THE CRAZY THE SAD AND THE AWESOME - Field Week 5

 GRATITUDES

I am thankful for sleep, and for food, and water. I am thankful for America. I miss it so much. I am thankful for the ability to laugh. Funny things really get me through my day.

NANAY'S HOUSE

We are going to start with the sad so we can get it out of the way. There is this new member, Nanay Jokerbina, and she can hardly walk. So we take her the sacrament every week since she can't make it to church. She is super sweet, and everytime we go over she gives us snacks. Me and my comp were walking to go meet with one of our investigators, and we passed by her house and saw that it had burned down. We talked to a lady and were able to find out that the fire started at someone else's house and spread to Nanay's. Luckily, someone was able to carry her safely to the basketball gym. My comp told someone about it, and in our ward group chat, they let everyone know and people immediately started to volunteer to get her clothes and water and anything else she might need. It was super cool of them.

THE FIGHT

Me and Elder Gamot were standing on the side of the road drinking our buko juice before we went to our next IP's house. There was this guy and girl driving by on a motorcycle, and another guy runs up and pushes them off while they drive by. He then proceeds to pick up a large rock to beat the guy up with, all while the girl tries to hold him back and calm him down. So from what I can assume, he just caught his girl cheating. So I feel bad for him, but it was a super crazy thing to watch.

LANGUAGE AND LESSONS

We have some amazing people we are teaching. That family that has 8 kids is super interested, and everytime we go over, they all want to be the one to say the prayer. All the kids are crazy, but when it comes to saying the prayer, they all sit and fold their arms and close their eyes. It's insane. We also have this other group of teenagers we are teaching. They are all siblings and cousins, and they are so fun to be around. We joke around a lot, but they are all super interested in the gospel. They all wanted their own personal Book of Mormon. And it's cool too, because now the mom is getting interested after overhearing the conversations. We gave the kids a reading challenge, and the mom asked to join the challenge. I honestly don't know where I'm at in the language. In some lessons I feel like I can understand everything, and then the next lesson I don't understand everything. And I can't speak it at all. All I can say is a simple prayer and testimony and that is basically it. 

YELLOW CAR

A yellow car drove by, so I said yellow car and punched my comp. I then had to explain to him what yellow car was, and now we've been playing it.

BLUE EYES

A kid came up to me and started freaking out that I had blue eyes, and he was yelling to all his friends about it. He then said that my eyes were like a monster.

TOP 5

I asked Elder Gamot if you could get rid of 5 living creatures other than humans, what would it be? I said: cockroaches, ants, flys, mosquitoes and rats. If you are thinking, "Wow, that sounds a lot like everything you can find in your apartment." You would be correct. I hate them so much.

BAPTISM

The STL's had a baptism, and they asked me to be the one to baptize the person. So I got to do that, and it was super cool. I can't wait till I get to baptize someone that I helped teach.

ENGLISH

I got told that my English is super good. They said that a lot of the foreigners speak in a ton of slang, but I speak clearly and in a way that they can understand everything I am saying. I thought that was funny that I didn't get complimented on the language I'm supposed to be learning.

Tired,

Elder Lewis

                                                                                                             

                                                 

NINDOT NGA ADLAW - Field Week 4

 GRATITUDES

I will continue to say that I am thankful for where I was born, and the living conditions I was born into. I am thankful for kind people, and people who are willing to help no matter what. I am thankful for everyone that supports me.

NINDOT NGA ADLAW

I wasn't going to write an email because I was sick, and also because I feel like nothing really happened last week. But, I decided to write one just about today. Today we had three members with us all day coming to our lessons. These members are the kindest, and funniest people ever. For example, while we were walking, a random lady yelled to me and said, "hi, you're my boyfriend!" To which brother Mark Viador, who is always making jokes, says, "he'll marry you if you get baptized." They also were helping me so much with the language. I feel like I learned a lot today thanks to them. Also, at lunch, one of the members said a joke about my comp in bisaya, and I laughed at it, and didn't register that I understood her until she said, "you understood me?" So that was pretty cool. We started the day

trying to teach an interested friend, Tatay Joseph, who has been reading every pamphlet we give him. And remembers stuff from it, and is continuing to pray everyday, and gets so proud of himself when he tells us about his prayers. The only problem is he drinks and smokes. When we found him today, he was so drunk that he fell into my arms, and I had to catch him and help him sit down, while he said, "Elder Lewis" over and over again. So baby steps with him I guess. Next we went to this family. The last time we visited them, the granddaughter expressed that she has a hard time understanding ang basahon ni mormon because they are deep cebuano, and the people here speak a slang bisaya. She knows some English, so today I brought and gave her my Book of Mormon and ang basahon ni mormon side-by-side, so that she can try to read it easier. This was also the first lesson with the members. And let me tell you, the spirit was so strong in that room when they were sharing their testimonies. I only understood a little, but it was still so powerful. At the end of the day, the members left, and me and my companion went to try and teach a family. We have tried multiple times, but they are never home. This time though, they were. It was such a good lesson, and the mom said that she wants her family to grow up fearing God. So we invited her to start praying as a family, and she is

