Lebumfamace! (11)

It's a satchel

Lebumfamace is just my companion's name and mine put together, but it sounds pretty cool.

So, where did we leave off? Yea...

I got transferred to the island and hit my one year mark. During the one month that I had the privledge of working with Elder Lebumfacil, I learned how to be a zone leader. I love it. I was worried at first because I loved the "in field feel" of being a district leader, but that still exists apparently. I love my zone, they are unified, they aren't problematic, and they love each other. It's so amazing.

 

 

That doesn't mean there isn't the fair share of problem solving that comes with the tag of ZL. But having a truck and a cell phone makes things much easier. We had a woman from a ward come out and say that her branch president, an 82 year old man, and an Elder from before had raped her at 11:00am at the church. Which is ridiculous because church is from 9-12. She's out of her mind apostate, but shes got the police involved and all. Its sticky. A few choppy waves here and there, but for the most part all is well and beautiful out on the island.

We have some amazing, amazing investigators that are progressing so well and will be heading for the water here pretty soon. I do want to comment on two investigators. They live on other sides of the bayan, but both had a stroke about 3 years ago, and both of their recoveries is really really slow. Since we began teaching them both (around the same time) the one who has been keeping commitments, praying, going to church, and is just really trying his faith in God and Christ to heal him has gained the ability to walk (where he struggled badly before), raise his arm, clench his fingers, and his memory is returning. The other however, refuses to exercize his faith. We promised him if he were to go to church, and exercize just a particle of faith in trying the promises of God, that he would walk, that he would find strength in his body once again. He keeps most the commitments, and is very intelligent, and honestly is in better condition than the first, but is not progressing because he says he wants to be able to walk up the stairs to the church before he goes (for prideful reasons). We have taught him that the blind approached Christ in spite of darkness and many people, that the lepors came to Him, that all those miracles were wrought by their affirmative action on faith towards Christ. He accepted this lesson well, but refused all the same, and will stay in stasis till he does.

So my companion and I clicked so well for our time. We became really good friends, and he taught me a lot about companionships and leadership. I sent him off to Cebu just yesterday, and got back with my old companion from Sta. Cruise 7 months ago Elder Olsen. We are the zone leaders in Lucena till him and I get our new comps this Friday. I'll miss lebumfacil a lot. He was a great elder, with a lot of love, and a lot of spirit. He didnt get trunky, and worked till the last day of his mission. He returned with honor, and set the example. This one is for you Lebum.

So Last epistle I mentioned about my good friend Walter who was supposed to be baptized this month. Well, GREAT NEWS! He Did! And I had the honor to baptize him right before our zone conference in Lucena. We had to fight opposition even up till the night before and morning following, but Walter prevailed, and will be recieving the priesthood in the weeks to come. He will do amazing things. [Due to complications caused by Stake Leadership in Lucena, Walter's papers were lost in transition. The Baptismal records did not go through the mission office, because he was an ex-com. He is still getting it worked out, but this comes as just one more evidence of the dire opposition he faces constantly, even within the Church]

I can't express how grateful I am for my life, my mission, and everything I'm learning here in the field. Best decision of my life. Ive never been happier, Ive never understood more about life, about people, and about service and love. Its an incredible thing. My mission motto has been "change yourself to change others, help others to help yourself, and save others to save yourself," Which came from a revelation I recieved while with my first Zone Leader Matt Park, and has just been refortified and expounded to me over and over and over in my mission. Recently, saving others to save yourself has become to most prominent being enlightened to me at this point because of recent temptations and hardships being experienced by myself and those people I love. But I'll make it. God's to good to let me fall. I'll trust Him, and he'll take care of the rest.

I love you, God be with you, I miss you all,

-Elder Mace