It's a Missionary Eat Dog World Out There

Eating dog! Ignore the sunburn and general sweat haha

Well as you can see by the title, I did truly consumed dog this last week! I didn't know what it was at first when I was eating it. Honestly, I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier haha. It wasn't actually too bad. It tasted kinda like a spongier version of beef. Now, when I come back home, will I have a deep desire to cook up the neighborhood Fido? Haha...no. But it's definitely one of those experiences that'll be fun to tell others.

One of our investigators taking my blood pressure. 110/70!

While one of the sisters was sick, I stayed home with her all day. To make effective use of my time, I challenged myself to read the Book of Mormon in its entirely. Even though it took me about 8 hours, I finished it! This experience helped me better see the overall themes of the importance of obedience and continually stripping ourselves of pride in order to recognize that our true power lies in our divine Heavenly Father. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. My testimony of it is as simple as that! If you've ever wanted to know more about it, just begin reading it and I promise you that as you pray to God, He will manifest the truthfulness of it to you. 

Dora the Explorer Takes on Sta. Cruz

If only I could have a talking map telling me exactly where to go to find people! Dora has it easy compared to us! In trying to find someone named Enday, we wandered throughout the jungles for a while, seeing no people for hours. Then suddenly, as we came upon this house, this giant parade emerged with at least 100 people in it and a couple floats with angel statues on top. Before I knew it, we were being fed bancit and teaching 4 new investigators in that home. It was definitely one of those moments where I had to ask myself, "How did I get here?" 

In searching for Enday, I discovered that everyone and their dog is named Enday. No literally, I met a dog the same day named Enday too. We still have yet to find the real Enday, but I'll update soon as you wait with baited breath. Maybe #findenday2k15 will start to trend haha.  

This week we also had the baptism of Mary Joyce, whose father is a member. The work continues to be amazing and I know that at the end of my mission I'll be able to sing with Dora "We did it! Yay!"

Filipino Ninja Warrior

Last summer I became hooked on a show called American Ninja Warrior where participants would complete a physically challenging obstacle course. I sat in awe of their enduring strength and capability to do things that I could only dream of doing. Well now that I'm here in the Philippines, I sometimes feel like a Filipino Ninja Warrior. In trying to locate a family that a member referred us to, we walked through the jungle for about an hour, then proceeded to climb up a mountain taking several twists and turns, descended slowly as to avoid caribou and spiders, crossed several streams by using questionable bamboo bridges and then finally weaving our way through the rice fields. 

It was definitely an adventure, and thankfully it was only raining a little bit. Even though sometimes it's hard to find people, it makes me think about to what lengths God tries to find us. Amidst our trials and hardships, God "travels through jungles and mountains" to find and help us come closer to Him. I'm grateful to be a representative of Christ and preach the Gospel among the unggoy (monkeys) and bundok (mountains).

Wake Me Up Till September Ends

Every day here in the Philippines is a green day! Sometimes I'll stop to literally smell the flowers and point out to Sister Otod if it's a dicot or monocot flower. I love the natural beauty here so much! 

September continues to be full of wonderful experiences! While stopping to write down information, an older man came out of his home to meet with us. We introduced ourselves to him and he told us that his name is Eduardo and he's 76 years old. We invited him to church and sure enough, he biked the whole way there and had a wonderful experience. He' s accepted the invitation to be baptized and desires to learn more about the gospel! I know that God prepares people for me and my companion to teach. Whether you're a tatay in the Philippines, or a youth in America, each person needs and becomes better through the gospel of Jesus Christ. This work truly is marvelous!

 Word of the Week: Masipag --- hardworking Ex: Sister Morgan is so masipag :)