Long Day

May 10, 2017

With transfers here in San Carlos all being conducted by me, we made it through them. I learned a great thing about myself that day! When I am under stress I start getting lots of things done; usually I lose friends in the process haha! We had many weird things happen with missionaries not being shipped out by their zone leaders on time, 3 new trainers in the zone, really stupid boat port fees we had to pay each time we entered the boat port... (like 5 times...), saying bye to E. Eberhard and saying hi to E. Murdock who will be killing me off here in 5 weeks. Yeah it has been fun. My whole zone is practically new! 9 people transferred in. We have 4 total trainers and trainees. It shall be a fun last month of establishing! 

So I literally just got back from Cebu. We had our MLC this past 2 days. The McCurdy’s messages were different. They remind me of 2 Nephi 1:13-14 --
 13 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe.
14 Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.

These verses really describe the feeling I had during their workshops. 

Many things happened. For one we will no longer have Zone Training Meetings which is something I have done monthly since I have been here. But for my last month I guess we won’t have them. It’s a worldwide thing BTW. Also stake or district missionaries are no longer a thing - worldwide. We as ZLs and STLs will be training at the transferly Zone Conferences now. It shall be fun! 

Elder Murdock is great! We were friends in previous areas. We are getting along and trying our best to get a lot of work done this week. 

As far as the work goes we are baptizing a family here this Saturday! A father, mother, and 3 girls - the Martinez family! I am super stoked for them! I love this family a lot! We also have plans to baptize a brother Tony the next Saturday. If he makes it to church this Sunday we will baptize him on the following Saturday. If all goes well we will them be baptizing 2 tatays the next Saturday (the 27). Larry and Alfredo made it their 4th time last Sunday and that is one requirement. Then if the Lord still decides to grace us we might have the chance for a June 3 baptism. I know I am sort of counting my chickens before they hatch and my eggs before the chicken lays them (with the June 3 one) but it gives me great motivation! We are hoping for 8 this month and hopefully 9 by the end of the transfer! A great way to die off in the mission! Keep praying for them! I know I will be! 

Other than that it is same old same old. I am tired cuz we woke at 4 30 to come home today. 11 in at bed and 430 up and out. Tired gamay. And stressed a little bit with finances in the zone and the hope of people progressing. 

Good news: The girl who I emailed about last time who got sliced up and raped survived miraculously! She has some major blood clots right now in her heard (I forgot if it was over or under the skull, I think under) but survived. We were hoping to make a visit to her later this day if we have time. Those things do change one’s life for good. The aunt told me that they are left with the hospital bill of about 90,000 pesos... again, no one here can afford that...

Other than that I think all is fine! Baptisms this weekend, Skype this Friday morning (last Skype). I am excited! Things are really looking up here! 

Well I hope you are all doing good back at home! I love you all and will be seeing you soon! 

-Elder Morris