Week of February 29, 2016

Dear friends and family,

This last week was definitely great! I think the highlight of my week was on Tuesday, when I was able to go to zone conference and learn from President and Sister Rahlf. It is evident that they take a lot of time in preparing to address us. The amount of information they teach us and the way that they do it is definitely extraordinary. However, I think my favorite session was when President Rahlf shared a personal story from when he first got here to the Philippines. You would soon notice, as President Rahlf did, that there is the phrase, "Bawal umihi dito" all over the place, virtually on every wall. President Rahlf assumed that if people went to so much trouble to paint that phrase all over the place that it must have a great meaning. So, he began taking pictures of different places where he found it. Much to the dismay, of his assistants however, they had to tell him the true meaning, which is: "Don't urinate here". Needless to say, we all got a kick out of his story! haha

On a more serious note, this last week we had four investigators attend church! And, two of those who attended have baptismal dates this next month. Both of them are investigators I have been working with since I have got here. I have acquired love for them both, and deeply hope that their baptisms will come to pass.

As I write this letter, I feel a prompting to share a little bit of my testimony, so I will do so. I want you all to know of the very strong testimony that I have of this church, and of the fact that our Savior, a tangible and living being, is at the head of it. And, I want you all to know that I have a knowledge that true happiness only comes through abiding by the precepts of His gospel. I have never been so sure of this fact as I am now. When I think of all the little things that I was concerned with at home before the mission, I realize how short-sighted I was. I think we too often get too distracted with the irrelevancies of this life. Perhaps, we get too concerned with one piece of the puzzle which holds an infinite number of pieces. Serving my mission thus far has allowed be to step back and gain a new perspective, see more of the pieces, and realize that we must focus on those things that have eternal consequences rather than those other things in our day to day lives that really don't hold anything of too much value. I am thankful for this time I have to serve and to gain this new perspective.

Thank you all for all of your support! Have a good week!

Love,

Elder Pulley

Week of February 22, 2016

Dear family and friends,

I have once again been blessed with another wonderful week, full of guidance and of small miracles. First, I would like to share some miracles I experienced last week. One thing the Philippines has a lot of is dogs. They are everywhere, and are very wild. I have learned to be very precocious in areas with a lot of them, but this last week, I wasn't careful enough. Just as I was stepping into a home, a dog bit around my ankle. I felt the bite, and quickly looked around to see what it was. However, for whatever reason, the dog had started running away from me, with its ears down and its tail between its legs as if it had been hit, but there was no one there. And, the bite essentially did not hurt; I was not harmed in the slightest. I truly know that there are angels around all of us, especially those of us who are missionaries, working on behalf of our welfare and protection. I believe that there were beings beyond the veil that kept the dog from harming me, and I am very grateful for that fact.

This last week, I also felt guided by the Spirit to visit a particular less active that I had only taught once before. It was at an odd time in the afternoon, but she was home, and definitely needed a lesson. She had just received a call an hour before from some individual that her visa to go to move to Kuwait was ready, and that she would leave this Sunday to Kuwait, in order to become a domestic helper in that country for two years. Needless to say, she was relieved to hear so, but her feeling was much more of sadness than of joy. This news meant that she would soon be leaving her four boys, two of which are still toddlers, without a parent. However, as she expressed to me, as much as she would like to stay with her children, she needs to work in Kuwait in order to acquire the funds her children need to go to college. With all of her concerns about immersing herself in a new culture, and about leaving her family, I shared a message about the love of God for each of us, and the fact that it isn't important what part of the world we are in, He knows us and desires to help us in our daily lives. I was then able to give her a blessing of comfort, and I felt the Lord's powerful love for her as I did so.

 The two things that I have found that I teach the most to all of our recent converts and less actives, is the power of prayer and scripture reading in our lives. Before my mission, I was told over and over again of the importance of doing so. However, now as a missionary, I have truly come to know how true those statements were. In 2 Nephi 32:3 we are told to "feast on the words of Christ." Now, previously I took this metaphor to mean that we must read the scriptures a lot, just as we would eat a lot at a feast. But, there is more meaning than that. Just as we need food in order for our physical body to function and become strong, the same can be said for our spiritual bodies. If we deprive our spirits of the nourishment it needs, through prayer and daily scripture study, we will find that our spirit, and faith, will wither away just as our body would with lack of nutrition. I know that this is easy for me to say as a missionary, as I am always praying and reading the scriptures. It is hard in the real world, with lots of obligations and such to do so. However, just as we don't skip a meal out of dislike of physical hunger, we mustn't skip the spiritual feeding that our spirits most desperately need as well.

All is going well for my companion and I. I have enjoyed taking the lead in my area, and feel the Lord's help as I do so. We have also been lucky enough to have some investigators attend church the past couple of weeks. So, we will keep our fingers crossed that this will continue to be the case! I want some more baptisms before I leave this area! haha

Thank you for all of your support!

Love,

Elder Pulley

Week of February 15, 2016

Dear family and friends,

This last week was incredibly busy! For one, I received a new companion on Wednesday! His name is Elder Pangilinan, and he is from Bulacan, a province relatively close to Manila. He has been out in the field one more cycle than me, but our MTC entrance dates were the same. Needless to say, we are both very young in the mission, and literally as well, as he is only 18! One thing that I appreciate about this new companionship is that Elder Pangilinan doesn't speak English to me like Elder Vicente did. This fact will definitely allow me the opportunity to learn Tagalog at an even faster rate. Also, it will be a great opportunity to help him by teaching him how to speak English! As hard as it was to say goodbye to my Tatay (meaning "father", or trainer) in the mission, I think I will learn quite a bit during this cycle ahead.

