How many Days are in the week?

So first off, I did receive the package you sent, And was kinda surprised at what was inside haha: Teeth whiteners, amino acids, a loofa, jerky, siracha, and cotton buds. Thanks for it all, I'll use it well. 

Last-last Saturday was the Philippines National Day of service, but we did it a week later cuz we had a lot of our youth gone on a Temple trip to do Baptisms for the dead.  We had a lot of fun cleaning up a beach right next to the Damortis port, where they bring in lots of fish every day. It’s sad to say that there was a lot of trash but nice to know that we made at least a small difference. The wife of a recently baptized member is a Kagawad (barangay Official), she was asked to lead us in the cleaning of the beach and she was also the one asked to start the burning of the huge pile of trash we had taken from the beach :) hehe.  It was a fun time and we took lots of fun pictures that I will try to get from members. 

I had no time for a recovery nap because we had to get over to Agoo to start Exchanges with Elder Maners and Elder Affleck in Agoo Branch 3. It was fun being able to go around my old area and see where they were active and what members were actively being visited. We were able to visit the Bautista Family, and the Abasolo Family.  It was sooo strange to me to see how the kids had grown up, and how they had done additions and renovations to their houses.  It made me think of how different my life will be when I make it back to America. 

This week we will be having the Baptism of John-Mark D. He is the grandson of a very strong member in Damortis, Damortis. He has been doing very well in the lessons and has gotten down daily prayer and also reading regularly. He is 13.

 

We had a Zone Conference in Baguio last week so I was able to hear about my old Investigators from Elder Manarang!!! Gladys and Dominic got married, and they just got baptized last week. They said that the Marraige was suuuper nice and they had 3 pigs. 1 60 kilo pig, 1 90 kilo pig, and 1 300 kilo pig!!!  That’s 661 pounds of pig!!!  I'm so glad that they were able to get married and to be worthy to be baptized :)

Answer:  7 WEEKS NALANG​

This post is actually for May 21, 2018.

Question: How many legs does an Octopus have?

This week was awesome as usual!

Quick story since I've been really bad about stories. We went to a wedding on Saturday of the cousin of the family we just baptized. We went, ate, asked how the dance was the night before (they said there was just a bunch of guys and baklas, soo just a buncha guys) then we were able to teach Junayra and Vixenly. Junayra and Vixenly both have baptism dates for June 2. I don’t think there’s anything that could stand in their way of being baptized. We taught them about the Law of Chastity (about being pure and modest) and the Word of Wisdom (guidelines that keep us away from harmful substances). Since they are both pretty young they don’t have many problems with these besides the fact that everyone starts drinking coffee here at like age 8.... So that’s always something we need to clear up. 

I learned how to make Mango Shakes!!! Also Camote (sweet Potato) Shakes. They’re super good and there are mangoes falling everywhere so it works out nice :)

Rainy season hasn’t officially started yet, but its close now. 

 Joshua and Kate worked with us in the mountain. GO KATE AND JOSHUA!!!!!

Answer: 8 WEEKS LEFT Hahahahahaha :)

The Fellowship of the Unashamed 

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The dye has been cast out! I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tainted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, and my goal is Heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear! 

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. 

I won't give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up stored up, and paid up of the cause of Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till I know, and work till He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear. 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation to everyone that believeth." -Romans 1: 16

Quoted by President Henry B. Eyring.

I'll be coming home....


(Click on photo once for a larger view.)

It’s about to rain super hard. 

This family of 5 just got baptized last weekend. They had suuuper good experiences with the baptism and confirmation. We've also been able to teach the sister of the Branch president’s wife once during church and another girl 2 times now during church. It’s a really fun way to do church since I've basically memorized every lesson now from the Gospel Principles book. 

This Pilippino guy reminds me a lot of Davis, just in his mannerisms not so much the way he looks -_- :). 

