Pamiliya

Kumusta Pamiliya ko?

How are things? I have loved being here in the Philippines and have grown so much in the past week. I would like to share just a few experience that have strengthened my testimony. First off, Tagalog is SO hard! They have just thrown it on to us and it has been like drinking out of a fire hose, hahaha. I have been studying more than ever before. The second day of the MTC we had our first investigator Manuel. It was soo scary. He only knew a little bit of English so it was hard to get our message across. We taught him every day until yesterday when he gave us response to our teaching and became our new guro (teacher).  He said that we focused to much on the language and not enough on the investigator.  I have learned that it is SO important to teach people not lessons! I will work on how I teach because I am a messenger of Jesus Christ himself! The language has been my biggest challenge but I know that for what ever reason I have been hand picked by the Lord to serve in the Philippines. One time when I was pondering why I was called here I saw a glimpse of a Filipino family in my mind. I realized that this is one of the reasons I have been called here. This makes the sacrifice of leaving my family worth it. I love the people already! Some of the Filipinos call me Elder Tall, hahahaha. It has been funny to see their reaction to my height. A lot of the missionaries that are are foreigners here are from US or Tonga or other Polynesian islands. The food is pretty good! We have had rice for every meal including breakfast, I am not sick of it yet! :) We had hamburgers and they were not that great, hahaha! The last thing I would like to share with you is a lesson I have been learning. That is obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles! I know that is true! One rule that has been really hard for me is that we are not allowed to eat any snacks outside of meal time in the cafeteria. Man and I thought that no eating outside the kitchen was hard! hahaha. I have been striving to be exactly obedient and not make any excuses.  For example our mission president asked us shave everyday and so I do even though I probably could go without. I love the spirit here. Thank you so much for your prayers and fasting thank you for your love, I can feel it! I know that I am doing the right thing being here.



Love you always,

Elder Murdock