FHE - Family Home Evening

I had a great week! There were a couple of things that made it especially good but mostly we were just hard at work. Here in the mission, that is really what will make your weeks and days go by fast and enjoyably. For me, if I'm not working hard, or slacking, or doing something that I know I shouldn’t, or leaving the house even a little bit late I will feel it.  My week or day will have a damper on it and I know there’s something I need to do better at. 

One thing we did well at this week was working with members. We had 4 members work with us, one of who was Jeff. Jeff is a recent convert last may; he baptized his Mom a while later. He worked with us on Saturday.  We visited one of his friends and about 4 other people who he knew by face because it was from the same neighborhood (barangay) but wasn’t too close with. All he really did was be friendly with the people we were teaching (fellowshipped) and shared a little heart-felt testimony in each of the lessons. I know it seems sometimes that it’s super hard to work with missionaries, or go to a lesson with them, but it’s not. All you have to do is show up, be friendly, and testify a tiny bit of your personal experiences, or about what the Elders or Sisters have just taught. I am super grateful to him and all of the people that have worked with us in some way or another. I'd like to encourage all of the members who will read this to approach the missionaries and offer a little bit of time, even if it is after your work for 2 hours on a weekday, or for 1 appointment only on a Saturday or Sunday, it will help. It'll help the missionaries feel like they are part of the ward, it'll help the investigator feel comfortable in the lesson and accept the message, and it will help you to obtain the blessings that are available to every individual who does missionary work.

Elder Hennessey

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Here in Sevilla Ward, there is a family who has a missionary going to Ghana Africa Mission. He leaves on November 30th.  Last Friday night, we had a "Sevilla Night" which is what they call the ward’s activities no matter what the occasion is. Their going away part included the welcoming back of another Elder who just came back from his 2 year service. What they did for the going away part was some games, had a talk from the Bishop, had Bro. Lorilla speak then sat him down in a chair at the front of the cultural hall facing everyone and every member of his family had a chance to speak. His Dad and Mom are both converts, so he is the first of his family to serve. 

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the one and only true church because I’ve seen so many blessings to those who are faithful to its standards. There are so many families that have a lot of kids (3-7) where only one parent works, and yet as long as they keep the Sabbath Day holy, pay a full tithe and do everything else they are supposed to do, they will have enough at the end of the day, month and year to support their righteous living.  I know if we are having a hard time in our lives, we first need to look inside and evaluate our actions.  Are my actions in line with what Heavenly Father wants for me? If it’s not, or if it’s living contrary to the standards of the Church, fix it, and "and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10

If you are not a member, or do not know where to start, contact a member of the Church, It could be my family, and get in contact with the Missionaries. They are ordained and authorized to guide us to the straight and narrow path. Of course we will not know this if we don’t test it.  So we need a open heart and willing mind and to TRUST HIM, then act. 

Thanks to all of you who read this blog, even if it’s just the ramblings of a rice hungry missionary in the Philippines.   I know the things I share to you are true, and I leave them with you in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. 

Elder Hennessey

Back when I had short hair :) Elder Tabaua is the big guy in most of these pictures. He’s from Kiribiti, islands close to Fiji. He is an awesome house mate and loves to eat fish and rice. He goes home with my companion on December 11.

   

    

 

I have 5 minutes!!! I'm literally always running out of time but at least I have pics this week, diba (means “right” in Tagalog)?

I just wanna say a short message on the Book of Mormon. In our Gospel Essentials class we heard a story, it goes somewhat like this: There once was a boss who had a secretary who always smoked. He had a serious addiction to cigarettes. The boss one day said Hey, If you wanna stop smoking cigs read this book, and handed her a Book of Mormon. After the first day the person said she read 200 pages and didn’t see anything on smoking. The boss said finish the book. The second time the secretary came back and said she had read another 200 pages and there still wasn’t anything to help her stop smoking. The boss again told her to return to her study of the book. The last time the lady came to the boss and said she had read the entire book and there was nothing specific to her struggle of smoking. The boss asked if she had smoked in the days she had read. The lady replied that she had felt a sense of strength that came from her reading of that book. A strength that helped her to break her addictions. 

I know the Book of Mormon is a true testament of a True People. If we have a problem or any type of struggle, we will find the answer within its pages, or within the spirit that we feel as we study the chapters. I invite all of us to read this book more seriously, regularly and more sincerely. I know it will help us in every part of our lives. I just wanna leave that short testimony to you in the name of Jesus Christ amen.


These pics are various shots from the camera of Elder Tabaua.






Different zone conferences


This is Johnathon Aquino. I baptized him in my first area. He just got endowed/sealed in the Manila Temple!!

 
Elder Tabaua wearing my raincoat one time and me while I was still in Agoo leading a district meeting. 

 
Elder Smith finding the wheelcover that fell off when they went through a river going to the most remote lugar/place in the whole mission.

Hey!  We had a baptism last weekend!! There were actually 2 but one of the guys was an investigator of the other Missionaries.  I don’t have a picture yet, I'll ask for one in the next week. 

And I don’t have a lot to say from the week, besides the fact that I've decided to follow the council of The Apostles by memorizing the document known as THE LIVING CHRIST. As members, we were all challenged to read and memorize this document with a promise that we will more deeply feel the influence of the Savior in our lives.  So far I've got half of it memorized, but next week I should have it down. 

In my Personal Study this week, I read in I think Acts about the Apostles in the time of Jesus Christ. They were beaten, hungered, mocked, cast out and much more. They wrote that they did not tell of their struggles so we (the readers of the writ) would feel bad for them, or show that we are such good servants of God because they endured much tribulation. I really like the thought of Sustaining. Sustaining means you recognize someone as a representative who has authority from a higher power. If we sustain the Prophet and Christ, we sustain also his apostles. Seeing the suffering they went through inspires me. Not that I want to be beaten, mocked, stoned, or cast out, but I realize that my calling as an Elder of this church is so light. I can have a bad day when we don’t get a lesson and get mocked and feel downhearted, but compared to the Apostles of the olden Days, I have so much more to give, so much gas left in the tank, like that was probably a good day for the Apostles depending on where they were ministering. I know that the Bible is a True record, if it has confusing passages, research and pray to understand what it means. We will draw closer to what it means to be a disciple (yes we are ALL disciples) of Jesus Christ through the example set buy his original 12 Apostles.