Hey!! I'm hecka tinatamad right now soooooo here’s a little funny story: 

One of our missionaries who lives in our house is from Kiribati.  It’s a small group of even smaller islands but they are some of the humblest and funniest and most talented people on earth. We were at a FHE (Family Home Evening), a program of the church where families designate one night a week (usually Monday) to do fun activities to become closer and stronger as a family.  Right as we were about to leave, Elder Tumera went back to back with my companion Elder Fenn and farted super loudly!! At the same moment he ran away yelling and pointing at Elder Fenn as we all took in what had just happened. Of course everyone thought it was Elder Fenn cuz that is what Elder Tumera had said, basta it was suuuper funny and a really perfect way to end the already great family home evening. 

We also baptized a family of 5 but my Card reader wasn’t working so I don’t have the pics. Here is a nice pic on my Mom’s phone, feel free to join the movement.

Elder Hennessey

Pumayat daw at gumanda sa mukha

84 days left

This week had some memorable things happen. 

We teach this blind guy. We've taught him probably 3 times now and he asked us, the last time we went, if we were the same 2 guys. We said yeah and afterwards we told him our names again. He said he could kind of recognize us by our voices. We asked him what we sounded like and he said that my voice sounded kind of "Macho" and Elder Fenn’s voice was more kind of "malambot" hahaha meaning soft or kinda feminine or gay. He said that the one of us is "Macho macho" ~"manly manly" and the other one is "macho lang" ~ "macho only" hahaha it was just really funny especially since Elder Fenn started silently asking me if his voice was soft in front of this blind guy. Brother M has a ton of great questions and potential besides the fact that he’s gonna have a hard time getting to church. We’ll probably come get him the first couple of times.

Second thing what happened is that ALMA GOT BAPTIZED!!! For all of you who don’t know, or don’t remember, Alma is the girlfriend of a member in Agoo Branch 3 that I taught when I was serving here over a year and a half ago. She finally finished college and, forever, she’s been saying she would be baptized after she graduated. I don’t know why she waited but hey, at least she stayed true to that goal. It was super fun to go to the baptism and see old members. It has been a real Tender Mercy that I was able to come back to my first zone. If not in the exact area, I still see people I know from my first area on the weekly. 

One of those pics is a bunch of kids eating mangoes. It is officially mango season here in La Union. Before we taught the Santa Cruz Family we went out to the field behind their house and picked probably 40-50 mangoes. They’re green on the outside and kinda hard still but they’re still really good. I just think its funny how much skins there are on the table and poor Tintin had to skin all of them for all the little kids. After she was done though I was shocked to see a 9 year old with a big ol kitchen knife skinning a mango… I guess that’s just how it is here. 

The last thing I wanna share is about a girl who I originally met on a bus. We were coming from Agoo to Demortis and I sat next to Elder Fenn. About halfway through the 2o minute ride I felt I should talk to this girl in the seat behind and across the aisle from me. I kinda pushed the thought away but it came back again and again. I finally grabbed a Plan of Salvation pamphlet with our name and number on the back and gave it to her with a brief explanation. She said thank you and was honestly probably just a little weirded out that I'd waited so long and then kinda suddenly just gave her a little book with a picture of Jesus on it. After we got off the bus I waved at her in the window and went on my way. About an hour later, to our surprise, she texted! She asked if this was the right number and just kinda small talked for a while. Elder Fenn said I should just tell her if she has any questions to text and to leave it at that, not to text-mate her haha. I agreed but then our conversation got really focused on the message. What is our belief about Jesus Christ? How is He a god if there’s only 1 God? We answered her questions simply and clearly using scriptures and short testimonies and she said "I want to try your church, I'm INC (Iglecia Ni Cristo)" She said she would come to church and that the sisters could come teach her over where she lived. It was a real testimony builder about finding and promptings from the spirit. I'm just glad that I listened to the Spirit and extended the pamphlet to her so that she could have a seed of Faith and curiosity planted in her mind and heart. I will try to keep up about her progression to see if anything really comes out of following that simple prompting. 

Hopefully we'll all try to be sensitive to the promptings of the spirit and worthy to be used as His hand in the lives of those around us. It'd be a shame if someone has been prepared to hear the gospel, but they miss that opportunity because for whatever reason, we fail to act. 

Elder Hennessey