January 25, 2011

Hey yall

So this has been one heck of a week for me here in Lilo An! I didn't transfer. Right at the last second of the transfer discussion meeting, President decided that he wanted Elder Atanacio to train, in a move that left me here in Lilo-An as opposed to transferring to Negros and being comps with one of my best buds Elder Heer. But that's okay. I realize that it must have been a spark of revelation that hit President at the last second. My new companion is Elder Himarangan and he's way cool. He's a little more quiet but I figure there's gotta be something inside that shell. I'll bring it out and help him use it in the work.
So I don't know what's going on with me but I think it has something to do with the Iglesia ni Cristo minister I taught that has me wanting to teach ministers and sit in on church meetings and stuff. Let me tell you about the Iglesia minister first.

So last week I was on exchanges with an American elder who didn't know the language too well and we got invited inside by a minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo religion which is a church that is notorious here in the Philippines for attacking other religions and trying to get into debates. We got into the house and realized that he was Iglesia. But as I looked around the house, I realized that he was more than just a member of the Iglesia member, it was an Iglesia MINISTER!!! So we started talking. I had Elder Nelson run the lesson and I cleaned up the loose ends and handled any objections. The minister was asking us some kind of ridiculous questions like if the picture of Christ on the front of the pamphlet was his real face or not. Stuff like that. So we got to the First Vision and he said that God couldn't be seen because he was a Spirit. So I showed him some scriptures (about 5) that shows that God has been seen and that he does have a body. Then I owned him with Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 saying that the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as a mans. Then he kind of abandoned his argument to say that Joseph Smith is not a true prophet. Now, that got me kind of irritated because to me, you do NOT challenge Joseph Smith and get away with it. So I busted out D&C 130:11 and 12 and showed him that the prophecy of the Civil War came true. A prophecy made 29 years before the war. So that kind of put him on the spot. So then he tried to ask us about the Reorganized Church and say that since the power of prophet did not go to Joseph Smith's son, then any church that follows Brigham Young can't be true. So I put that argument to sleep right quick by saying that the power of prophet does not have to be passed from father to son and owned it by showing him that Joshua was not the son of Moses, Elisha was not the son of Elijah, I showed him about Agabus and could have said more but I proved my point. He didn't say much after that and then we left.
Then last night I actually did a street contact for another church on accident. haha. I saw this Korean dude trying to talk to a filipino and so I offered to translate for him. Well, turns out that they were trying to invite him to attend their bible study class that night. They said it was open to everyone. So that night after our dinner appointment we went over to attend. We get there and the pastor of the church comes up to us and asks my companion what we were doing there...in Cebuano! It was the first time a Korean spoke Visayan to anyone. Ever. But I just spoke English cuz his Visayan was not good. He asked what we were doing and I said we were invited. He started freaking out and asked who. Then this army of Koreans comes out and stands behind him except for the one that said we could attend! So I told him it was a different kid and he said we had to leave. But he said that we could come back and talk with him.  I am determined to talk with him. I think that if I can get my comp and myself in the door a crack, then we can maybe have a convert. haha. YEAH!

Tonight we were invited to attend the Dating Daan sermon. We were also invited to attend their Indoctrination Class tomorrow night...with their PROPHET!!!! Its an open forum where if there are any questions we can ask and he can answer. So we're going to see what happens. I'm super excited.
Let me put the thought to rest that I have not become a Bible basher. I have just gotten comfortable enough with teaching using the scriptures that I feel comfortable in a little heat. The Lord has helped me so far as long as I don't get out of hand. My patience that I have acquired so far in my mission has helped a lot. And I just can't be afraid.

That's pretty much it. Just got done in the temple. It was great.
Hope you have a great week!

I got the brownies. Fudgy and delicious!!! Thanks family! Thanks to Traci too!

I'll be home for Christmas!
Brandon

January 19, 2011

HEY YOU GUUUUUYSSS!!!!!

Haha. Goonies humor is awesome.

So how was this week for everyone? It was one heck of a week for us! On Saturday we had a baptism! I'll send the pics next week. It was Editha and Ladyvale. It was so awesome. They bore their testimonies at the end and they both cried. It was cute. Ladyvale couldn't finish so she just sat down. haha. They were so excited. Soooooo excited. They showed up to the church 3 hours before the baptism. haha. One of the coolest things was that Duane del Castillo was the one who baptized them! If you don't remember who Duane is, he is the last guy that we baptized in November. He's now the 2nd counselor in the Young Men's Presidency and holder of the Aaronic Priesthood. And he baptized the two of them. We were praying the morning of the baptism and I got this super strong impression that he needed to do the baptism. So I texted him to see if he could and he said he would! He was late but he did it!  It was so cool to see my convert baptizing my converts. When he finished he was just so happy. He was laughing and he said, "If the Catholic Church could see me now. I'm a boxing instructor and I just baptized two people into the Church of Jesus Christ!" I gave him a monstrous high-five. He's such a boss. Looooove Duane. I'm so proud of that guy. He's the convert people dream of. Props. He was so happy that he got to baptize that he took us out to Jolibee and bought us a chicken bucket for dinner. I took him out to ice cream cuz Editha and Ladyvale got taken to dinner by members.