interested in coming to church. Also, they have 8 kids. We wanted to give them a Book of Mormon, but we had given all of the ones we had away today, so we didn't have anymore. This wasn't today, but on Saturday, we were at a YSA activity at the church, and there were five 13 year old girls outside having a picnic. My comp started talking to them, and then went and grabbed some of the people from the YSA to start talking to them, and then invited them to church the next day. Four of them came, and the other one messaged us and said that she was sorry she wasn't able to make it, but she is going to come next week. The other four said that they are going to come back next week as well. Elder Gamot is amazing. 

CONCLUSION

This day was just such a good day. I started the morning thinking about why am I here, because I always think about what is the actual reason I am here. For me personally, what keeps me out here, and today, seeing how happy the interested people were, made me find a part of the answer to that question. I have also had the chance over the past 2 days to read volume one of the Saints book series, and it has strengthened my testimony a lot more, and has given me a little more of an appreciation for the work I am doing, and for the period in time I was born into for the church. I also have gotten to a point where everything feels normal. I don't feel like I'm going to wake up in Arizona anymore . I don't feel like I should be doing the things I used to do. Everything just feels normal now, which I think is good to have happened so soon. Don't get me wrong, I still miss so many people and things, but I have finally accepted that I'll see them again someday.

OTHER LITTLE THINGS

- bought some snacks from some kids tindahan they made out of cardboard

- got called Justin Bieber

- gave a talk in Sacrament meeting

- had a group of 15 kids surround me, and couldn't speak to them, but connected to them through 67 and italian brain rot

Still haven't got Colet,

Elder Lewis

                                                                                    

                                                                                            

                                                                                        

Earthquake x4 - Field Week 3

GRATITUDES

I'm thankful for food and that it can taste so good. I'm thankful to be living in a period of time that is technologically advanced. I'm thankful that I continue to wake up everyday, and have a healthy body.

EARTHQUAKE

One morning during a service project, we got notifications on our phones that there had been another earthquake on an island not too far from here. It was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that came with tsunami warnings. Luckily it wasn't too bad here. We only felt a little shaking. Apparently there was a third one as well. One elder said he got a notification, and I felt a little shaking, but I don’t have proof of it, so I don't know if I can count it or not. Then I was sleeping, and got woken up at one in the morning to a 6.0 magnitude earthquake 40 miles away. And I'm a deep sleeper. It takes a lot to wake me up. I asked if it was normal to have this many earthquakes, and was told no, so that's great.

BIRTHDAY TRAGEDY

First off, thank you all so much for all the birthday messages. I really felt the love. My birthday was pretty good. We did the service project I had mentioned, and it was honestly a normal day. Until I had done laundry the previous day, and washed all my pants. We had a zone meeting to go to, and my pants apparently were not fully dry, and I don't know if they started to mold or what, but they smelt so bad. I got on the jeepney to ride over to the stake center, and everyone on the jeepney covered their noses. I felt so bad. I have never been more self conscious in my life. Safe to say, I'm glad that I got a second chance the next day since it was my birthday in the Philippines, but not back home. But my STL's bought me a cake and some birthday gifts, so it was great.

FUN MOMENTS

Since I can't really participate in lessons, mixed with my adhd, a lot of the time I find whatever I can to stay entertained and not fall asleep. If there are kids, I will always mess around with them. One time, it was raining pretty hard, and my comp was teaching a lesson (next to a dead body, I’m not joking.) There were these kids, they didn't really speak English, but with the little bit they knew, and the little bit of bisaya I knew, we made it work. They had a water gun, and sitting like 10 feet in front of us was this girl on her phone. Well, they kept shooting her with it, and she thought it was the rain. The missionary in me was trying so hard not to laugh. They handed me the gun at one point and told me to do it, and I just started shooting them with it. It was super fun. We were laughing, and then I turned and realized that my comp was in the middle of a prayer. Another fun thing that I've been doing, is that there is this girl band in the Philippines called Bini, and they have a partnership with this noodle brand. So each pack comes with a surprise sticker of one of the members. I bought enough to last me the week, but ended up eating all of them just trying to get the sticker of one girl named Colet, who I think is the prettiest. Fun fact, she's from Bohol, and some missionaries have met her mom. So pray for me to get lucky enough to meet her. I am not giving up until I get her sticker though, so expect a google photo of the sticker when I get it.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

The weeks are flying by, knock on wood. I'm starting to get a lot more comfortable talking to people, both randomly saying maayong buntag, hapon and gabii to people, and also praying and talking to people in lessons. I'm also starting to understand more, which feels so great. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a long while away from being able to hold a conversation, but progress is progress. 

