Hey Everybody!
I have had another good week. We were a little bit busy in the office, so we didn't get to go out tons, but almost every day we did. One thing that I've thought about though is how important it is to stay completely away from any sin. We were teaching Dennis the other night about the WOW, and it was good. He had heard it before and he knew it all, but he still would sometimes drink alcohol with his friends every once and a while when they came over, but he said only a little, and he felt all right about that. Truth be told, it probably doesn't really have that big of an effect on his health, if it really is only rarely, but as we tried to explain it to him, the thought came in to my head that there are some times when we keep the commandments, not for ourselves, not because there is any visible worldly benefit, but because we love our Heavenly Father and just want to do what He wants for us. There shouldn't always have to be a reward for us. Sometimes it is enough that our Heavenly Father has asked us to do it.
When we really understand that principle, we will really feel the blessings of God's love in our life, and we will really become happy. But when we try and justify just a little sin, because its not really super against the commandments, we will be missing out on so many blessings. So I've been working on willing obedience, willing strict obedience to God's commands, because that is what He asks of me, and because he loves me, and I love Him.
Thats all for this week.
Love, Elder Childs
Monday, September 19, 2016
Monday, September 12, 2016
September 12
Hello!!!
I have had another really good week!! We were a little bit busy in the office, but it was alright! At the end of the week Brother Edwin Tesora was Baptized and confirmed, so I can't complain. It was so fun for me to see him make that step. It was something long awaited, and worked on by three different bishops, but now he has a strong testimony and is now geting ready to make his temple covenants and be sealed to his family for forever!!! It was a real pleasure to witness.
Elder Nuada's birthday was on Sunday, and the bishop's wife's birthday was yesterday, so they invited the missionaries over to celebrate. It was delicious!!! The bishop and his wife are so awesome! Sister Simeon (the bishops wife) has cancer right now, and has been going through chemo therapy, but despite that, she is still such a happy person and does all she can to serve. Its a great example for me. Its so easy to turn inwards in those times of trials, but she is really turning outward. The bishop is just the same way. They are awesome.
Other that that we didn't have too much of an exciting week. We were pretty busy in the office getting ready for the upcoming zone conferences, but now that's all taken care of.
I have thought a lot this week about something that some missionary sometime put into my phone. Every time it would turn on it said, "What we love, we give time."
Since I've gotten into the office, our time is really on demand, and the scheduled hours of study are not always there. Or even often. And at first, my studies really suffered. But I noticed that there was a lack in my life, and when I thought about it, it was not super hard to figure out. So I really started to make that a priority. It wasn't always easy to find time, but I made ways, and I really saw the blessings. I saw the guidance of the spirit, I saw personal revelation, and I saw peace.
When life gets busy, our scripture study always seems to get put at the bottom of the list. It is always a thing that can be done "later". Unfortunately, in the busyness of life, "later" often never comes. But when we show God that we really do love and appreciate the scriptures that he has given us, that we value the opportunity to receive personal revelation, we will be guided more than we can imagine. So hopefully personal scripture study will be at the top priority of everyones list. That we will schedule our life, around our time for studies, and not the other way around. If we do that, we will see blessings. I love you all,
Elder Childs
I have had another really good week!! We were a little bit busy in the office, but it was alright! At the end of the week Brother Edwin Tesora was Baptized and confirmed, so I can't complain. It was so fun for me to see him make that step. It was something long awaited, and worked on by three different bishops, but now he has a strong testimony and is now geting ready to make his temple covenants and be sealed to his family for forever!!! It was a real pleasure to witness.
Elder Nuada's birthday was on Sunday, and the bishop's wife's birthday was yesterday, so they invited the missionaries over to celebrate. It was delicious!!! The bishop and his wife are so awesome! Sister Simeon (the bishops wife) has cancer right now, and has been going through chemo therapy, but despite that, she is still such a happy person and does all she can to serve. Its a great example for me. Its so easy to turn inwards in those times of trials, but she is really turning outward. The bishop is just the same way. They are awesome.
