Hi everyone!
It's been a good week. Me and my companion are getting
along better and understanding each other more. Recently we had splits
with the zone leaders, and I learned a lot from the experience. I
mentioned to him when you said to be bold and firm with them instead of
worrying about being friends/buddies with them because when we see them in the
next life, if we didn't correct them they will say 'I needed a missionary, not
a friend.' My Zone leader accepted this very well, and then
reminded me to do this with my companion when needed. "Reproving
betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing
forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest
he esteem thee to be his enemy;" (Doctrine and Covenants 121:43)
I'm going to study a bit about the role of trainer/senior companion and see
about learning more about how to lead.
Last week we had a really cool experience. we were figuring out where we
could go even though we had no kuyog, but everywhere we went the people where
gone for one reason or another - at one house, one of them happened to be
having a baby that night, so the whole family was gone! It was crazy.
But then we were thinking of where to go next in the pouring rain, and I
was trying to think of branch leaders to visit, and then one came to mind that
i hadn't thought of.... we went there, and he was home and we visited with
him....we were there right when he needed us! We were totally led there,
and led by the spirit as we taught him. It reminds me of what you told me
when you said "The cool thing about being a tool in the hand of the lord
is you get to feel the lord's hand" and so that's what I'm working
on becoming....by becoming obedient like the dust, "For behold, the dust
of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command
of our great and everlasting God." (Helaman 12:8)
I think I'm going to do my next District Meeting on Teaching for understanding,
so there's more interaction going on in the lessons of the new missionaries,
because with their language skills it's too easy to get in the habit of
preaching to people because it's so much easier than having to adjust it for
different people according to their needs.
The sisters in our branch have an investigator named Agnes. She's the temporary
house help of the Elder's Quorum 1st counselor. That's why she's been
introduced to the church and has been going to church (they bring her). my
concern is that they seem to move whenever they are starting a new muffler shop
(there's three of them now) and i taught their last house help in Naga...the
problem is not the distance, but the family. The absence of family support or
even opposition of her family can stop her. I'm trying to have them schedule a
time to go visit her family since they're in the sister's area in the same
barangay as a recent convert there. The sisters seem to think that the
Gimongala family would count as a guardian..(he's only her employer)...I'm
going to take care of the situation, and just make sure she's individually and
independently converted.
anyways that's about it! hope all of you are doing well and i've
g2g!
-a servant of the Lord,
~Elder Dallin Carlson
