way??). Members, like most everywhere, are supportive of the missionaries but don't do a whole lot. According to our old Branch President (cuz we just got a new one this week cuz the old one has been called as District President), but he says that our Visiting teaching is pretty good but home teaching is greatly lacking... so yeah... #SameProblemNewPlace Plus its kinda hard cuz we're in a branch at has over 1000 members on the rolls and about 200-250 average sacrament meeting attendance.. to me thats almost unmanageable.. its so many people that its hard to know where to begin..
So this Friday is the zone leader meeting? Do you have better things to report?
Yep! We're going to be reporting on Friday... umm.. the month of November was pretty disappointing.. Well actually it wasn't so disappointing as it was just we didn't get the goals we thought we would. The people we thought were going to get baptized in Nov. will be baptized in December and so December is looking really exciting. As a zone of 6 companionships we're currently projecting 15 baptisms and 10 reactivations in the month of December so thats pretty sweet. It's going to be a little embarrassing to have set such high numbers in November and then having to report that we came up quite short. But on the other side of things we're excited for whats going to happen in December.
Okay so funny slash somewhat embarrassing story for the week!
So every Saturday we have an appointment at this one family that is incredibly wealthy, like their house is nicer than most of the homes I've been in in America. The guy has a coral aquarium of my dreams! Complete with Nemo, his dad, Dory, and others! But we can talk aquariums another time just let me know. haha But this is an active family in which the father has recently been reactivated. The father has asked us to teach him again because he feels that he has zero faith. He's incredible when we teach. It's amazing to teach him because you can just see it in his eyes the longing to know, the desire to believe. But this past Saturday we had lunch there. This was on the table for lunch: BBQ Ribs, mashed potatoes, and this potato salad kinda thing. So umm.. yeah. This is not you're regular Filipino lunch... haha So confession... I have not eaten ribs before. So it was pretty funny cuz we're sitting at the table with a Filipino family and its the American kid thats strugglin figuring out how to eat his ribs... hahaha Luckily, I dont think anyone noticed but it made me laugh.. haha
Elder Tenny and I are doing super good. We're loving it and trying to do our best. One of the things that we've done really well, actually surprisingly well, is using the scriptures. It's really fun to teach via the scriptures! We answer almost everything via the Book of Mormon or the Bible and sometimes D&C. Our scripture knowledge really compliments each other, and so often one of us will suggest to do something to share something and the other will be like, "That's exactly what I was thinking!" So our companionship is doing really good. We're loving it. One sad thing that was actually a good learning experience for me happened this week on a jeepney. So we're sitting there on the jeepney going to our next appointment. This guy sits next to me and for whatever reason I feel like I want to talk to him... So I'm trying to figure out what to say.. I'm like maybe I'll ask him what time it is or somethin.. But eventually we got closer to where we got off and I still hadn't talked to him. So about the point where we get off he goes, "Elder, where are you guys assigned?" We got to say like two sentences to him and found out he's a less-active member in San Pedro that had even gone to the temple in SLC but has since fallen away, and then we had to get off. I got off and was like dang it!! Elder Tenny asked me what was up. I was like since the time he got on the jeep I felt that I should talk to him but I didn't!! He said, "You felt that too?? I was trying to figure out how I could talk to him but I felt like I was kinda far away." So yeah... count that as a blatant missed prompting by Elder Gadberry... it really frustrated me but has helped me to resolve to be more bold in following promptings.
Well unfortunately I have to get runnin again, so sorry again! haha Also, its my bday this week so thanks for the wishes but shhhh... they don't know here yet.. haha Gotta keep the spotlight away from me.. haha
Well I hope you guys have a great week! Love you all!
Elder Michael Gadberry
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