This week was a fantastic week and one that I don't think I will ever forget. This week, not only did we get to celebrate the beginning of a new year, but we also had a lot of happy and sad experiences this week. This week we walked around for a little over an hour in an area that hasn't been visited much by the missionaries in years because it's so far away- but we wanted to explore and see about the less active members that were there. We wandered around completely lost for about an hour and a half- and it was getting dark, not to mention our fellowshipper (Bro. Ammon) had no idea either about the place we were in. Nonetheless, I felt safe- I felt like we were okay- we prayed earlier that morning, and that’s where we felt that we needed to go. Anyways, along the way (while we were lost) we found some other less active members and preach by the ways that turned into new investigators- so of course it wasn't for nothing- when finally we found the house of the less active member that we were looking for. We shared with them- for the second time and Bro Pedro's heart was soo hard, he just said no matter what he would not come back to the church- he likes it much better being catholic because there aren't as many "bawal" or things rules or commandments that he needs to follow. And, if he only gives a peso to the "pari" or priest he is happy- its much harder to give 10% and pay tithing. At this point, I just decided to be frank, because he continued to go on about how he would return to the church if we gave him land so he could build a house. I just frankly, but nicely told him the church is not a business, it doesn’t work like that. We are members, and we keep the commandments because we have faith, and we love God. The reason we have tithing, is to test our faith because God doesn’t need our money- but I assured him that not a single one of the leaders he will meet at the church have a sallary. And then…I told him that we should not become part of a religion because it’s easy. Keeping the commandments isn’t meant to be easy, but that it was worth it in the end, when you receive eternal life as your reward. Anyways…I think that was the first time that Sis. Valera has really seen me be frank. Haha the personalities of the people in my last area were different- I was pretty frank most of the time…but here for the most part you don’t need to be…but this time…I seirously felt he needed to hear that, before he shut the door and didn’t come back.
Anyways…after that depressing experience…and my companion was in tears because that was her first time experiencing a less active who just flat out told her that he didn’t want to come back, that he shut the door…took it pretty hard…anyways…as we were walking for a long time…and the area we were in was kind of scary- first time namin jan kasi. Anyways, as we were walking- it was now about 8pm at night…trying to find a tricycle so we could get a ride home (because this area was really far) there was a tiricyle driver there and he called to us (we also had a member fellowshipper with us- bro Ammon) and motioned to us to come over. Then He drove us…we heard Ammon talking to the trike driver but didn’t think anything of it. When we got out of the tricyle, after he had already left Ammon told Sis. Valera something that I don’t think I will ever forget. He told us that the tricycle driver asked him where our “kasama” or the people that were with us earlier went to. Ammon asked him “what people?” and the trike driver said “You know, the 3 big american men wearing white shirts that were with you earlier.” …Ammon just tried to play it off like normal…but…the trike driver continued to explain that he parked his tricyle and decided to wait for us to come back, cuz he thought that we’d need a ride home when it got darker at night- but then was surprised that there were only 3 of us that came back.
I have absolutely no explanation for what happened that night… although I can guess at who those 3 men are, I will never be sure. But I do know that we are never alone in this work. I know that God is involved in the intricacies and details of our life. And I do know that this is HIS work.
I had a lot of other great experiences too but no time to tell about it...next week na lang. I love you all, and think of you always
Love,
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