April 9, 2011

   Well this week went good and i have one story to tell you that was the coolest feeling i have had in my mission so far welll actually two but the one i super short...The short one first: So i OYMed this tatay and he is like in his 40's and i asked if we could share a message and he said yes, so we went into his house which is a store as well like almost all houses in this area. He gave us a free soft drink which was so nice cause it was just so hot and then i started just asking questions to get to know him and he is a hard working dad of three and just has a hard life like most people. Then i turned into a gospel thing and started asking question about religion when he said he was catholic but doesn't go to church or anything like that and really has no knowledge of the gospel so i taught lesson one and it was really good... and that was it and i gave him the commitment to pray and he agreed to a return appointment and this is where the cool thing happened...the first thing he said before we started the lesson was thank you because he said he prayed and because he prayed God blessed his life and gave him a job. He found a job the next day and that he felt the love of God for him and that God just had blessed him because he prayed.... I loved this thing because it is as simple as prayer. asking a man to pray that has no knowledge of the gospel but still the Lord blessed his life because he acted upon a commandment of God... so cool right??? Story two: So we had just been punted from about three or four doors and by now i was just like this sucks and I was like okay lets just OYM and burn time...so we were walking by this empty lot when a young bata (kid) called me Joe so i walked over to him to talk to him and I was talking in Tagalog and of course that just blew his mind he even asked me if i was philippino and i always joke i am but i just have white skin and they love it as kids because they are so kind and caring...so as i was talking in Tagalog more and more kids started coming and just asking me funny questions like my eye color or my height or if my eyes are fake or why am i here and then one kid asked about what we do so i told him my purpose and then they just began throwing all kinds of questions about that. Then a tatay brought me a chair and put it in the shade so it wasn't as hot and the kids were just so interested so i starting asking questions about what religions are they or who prays and then i decided to teach them the first lesson. (It is summer vacation here so kids don't have school) so i am siting on the side of the road in the shade and i have about, and this is no lie, 40 kids siting around me just as quiet as quiet is and i began to teach them about the first lesson is was asking question and get great answer and it was just amazing and then we finished the lesson and i asked them all there names and asked them to all start pray and it was just the best moment ever. I didn't worry about the language and it just came i said everything i wanted to and they loved it and they understood and i felt the spirit and i know they felt the spirit and so now when i walk in that part of town kids always call out to me as their friend and they are all so happy to see me and it makes me feel so good to know that i helped all these kids know and get closer the their loving heavenly father and that moment i will never forget because it was so sweet...Those were my two great time this week. These are the things that truly help me know i am in the right place doing the right things... I miss you guys too and love you guys more than anything in the whole world... man i miss dougs family too ...  tell Zach i love him and say hi and when i am done with my mission i will play with him... WELL LOVE YOU AGAIN AND KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!!!!!! Always pray, read daily , and go to church weekly... those are the three most important things we can ever do!!