5-4-2016

First off, those pictures are so great! The lambs just make my heart so  so happy for some reason. I don't know what on earth it is about lambs... but they make me so happy xD It's so sad that the goat wasn't doing too well, but I am really happy to hear that he is healing and doing well! I totally remember taking the lamb to the beach, that was the best!! :D :D

I got the numbers and created a Skype and added you as a contact, so hopefully expect a call coming on Sunday Evening there... at least I think so. If you want to do the calculation... it'll be here Monday Morning probably somewhere between 10 and 2... so I really don't know when exactly I'll call, but I will :D

I honestly don't really know what is in the soap... but it's called "ROYALE KOJIC PAPAYA" and is really great! But anyway, it's pretty funny to me to hear about how long it might take for that package to get here... I don't know why! I'm so so happy to hear that all of you guys are taking care out there at home, and I of course hope that things will keep being awesome :) I don't think that I'll email next week because I'm going to be too busy calling hope.... hopefully you guys won't mind xD

Anyway, so my week...!

Meron po kaming ULAN. That means that we have rain, this week we had two storms that were really really strong with tons of rain. But what I want to focus more on is the lightning, I don't think ever in my life had I seen lightning as strong and often as that. It was literally some 2 every second for hours... that made for some pretty cool pictures, which I'll try to send right now or next week. But that was really cool!

This week was really good for us here in San Leon, with a lot of success. But of course the best thing that has got to have heppened to me this week is the fact that Brother C had his baptismal interview and passed with flying colors!!! That means coming up on Saturday, I will be having another baptism. He was the happiest man that I think I have ever seen, I mean coming out of that interview he was just beaming with light and joy. And that's saying something for someone who just biked some 3 km in the heat of the sun just to get to the church. Haha, he's such a funny guy... even though it's so hard to understand anything because he talks at a million miles an hour.

Now there was SUCH a kind of funny and sad experience this week... so last week we talked to that singapore man, and he was talking about some book that "was written by our founder" and proved why our religion was wrong. Then kept asking if we know who Mormon is. So one, of course we know Mormon is... I think I know a little more about Mormon than him xD Anyway though, he then was talking about how he has two hotels near where this man is from in Singapore... so then we are REALLY confused like... what?! The next time we came back, this week... we asked to see this "book" and he pulled it out and gave it right to us, said we could keep it!

You know what it was?

The autobiography of J. Willard Marriot. As it turns out it wasn't at all an antimormon literature, but about a devout Mormon who created an incredibly successful hotel chain. So when we go back this week, I'm going to have so much fun sharing how that isn't at all written by our "leader". It's just sad to me, because I don't think he quite understood the things that he read, because when he gave us the chapter that proves us "wrong", I went home and read it... only to find out that it was a chapter on his dedicated missionary service in New York xD

What else can I say? We have really been working and pulling out lessons with investigators and less active members. I think that this week, we found 13 investigators through our own efforts and 24 total by the end of the week because we had a Blitz (where the missionaries in my district all came and we went out to find new investigators... that was really successful!)

And finally, we had two lessons this week where a less active cried and then one where the investigator cried on the first lesson. It's really humbling because they live in really humble circumstances, and you know what... I felt really that we were supposed to go and visit them that day. The Spirit is truly a wonderful gift and the teacher of every one. What a wonderful and humbling work it is to be serving out here in San Leon. Though my time is running out since transfers is coming up and I think that it'll be finally time for me to move on to another area!

Love you guys so much,

Elder Morris

ps- so two of these pictures need explanation!

ONE, those birds are some sort of mocking ones... because they could copy so much! Like I said "pangit ka (you're ugly) and it copied me!!!" or would whistle to it, and it would return the noise! SO COOL.

and two, we found a dead kitten outside our apartment, so we held a "funeral" and even had kids who I don't even know attend! It was really funny XD

Gwapo ako. (I am handsome)

 

Haha, that's so awesome! I don't think you quite understand how grateful missionaries are when they don't have to pay for their dinner. The first twelve weeks for me were really tough because we never ate at members homes! But that's so cooll, they sound aweome! It's so interesting to me to really know how the missionaries feel about members of the ward in which they serve, totally a different point of view! It makes me want to go on splits with the missionaries a little more often when I go back home!! xD Anyway, I really am getting a tan out here, but that also means tan LINES... you should see my neck! It's actually kind of really funny!

