Rain, When a Missionary Gets Sick, and More Rain
Interesting experiences these last 2 weeks. Some to consider:
We go in to teach someone named Apo. Interestingly enough, the literal translation of his name is grandchild, but he is old enough to be a grandpa. He welcomes us, and tells us he is Orthodox Catholic, then he tells us his story.
He got appendicitis, but the doctors only slightly healed him.
The next 3 nights he heard a voice tell him to go to the holy land.
Then he climbed a mountain dubbed a holy land.
He hurt halfway up, but his friends helped him to the top.
He drank from a stream in front of the church at the top, which stream ran past the feet of a huge statue of Mary.
It only made his pain worse.
He went into the church, but had to take off his shoes.
He met the preacher person, who he knew from years before, and never expected him to become a preacher/pastor or whatever he was.
He prayed in the church,
had an out of body experience,
felt an angel hit him in the back of the head over and over, with pain that felt real, telling him his sins.
He cried out that he was sorry.
He returned to his body and no longer had the pain in his side.
And the grand moral of his story is:
All religion is correct, as long as you worship the one Lord. It isn't about church, it's about God.
It isn't even a conversion story. He apparently was Orthodox Catholic just because.
So we thanked him, left him some material, and went on our way.
Good experience.
We also talked to a Lady. She wouldn't let us get a word in edgewise. She talked
and talked
and talked
and talked
about her beliefs
and it was an edifying experience,
but whenever we would try to have an exchange of ideas
it was met with another monologue.
We eventually found out that that was the point.
She was a Sunday School teacher for her church
and was trying to teach us a lesson, not have a conversation.
We closed on a similar note as Apo.
It was cool to see the similarities as well as the differences between our beliefs, and gave me new insight. But only we know the differences, because she never got to hear about ours, because she wouldn't let us....
Which makes me sad mostly because it doesn't allow as much for good edifying discussion.
But that's all right.
We met an American!
He's been here 5 years, and has terrible Tagalog.
Really bad.
He has been obsessed with the corruption in the Philippines;
says that all humanitarian and missionary efforts here are wasted;
has over 60 hours of footage on the crime here.
And according to him, half of the debt of the United States is lost through medical corruption in the Philippines...
That was......
We avoided him when we saw him again later that day. Thankfully he didn't see us.
My companion got sick which means...
STUDY AND BOREDOM.
Our work this week was, frankly, pitiful.
But that's all right.
Lessons and strength were gained from the experience.
There was finally rain
and rain
and rain
and rain.
And our jeepney turned into a boat as it drove over roads flooded so deep that if we had been outside of the vehicle, we would have been up to our waists in the water.
We go in to teach someone named Apo. Interestingly enough, the literal translation of his name is grandchild, but he is old enough to be a grandpa. He welcomes us, and tells us he is Orthodox Catholic, then he tells us his story.
He got appendicitis, but the doctors only slightly healed him.
The next 3 nights he heard a voice tell him to go to the holy land.
Then he climbed a mountain dubbed a holy land.
He hurt halfway up, but his friends helped him to the top.
He drank from a stream in front of the church at the top, which stream ran past the feet of a huge statue of Mary.
It only made his pain worse.
He went into the church, but had to take off his shoes.
He met the preacher person, who he knew from years before, and never expected him to become a preacher/pastor or whatever he was.
He prayed in the church,
had an out of body experience,
felt an angel hit him in the back of the head over and over, with pain that felt real, telling him his sins.
He cried out that he was sorry.
He returned to his body and no longer had the pain in his side.
And the grand moral of his story is:
All religion is correct, as long as you worship the one Lord. It isn't about church, it's about God.
It isn't even a conversion story. He apparently was Orthodox Catholic just because.
So we thanked him, left him some material, and went on our way.
Good experience.
We also talked to a Lady. She wouldn't let us get a word in edgewise. She talked
and talked
and talked
and talked
about her beliefs
and it was an edifying experience,
but whenever we would try to have an exchange of ideas
it was met with another monologue.
