So....wow. Where do I start off? Super just like...what......? Like, its hard for me to try and explain these feelings of just sadness and emptiness and hollow--...where could we have gone wrong? What is this? Are we not Brigham Young University Cougars? Why do we not fight then as such? Where is the Cougar Pride that we hold so dear? Are we putting too much trust in the hands of a Sophomore? What did we expect? Is a 44 point gap something that we can really roll over and accept as "just another loss"? Wow. "Therefore, in consequence of the turnovers of my Cougars, it is expedient in me that mine Cougar fans should wait a little season for the redemption of Zion--" D&C 105:9...with adjustments.
So this week we dropped Goody as an investigator. Yeah...it was a little rough. He has been my favorite. I've taken a lot of missionaries over there and been able to teach them how to teach using the Spirit and the scriptures (most missionaries in our mission only use the Book of Mormon and nothing else) to answer questions. He would be such an excellent member if not for his pride. He just wouldn't give anything a real chance at this point. As far as I know, we are the 4th set of Elders he has met. So...if that 5-7 times thing is right about contact with the Church, then he's due next time. I think we prepped him pretty well. He's such a great guy. But I totally trust the Lord that there is someone waiting for us elsewhere. We found three new investigators yesterday including one alcoholic who wants to change his life. We talked with him a lot about the one lost sheep and how Jesus searched it out. We told him he was that lost sheep and the Lord had sent us there to bring him back. It was one of my favorite lessons of my mission. Just seeing this guy who has thrown his life in the gutter trying to pull himself back out. Its impossible without the Atonement. He committed to not smoke or drink anymore so we are checking up on him tonight. Good guy. Just needs help.
Also, on a side note, MY DREAMS ARE BEING REALIZED!!!!! I guess you all have at least a minor understanding of my pure and just endless love for anything musical (yes, even Alison Krauss has some flavor at times). Well, we had this Service Project and afterwards we went over to the house of the member that helped us out and I noticed that he had a drumset. Well, Elder Serrano plays drums so I asked if he could maybe play a little. He pulls out the drums and then comes out the mic, then the guitar, then the bass. He's handin stuff out to everyone left and right! He hands me the mic and it turns out that Elder Serrano is INCREDIBLE on the drums and Elder Faustarilla is a KING on the guitar! Elder Hardin took the bass and just plucked away. We just messed around for a second and then Elder Faustarilla goes, "Okay guys, lets get serious..." and then starts playing "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" by the Script. It was so awesome. So I start singing. We're being super serious like we're in a concert but not thinking we're going to get very far until Elder Serrano comes in with the drums and then Hardin just hits one note after another and soon as we know it, we are ROCKIN!!!! We have now created our band for P-Days! We are "Sons of Thunder"!!!! Its awesome. Its not as big as it sounds. Also big news...what if I said that on October 20, 2011, Elder Jeffrey R Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints would be coming to the Cebu mission and doing a mission fireside? Just a thought...since he is. hahaha. YEAH!!! Holland, Tad R. Callister (whose talk on Joseph Smith and the Restoration became my blueprint for teaching the importance of the First Vision) and President Michael Teh. Its gonna be pretty dang awesome to say the least. I started the Book of Mormon over and plan on finishing it before the fireside so I can prepare. Its gonna be awesome.
In other news....if my calculations are correct, I think I only have 6 REAL P-Days left. After that I'll be in the mission home waiting for mom and dad to pick me up. Pretty crazy but...yeah. Nuts. Almost home. Just working til the end though.Take it easy kids.
Love you all.Brandon