As for the amoeba--I know this was the topic of the week for you guys--its all gone. I've been really focused on getting it out. Praying really hard, I took all the meds, and even started drinking this drink that kills all the bad crap in your intestine/stomach. So that amoeba is toast. Sister Hansen didn't seem too worried. The meds did the trick she said. Don't worry about it. I'm a servant of Jesus Christ. He's got my back.

Before I forget, GREATEST FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTER OF ALL TIME!!!! I remember those commercials and I loved them. So I was reading it and laughing soooo hard. As for the picture of me, eh. Its my fault for not sending more pictures but I am FAT in that picture!!! First area, adjusting to weather, food, pollution, humidity, the whole nine yards. No probs tho. When I come home I should be in pretty good shape. Perfect to get to the dating scene ASAP!!!

Also DAD!!!! Do you remember Elder Nelson from your mission in Seattle? Well, his son is in my district. I'm his 2nd zone leader. Just like you were his 2nd zone leader. Boss. So that makes Elder Ames' dad, that one guy in the city that I told you about that I met from your mission and Elder Nelson's dad. Who's next? hahaha.

I had to go and break up a conflict on Friday that taught me two things. One, the proud get no help and only stumble. Two, the Spirit sometimes just wants to smack people around to get them to wake up! Two missionaries were having a problem where they just couldn't understand each other or something. So I had to go over there during a companionship split and solve it! It was horrible. It was really difficult to not have Elder Atanacio with me. The two of us bounce so well off each other and pick up things that the other doesn't. I had to solve it myself. The greenie I was with sat in the kitchen and read. Long story short, I resolved this conflict for 2 hours. Turns out the Elder's problem is PRIDE!!! He's super homesick, doesn't like to be told he can't speak the language well (he's on month 3), doesn't like his companion, can't teach well, but can't seem to get the Atonement to work for him in his problems! I pulled out Elder Richard G. Scott's talk in last April session of General Conference when he said that for the proud and haughty, it is as if there never was an Atonement made! Let me stop and just say that I'm so grateful for Apostles and Prophets. How lost would we be without them! Shoot... He took it and he should be applying it. The interview was rough. It was a lot of chastisement. I had to listen really closely to the Spirit to know where to draw the line. There was so much I WANTED to say but only so much the Spirit would LET me say. It was a really intense experience in piecing together the truth and giving him the right advice.

Then yesterday I went head to head with an Iglesia ni Cristo pastor. That was the most intense teaching moment ever in my mission. He calmly challenged everything. I was listening to the Spirit so hard so that I would have the words put in my mouth to say. Intense. My hands were shaking cuz I was kinda scared. hahaha. He was so calm while challenging us that it was intimidating. He asked lots of questions to try and trip us up. They believe that the Bible has absolutely NO mistakes and that it just needs to be interpreted correctly. I was like, "us too!" That's why we have a living prophet! It was a strange teaching moment. I'll never forget it.

Alright. Love you all. Thanks for the package!

I'll be home for Christmas!

Brandon

January 11, 2011

Jan 11

Hey everyone!

So this week has been one that did not have much work on the missionary part. For two reasons. First, we had our zone interviews on Thursday with President Hansen. He's such a great man. So full of the Spirit when he talks. He knows how to use the Spirit to just influence you to do good. I do my best to do that as a leader and be like him and especially the Savior. But the interviews went great. We had a very long interview where he was very grateful for the work that Elder Atanacio and myself have done. He told us that the zone has improved by "leaps and bounds" since we got here and he is very proud of the work we have done. He said that our zone has changed and turned around more than any of the others. I don't say this to be like, '"oh, we're the best Zone Leaders" but I'm very glad that he has noticed the toil and trouble and fervent prayers that Elder Atanacio and I have offered to the Lord on behalf of the zone to assist in its progression in addition to the extra hours of strenuous travel and interviewing to deal with the disobedient missionaries. He has seen it. I remember that Dad had made a comment about how I may not feel like President notices how hard we work. He does. He told me.

