Week of March 28, 2016

Dear friends and family,

Elder Pulley was unable to write for his blog this week, as their mission activity was longer than expected and he had only twenty minutes to write home.  He advised that he will be transferring on Wednesday.  Please keep Elder Pulley and the other missionaries that are serving in your prayers this week.

Thanks,
Elder Pulley's Mom

Week of March 21, 2016

Dear family and friends,

I am pleased to say that I have learned quite a bit this week! First, I would like to tell you all about Jayson, an investigator of mine. Jayson, who is 24, has been having lessons from missionaries for about a year. I have had the privilege to teach him six months now, and it has been enjoyable to see his knowledge of the gospel grow. Jayson is the type that has many, many questions, and one thing I enjoy doing as a missionary is answering people's questions using the scriptures. Needless to say, I have learned quite a bit about the scriptures as I have attempted to answer all of his questions. On Saturday the 12th, Jayson was interviewed by my district leader, and everything went well. Last Saturday was to be his baptism, which I was anxiously awaiting. However, Friday night, Jayson told me that he wanted us to come by to his home on Saturday before his baptism in order to ask a few questions before the baptism. I was of course very concerned that he had questions the day before his baptism, so on Saturday, I spent quite a bit of time in the morning anticipating what his questions might be, and finding scriptures to answer them. On Saturday, two hours before his baptismal service, I went to Jayson's home and he told us that he appreciated all of our teaching and what we do as missionaries, but that his family strongly desires that he not be baptized in another faith. Furthermore, he expressed the fact that he had not been honest in regards to his obedience to the word of wisdom, and that he would not be baptized. I was of course very disappointed that an individual that I have worked so hard to help and grown to love would not indeed experience the blessings of baptism. Jayson however, still desires us to come and teach him, and hopefully, we will help him resolve both of his stumbling blocks that are preventing him from being baptized.

On a lighter note, we are continuing to have investigators come to church, and they are reading the Book of Mormon! Hopefully, they will continue to progress, and I will of course use my experience regarding Jayson to make sure that the same thing doesn't happen again. As much as it wasn't a fun day on Saturday, I am immensely grateful for the experience that I have had that I can apply to all of my other investigators in the future. All things, including trials, are for our benefit, and I am grateful for that.

Well, the Tag-init, or the hot season, has officially arrived! It is so dang hot it's crazy! The other night, I woke up at about 3:00 in the morning, and it was still 90 degrees inside the house. Needless to say, I am drinking more water than ever before. However, I must reluctantly admit that I am still as white as ever! haha I guess some things never change! Other than that, the work is going great! My companion and I are continually being blessed with so many lessons it is impossible to visit all, and I know that this problem is truly unique to this very humble and open culture.

Thank you all for all of your support, and Happy Easter!

Love,

Elder Pulley

Week of March 14, 2016

Dear family and friends,

I had a week that I will remember for a long time. First, I want to tell you about a phone call I received Thursday morning at 2:30 AM. At first, when I woke up and saw the phone was ringing, I thought the person on the other side of the line must have called us by mistake. However, when the phone ringed yet again, I answered it. It was a 25 year old member in our ward, and she was sobbing to a point that it was very difficult to understand her, not to mention that I am still learning Tagalog. She told me that her mother, another member, was in the hospital dying, and there was essentially no hope. She desired that I travel to the hospital, to give her mother a blessing. Of course, being that it was 2:30, I could neither find transportation or could I leave the missionary apartment even if I wanted to. The only thing I could manage to do is share my simple testimony of the plan of salvation with this woman as she helplessly watched her mother pass onto the other side. I told her that I knew her mother was a righteous woman, and that she did not need to worry, as a great woman such as her would most definitely be bound for a place of spiritual paradise where neither worry or problem would ever reside.