This last week, I received a package from my parents with Hickory Farms cheese and different sausages for the Tamayao family. The Tamayao's were definitely very grateful, but at first they didn't know what the items were, as the Philippines lacks cheese like we have at home. Tatay Tamayao thought that the cheese at first was soap! We certainly had a good laugh about that! After he knew it was imported food though, he said he might just leave it out as a display in his house, as food from other countries is such a rarity here. I guess I will find out this week if he was being serious or not! haha

This last week, I have recognized the Lord's hand in helping me fully lead my area here, and teach and lead the lessons. I have developed an even stronger testimony of the fact that when we need the Lord, He is always there. I was a little stressed out, because I sometimes feel the great responsibility that is placed on my shoulders as a missionary. Being in charge of the spiritual welfare of an entire portion of the Lord's vineyard is no small task, especially when your companion relies on you to know where to go, what to teach, etc. The other day in planning, I forgot to include a recent convert in our daily plan. Friday is the only day he is available, and he needs lessons to keep him on the right track. Anyway, after one of the lessons on Friday, we had on our plan to go to a less active. However, I had a stupor of thought, and could not remember where to go, even though I have been to his home countless times. I just started walking in one direction, and then had a thought that I should go contact down one street. It wasn't until I was right in front of our recent convert's home on that street that I remembered that we needed to teach him. The guidance of the Holy Ghost certainly is real, and I am grateful for the fact that it even has the power to both physically and spiritually direct us down the right path.

This next week, I will have been on the mission for six months. I cannot believe how fast the time is going by, and how much I have learned. I am excited to see the changes that will occur within myself the next 18 months.

Have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Pulley

Week of February 8, 2016

Dear family and friends,

I had a very eventful week this last week! For one, Jake Vladimir was baptized! It was a wonderful service in which the Spirit was very strong.I think that there is something even more special about the simple testimony of children than those of advanced age. Even though Jake Vladimir often forgets many of the things that we teach him, he desired to be baptized because he simply felt it was the right thing to do. It didn't matter to Jake Vladimir if everything in the gospel made since intellectually. Rather, he responded to the feelings he felt in his heart as he learned of the gospel, and simply knew in his heart it was right to be baptized. I believe we can all learn from the simple yet unwavering faith of children. I think we are too often focused on all things of the gospel satisfying the mind, when instead, we should focus on satisfying the heart and spirit.

Today, I was privileged to attend a zone activity in which we visited "Sierra Cave". It was awesome! It was about a two hour walk through the cave, and it required three tour guides, as the cave is so deep and so large, that it would be easy to get lost in the middle with no light, and no way of getting out. There were some portions of the "walk" where we were required to wade through mud down to our knees, and some places where we had to get down and crawl. It was definitely the best "caving" experience I have ever had, and the stalagmite formations were really cool.

Also announced at our zone activity today was those who will be transferred on Wednesday. Not much to my surprise, but also much to my dismay, Elder Vicente is being transferred. Needless to say, I have learned very much from him and it will be hard to see him go. However, I also look forward to learning from my next companion and hope my experience with him will be as good as my experience with Elder Vicente. 

Have a great week everybody! Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers on my behalf.

Love,

Elder Pulley

Week of February 1, 2016

Dear family and friends,

I would like to start this email by sharing a cool experience with you that I had this last week! As I was walking to an appointment, I saw an American man driving a motorcycle! It was the first non-missionary American I had seen in a long time, so I was a little excited. However, I felt that I needed to talk to him. I just didn't know how, as he was on a motorcycle riding in the opposite direction. So, I said a little prayer. I told God that I knew I needed to talk to that man, and asked Him for the opportunity to do so. Sure enough, after about 20 seconds, the man appeared on his motorcycle, and slowed down to talk to me. He simply told me that he appreciated what we do, and pulled 500 pesos out of his pocket and his hand out for me to take it. I didn't want to, but he insisted. As I took the money, he told me to "buy a good lunch" and began to drive away. I told him a quick "thank you", and that was the extent of our exchange. I was very grateful for this gift from the man, and ultimately this gift from God. I feel that the 500 pesos I received was the Lord showing me he is cognizant of my hard work, and letting me know once again how much He appreciates my service. This was also a testament of the power of prayer, as my prayer was answered in a very short amount of time.

This last week, we had five investigators attend church! We were very happy to see that some investigators are beginning to act on what we teach!

Next week, one of our investigators, Jake Vladmir, will be getting baptized by his father, Pilayo Malazzab, the last person I baptized in December! It is so great to see how families become closer together in result of the gospel. I'm not sure how much I have told you about this family in particular, so I will oblige to do so now. The Malazzab family consists of 8 individuals. Sister Malazzab was baptized years ago along with her older son, but was less-active up until October. However, after Elder Vicente and I starting teaching her children, she starting bringing her whole family to church. Now, her husband has been baptized, her second oldest son, another son, and on Saturday, Jake Vladmir. Better yet, her oldest son is now fully active and is preparing to serve a mission! The Malazzab family lives in even more humble circumstances than most, but they are all truly wonderful people, and I feel the love the Lord has for them and their righteous desires to follow Him.

I would also like to thank all of those that sent me Christmas cards, especially the youth in my ward! This last week, I received Christmas cards from the youth, and chocolate from the Bishop (which was delicious). It was a wonderful boost to say the least! Thank you for all of your support!

 I will have pictures next week from the upcoming baptism!

Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Pulley