The Wrong Guy with the Cigarette (July 25, 2016)

The Wrong Guy with the Cigarette

July 25, 2016

Sorry, I whiled away my time again this week on my email to president. The reason: we've got interviews! Yay!

My English is beginning to die to my Tagalog. I don't like it. When I'm talking I say things like: "we are very much grateful," "I'm going to learn them the gospel," and other things. I can't remember what I said exactly, but it was pretty bad!

Speaking of which, I would love it if I got some brain teasers or some math problems or chemistry stuff that I could work on during p-days. The other day I tried to remember the quadratic formula. I had to write it down and solve it backwards to make sure it actually was the same as Ax^2 + Bx + C = 0.

Good news, it was. 

Bad news, I've completely forgotten how to complete the square, so I can't go back the other way!

So maybe something to exercise my brain as well as my body. Just on p-day though. I can't get distracted other days. So don't make it too hard either, just, you know, like puzzles. Engaging, but not overwhelming or absorbing.

We taught 25 lessons this week! Wow! Work seems to be picking up. When I first got here it wasn't much. Now, as if by magic, we are teaching a ton of people. 

Which brings me to the Alcantra Family. 

We were walking one day and elder Jones said, hey, how about we OYM the guy with the cigarette. 

So I, being unafraid (I've been working on that) went right up to him:

"kumusta kayo!" (how are you!)

We started the conversation. Elder Jones continued it with the young man, who was about 18 years old, but then I got distracted by an old, drunk, bakla, who, seeing two white guys, decided he had to talk to them. I was keeping him occupied, while trying to somehow get through to his inner spirit that we have a message which can help him feel much deeper happiness than whatever he was using to find happiness at the time. 

Unfortunately, both his sexual orientation and intoxication were pampabulag and pampabingi, or things which cause blindness and deafness, but of course, I'm speaking on a spiritual level.

After Elder Jones finished with the young man, and I wriggled my way out of the 10th awkward handshake, he told me what he found out: 

His parents were both Mormons a long time ago in the province, and he basically considered himself a Mormon too, just because he had no idea what he was. He had never been baptized, though, and his family had gone inactive before they moved to Manila, and had never told the church they moved. 

Meaning: there were two inactive members that nobody knew about that we just found out about, and their son was very interested in us returning.

We have a feeling there is great things to be found with the Alcantra family. The parents, unfortunately, are very busy, but they have no opposition to teaching their children. ALL 5 CHILDREN are very excited, receptive, and accepting of the message. They are all reading, praying, and excited to go to church. They all say they remember this from their youth, and are not sure why it ever stopped. It's super cool. They have all accepted baptismal dates. We will see where it goes, but we have high hopes.

But do you know what is the best part of the whole story?

Way back when Elder Jones said to me: how about we OYM that guy with the cigarette? 

He was talking about a completely different guy than the one I spoke to. I had no idea. 

I know the spirit will guide our efforts to help other people. God's hand is in this work. 

May we make better use of our time. Remember, just because we are busy doesn't mean we are productive.

With love,

Elder Streeter