It's More Fun in the Philippines (Highlights):
-We obtained a referral to go teach someone in a part of our area that I have never been to. All we had was the name of the person and a street. Without a map or really much direction we headed off to find her. 30 minutes later we were totally lost! We asked every person that walked by if they knew the street or person, and each time they pointed us back to the way we had come from. Rather than heeding their advice we kept trudging along, and after two hours we finally found the street. The first person we found on the street ended up being her and she proceeded to introduce us to her entire family. We got close with all of them, and they even said they would attend church this week.
The biggest thing that impacted me this week involved a family of 4 that we helped move houses. Their old house was quite large and very nice. We boxed up their belongings and loaded them on to a small vehicle. Many of the items in their home they told us to leave behind. I figured they were just going to get the other stuff a different day, so we only loaded up a few items. All in all, the stuff we loaded would have fit in about 2 wheelbarrow loads, and that includes their bed mats. They were extremely sad to be leaving their home. We then drove with them to their new home. Once we arrived we loaded up our arms and walked down a narrow foot path to their new place. Between the 6 of us we could easily carry all of the stuff. We came around the corner of the footpath and they led us inside a boarding house which consisted of a narrow concrete hallway with rooms on each side. Their new home was one of these rooms. It was 6 foot by 12 foot, and completely empty. We dropped the stuff inside the door. They would be living here from now on. Their bathroom and kitchen would be shared with 15 other people and about 150 cockroaches as well. It hurt my heart to see them go from a home of comfort and cleanliness to something that as of right now they could hardly consider a living quarter. Members from the church and close friends quickly came over and helped them unpack their few belongings and brought food to fill their shelf. Arrangements were quickly made to repaint the walls and put in more lights. They promised to make the new place feel just like home. Although the situation was not ideal, we would all try to make the most of it!
WEEKLY CHALLENGE: The fact is, we will always be thrown curveballs. In fact, the only thing that is permanent is change. We are bound to experience change, and we might as well expect the unexpected. These 4 people I have spoken of never expected to be sleeping, eating, and spending day to day in the current place they are residing. However, they are still pressing forward. My advice, make the most of what you are given. If life is going great, then be grateful. If life is not treating you well, then remember, the sun will still rise in the morning. Keep pressing on and find happiness on the way!
Elder Hemmert
Elder Hemmert
