What a long week....
Office life is pretty difficult, and can be a real pain in
the butt the majority of the time. many people think all we do is mess around
on computers while sitting in an air conditioned room and drive around in cars.
while we do have air con and cars, the work we do is ridiculous. It helps me be
more sympathetic to those who do the work now. We do get some proselyting time,
but not too much, and we have not had too much success. we hope to have some
baptisms in September, but we aren't totally sure about that. saiung.... but we
are doing the best we can with the situation.
Elder C is my new companion. he is from Lucena City,
Quezon providence. He is the travel secretary, so he arranges all the travel
for missionaries coming in, going home, and even people from other missions who
live here in Tacloban. He is busy, but he is also a great missionary. His
trainer is one of my best friends in the mission, and he and I are getting
along great. I live with the other office elders, Finance and Recorder, and the
assistants. it's a party always.
I mentioned how people drive in the Philippines before, but
Let's review..... it's nuts. Motorcycles are swerving in and out of traffic,
sometimes carrying 3-4 people, pedicabs are on the edges looking for
passengers, all the cars on the road drive like they have somewhere to go,
something to do always. they are fast. even the big vehicles like dump trucks,
buses, things like that, the drivers drive those things like they are sport
cars, weaving in and out of traffic and FLYING down the road. Many people here
drive even though they don't have a drivers license. and somehow, I have only
seen 1 accident before. so, when I drive, super defensive mixed with not
backing down. Lots of cars, If you are not bumper to bumper with the other car,
You can expect him to try to pass you. If I can drive here, I can drive
anywhere.
In the office, all 3 other office elders are the same batch,
and they are all native Tagalog. That means I am left out of a lot of
discussions. Before, I hated things like this. But now, I can understand a
little bit more about the situation. They don't speak Tagalog just so I don't
understand them... they just are more comfortable with that, just like me with
English. They hang out a lot, but they are also batch and best friends, having
been together in the office for 2 cycles now. I had a bad habit before of
assuming people are just out to get me and mess with me, but now I can see they
are normal just like anyone else and are comfortable with each other. I have
learned to not be so worried about those things all the time anymore. It's been
a long ride, but I really enjoy the lessons I have learned in the office so
far.
I am so happy about the hygiene kits you all made for the
missionaries down south. They are having a hard time right now, and the area is
especially dangerous to foreigners, who many people would be happy to get rid
of. Martial law has been declared, and from news stories I can actually
understand, there are many gunfights between the government and rebels. In a
time of hardship, I am so proud to see the Kuehne clan come together and help
the people I have come to love and care for. Many great missionaries here went
home/will go home to those places, and to think that you all are sacrificing to
give these needed things to those people I love so much means a great deal to
me, and more to them.
I hope that everyone can see how big of a blessing a mission
is. It's hard, it's rough, but the trials make me better. The Lord compared
trials to a refiners fire, which burns away the chaff and leaves behind a
cleaner, more beautiful diamond. we are better when we have trials. Now, that
doesn't mean that we run around looking for trials... but, it does mean when
trials come our way, we hold to the iron rod and push, no matter how bad it may
look. We resist the adversary and his tricks so we can be better then before. I
have only been here 1 year on the mission, but it has changed me so much. many
of the missionaries before they came were living very different lives before.
the mission is the fire, and people become closer to Jesus Christ. I have seen
that, in my own life and others too.
I had a special visitor last week. It was my first zone
leader in the mission, Elder F. (well, now, it's brother R.) he was
such a great example to me, and it was great to see him again. he brought
someone else with him, Brother N, a member from Calbayog. If he were
married, he would be a member of the 70 dayon. he is a temple worker in Cebu,
and has many, many spiritual gifts. We talked for a while, and he reminded me
that he made 2 prophecies: the first being that elder F would be AP, which
he was, and that I would be transferred to the office, which he was right
again. just another reason I know spiritual gifts are real.
Harrison, Congrats on the baptism! everyone I have baptized
has been very happy to be baptized, and it is a great gift from Heavenly Father
to be baptized. Be a good boy, and endure till the end. Always be a good
example, be kind to everyone, and do what Jesus would do. The scriptures tell
you how to do that, and so will the Holy Ghost. trust them, rely on them, and
you will help others.
I love you all so much. In addition, the office has
permission to email any day, as long as the work gets done. So, I can spend
more time talking to you all! yay. I also got to talk to Elder E,
apparently he is moving to Utah. party,party
With love,
Elder Kuehne
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