SOMETHING COOL

I've been thinking a lot about what my life is going to be like when I get back home. What car I’ll drive, what clothes I'll wear, what job will I get, where will I live, since some of my family lives in Texas now. Will I go to school? Will I try and find a girl (of course I will?) Just thinking about everything regarding my future. I got told by my therapist before I left that I spend a lot of time in the past and the future. And I feel like a ton of people have told me that I need to not worry or think about the future, that I need to focus on the now and live in the moment. And while I think that carries some truth with it, I don't think that it is entirely true. Here's why I think that. Jeffery R. Holland said in a BYU devotional in 2004 that, "He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities. God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe." Highlighting that part where he said that God can't answer your prayers, or fulfill your dreams if you don't dream in the first place. I just think that is such a cool perspective. Like I said before, a lot of people have told me not to think about the future, but if you don't think and dream about your future, how do you expect to live the life you want to live? The other thing that stuck out to me was praying for those dreams. I've never really thought to do that. I’m known in my family for having SUPER big dreams and ideas of things I want to do in my life. And I used to think it was a bad thing because then it is embarrassing if I don't accomplish them, but now I realize that all I need to do is involve the Lord in those dreams, and He will gladly bless me with them as long as I have faith that he will, and it aligns with his will. 

Dreaming big,

Elder Lewis

Earthquake in Cebu - Field Week 2

 GRATITUDES

I'm thankful for all my family, immediate and extended. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for all those that think of me, message me, and message my mom. I am so thankful for my life, for the country, home, and gospel I was born into.

I finished president Nelson's talks the day that he passed away. I have a list of 15 out of the 114 that really stuck out to me. If you want the list, reach out to me or my mom, and I can give it to you. Also, we were in the middle of ward conference when he died. And the minute that we sustained him, I had a feeling that he died, and then he actually did. Super weird.

EARTHQUAKE

I was telling Elder Gamot that being from Arizona, I have never experienced any natural disasters. The next day, I was laying in bed, listening to a conference talk and I got a notification that said, "earthquake nearby." Seconds later we get hit by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. Luckily our area was pretty ok. Our apartment has some cracks in it now. Sadly though, other areas were not so lucky. I know of 69 people that have died, and I'm sure there are many more. Houses, businesses, and churches were destroyed. It is the saddest thing to see. I have thought a lot about what if I was in that area, but am so grateful that I was not.

FUN TIMES

One night we had dinner at a member's house (it was the chicken feet pictured in my photo album). They made the food, set it on the table, and then went into their rooms, leaving us the remote with Netflix open. Safe to say we watched an entire movie while eating dinner. If you get upset by that, just ignore it. The highlight of my week was facetiming my cousin Zack. He gave me the joy I needed, and I haven't laughed harder since being on the mission.

THIS WEEK

This week was ROUGH. I have never wanted to go home more. I am being so serious when I say that a couple of times I didn't swat the mosquitos away, hoping they would bite me, make me sick, and send me home, because then it wouldn't have been my choice to go home. BUT, I had some thoughts that helped me through it. One of them was the idea of seeing Elder Henry on Monday. Seeing him is a breath of fresh air.  A white person who is at the same point in his mission as me. And mine and his conversations are always enjoyable. Another was the realization that I only struggle in the day time. Walking in the heat all day, and not being able to help in the teaching is so boring, and it feels as if I am doing it for no reason. I feel like I’m just torturing myself. But at night, my energy comes alive and I joke with the other elders, and everything is ok. The third thing that helped me was one morning while I was showering, I was thinking about the story of Peter in Gethsemane. I thought to myself that if Jesus Christ asked me to do something, I would put all my effort into it. There's no way I would have fallen asleep. The next thought that popped into my head was, "the Lord asked you to serve a mission." My mindset immediately changed, and I started going throughout my days with ambition. That morning I said to Elder Gamot, "today's going to be a good day. We are going to find 5 new people to teach." We ended up finding 8 that day, which felt amazing.

STUDY

Being that my comp is semi trunky, I have quite a bit of study time. It has been the best thing ever. I have decided to study things that I never have before, or dive deeper into topics that I know about, but not a lot about. Such as, the Pearl of Great Price, the Abrahamic Covenant, and other random sections on the gospel library app. And obviously more conference talks. Speaking of conference, It was really cool to see Elder Jackson speak in the Saturday evening session because I just shook his hand 2 weeks ago in the MTC. 

Elder Spencer Lewis