Welcome to the Naga

HEY WORLD

So it's been a pretty crazy week full of adjustments but I've managed and seen the blessings that come from it. So now I'm currently in my new area. I'm right here in the center of Naga, which is one of the main cities of the Bicol region here in the Philippines. This is super new to me because almost all of my past areas have been out in the mountains or on the beach or in rice fields.. The city is completely different. The hustle and bustle is kind of overwhelming, but it's alright. We've managed to find ways to find new people to teach. My new companion is Elder Reyes. He and I lived in the same house for about six months a few months ago so we REALLY know each other which is super exciting. He's the man. We both go home at the same time too. Love the guy.

This week I learned about how important it is to adjust (what a surprise) to unforeseen circumstances. Like what happened to me this last week, I feel like that happens to all of us sometimes. It even happened to prophets in the scriptures. Sometimes we just can't do anything about situations that are out of our control, therefore making us the ones to adjust. Let's use Abraham as an example. Here we have a very, VERY elderly prophet of the Lord with a young son. He's enjoying life as a dad, but out of the blue he's commanded by the Lord to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Whoa. WHOA. But he did it without questioning why. He was prepared to give up his everything for the Lord. We all know that an angel stopped him right in the process of the sacrifice. I don't know if I'm that devoted yet, but I'm striving every day to be a faithful servant of the Lord. It's hard to accept sometimes, but I know that if we trust in Him and adjust according to His will, we'll be happy. That's what it all really boils down to. If we trust and submit ourselves to the Lord, in His time and manner, He will provide. I love being a missionary. I can't wait to work here in Naga. Thanks for all the emails everyone! I'll talk to you again next week!

-Elder Bondoc

 

After a long day of work, Elder Reyes and I decided to take advantage of his camera's "Face Detection" feature. If the camera recognizes a face, without pressing the shutter button, it'll take a picture. The problem, however, is if you want it to scan your face you have to smile REALLY REALLY REALLY wide. We tinkered with it for almost an hour. It was great.