Hi Everyone! - May 25,2015 - Week 30

Hey guys! Haha I can't help but laugh at the weather in Texas right now...this is actually good it makes it easy for me to explain the weather here, so take that rain and then add a little more and that's the daily normal here...haha the word for storm here in bagiuo. Its kind of weird because they use the same word if there is a Hurricane coming. So that means there isn't a huge difference between regular rain and a hurricane here.

Anyways so my week was pretty good we taught about 30 lessons this week. We taught Sister Theresa Guelos just about everyday this week. She is pretty much our mother here in San Miguel. Every time we go to here house she feeds us so much food. :) She is super sad that I will probably transfer next week because she will be on vacation in Hong Kong. She said we will have a huge feast before she leaves though. She is the first investigator in San Miguel...and she is still investigating. Its okay the main thing is that we don't give up on her. Even though sometimes its frustrating and stressful, I know that day when she walks into the waters of baptism the stress and frustration will turn into Joy and Happiness. 

This Sunday our attendance at church went a little down to 18. Everyone texted me right before the meeting started and said they can't come because it was to hot...I was super frustrated. Elder Lazo told me not to respond because he knew I would probably chastise them and maybe offend them. I was like what the heck! COME ON PEOPLE! THIS IS THE PHILIPPINES DUHHH ITS HOT! WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?! SO IF ITS HOT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE MORMON?! GET OVER YOURSELVES! I went on for probably 20 minutes. And then my companion chastised me...haha Sometimes the mission can be so frustrating. After you work hard all week just to try to get people to come to church and then they don't show up...Its okay I just have to remember that people have their agency.

So I am district leader right now...I have learned so much already from it. One of the responsibilities of the DL is to give a training to the district every week. Which means I get to prayerfully study on what to give a training on every week. I learn so much from studying for DM. Sometimes I feel like I get more out of it than the district does. 

So up to this point I have been praying and waiting for that point where I am comfortable with the language, comfortable with the lessons, with the people, the culture and everything. But this week in my studying for my talk to give in sacrament meeting I learned that that point will never come where I will be 100% comfortable with everything. So I am striving to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. If we are comfortable with everything here in this life there is no point in us being here. We are here on earth to learn and to grow spiritually and physically. I testify that everytime we are uncomfortable we need to endure and not give up. Our Heavenly Father gives us trials and tribulations to help us grow. If you do your best to endure through those things he will be there to help us. Just like when Peter was walking on water and right when he started to sink Jesus Christ was right there to help and lift him up. Don't back down! LEARN TO DO HARD THINGS! 

Well that's all for this week I love and miss you guys so much. Have an awesome week and I will do the same! :) 

-- 

Elder Jake Frandsen

Philippines Iloilo Mission