Other that that we didn't have too much of an exciting week. We were pretty busy in the office getting ready for the upcoming zone conferences, but now that's all taken care of.
I have thought a lot this week about something that some missionary sometime put into my phone. Every time it would turn on it said, "What we love, we give time."
Since I've gotten into the office, our time is really on demand, and the scheduled hours of study are not always there. Or even often. And at first, my studies really suffered. But I noticed that there was a lack in my life, and when I thought about it, it was not super hard to figure out. So I really started to make that a priority. It wasn't always easy to find time, but I made ways, and I really saw the blessings. I saw the guidance of the spirit, I saw personal revelation, and I saw peace.
When life gets busy, our scripture study always seems to get put at the bottom of the list. It is always a thing that can be done "later". Unfortunately, in the busyness of life, "later" often never comes. But when we show God that we really do love and appreciate the scriptures that he has given us, that we value the opportunity to receive personal revelation, we will be guided more than we can imagine. So hopefully personal scripture study will be at the top priority of everyones list. That we will schedule our life, around our time for studies, and not the other way around. If we do that, we will see blessings. I love you all,
Elder Childs
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| Brother Edwin Tesora's Baptism! |
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| On Our Way To a Family Home Evening After the Baptism |
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
September 7
Hey everyone!!
It has been another good week here in the Philippines Laoag Mission!!! I hope you have had a good one this week as well. Some updates on life, we will be having a baptism this Saturday!!! It is the baptism of Brother Edwin Tesora! He is the only one in his family who hasn't been baptized, and now he will be baptized and headed to the temple next year! I am so happy for him. He has really embraced the Gospel and is ready to live these sacred covenants. We also have some baptisms that should be on the way. If you guys ever wanted to pray for them it would be a huge help! The first one is Brother Dennis. He had a son that passed away a couple of months ago, while the missionaries were teaching, but instead of turning from God, he is turning to God, and is really trying to find out if this is God's church. He is super nice, and such a joy to talk to. the second is Sister Heil Aguino. She is a 15 year old and is getting ready for baptism, she should be there in a couple of weeks. The second is sister Michell. She is so smart and goes to church every week, but she just really wants to know for sure that Joseph Smith was a prophet before she is baptized. She is really doing some study in the BOM right now, and hopefully she will be baptized this month! The last is Sister Marites. She is so nice and has really seen the light of the Gospel come into her life, but her husband died a year ago and she is struggling being the sole provider of her family. She is trying to find a job, but if she can't find one here, she will be going to Manila. Please pray that she will be able to find good work here in Laoag.
This week I have thought a lot about change. Change should be a regular thing. Whether you are ten, fifty or one hundred, change should be something that we do every day. A thought that came into my head as I thought about this was this,
Stagnant is the pool of water
that remains in a single place
always it must be moving onward
to retain its cool clear taste.
Our lives are just like the water. We must change. We must grow. Every day that we live is a day to become something better than we were yesterday. We don't have to do it alone, we have the atonement, but we do have to do. Something it says in the true to the faith is that repentance is not an easy process. It isn't just something that you say sorry and then everything goes away. We must really feel sorrow, and then make changes in our lives and in ourselves to reflect that sorrow. Change is essential.
Another thing that President Andrada said while we were eating one day was that these days, many people are too smart to commit outright sins. There obviously are people who do, but many people in the world, and especially in the Philippines are really trying to do what God wants. So Satan has changed his tactics a little bit. Instead of outright sins, he gives "time wasters" We are not helping the kingdom grow, or preparing ourselves for the Celestial Kingdom, if all we do is sit in front of the TV all day. Or Play video games, or whatever other kind of time wasting device you can think of.
We really need to be careful, be diligent that we are always trying to change, change to become more like our Savior and if we do, we can look back at the end of our lives and say that we've done something important. We will be able to say that we've helped others grow closer to Christ and done so ourselves, and we will be happy.