We had our second and third emergency transfer in the last week on Friday. It has just been enough to handle with the first one. The second and third were even worse because on Thursday we had gotten taken out to eat oysters by some members in the ward and ended up eating 7 kilos of oysters (of course that includes the shell). I had caught an amoeba but I didnt know that yet. Its important that you know that I have that amoeba. I woke up on Friday with a deadline to get to the temple complex to complete the emergency transfer by 9 am sharp. I woke up and had some beast-mode diarrhea (sp?) and my stomach was just killing me. We got dressed, studied, and then got into a packed, hot, jeepney headed for the smoggy city. I felt like I was either going to: a) lose my bowels or b) throw up on someone. We got into the city without incident and made it to the temple in a taxi.

We got out at the temple and met the new elder, Elder Gertge and gave the one that was getting transferred away. We had to take the other Elder (remember there are two) to the terminal headed for Negros Island but I had a really weird feeling in my stomach and I just felt like I should stay behind at the office. So the three missionaries went to the terminal to drop off the Elder. While at the office, I threw up a total of 3 times. Probably the hardest I have ever thrown up in my life.

So as a result of this amoeba, I got hit hard with weakness, aches, barfing, diahrrea and the like. So we didn't work since I couldn't leave the house. But Monday we were able to leave. We spent the district meeting in a special district meeting. It was the first one where I felt the Spirit. Those meetings tend to be fun and games. But we really focused on the Spirit--having it present. Then we gave a workshop on obedience. On how the Lord CANNOT work through us if we are not obedient. We taught the latter verses of Doctrine and Covenants 88--the Higher Law. It was very powerful. The missionaries loved it. Afterwards, an Elder even came to us with a confession of some disobedience which will (pause for a sigh) would have resulted in another emergency transfer. But transfers are next Friday. So they are waiting. The Spirit reproved him to the point he needed to repent. Thats power. It was a great workshop. It also helped me refocus myself as a leader and missionary to always be obedient. I do my best...

Thanks for all your love, support and prayers. I love you and pray for you all. Have a good week!

I'll be home for Christmas,

January 5, 2011

Hey Everyone!

So this last week was great! I saw the first lady that I baptized in my mission last week! She's the Secretary in the Relief Society I think and is still active. And she's still bringing her kids to Church. And she's still working on her husband. haha. Good ol Adrian. He's a funny guy. Then I saw the mother of the second family I baptized! They're 80% active in the church still. They said they've been doing well in coming to church. I'm glad that they are still Enduring to the End. hehe. I have some great teaching stories that are gonna be loved by you! (I'm sorry. That was a horrible English sentence. My english is crumbling!)

So first, this story happened last week:

We had found this lady to teach. She has 8 kids so they are 10. So we were in there and discussing with her about the Gospel a little bit and at first she wasn't too into what we were saying. But then she started to open up as to why she didn't care about what we had to say. Turns out that this lady in the ward (one of the richest people i have met in the philippines) had gotten a lot of help while they were building their house from this lady we had met. her name is analisa by the way. we are talking lots of help. food, water, electricity--the works. but as soon as the house was done, she turned her back on analisa and would not talk to her or look at her, anything. well one time they got into an argument about something small and it escalated into the member telling analisa that she was poor, worthless and patay gutom (which essentially means that she is so hungry that she will eat anything--including garbage). so that is her view of the Church. a bunch of snobs.

so what we did was we got the old bishop and his wife to come with us over there last last sunday so that analisa could meet some nice members and get a new view of the church. we were there for an hour and things went great. we played with the kids and the kids loved us. then bishop and his wife talked with analisa. it was great. we set an appointment for tuesday to come back. she accepted. we were optimistic. we counted our chickens....baptismal date in february was the call.

so we go back on tuesday with anthony, the son of the old bishop. we had had a great day. he had been a real help and had taught some great lessons with us. he was on roll. he's seventeen and getting ready to get serious about a mission. so we get to analisa's house and sit down. she sits down and asks (this is all translated of course) "what are we gonna do?". We smile and Elder Atanacio begins to tell her that we are here to share with her the truth that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth and that a living prophet leads it by revelation. He goes on and talks to her about the church. He was doing a really good job but we could tell that it wasn't hitting her the right way. So Elder Atanacio finishes his thought and stops. I had no thoughts come to my mind of what to say. Nothing. So I did what I learned to do--I waited for the Spirit to give me something to say. If I don't feel the Spirit telling me something then I don't speak. I felt nothing for about 1 minute. Then thoughts started coming to me. I bore solid testimony of the Restored Gospel. I told her about the Book of Mormon and how its true. I told her that I cannot put into words my testimony of the truthfulness of that book. I told her of Joseph Smith and his divine calling to restore the Gospel to the earth. I told her of the priesthood and the importance of it. I told her of the Apostasy and how it was prophesied of for ages and how the Restoration is the answer to the Apostasy. I bore testimony and then stopped.

