Magandang tanghali

Kumusta kayo diyan?!

So, let's talk a little bit more about bugs and how they are EVERYWHERE. We have investigators that we teach outside all the time under this big tree for shade and holy cow that tree is bug-centro, talk about eeewww! Throughout the lesson there are these big black ants that fall out of it onto us, it's quite unpleasant and distracting for me haha. I see them crawling all over our investigators and try not to think about the ones that are most likely crawling all over me. The other day someone threw a rock into the tree and all sorts of funky creatures fell out onto me. Thank you. Also, in our house I constantly find dead centipedes and millipedes...double ew! I don't know where they are coming from or where the live ones are but it is disgusting and i'd rather them not be there.

We have some other investigators who don't have electricity so we always tried coordinating our appointments during the day but they were always busy and the kids were in school so this last week we decided to just teach at night under candle light and flash light. Honestly not a problem at all and I think it invites the spirit even more....no distractions and it's just peaceful. I definitely felt like a missionary in the philippines! Okay, so church sometimes is just funny to me. So many things go on that would never happen in America. Every sunday school there is a debate about something and this one tatay who used to be the bishop always stands up in front of the class and starts preaching in ilocano and laughing at the same time....super irreverent and there is no spirit. Yesterday the subject turned to Adam and Eve and he got up in front of us and of course I didn't understand a single word but he started acting out Adam putting on the loin cloth...oh my word I was laughing so hard inside. This is just unreal sometimes!

I've mentioned how we have lots of families we are teaching and the many problems that they have. It weighs on me, it really does. Saturday night we had a really good lesson with one family. The mom was telling us how many problems have arised recently and she just doesn't know what to do. We reminded her that a couple weeks ago we told her that as she accepted the gospel challenges would come but that the Lord was there. They haven't come to church yet and every Sunday they promise that they will come. So this night we were really bold and promised her that her problems would lessen if she would just go to church the next day with her family. She realized that she wasn't doing her part and promised (again) that she would go. Well, the following morning we dropped by to go to church with them and what happened? Another problem had come up that they needed to take care of right then. No church again. Gosh, it's so hard to know the truth and to know what will bring peace and help to the lives of our investigators and then to tell them and promise them things only to follow up and they haven't done it, and life is still hard and everything is still going wrong. How do you help them believe in the promises of the gospel??

I love this work so much but sometimes, i just dont feel like i know how to do it, how to really help people. In my life I have always just believed everything about the gospel. I know i'm not perfect and have made mistakes and broken commandments but i've just always known its true and that i can rely on it for anything. It's hard for me to put myself in other's shoes and picture what they must be feeling and thinking about this new thing we are presenting them....this "solution to all things" I guess at first it would be hard to believe and to take that first step. I need to be better about having patience and understanding with our investigators and really just relying more on the spirit. I am such a work in process haha. I am so very thankful for our loving, understanding Father. He knows life is a learning process and is not going to be taken in all at once. Time brings change and change takes time :)

Maging masaya kayong lahat!! Masirap ang buhay! :)

Love ko kayo,

Sis Carroll