So with Mothers Day, it's going to be kind of interesting because we're going to be able to call or Skype home on May 8th or 9th... so basically for you, just be ready probably May 8th there late evening for me to Skype. Honestly I don't know what time it will be... maybe up to as late as midnight. And I don't know how long it'll be. But I'll give you more details next week! 

 

You're kidding... you know, since I got out here on my mission I've really been able to take a step back and see the condition I guess of the world. And my own beliefs are deeper now than they ever have been... the whole transgender situation is just... well, I guess I'll just refer you to the scriptures where it includes the words that sexual sin is an abomination. I'm almost positive that that includes things done to yourself, as sex can obviously refer to the gender of a person. But anway, we're all in this crazy world. Just keep being righteous and everything will turn out one day!

Hahahahaha, I love to hear about all the animals. some 30+ sheep and goats and all the others, I can only imagine what it sounds like super early every morning! But it's so cute! I miss those animals so much! xD

So first off, we didn't find that giant snake last week because we instead chose to go and play basketball with some of the members. Did I tell you guys that the people here just absolutely LOVE to play basketball all of the time? It's so funny because I am NOT good at basketball, everyone just assumes that I am like super super good at basketball! xD Anyway, this week didn't really have to much unique or awesome things happen. The only real update that I have for this week is that Brother C has his interview coming up on Saturday!! And then he'll be baptized on May 7th! This investigator has been in the process of working towards baptism for maybe 8 months or something because he's been special case for a long time. Meaning that he wasn't married to his "partner" but that was fixed since then and therefore is qualified for baptism! Yesterday we had a lesson with him about the Word of Wisdom and he's completely fine, so that's really great!

I guess that there is one really funny experience that I had this week that I really want to share right now!

So we were going and doing OYMs, or of course just when we go and talk to people to share a brief message and I just walk up to this house with a really big metal gate because I saw people on the other side. And it just so turns out that this old man is from Singapore and speaks NO tagalog. So we walk up and are like "Hello po, kami po and mga missionaries ng Ang Simbahan ni JesuCristo ng mga Banal sa mga Huling Araw" and he gives us the most blank face, so we repeat, a little louder. And that's when he says he can't speak Tagalog and Elder M just looks at me and says for me to handle it. So that was the first time that I had to talk to someone and do an OYM in English. And it was so hard, every sentance I just wanted to use Tagalog because it was hard for me to think about what the English was. So that was a really awesome experience and we'll be going back to visit them sometime this week!

OH, I totally just remembered that I also wanted to share this experience when we went up to this investigators home to do a second visit lesson. And as I'm walking up, his door is open. He literally sees us, gets up, and shuts the door. So we walk up and are just like "hello brother, nakita namin kayo, kamusta po kayo?" (we saw you... how are you?) but it was completely silent. So after a few minutes we just say goodbye to him and leave. But really that has got to be the first time that something like that has actually happened to me out here since I started on my mission. Though that's probably not saying much because I've heard how sometimes the missionaries are treated by people in other countries... everyone here is usually really nice to me!

But anyway, that's really all I want to say about this week... I'll of course keep all y'all updated on how my life is out here in San Leon! It's so crazy that this transfer is halfway over, I'm almost getting ready to move on to my second area... how crazy is that??

Love y'all! Keep being awesome, even when life throws that painful curveball! :)

Love,

Elder Morris

ps- you'll see in the pictures... we helped Brother C (the one on the log with the awesome looking machete) to replace the roof on his house. So that was really really fun! And the picture of the cloud if you look close is lightning, I took that when a storm passed over us. It was really awesome!


PS- if anyone needs a really good skin cleaning advice... this week I bought some soap and stuff from a member in Rosales, and I mean in like 3 days all of my acne is almost GONE. Really... it was so awesome. XD