Tanay Area- Philippines: Week 5

 Yoo what's up gang

I’ve officially been in the field for over a month!! It feels like I’ve been here for like a year just cause each day is so long, but I’m taking it one day at a time and it's been fun

Word of the Week: pananampalataya (faith)

Lots of lessons about faith this week and my sister sent me a great talk about faith which I liked. And on the mission and throughout life in general faith is very important and is necessary before miracles can happen. And faith drives us each and every day to strive to come closer to Christ in all we do. Woah that was spiritual, and it wasn't even the spiritual thought my bad

ESPN Top 10 Highlights of the Week:

10. One of my companions in my trio transferred early this Sunday.  So he packed up his things and is out this joint. See ya bud. So now it's just me and Bulilan which is still fire.

9. We got unlimited wings again and wow that was the last time we do that. I think we all got sick after it, we didn’t even eat that much idk what happened. They probably wanted to get rid of us so they poisoned the chicken. 

8. I met some cockroaches in the bathroom! That was a fun surprise in the middle of the night. I thought my eyes were just tweaking out cause it was 1AM but nope just 3 big cockroaches I let them be, I wasn’t about to have them crawl on me.

7. We went thrifting at the market which was the worst thrifting experience I’ve had. It was at least 200 degrees outside and the thrift was in the same place as the meat market so it REEKED. Holy I was about to puke all over the shirts. I don’t know what was worse, the smell or the selection of clothes. HOWEVER, I did find a BALENCIAGA tie which is so sick. It was all worth it in the end.

6. This member jokingly offered up her daughter for marriage to me. She was talking about my experience here and if I wanted to stay, and then she said “who knows maybe your eternal companion is here” and nodded to her daughter… super sus. I was like yeah no I’m good, I’ll return happily to the states without your daughter, thank you. Not to mention I’m already locked in  and focused cause I’m a missionary ofc, but my comp was in literal tears laughing.

5. We tried mango jam for the first time and dang its GAS especially paired with nutella oh myyyy!! And with pandasal ok I need to stop my mouth is watering idk how I haven't mentioned pandasal, it's legit just like tiny rolls that you buy and they're fresh out of the oven. For only 2 pesos per roll which is legit 3 cents. I love bread

4. I think I’m gonna run out of money if I keep buying shoes. We went back to the shoe store and I bought 2 more pairs I can’t help it, I’m addicted. I bought birkenstocks and Travis Scott Jordan 1s. Drippiest missionary in the Philippines. 

3. We had a trainee meeting with the Mission President. Gulp Jk it was chill, he basically just told us what he expected of us and had some spiritual bombs he dropped It was fun to be with the other guys who still have no idea what they are doing.

2.We extended the invitation to be baptized to 2 teenagers and confirmed them for the 23rd and the 30th. We plan on inviting their siblings also and then teaching the parents, but we’re excited for them and are amazed at their faith!

1. We went out to the market this week and wow I cashed out. I bought this super sick machete with a sheath that you can wear as a belt. AND a fire straw rice hat.  I’m basically set for the rest of my time here, I have all I need. And when I’m holding my machete and I have my rice hat, wow I look cool.

Espiritual na Isip:

 2 Nephi 27:23

"For behold, I am God; and I am a God or miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith”

My sister shared this scripture verse with me and I love it, I highlighted it the other day to use in a lesson so it was sick that she sent it to me.

When we think of miracles it's easy to think of the big ones, Jesus healing the blind, Moses parting the sea, etc. But there are miracles happening around us all the time and some are easy to miss or look over.

I know that God still works miracles today, big and small, and not only just in the prophets' lives but in all of our lives. And miracles are possible according to our faith. So believe that God can help you overcome any obstacle or trial, because He can and He will! If we rely on the Lord and not on our own strengths, He will bear our burdens and work miracles in our lives. 

And when God is working miracles in our lives it’s important to recognize them and express your gratitude for them. Something I’ve been praying for recently is the ability to recognize His hand in my life more often. And when you seek it out, I promise that you will be able to see the many ways He carries you through. 

For John John, a kid we are teaching, we had the concern of parents' permission for baptism. We had never met his parents as we’d never seen them or been introduced. We went to go teach him, expecting to have to schedule an appointment with the mom through John John to discuss his baptism. During the lesson, the mom entered the room and sat in while we taught and extended his baptismal date. After the lesson we talked with her, introduced ourselves and asked her permission for her son's baptism. She was quickly supportive and loved that her son was striving to draw closer to Christ. A miracle to us and a moment that we’re grateful for.

God is mindful of us and our concerns and needs and wants to bless us. We have to do our part and believe in His power and follow His teachings. When we do these things we unlock His divine power in our lives.

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Another calm week in the Philippines

Talk to you next week,

 Elder Tyson Smith