I love you all,
Elder Childs
Answers to random questions:
We have a laundry machine right now. You put it in the wash and when that's done you drain the water and put some more in for the rinse, and then when that's done you put it in the dryer, but it doesn't dry it all the way. It just spins super fast so that the water all gets wrung out, but then you still have to hang it out for a day until its all the way dry.
We don't have house help. That is sadly something that was done away with a while ago. Not super long ago though. I'm not really sure why it stopped.
In the office it's just me and my companion and then the senior couple. I'm in charge of all the supplies, my companion is in charge of all the money, The senior couple takes care of records and travel stuff. They're a fun bunch! The senior couple always buy us food so that's good!
We do eat with members but not every day. They make good food. There are lots of ward family home evenings too so that's good as well.
It has been another good week here in the Philippines Laoag Mission!!! I hope you have had a good one this week as well. Some updates on life, we will be having a baptism this Saturday!!! It is the baptism of Brother Edwin Tesora! He is the only one in his family who hasn't been baptized, and now he will be baptized and headed to the temple next year! I am so happy for him. He has really embraced the Gospel and is ready to live these sacred covenants. We also have some baptisms that should be on the way. If you guys ever wanted to pray for them it would be a huge help! The first one is Brother Dennis. He had a son that passed away a couple of months ago, while the missionaries were teaching, but instead of turning from God, he is turning to God, and is really trying to find out if this is God's church. He is super nice, and such a joy to talk to. the second is Sister Heil Aguino. She is a 15 year old and is getting ready for baptism, she should be there in a couple of weeks. The second is sister Michell. She is so smart and goes to church every week, but she just really wants to know for sure that Joseph Smith was a prophet before she is baptized. She is really doing some study in the BOM right now, and hopefully she will be baptized this month! The last is Sister Marites. She is so nice and has really seen the light of the Gospel come into her life, but her husband died a year ago and she is struggling being the sole provider of her family. She is trying to find a job, but if she can't find one here, she will be going to Manila. Please pray that she will be able to find good work here in Laoag.
This week I have thought a lot about change. Change should be a regular thing. Whether you are ten, fifty or one hundred, change should be something that we do every day. A thought that came into my head as I thought about this was this,
Stagnant is the pool of water
that remains in a single place
always it must be moving onward
to retain its cool clear taste.
Our lives are just like the water. We must change. We must grow. Every day that we live is a day to become something better than we were yesterday. We don't have to do it alone, we have the atonement, but we do have to do. Something it says in the true to the faith is that repentance is not an easy process. It isn't just something that you say sorry and then everything goes away. We must really feel sorrow, and then make changes in our lives and in ourselves to reflect that sorrow. Change is essential.
Another thing that President Andrada said while we were eating one day was that these days, many people are too smart to commit outright sins. There obviously are people who do, but many people in the world, and especially in the Philippines are really trying to do what God wants. So Satan has changed his tactics a little bit. Instead of outright sins, he gives "time wasters" We are not helping the kingdom grow, or preparing ourselves for the Celestial Kingdom, if all we do is sit in front of the TV all day. Or Play video games, or whatever other kind of time wasting device you can think of.
We really need to be careful, be diligent that we are always trying to change, change to become more like our Savior and if we do, we can look back at the end of our lives and say that we've done something important. We will be able to say that we've helped others grow closer to Christ and done so ourselves, and we will be happy.
I love you all,
Elder Childs
Answers to random questions:
We have a laundry machine right now. You put it in the wash and when that's done you drain the water and put some more in for the rinse, and then when that's done you put it in the dryer, but it doesn't dry it all the way. It just spins super fast so that the water all gets wrung out, but then you still have to hang it out for a day until its all the way dry.
We don't have house help. That is sadly something that was done away with a while ago. Not super long ago though. I'm not really sure why it stopped.
In the office it's just me and my companion and then the senior couple. I'm in charge of all the supplies, my companion is in charge of all the money, The senior couple takes care of records and travel stuff. They're a fun bunch! The senior couple always buy us food so that's good!
We do eat with members but not every day. They make good food. There are lots of ward family home evenings too so that's good as well.
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