Karanungan (22)

Karanungan means wisdom in Tagalog, I learned a ridiculous amount in a short six weeks time.

So, as you know, I got another of my closest friends as a companion on my mission. A massive blessing in and of itself, but it just happened to be with the gentleman and scholar known as Joshua Gonzalez. Our time together re-opening Canlubang taught me priceless lessons about drive, self-motivation, the humility that comes with being released from leadership, the importance of bringing all counsel from church leaders to the Lord for confirmation before believing immediately as described by Bruce R. McConckie. I learned the importance of personal revelation. The consequence of non-virtuous thought and action, and the rewarding effects of sanctification. I learned the important balance between building a house of faith from deep discussion rather than a house of doubt. When we ask deep questions, about the Gospel, or anything for that matter...are we building up one's belief, understanding and awareness of that topic? Or are we trying to tear it down? I learned that humility humbles others. The repeated lesson that pride is the greatest evil on earth. I learned that the basic steps of the gospel (being prayer, study, and sacrament) are the fundamentals to personal life changing blessings and enlightenment from on high. I've learned more so now than ever before that the greatest desire of every human being is to feel important. I have learned that I am often wrong, and the grace that is required to humbly accept correction. I could go on forever writing about these things, but it is hard to give proper perspective to these principles without proper context. Sorry folks, it's just to difficult to explain.

The work here has been an absolute fireball of amazingness, a perfect way to close out my mission. I got my first young-in-the-mission companion I've ever had...also being my trainee. yay! I'm a daddy! I have a kid! and he is a stud. Love 'em to death. He is from Mindanao, a professional dancer, meaning he's competed with his dance crew and won money and what not, he is fetching good at basketball, and he's no more than 5'3. Awesome guy, and he's so excited for missionary work! Its fired me up so much to have that kind of influence working on me. Just seeing how hard he studies, his desire to learn English, his want to become a great teacher. He's the perfect anak (kid), and no better trainee could a trainer ask for.

So these last few months will have a bountiful harvest of souls willing to leave behind issues of alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, fornication, adultery, and other binding vices that rob men of their agency. There stories have been the most miraculous I've seen on my mission. For example, Bert and Rose Mendoza, a husband and wife who would constantly bicker over the fact that Bert was always drunk. Morning, afternoon, and evening. When he wasn't drinking, he was doing drugs, or debating against any missionary of any faith, especially Iglesias, and often with Mormons because they would teach his older brother. He was out to argue and contend with anyone professing truth. Then, one day, at work, he fell on a re-bar that pierced his butt and into his lower organs. He removed himself from the bar and walked with a co-worker to a hospital near-by that refused to take him saying that his injuries were to serious. So hopping on a public transportation jeepnie, he rode a ways to another hospital, the doctor stating that had he come even an hour later, he would have been dead. The doctors gave him 50/50 chance of survival, and in that critical moment he remembered his God, and called to Him, and was humbled into the dust as he vowed that if God were to deliver him, that he would serve God the remainder of his days. He was spared, and after his operation where his intestine was now disconnected and exposed out of his stomach into a bag to dispose of bodily waste, he rested, and the missionaries arrived. Elder Gonzalez and I. His attitude did a complete u-turn, disgusted with his past actions he repented, started a new life, and left all his dark issues behind him. He never fights with his wife anymore, he's happy, healthy, and recovering quickly. Two Saturdays ago, he was married to his live-in Rose, and baptized.

He was worried because he recently had another surgery where his intestines were put back into their proper place and thought that because the wound was fresh that it would tear or perhaps be sensitive to the water in the baptismal font. Despite this, he pressed forward in faith, knowing this to be the very will of God, and trusted in Him once again. When he was baptized, I had him cross his arms fists at his collarbones, and I used my arm as a supporting rod laid across the center of his spine as I slowly lowered him into the water. When he came out he quickly went to the bathroom to change his bandage. When he removed the covering, the wound was no longer scabbed, and a closed scar was all that remained of what had previously been a somewhat oozing gash. Surely, God healed him because of his faith, Physically, because he chose to be healed spiritually. This is just as much the apostolic work that it was back in the time of Peter and Paul, if only those with the faith and vision to see it as it is.

No greater way could a missionary hope to end his mission.

and so in the remaining weeks to come, all of my previous "trunkiness" has been swept under the rug, and excitement and vigor grips me as I desire more so now than ever to finish as strong if not stronger than I started, re-opening, training, with a small Mindanao-ian as a companion, an almost eerie parallel to how my mission started. God is good.

with love,

-elder mace