There was silence for another minute. Elder Atanacio didn't say anything because he wasn't feeling anything. And the Spirit was done speaking to me. We sat there in silence for another minute. I looked at Anthony and he had his fists clenched together and his eyes closed tight. Then Elder Atanacio started talking. He told her of how he was a convert to the church. He told her of the blessing that it was in his life and the fact that the truth had been discovered by his brother. He talked about sealings and the temple. He bore a great testimony. He finished and silence for another minute. A full minute and then I felt prompted to ask her if she felt she was ready to hear the Restored Gospel. She didn't say anything. Then I said, "I dont think you're quite ready. Maybe another time." Then she said, "I think so too".

So I ask her to say a prayer. She says, "Your prayers are different than mine." I just said, "But we're both praying to the same person, right?" So she reluctantly stands up and shakes around a bit and then turns around. I thought she was gonna do some jumping jacks or something. Thats what it looked like. Then with lightning fast speed she shouts, "FATHER! SON! HOLY SPIRIT!" Then she spins around and faces this picture of Jesus on the wall. Then she hold out her arm and points at the picture. I didn't even close my eyes. It was the first time i had seen this. Her prayer was something like this: "Lord, I'm so grateful that I have withstood the evil teachings of these men. Thank you Lord for strengthening my heart against their attacks on our faith. Lord, I will not leave you to join the church of the Devil! Make them realize that their path is going towards Hell and suffering! Amen." Then she turns around.

Yeah. So we left and decided not to go back. But here is the interesting part. As we were leaving her house, Anthony turns around and says, "OH MY GOSH!" He starts freaking out. Literally. So we find a spot and calm him down. He goes, "Why did you guys not talk about Primary!" I go, "Primary? She's not a kid!" Then he tells us that at first when we started talking to Analisa, he was thinking of school and friends and stuff. Then he started to focus on Analisa. He said that as he did that, he started seeing pictures from Primary, hearing songs that he used to sing in Primary and remember lessons that he had learned in Primary. He saw his Primary teacher. He said it was like rapid speed through his mind's eye. I told him that I hadn't talked about Primary because I didn't feel prompted to talk about Primary. Then it hit me. The Spirit was prompting him HARD to talk about Primary! The Spirit had guided the lesson so well that it had even given him time to come in and talk about primary! Those were the minute breaks where neither I or my companion had any promptings! The Spirit had very meticulously weaved that lesson. Anthony can't be blamed. He didn't know what to do. That was the first time he said he had ever been that prompted in his life. I told him that that's what happens when you focus on what the investigator needs to hear--not what sounds good.

I know that the Holy Ghost guided us. And I know that Primary is what she needed to hear. But not from me. Not from my companion. But from Anthony. The Holy Ghost knows what he is doing. So listen carefully...

The second experience is cool too. We have an investigator getting baptized next Saturday--Editha Villa and her daughter Ladyvell. They are so converted it is crazy. They walked to church in the rain because they couldn't stand not going. She missed a Sunday because she was sick and she felt so horrible inside. She knows this is the Lord's true Gospel restored. We were teaching them about the Fall and Atonement (my favorite lesson) and we finished it up by holding up a picture of the Savior and then bearing testimony of Him. We finished and then EDITHA starts to bear her testimony to us about Christ and then she goes into bearing her testimony that this is the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then she tells us of her testimony of the Book of Mormon! Then she bears testimony of Joseph Smith. She said it was hard for her to express her feelings because its the first time in her life where she has felt such conviction in something. Then Ladyvell gives the most legit prayer I have heard in my mission. She thanks Heavenly Father for everything--school, her house, the Savior, the church, us, the Book of Mormon, her mom's job, etc. Then she (in her prayer) says, "Father, I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet! I know that the Book of Mormon is true! I know that the Church is true!" and then she closed.

Wow. It was such an awesome lesson. We met them 3 weeks ago. When we met them they had no idea what the Church was. Now look at them. This is why I'm here--in case you're wondering still. hehe. Its because of the Spirit, the Book of Mormon and their prayers. That's why they know it. You just gotta read it and then ask. It's simple. And its the only way.

Hope you all have a good week! Thanks for everything! By the way, thanks to all of you that sent me stuff for Christmas! I love you all. I don't have time to make up Christmas Thank you's but just know that I appreciate it all!

Love you!

I'll be home for Christmas!

Brandon