The woman that passed away was Sister Corazon Malana. I had the great opportunity to teach this woman a few times, along with her nonmember domestic helper. We chiefly went over to her house to teach her house helper, but I had a lesson a couple of weeks ago with Nanay (Nanay means mother in Tagalog) Cora that I will never forget. When we went over to her home, we found that her house-helper was not there. However, after talking with Nanay a little bit, it was evident that she was in need of a lesson. She expressed her deep sorrow that almost all of her children had become less active in the church. Nanay, who was one of the first baptized members in all of Tuguegarao in the 1980's, had a great love of the gospel, and in sharing it with others. In that lesson, I shared a scripture in Mosiah 27, where an angel appears to Alma the younger (an enemy to the church of God), in result of the prayers of his righteous father, Alma the older. I told Nanay that her righteous example, and her prayers would help her family in being reactivated into the church. I then had the privilege of giving her a blessing, wherein I felt the love that the Lord had for Nanay, and for her very pure heart and intentions. When I left that day, I felt such gratitude for being able to know such a great woman, and I feel even more grateful now.

This experience has now taught me even more about the last step of the plan of God for us all, which is for us to endure to the end after we have entered into the straight and narrow path. In spite of the fact that I will miss seeing Nanay Cora, I feel happy for her because she was able to overcome the trials of this life and enter into a state of never-ending happiness. I think if all of us would endure to the end, and become more faithful to the end of our lives, the bitterness of death would dissipate, and we would instead feel a great joy that another one of our close friends or family members has overcome the problems of the world. I am happy to say that a great deal of Nanay's grandchildren were at church this Sunday. I hope that my life, and death for that matter, will have such an impact for good as well.

On a lighter note, I have a baptism this next week! I, and other missionaries as well, have worked quite hard with Jayson to get him to the place that he is now. He is 24, and has such a desire to learn about the gospel, particularly the priesthood. I will tell you all a lot more about Jayson next week, as I am running out of time. Just know that all is going well, and I am learning a lot every day!

Love,

Elder Pulley

Week of March 7, 2016

Dear family and friends,

I have been blessed with yet another great week here in the Philippines. I must admit that when I first got here, that it was a little difficult for me to adjust to the culture and such. However, I can now say that I love this country, its people, and it's food.

This last week I was once again pleasantly surprised with how willing people here in the Philippines, especially the youth, are to hearing messages about God. On Tuesday, I asked a group of teenagers ranging from 14 to 17 directions to an individual's home on their street. They told me where the home was, and I then asked them if they would be interested in hearing from my companion and I about the gospel. They all enthusiastically responded "yes!", and my companion and I were obliged to teach them. They then asked if we could return every day because of how much they enjoy learning from the Bible and such. It is amazing to me that the individuals here, especially the teenagers for that matter, are so willing to talk about God. I wish our country was the same way, and I will definitely miss this aspect when I return home.

This last week was one of the best fast and testimony meetings I have ever experienced. The Spirit was so strong in the room as my little, humble Filipino ward members shared their most simple of testimonies to us. I am happy to say that my investigators also felt the Spirit, and were wiping away tears from their eyes the whole meeting. The best testimony for me however, was when the oldest child of the Malazzab family that I have told you all about, shared his testimony. It was in his testimony that he shared that he received his mission call, which he had been anxiously awaiting for quite some time. It was then that he announced that he will be serving in the San Diego, California mission. The very moment he said that, I felt a rush of the Spirit to the point that I immediately began to cry. I must admit that I was a little embarrassed, but there is no better feeling in the world than knowing that a family that you have worked so hard with, will be sending one of their own to work for the Lord. I also know that it is no coincidence that I was assigned to Rowell's ward. The fact that I am from California gave me the ability to calm his very anxious mother, who in her humble circumstances has seen very little of what is outside the city of Tuguegarao. And, it has also given me the ability to help Rowell learn English before he reports to the Provo MTC. When the Lord is in charge, there are indeed no coincidences.

Thank you for all of your support and know that I am enjoying everyday of my service. As President Rahlf always says, "It is a great day to be a missionary!".

Love,

Elder Pulley