So this week, I was actually put into a trisome! I actually don't really like it a lot, because now we are working two areas with the inability to split unless we can get a member. So that's fun. The story behind this is kind of long, so I'll give the short version because it's kind of not important. We have four people in my apartment, one got sick, so did another Elder in a different part of the zone, so they grouped the "sickies" together at the hospital and then one was sent to Manila. The other one came back to our apartment and now we are a trisome. Is trisome the right word? There's three of us, that's what I'm going for...
For you, mother dearest, I will talk about an average day.
Everyday I get up at 6:30. If you are not in front of a fan, your blood boils, especially because the ceiling in our apartment is so low. So I drag the fan out of my room, plug it into the socket, and then lay down on the ground on the cement with the fan blowing on me so I can keep cool for a bit. The goal is to dissipate as much heat as possible into the floor. After a few minutes of that, I go make some breakfast. Sometimes... I'll usually put on a few conference talks to listen to while preparing and take a shower. The cold shower really is a blessing, especially during the summer here. As soon as you get out though, you stand in front of a fan while you get ready. So, basically it's HOT here. And then we study for a few hours, eat our lunch, and then go out to work. The problem with the missionary schedule here is that everyone takes their afternoon siesta, inherited from the Spaniards. So basically we just have to keep walking around to our different members and investigators until we find someone awake to listen to us. Around three or four is when the work starts going a bit better. Then we just proselyte straight until about eight to nine. Sometimes we have a dinner appointment, but usually not. Then we go home, plan, eat, and do everything we need to get done before 10:30. It's hard to get to bed on time because there's so much to fit in to that last bit of the day... That's basically what I do on a normal day. However, "normal days" rarely happen here. There seems to always be something that happens that interrupts our studies. Especially with the traffic and transportation systems, if you have to go into the city for something or to pick up something from the office or anything like that, you're looking at a two to three our journey, if you're lucky. It's "Filipino Time", very similar to "Mexican Time", to those who are familiar with that. And then when we get home, we just have to go out and work to keep up with the pace of the work here. So that's how it is here!
We had a baptism this week! H........ His father was baptized by the Sisters just before the area was given to us. We finally got H........ to go to church with his father and he was baptized. He's super super shy, but he's great! He braved the murky baptismal font water like a champ. I always like wearing baptismal clothes because it looks like karate stuff. The kids think that too haha. So we usually do some karate poses and kicks. The baptismal service was great and everything went well. Except I did have to go get my white tie that I left at the apartment. So it was pretty funny, I'm sure, to have seen a white guy, tromping around town in all white. How cool.
I had something come to my mind just barely that I have pondered a lot during my mission. President Lopez pointed out during my first day here, that in the white handbook it quotes Mosiah 4:27.
-- "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize;therefore, all things must be done in order." --
He made sure to point out, "Elders and Sisters, you are not allowed to rest or take naps. Yes, you will be tired in your mission, but notice here in this scripture that it implies we are still running. Elders and Sisters, you should always be running."
When I heard that, I thought, "Okay, he totally twisted that scripture to his advantage just so we can't take naps..." But I have since come to understand EXACTLY what he was talking about. Yes, we should not run faster than we have strength, but we should never stop running. Sometimes we can slow down our pace, but it should never turn into just walking. Whenever we are "comfortable" in our lives or in our calling, that means we are also not progressing. It's very nice that you are comfortable, but, hey, you aren't "winning the prize". If we aren't diligent, we aren't winning the prize. And if we aren't winning the prize, then what's this all about??? (that was actually quoting Creed off of The Office when he talks about scuba diving) Anyway, let's win the prize! Go for gold.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Elder Welton
