November 29

Hey everyone!

Its been a good couple of weeks here, but a little bit rough as well.  I missed emailing last week because I was sick.  On Monday morning I woke up and didn't feel to hot, but we went to eco park and wandered around.  It was gorgeous, but I also didn't feel so great so that put a little bit of a damper on life.  Then when we got home I really didn't feel good, and so I just slept the whole day.  I didn't feel like I could get out of bed until 5:00, when I felt like I could go out and do some work.  We went to a couple of families, then I came home and collapsed in bed for the night.  The next day I felt even worse, so we called the mission presidents wife, and she told us that we should go to the hospital.  So we headed to Laoag for a checkup.  We spent most of the day in the waiting room of the hospital, and I grew to dislike hospitals.  But finally at the end of the day they set me up in a nice room with a nice IV, and air conditioning.  And that was where I stayed until Thursday.  So that was fun.  But I felt good at the end of it and no problems now, so that's good!  As for the rest of my week, we have been trying to figure out how to help people progress.  We have investigators, but they don't always want to follow their commitments, and yesterday, everything just felt down.  I knew that I was staying here for the next transfer, and I didn't know how I was going to help this area grow, but during my personal study the spirit taught me a few cool things.  The most important is a bout the love of Heavenly Father, and about prayer.  I realized how much Heavenly Father loves us all.  Everything that he does is to help us grow and become like him, and that really is the central message of our gospel.  And if we have this Heavenly Father who just wants to help us, why wouldn't we talk to him.  Why wouldn't we tell him how we feel.  Why wouldn't we thank him for everything that he has done for that.  That is the central message of our teaching, and that is what I should be teaching.  I know that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us, and he wants to help us grow an become like him.  I know that through following his will for us, we can become like him, and become happy here on the earth.  I love you all!  Have a great week.

Elder Childs

P.S.  In answer to your questions, we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving.  Its not a thing here, and I completely forgot about it until everyone emailed me and asked about it haha.

This Tuesday is transfer day!  Elder Daclag is leaving, and I'm staying here.  My companion has already been here in Banna before, so I don't have to worry too much about leading.  I'm excited to meet him!

November 15

Hey Everyone!!!

Its been good here in Banna, Its been hot, but good.  We had meetings with the Branch this week, and really figured out with the branch what we wanted to do with our branch to help the situation with the less actives.  We have upwards of 200 members here in Banna, but only 50 or so that attend church every week, so we've started to work out a home teaching program that will help the less actives return, because sometimes the missionaries just can't do it on their own.  I hope that it will help out!  Other than that during my studies this week I had some really cool insights, but one was about Lehonti, in Alma.  He was a man, at the head of the armies opposed to attacking the Nephites.  For our purposes we will call them the members of the church.  There were some armies that wanted to force them to fight the Nephites, headed by Ammonihah.  We will call him the adversary, with his armies.  Lehonti had gotten to the top of a mountain and had a lot of weapons with him.  With his armies, he outnumbered Ammonihah.  He was a pretty safe guy, and he knew it.  Ammonihah wanted him to come down from his mountain, presumably just to talk to him.  Lehonti, being smarter than your average joe, refused.  And so Ammonihah, being the persistent fellow his is, asked again.  And again.  And was refused both times.  But far from being frustrated, Ammonihah came up with a plan.  First he went up, almost to the camp of Lehonti, and asked again.  Lehonti thought that this would be ok, and so he went down.  Just a little, to talk to him.  Ammonihah gave him what sounded like a great plan to help him capture his (Ammonihah's) armies, with no blood shed, and so Lehonti agreed to go down, with his guards, to the camp of Ammonihah.  The plan worked and now Lehonti had captured all of Ammonihah's forces with no bloodshed, and all ammonihah had asked was that he was put second in command!  Great right?  Not really.  Ammonihah then came up with a plan to kill Lehonti, and because of that, came out at the head of the forces of Lehonti, with no blood shed.  Hmm that turned around quick.  In our lives, we are sometimes the same way.  We are up in the mountains with our forces.  Doing the things we should, following the commandments, and if Satan asks us to do anything big, we of course say no, so satan only asks us to be a little disobedient.  To do a little wrong, and that leads to a lot of wrong, and eventually our spiritual death.  Moral of the story, don't ever let your guard down!  Always do everything you know you should, without exception, and I promise you that your life will be so much easier, and so much happier, because you will have the lord on your side.  I love you all!

Elder Childs.

November 9

Hey Everyone!!

Its been a good last couple of weeks.  Last Monday it was The Day of the Dead, and everyone, and I mean everyone, went to the cemeteries for that. Basically they all just go hang out and eat food and have a good time hanging out with the dead people.  It made work a little bit tough because people celebrated it from Friday until Ruesday or Wednesday, so it was hard to find people to teach, but it was fun to see so many people in our little town of Banna.  We had a mission conference with Elder Haynie, one of the area presidency here in the Philippines, and that was really good.  I learned a lot from him.  It was so cool to just get to listen to one of the Lord's ordained.

One thing that really impressed on my mind as he talked was the doctrine of first impressions.  He talked about how many times in our lives, we will be walking down the street, or to our next appointment (for missionaries) or to work or school (for normal people) and we will see someone, and think, I should talk to him.  Or I should help her. Or even sometimes, walk over there, cross the street, the possibilities are endless, but basically, a simple impression that comes simply to our minds.  Elder Haynie instructed us that this is the Spirit. That many times it is a simple thought, that we then talk ourselves out of.  We have places to be, they don't need our help, other ways that we convince ourselves that it doesn't need to be done.  I really liked that, because since I've gotten here in the mission, I've realized how bad I am at listening to the spirit.  And I've been trying to change that, but sometimes feel like I don't have much success at really becoming better.  But as he talked I began to reflect on my experience here in the mission so far, and some of the best teaching or finding experiences that I have had have been when I just follow my first impressions.  Its cool how simple it is to follow the spirit, and I think that that is something that could really help all of our lives.

Other that that, not too much exciting has happened in my life. We're teaching some good lessons, loving the work, loving the Filipinos, and loving the 90 degree weather in November!   I love all of you,and have a great week!

Elder Childs