Easter Weekend

"I have had Diahrrea since last easters..." That one's for you Quincy. 

Yet... sadly, there is some truth to that. My stomach is just not agreeing with the food here, for some reason. I would think that I have been getting used to it by now, but I guess my stomach still doesn't agree. 

So this past week, it has FINALLY started to cool down. A little bit. Enough to make a HUGE difference. The week before reached 50 degrees Celsius.... which for all you other peeps (including me), that is 122 degrees F.!!!!!! like... seriously?! No wonder I have felt myself melting away. 

This next week is Transfer day. I found out today that I will be staying with Elder Martizo for one more cycle. We are gonna go hard this next cycle, and we are hoping to see a few baptisms be reaped. 

This past week was Easter week, and it was a good experience! Easter is celebrated by all here in the Philippines, which is super nice! It makes talking to people about Jesus Christ a lot easier. And they are more willing to listen to us. Which all we need is to get our foot in the door, and help them feel the spirit so that they will bring the Gospel into their lives. 

Sorry this email is super short this week... almost out of time. But just know that I love you all! And I love this Gospel! I love Christ, and I am so grateful for him and all that he has done for me. 

Stay True!

Elder Walstad

It's SO HOT

Sorry, this email will be a little shorter than the others. The time has seemed to escape me today, faster than normal, but I would love to send out a letter to you all! 

So Elder Martizo has been suffering from, what I think, is a Kidney Stone. Or at least an infection.  He has a difficult time getting up and walking, and using the restroom is a super painful experience for him. So we stayed in a lot this week in order for him to rest and take some medicine, in hopes that he will heal.  So far it hasn't changed much, but he is starting to feel less pain, which is always a good sign! Let's keep him in our prayers that he will be able to heal from this quickly. :)

A few days ago, I was able to go on splits with one of the Elder's in Mallig. (which is where my first area was.) It was SO great going back and visiting all of the members, 17ish months later. It was kind of funny actually... hearing them speak Tagalog and realizing that they have been speaking the same language this whole time... yet back when I was still new, it sounded completely different! But it's the same pala! (pala means I'm surprised ^.^) We taught a few members and being out in that area again helped me really see how far I've come, and how much I have learned.  I am so grateful for all my growth, and I made sure to get down on my knees that night and express more gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the things that I have learned, and for all the trials I had experienced while in Mallig. 

Other than that, this week was a little slower. I had a lot of time to sit around at the apartment, which gave me a lot of time to reflect and study and really write down some things I want to make sure I improve on in these last 4 months. I also went back and compared some of those new goals to the goals I had made back during New Years, and a lot of them are very similar, which only solidified, to me, that those are the goals for me to work towards.

I am so grateful for the trials I have had, and for all the blessings I have seen in my life. I am so grateful for my family and friends. I'm so blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. Thank you for your love and support. Mahal ko kayo!

“Home is where you are loved the most and act the worst.” - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Stay True!

Elder Walstad

Heat n' some more heat with a side of hotness...

What a great week! It's hard to believe that it's Monday again. Every day has just flown by!  It is officially Summer now here in the Philippines. I am really missing my last apartment right about now. The one with the aircon. It's been about 102 degrees F... and on top of that it's like 70% humidity, so the second we wake up until we get home and night, I am just a sweaty beast. I am taking close to 3 showers a day now! Fun times. But I can definitely say that a lesson I am learning right now is how to deal with heat, without becoming heated... hehe.

We had our weekly District meeting earlier this week, which was great! It's always fun to get together with all the other Elders and Sisters in the zone, have some good laughs, and learn from one another. Then Thursday came around. We had splits with the AP's.  That was a ton of fun! We taught a lot of really great lessons, and we found a lot of new investigators who were golden right off the bat. They also get to drive, so while we were driving around, I missed driving... but I think driving here in the Philippines would be super stressful. No one follows any of the rules, and there are no speed limits. It's kinda just whatever they want to do, they do it. Crazy! :O I know that our guardian angles were working over time.