We eventually found out that that was the point.
She was a Sunday School teacher for her church
and was trying to teach us a lesson, not have a conversation.
We closed on a similar note as Apo.
It was cool to see the similarities as well as the differences between our beliefs, and gave me new insight. But only we know the differences, because she never got to hear about ours, because she wouldn't let us....
Which makes me sad mostly because it doesn't allow as much for good edifying discussion.
But that's all right.
We met an American!
He's been here 5 years, and has terrible Tagalog.
Really bad.
He has been obsessed with the corruption in the Philippines;
says that all humanitarian and missionary efforts here are wasted;
has over 60 hours of footage on the crime here.
And according to him, half of the debt of the United States is lost through medical corruption in the Philippines...
That was......
We avoided him when we saw him again later that day. Thankfully he didn't see us.
My companion got sick which means...
STUDY AND BOREDOM.
Our work this week was, frankly, pitiful.
But that's all right.
Lessons and strength were gained from the experience.
There was finally rain
and rain
and rain
and rain.
And our jeepney turned into a boat as it drove over roads flooded so deep that if we had been outside of the vehicle, we would have been up to our waists in the water.
(picture from Internet: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/children-play-in-a-street-flooded-by-heavy-rains-overnite-news-photo/454179860)
Whole neighborhoods were turned into rivers, entire intersections into lakes, and where there was a natural river that was usually 15-30 feet below the bridge, it was nearly on top of the bridge.
FLOODING, WHOO!
FLOODING, WHOO!
(Picture from the Internet: example: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/15/asia/gallery/philippines-flooding-sept/index.html )
Kids of course loved it.
Kids of course loved it.
The world became one giant swimming pool
and toilet
at the same time.
I feel so bad for those little guys.
But I understand why Filipinos wear flip-flops and shorts ALL THE TIME.
I would too if the road outside my house turned into a river.
I saw at the Christmas party a movie. If you get the chance, watch it.
It is called the 4th wise man, I believe. Really cool. Old movie too, so it might even be on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcakPYoxYFo).
I won't have time to email Nikolai. Give him my sincerest apologies, and let him know I enjoyed enormously his email. I also do know the game Destiny, so he doesn't have to explain it to me.
I have also enjoyed very much the cola cao.
I have been wearing the Minion slippers that came with it ever since.
If you ever send another package the thing that is nearly impossible to get here, because it is so expensive is:
Cheese.
Good, flavorful, tasty cheese.
So if you can send cheese in a way which it does not go bad, then if you ever send something else, that would be it.
Almost everything else is either available, or replaceable.
What's cool is when you walk past a herd of goats one week, and remark to yourself that they are quite fat creatures
and then you walk past the same herd, except that it is composed of skinny goats and a lot of kids (as in baby goats).
And those kids sure are cute.
To Mama:
There are 7 days in the week.
Here are 7 verses to consider, which I think you'll enjoy:
Helaman 5:1-6, 12
1 And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram.
2 For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.
3 Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.
4 And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;
5 For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake:
6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.
12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
And that's it for time.
I have a composition, which I will send in parts if I have more time. I'm enjoying it.
I would love to see the poem by Rudyard Kipling about Gods. Something like the Gods of the Copybook Headings.
And I also will talk to Nikolai about something new I want to try for 2016. I hope he's up to the challenge.
Here's a little something from my letter to the president:
"Spiritual experience:
I read 3 Nephi 13:28-29.
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;
29 And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
And I felt an indescribable feeling, which was related to His words in 29.
I have a very strong testimony of the creation, which I hope to carry into every scientific forum I ever endeavor to go into in the future. There is such beauty for me, in His words there.
So I will go forward and "consider the lilies"
Because He even took time to say they were beautiful."
From, with love
Elder (Kris-Tyan) Streeter
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