Monday 14 October 2013

Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it.

So I know General Conference weekend is amazing all the time, and over
the last couple years its become my favourite, but its on another
level of exciting when you're a missionary! The highlights were
probably the same as everybody else, I love Elder Bednar so much, he
gets to the point, and its my favourite thing when people call people
to repentance, he was awesome. Every time he talks it takes me back to
this one thing he said when he visited us in Adelaide years ago that
gets me every time.... President Uchtdorf, hilarious and made a lot of
good points that made a lot of sense. And as always, Elder Holland, he
made me cry right there in the chapel in front of everyone. He is the
most incredible speaker I have ever heard. Before I came out here I
would youtube videos of him talking just to hear him speak. I love it,
General Conference!

So as we get closer to our family baptism which is this coming
Saturday, we get more and more nervous about what we say and do just
incase something goes wrong. We were particularly worried about
tithing, so we put the lesson off for ages until we really felt we
were prepared to teach it as these people out here are pretty poor and
it could be a dealbreaker for even the solid investigators. So on
Tuesday we get to their house, armed with scriptures and stories and
our best fellowshipper, and we mention tithing and he laughs. The dad
goes, yeah I know all about it, I was just waiting for you to ask.
Then proceeds to teach us a lesson about the importance of giving and
says he can't wait to start paying it. We were jaws to the floor.
These people really do exist. They are also hard out fellowshipping
the whole neighbourhood. We took them to general conference yesterday,
and the dad especially was absolutely giddy when President Monson
spoke. We went to a different chapel than we were assigned because it
was closer, and later found out that a big group of our investigators
went to the session at the other chapel. They had told us they had a
family event and couldn't go but at some point one of the members went
and tracked them down, picked them up and drove them 45 minutes to
conference. We currently have about 12 baptismal dates for the month
of November so we're praying it all goes ahead for them all. Man.
Miracles. This place. I'm scared to leave because I can't imagine
anywhere being this good but I'm also making sure I'm prepared for
anything.

So this weeks funny stories. Last night we were teaching this
investigator we haven't taught in over a month, its been ages, and we
just really needed to have a good lesson with him. It was all going
well, and I was in the middle of talking and just about to ask him to
be baptised, and his baby that he is holding......passes gas. I ignore
it and keep going, but he goes ahhh sorry sorry, and I'm like its
fine, and start talking again, then he cuts me off and goes, ...whats
the word for that in English? Sister Storey is appaled and leaves it
to me. I'm like....a fart? And he's like ohhh yes fart. Sorry about
the farts. So the moments kind of over, and so awkwardly with nothing
else to say, I go, whats the word in Tagalog? So he tells us and were
like, oh cool. Awkward again. And then I continue on and invite him to
be baptised. Just so you know, hes gonna talk to his wife about it.
 We have this hilarious member family who drive us home from our area 
out in the jungle. We get there and they dont have their motorbike so were stuck,
 the dad, the worlds most helpful old man, happens to be chilling in his,
undergarmets only, which are not for human eyes. Hes so excited to
help us, so he starts running up and down the street searching the
streets for a bike for us. We're like no come back! That is BAWAL!
Awkies for everyone. But funny nonetheless.

I could write more but I'm gonna try reply to some of you, love you
all, keep up the good work, and watch out for your friends, you never
know who needs you to be their angel!
Mahal ko kayo!
Sister McKim xx


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