A Missionary's Work: Training a Want-To-Be Missionary

1/23/2017

Hey everybody,

It feels like just last week I emailed you all... oh ya, it was last week, ha. Besides my horrible jokes, it's been really great here for sure. We had a baptism Tuesday and another planned for this Saturday, which is awesome! I absolutely love these people and especially serving them. So we had transfer day, which means you could leave your area and be assigned in a different area, and everyone in our district of 5 companionships got transferred except the zone leaders and us. One area also closed, which means no missionaries, because of some crazy situation there and should open up again next transfer. So there are a lot of new missionaries in our district.

We also spent last Monday being doctors. Since going to the doctor here is expensive, ya you all know where this is going, we helped one of our workers get rid of a huge, deep zit. Ya, pretty gross; the size of a quarter or more. The president of the branch, having to stay home because of a ripped Achilles helped us out, haha. So, using a clean glass bottle with some cleaning alcohol and a match, it suctioned most of it out.

After that, we went to a birthday party of one of our investigators and the clown didn't show up so we ate and gto to sing some videokye and play musical chairs, it was a blast! I also really appreciate Walmart now, with literally a little bit of everything in it and actual deals. Here a deal is buying soap that "comes with plus one!", but is actually the exact same price if you were to buy an extra bar. The last weird thing is the music here, it ranges from Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, Filipino songs, Desperado by George Strait, Celine Dion, Green Grass of Home by Tom Jones and 7 Years Old by Lucas Graham. Very wide variety, really!

Anyhow, this week we have worked with one member every day and he's preparing for his mission. He has learned a lot about missionary work for sure, but I learned from him too. He likes to serve others. I do too, of course, but it's different because I now see that if you serve someone always, whether it seems noticed or not, it will shine through and not only help someone else physically but touches other's hearts as well. Especially when there is no expectation nor receiving anything else in return. It's really been a slow process to learn this and honestly, I have a thick skull, so I'm still learning. I also love to associate this with our decisions to choose our moods, mainly because after serving and not receiving, because of my expectations, I feel a little bad. But we can choose to be happy always. For me, prayer helps me to be happy when it's hard to be happy, because I know that service can lead to happiness. I try more and more to serve and it's true, it does lead to a deep happiness that's really hard to find, but worth it.

Love you all and stay pogi/maganda!
Elder Peterson