I have had another awesome week here! This last week, Elder Vicente and I finished preparing three of our investigators for their baptismal interviews, and all three of them passed! It has been great to see the positive changes they have undergone as they have prepared to become members of the church. Two of them are from the same family, a father and a daughter by the last name of Tamayao. I think I have mentioned them previously, but after Saturday, there will only be one member of the family of seven who are not members of the church! The other is a seventeen year old of a recently reactivated family. All three of them have asked that I baptize them, and it is a great honor to say the least. I am a little nervous, as I have never baptized anyone before, but I am so excited to do so as well!
So, something interesting about the Philippines is that they have what they call "brown outs." In the U.S., a "brown out" is only like a minute or two, right? Well here, brown outs last hours at a time. Last Tuesday, the power went out for over twelve hours. Everybody just goes about their business like everything is normal, in spite of the fact that there is no power, which I think is a stark contrast to how people would act in Roseville if the power was out that long! Everyone just pulls out oil lanterns and candles and uses them instead of lights. It's like a scene out of "Pirates of the Caribbean!" Thankfully, right before we arrived at our first lesson after it got dark, the power came back on, and we were able to continue working.
I think I have failed to mention how handy it is for us in regards to proximity to the church. We only have an alley separating our church from our house, and it has been very nice to only have to walk a minute to church! Also, the church's appearance has come in very useful for us. The church building is the nicest property in the area, and everybody knows where it is because it is the largest, tallest, and most beautiful building around. In result of this fact, most people know a little about our church simply because of the attention the meetinghouse gathers. The only thing I think would make the building nicer is if there was an air conditioner in the chapel. It gets a little warm to say the least!
Now, for my philosophical experience of the week! haha.. On Wednesday, Elder Vicente and I were outside on the porch of someone's home, where we were about to teach a group of children about the Plan of Salvation, when we were interrupted by a man walking by. We had just contacted this man the day before, and he approached us, and declared quite loudly that he was sorry, but he could not have lessons from us like he said he wanted the day before. He then started talking about why he didn't want lessons from us, and was going on and on. Elder Vicente was distracted by another passerby on the other side of the porch, so I was left alone to understand what this man was telling me. Thankfully, the Lord blessed me with the capability to understand what he told me. Among many things, he asked me something I don't think I will forget. He said, "Look, you can teach all day, but (pointing to the children on the porch), will your teaching provide these kids food to eat?" I just sat there, not sure exactly what to say, but thankfully, Elder Vicente came and got me and said it was time we left and went to our next appointment.
I told Elder Vicente what he asked me, and how much I wished I could help the people in a temporal manner as well as in a spiritual manner. Elder Vicente then relayed some things about his life before the mission. For the first 21 years of his life, Elder Vicente lived in a home that wasn't even equipped with electricity, and was extremely poor. He told me that he spent much of his childhood wondering why he was born into such a poor family, but one day realized that it didn't matter at all. That whether people lived in wealth or in extreme poverty, it doesn't matter. Elder Vicente then told me he never wants to become wealthy like people in other countries, because then he would have to worry about staying humble. I still didn't feel much better, but on the way to our next appointment, we bought some ice cream for the family we were visiting. When we arrived at the family's home, and they saw we had ice cream, the children were ecstatic. The kids were five years old and younger, but they thanked us multiple times. I would have never shown such gratitude for ice cream at their age, and then what Elder Vicente told me earlier made a little more since. What the people here lack in temporal items is compensated for in their humble, and genuinely grateful demeanor at all times. I will never look at ice cream quite the same way again.
Thank you all for your emails and prayers on my behalf! Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Elder Pulley
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