When we got back to our apartment.. after having a super successful splits with the AP's, we went out and just worked our booties off until there wasn't any more booty to work off! And oh boy did it pay off. We found 6 less-active or inactive members who thought that they had been forgotten.  It was so sad to hear that they had been offended and then "forgotten." We taught them that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have never and WILL NEVER forget us. That they are aware of us always. And Christ knows exactly what we are feeling and how to help us. Then the next day, we immediately brought members with us so that they would know where these members are, and they these "lost sheep" would feel support from the members again. The sense of fulfillment that we received as we helped these "lost sheep" was like non-other. The spirit that we felt in our lessons was so strong! I am so grateful that we were led by the spirit, even though it was SO hot, that we wanted to just go home and sit in front of our fans, we pushed through the heat, and the blessings we saw were so worth it!

Well - one thing that has been annoying is that all the flippin' bugs here will always choose to annoy me. The filipinos here actually get a good kick out of this, cause they think it's because I'm different. Because I am "more gwapo." (more handsome.) haha. Whatever it is, I need to figure out a way to destroy all these bugs. Most especially the lamok. (Mosquitos.)

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “I testify to you that God has known you individually … for a long, long time (see D&C 93:23). He has loved you for a long, long time. He not only knows the names of all the stars (see Ps. 147:4; Isa. 40:26); He knows your names and all your heartaches and your joys!”

I know this is true! :)

Stay True!

Elder Walstad

Highlights from the past week...

Yet another successful week past and gone. I really feel like I learned a lot this week, and have really been inspired to really finish strong. It is so easy to maybe give up, or just "coast" now that it is coming to an end, but I have really felt that, and noticed, as I try to give my best and try to really make the best of the time I have, it really effects the way that other missionaries, hopefully, will spend their last 6ish months.  It's just as you say dad - now is the time when I know the most, and am effective in the language - so I should really be taking advantage of this time to do as much as I can for the Lord! What an amazing thing :)

Earlier this week we had MLC again, and it was such an inspired meeting! I really felt the spirit. We were trained/taught by President and Sister Rahlf about Leadership, and how to be more effective leaders. Not only as Zone Leaders, but also as leaders in our every day lives, and when the time comes - as parents. President Rahlf taught us a very interesting concept. He compared leadership to the Lower Law and the Higher Law. Before and After the time of Christ. I really like a quote that he shared with us. it goes "A lower law leader will do things right, but a higher law leader will do the right things."  I loved that! There aren't always rules written down for us on how to handle every situation, but as we are guided by the spirit, we will know what is the right decision, and as we follow the guidance of the spirit accordingly, we will be doing the right things.  We will, essentially, become a Higher Law leader. As Jesus Christ would lead. I loved that! 

  
(Me with my MTC Batch)

 

(Our Zone - Roxas Zone)

We also did splits this week, and we ended up visiting a member whose son had fallen from a tree and dislocated his elbow.  He is only 6 years old, and we felt So bad for him! We shared with his mom (Who is a single mother) Mosiah 23:21 - that "The Lord seeth fit to chasten his people, yea, he trieth their patience and their faith."  I know that trials are in our lives for a reason that we may not totally comprehend at this time, but as we strive to be worthy for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we will better understand those trials, and in turn be able to learn from them and overcome them - and then we will see that the Lord has tried our patience and Faith.  I really felt that the spirit touched this young mothers heart! She expressed to us, with tears in her eyes, that she knew it would be ok. :) We knew it was the spirit testifying to her! And what is amazing is that she has just returned to the Church, from being Less-Active for almost a year. I know these trials will make her stronger in the church. 

It is getting pretty hot over here in the pilipins! it's taking me back to those good ol' months of when I had Dengue last summer.... grabe! (wow) hehe :)

It's getting harder and harder to speak straight english now! I almost always am using a tagalog word when I talk to people... since there are certain words in Tagalog that just make sense when describing certain situations, that can't quite be said in English. You will all know what I'm talking about soon enough ;) hehe. 

Well, I love you all! 

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." -John Quincy Adams

<Shout out to my cuz Quincy! ^.^>

Stay True!

Elder Walstad