Called to Serve

Called to Serve

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

First Week in the New Area

March 16, 2016

Oh my, this has been a very eventful week so far! I love my new area so much! So previously this area was a sister’s area so of course we have a TON of people to visit and a TON of investigators! A lot of peeps are ready for baptism too so it looks like this transfer we will be harvesting! Planting in Argao and harvesting in Pardo! 

Our neighbors are Indians from India. They play the Hindu music all... the... time... It is rather quite funny actually-haha! They have a shih-tzu sa gawas (outside) and this big dog too (idk the breed). The little one loves us but the big one hates us! They always cook, and to not be offensive to my Indian friends out there.... it smells really bad!!! 

The first night we were here we didn’t have our beds, tables, and area book so we kind of had to wing it- haha. We slept on the floor the first night. Once we got our area book and a few members to kuyog with us, we met a lot of other peeps and me and my new companion, si Elder Beretara, have got this area down now. 

Here in the area we have this one road called White Road. White Road isn’t white. It IS literally the dump here in this area. Even Canada exports their trash here too. We have a lot of families that we teach here in the White Road dump side. They are all fantastic! Simple sila and they love us Elders. We have this long road we have to trek to get to the dump side and so we sakay (like... ride sort of) this pedi-cab. A pedi-cab is where you have a bike and a side wagon and you pay the biker to peddle you to where you want to go. Well being that I am a 170 lb dude and my companion is (not kidding) 300 lbs and we have this 50 year old 100 pound tatay biking us, I decided to have him and my companion in the wagon and I bike. I always get the most funny looks and hoots haha! 

Last Monday I almost died.... I was driving this pedi-cab home at like 9 pm and I had to overtake this parked car. Well, right as I went to overtake it, another car came up from my left and me trying not to get hit or hit anything took it a little too close to the parked car. I scraped the crap out of the side. Well, turned out that the car I hit was a 15 day old 2016 Suzuki!  The owner was furious at first but I was like "Dude I'll get everything! This was my fault and we will take care of it!"  thinking I would have to add onto the already large bill I owe my parents (kay I would ask them for the money to fix it :D). The next day, being yesterday, we went to the car dealership, which conveniently is in our area! It was 5 minutes away and minimum fare on the jeepneys to get an estimate and they just decided to fix it right then and there. The best part is they didn’t charge us a thing!!! I was like "Pastilan! basin 10,000 pisos sa repair!" but no. I swear through the grace of our Lord I was spared from having to pay a huge amount to fix my damage.  All I wanted to do was not kill the tatays from driving us around everywhere so I guess it must have been good karma coming my way :)

(Here is part of the car I dinged. The scrape was on the whole side of the car btw)

Last night I was walking back in this pitch black alley way and I all of a sudden sunk deep to my right knee in this tiny stream of black sludge that runs by. My shoe filled with human.... yeah and all sorts of other stuff. Oh it was so disgusting! 

This morning we got to transfer all of our stuff to the sister’s old apartment. They figured that if we were the only ones here we should at least have the nicer house! So we spent all morning taking down the beds, desks, packing, and moving everything to the sister’s old house. It smells like a flower in there...

We got invited by this member to this dinner they were having. Well it turned out they had this huge party set up with clothed tables and catering and about 60-70 people there. It was this Nay's birthday. It was the first time in 9 months (not counting the MTC) in which I actually ate beef! Like legit beef, not the corned beef they have here. It made my heart happy once more:). 

(Our fancy dinner with beef!)

It’s been interesting so far. With great kabalay (house mates) things have been great here in opening this place. I admit it is going a bit slower that I want it to due to me not being the senior but that is ok.

A scripture that has been meaningful to me this past week is D&C 1:38. The part that reads "...whether by mine own voice or the voice of my servants it is the same." I now phrase it as "...whether by mine own voice or the voice of my fellow servants it is the same." All missionaries have their own teaching style and methods, their own thoughts and impressions. We all know that revelation is subjective and is interpreted individually gihapon. As much as I want to do things my way (for I have found that it works) it only creates arguments. I do have my thoughts and ideas of how to take this new assignment but alas my plan doesn’t get executed kay I cannot make others do what I want (as in get up on time, leave the house on time, teach how I feel things should be taught and handled, etc) so whether by mine own voice or the voice of my fellow servants it is the same! Maybe there is something there to learn. Who knows yet? 

All I do know is that this assignment is a blessing! Went from 3 months of not even 1 progressing investigator to this place that has so many people to visit we are fumbling around with what to do! It is great here and I love it so much! 

It is also VERY city here; my most city area so far and far bigger than my past individual zones meeting area (as in Escelante and Carcar). My favorite place so far is the White Road. You just can't help but love those there living in the actual dump itself - haha! The kids are so cute with their dirty faces and missing teeth:) The people are also very simple and simple is good!  
    
(One of the families on White Road. They have 7 children so 9 members in the family. Mama is the only member of the church being that she is 3 months a member.)

So far I'm loving it here in this new area, I hope to make it my favorite so far! I hope you all are doing great! I wish the best for you all!

The following picture is of White Road. You may think it just ends there but no! It goes on for about 2-3 kilometers in every direction! 

 (White Road)

(Elder Beretara sa White Road)

Amping moha! -Elder Morris

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