Magandang umaga po kayong lahat!
A great week this past week, it was Holy Week here in the Philippines so to be straight up, teengz get a litto NAHTS. Catholic tradition here has people parading the streets with grass hats and face coverings, whipping their backs, leaving ripped shirts and bleeding backs. Some even crucify themselves, being nailed to a cross. For a while this left me discusted but more so just mad with the thought in my mind, "Was his suffering not enough?" Anyway adda den dat haha my days are always filled with tender mercies of the Lord. Kahit mahirap, even if its hard, the language is languaging, and I found that running is a very useful tool in missionary work! Haha Im glad that Elder Kapunan agrees the same, which started with one day talking about covenants, and as we covenanted to give our all, in which I asked the question, "Lahat ba yan?", (Is that all?), as we found ourselves running, of course with dignity, 8 at night, trying to hit another appointment.
I have an awesome companion who has one attribute that will make any missionary, or anyone in general, great. Elder Kapunan is willing. He wants to learn and grow, he wants to be obedient, and ultimately he wants to serve the Lord. I feel so blessed to be his companion. The story I want to share came from a teaching we had this past week with a catholic husband and wife. Usually as we teach them, the wife listens, and reads the Book of Mormon, while the tatay sits in the back corner, smoking a cigarette. I could tell he would listen, but as any tatay or older male, will leave "that kind of stuff" to the wife. This past week, as we arrived to the house, only tatay was home, sitting in his corner, smoking his cigarette. He quickly said that his family wasnt home, in which we asked if we could share a quick 5 minute message before we left. As we sat down and shared, the spirit guided to teach about guilts, and the beauty of repentance. I didnt remember what I said in the lesson right after it finished, and I still dont remember now, but remembering being led by the spirit to ask a few inspired questions. One being, "Nakaramdam po ba kayo ng guilts?" As he shared a few superficial stories, but the spirit of discernement opened my eyes to see there was more. We read Moroni 8:26...
26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.
Repentance is God's way of showing us that he loves us. A promised blessing that when we feel this lowliness, meekness, sorrow, that we ALL have and will continue to feel throughout life, gives the Lord the opportunity, as we choose it, to be filled with a perfect love, and a perfect hope through the Holy Ghost. Alam ko na ito ay totoo dahil naramdaman ko yan, maraaaming beses haha. Totoo talaga. My companion continued and bore his testimony as we ended our quick 30 minute message haha, and asked him to close us with a prayer. As he prayed, his voice slowly became more choppy as he spit out the word, amen, his eyes filled with tears. I know, that the suffering and atonement of our loving savior and redeemer Jesus Christ, IS ENOUGH to feel the peace we need as we use it. We have hope and faith for this tatay. We know we weren't the teachers in that lesson, or any lesson, but vessels that the spirit was able to dwell. We as members can say all we like, this Church is true, this gospel is true, but its so different, so beautiful to see a testimony being made. I could come up with a million ways, how this scripture could connect to each one of you, but it is our responsibility haha to start and grow our own testimony and continue to seek for opportunities to grow it.
Alam ko po na ito ay totoo na may walang alinlangan. Sobrang masaya ako na ibahagi ang magandang ebanghelyo na ito sa lahat ng mga tao nandito sa Pilipinas. Mahal na mahal ko po ang trabajo na ito bilang isang misyonero at nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng inyong mga panalangin para sa akin, maramdaman ko sila.
I love you all choken, and know that the Lord loves , EACH and EVERY one of his children as well. Jahs trahsss!
ELDER ISHIBASHI
1. Diguistic Beach
2. ZL Elder Wengreen
3. Elder Kapunan aka hammah
4. Cleaning a pig pen in pross with illokano tatay
5. First. snake... kinda
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