Hey Everyone!
It sounds like you've had a good week! Thanks for the recipe, it sounds a little complicated, but hopefully we'll have some time to try it out. As for the food, I don't know what your recipe was for otap, but what I've had looks like dried bananas, with some sugar stuff on it. I don't know though. I'll take a picture and send it next week (: And the Ginataan stands on its own. and its super tasty. I'll learn how to make all sorts of tasty foods out here and then when I get home we will have a feast. Because its all super cheap. Me and elder Daclag buy all of our food for the week on 20 dollars. And we eat a LOT. I love all the food here. I am loving the Phillipines. There is no place that I'd rather be. My week was pretty standard though. Me and Elder Daclag are really trying hard to just help our investigators progress, and to find some more. The people here are so kind, and I know that the Gospel can help them so much. I love working hard, and giving everything to the Lord, because I know that he gives it back two fold. Tell Neal goodbye for me, and wish him luck. He's gonna need it. The mission is like nothing you ever expect. But in an awesome way.
Its always good to make it to Monday and have a chance to reflect on my week and see how the Lord has blessed me. And this week, I am grateful for gratitude. Sometimes, its a little bit rough in the mission field. Everyone knows that. Things don't always go as planned, and companions aren't always easy, and investigators don't always do the things that they need in order to be happy. Waking up is hard, and the heat is hard, and cooking is hard and so is washing clothes and cleaning and walking walking walking. The list could go on and on and on.
BUT
Lets look at it a little bit different. You go out into the mission field, where Heavenly Father blesses you with his guidance to help you be effective. He gives you a companion so that you always have someone to lean on. Someone to help you. He gives you the incredible loving kind people who are trying so hard to be better. To grow closer to the Savior. He gives you food to eat. He gives you clothes to wear. He gives you a body that can do incredible things!
Now, all these blessings are coming, when you are supposedly supposed to be serving the Lord. Before my mission I thought that that was so real. You go on a mission in order to give back to the Lord, and to give him something. Now, I don't know if I believe that so much. I look at all the blessings that Heavenly Father is giving me now, and will give to me in the future, and has given me in the past to prepare me, and I feel like missions are all for us. If Heavenly Father wanted he could have the whole Phillipines baptized in an instant. He doesn't need some 18 year old boy to do it for him, but Heavenly Father wants to help me out.
I don't know about you guys, but the second mission that I described sounds like a lot more fun than the first, while the first is just a waste of time.
And thats what I learned this week. I spent a lot of my time thinking these sad, selfish thoughts, and it was a hard week. But as soon as I started looking at the positive side, looking at the things that are good about life, I had the best week!
Brothers and sisters, it really is all about perspective. In life, things are hard, and there are many trials. There are many hardships that we cannot see the purpose of, but when we look for the good things, instead of the bad things, we will be happier. There will always be good things, and there will always be bad things, it just depends on what we choose to pay attention to.
I know that when we look at the good things in life, look at what the Lord has given us, we will become happier. Our lives may not change that much (though I believe a change in attitude will change actual events) but it won't matter. We will be happy with the things the Lord has seen fit to give us, that will be enough.
I love you all, and I hope all the blessings in the whole world upon you.
Elder Childs
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