This last week has probably been the most eventful weeks of my whole mission! As you all know, this last week was transfer week. In preparation for transfer day, I had to say goodbye to all of my investigators and members in my last area, which I must admit was not particularly easy. It is hard to leave an area that you have put so much work into and that holds so many people you love. However, after I arrived in Cagayan (mission president's home) for transfer day, I was surprised to find that I would be staying right here in Cauayan!
This last week I was called to be a housing Elder, meaning that my companion and I are the zone leaders for the Cauayan district, and that we are in charge of taking housing items to all of the missionaries in the whole mission. That being said, the mission provides a truck that we are able to drive to take items to necessary places in the mission and use proselyting in our far areas. I will be honest in saying that I was a little nervous to start driving here in the Philippines, as the roadways are so much different than they are at home. However, the American assistant to the president told me to just treat driving here like I would mario cart!I have taken his advice to heart, and thankfully it hasn't been as hard driving here as I thought it would be.
My new companion is Elder Posadas, who is from Cebu. I have to say that my first few days with him have been awesome. Elder Posadas is very humble and kind and I think that our time together will go very well.
This last week I attended something called "MLC" or the missionary leadership council, which consists of all of the zone leaders, the two assistants, and the mission president and his wife. The main focus of President Hiatt's lesson had to do with the importance of repentance, and the importance of making the process of repentance known to our investigators. In result, I have done some pondering in regards to repentance the last couple of days. Before the mission, I don't think I quite understood the concept of repentance as much as I do now. Like many of us, before the mission I didn't particularly like talking about repentance because I always thought of repentance as a back-up plan for those who make a lot of mistakes. However, it has become clear to me as I have served my mission that repentance is not the back-up plan, but is the plan.
It is inevitable that we as imperfect people will make mistakes as we go through the course of our lives. It has pained me as I as a missionary have seen so many people carrying the burden of great guilt upon their backs for things that they wish they hadn't done in the past. For people like this, and for all of us, repentance is a sweet opportunity that we have to change (repentance being just that) and experience complete forgiveness for all things we haven't done perfectly, removing the baggage of guilt from our lives.My favorite scripture regarding repentance is where the Lord himself said that "he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more" (D&C 58:42). Many individuals have asked me if this scripture is literal, and I feel it is. I know that if we use the process of repentance in our lives, just focusing on becoming better people one step at a time, the Lord will clip our transgressions out of the recording of our lives and when the day comes that we account for our life's work, we will only be privileged to report those things that we did well in life rather than the not so perfect things. I know that if we focus on becoming better people, and use the Atonement in our lives, that we will be able to become more like the Savior step by step on the staircase to heaven.
Have a good week everyone! I'll try to write my letter beforehand next week so I say more!
Love,
Elder Pulley
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| Scenery from previous area |
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| Rice fields from previous area |
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| Missionaries that were in the MTC with Elder Pulley |
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| Elder Posadas (new companion) and Elder Pulley |
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