Hello!!!
I am so happy to be back emailing all of you :) Time here flies by SO quickly. I don't like it and I do like it....all at the same time. Weird, right?
We had an AMAZING week this last week. But first..
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SHELLYYYYYYY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Getting bigger and bigger every day..... ;)
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| Shout out to Shelly...due any day now! |
I just want to paint a picture in everybody's mind right now of what the last 45 minutes of my life was like!!
Elder Uata and I were just sitting in the internet-han emailing all of you and we get a call saying that there are some people at the temple that would like to meet the missionaries. So we logged out really quick and ran over to the temple and met them.
There were three of them and one was a member from down in Talisay. He just got back from his mission in Quezon City. All three of them work at a call center down in IT Park. Anyways, they are great and we loved showing them around.
Then Elder Uata and I went into the mission office and Sis. Nelson asked if we had finished emails yet. No...we haven't......So now here I am with my shoes off and a wireless keyboard finishing my emails in the mission office. Not gunna lie, it's awesome.
On to this AMAZING week....
Wait... Just as I was writing this, the Minglanilla Bishop just walked in and said that he ordered McDonalds Delivery for E. Uata and I. WHAT??? Love life. Now I am sitting here stuffed with a Big Mac and an Oreo McFlurry :)
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| Dinner with the Tan family. Love. Them. |
NOW on to this week.
We got a text last Friday from the Tan Family in San Nicolas. The ones that came down to Carcar to take us out to dinner last Christmas. They asked if we could go to dinner. OF COURSE WE CAN!! Long story longer, we went to a hotel called The Quest and ate at the buffet. It. Was. Heaven.
I have never eaten so well on my mission. Everything from crab, to salad, to fruit, to pasta, to sushi, to pork, to chicken, to fried rice, to cheesecake, to crepes, to ice cream... Literally you name it, it was there. I loved it. They are such a great family! I love them!
We have been pretty busy with zone stuff this last week as well. Not really "problems" just "situations" haha :)
On Monday night, we got home and knelt down to start our nightly planning. Phone rings. Turns out, the sisters' gas tank was leaking all day in their house and so they called wondering what to do.. We told them to open all doors and windows and turn on all the fans, etc. and then wait outside for a little. Okay, problem solved.
Knelt down again to start our nightly planning. "Amen." Open my eyes. Everything is still black for some reason. Why? Brown out. All of Cebu City lost electricity. Hahah I was so confused I even tried closing my eyes and then opening them again. Still black. Quick thank you to Mama Jacobs for sending those flashlights and headlamps. Came in useful once again :)
Okay would have been fine, EXCEPT for the sisters' fans that all just died! There house is still full of gas. We waited a few minutes to see if it would turn back on again, but nothing. So, we made arrangements to transfer those four sisters over to a different sisters' house at like 9:45pm. Long story short, big shout out to Elder and Sister Nelson
because they are the best. Haha I think Sis. Nelson is my best friend out here. She is President McCurdy's younger sister. Last week at a baptism, I had a little boy ask me if she was 100 years old yet (She's only 62). I told her and she died laughing. She thought it was hilarious. She is one of the only people I know that says, "It's fun getting old!"
Last week we had a service project where we cleaned up a plot of land and leveled it out to prepare to build a house. We accomplished SOOO much in just a short two hours, but we weren't able to finish everything. We'll go back and help them finish next week :) Service is so awesome. It reminds me of a study a had yesterday... Matthew 26:31-46 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/25.31-46?lang=eng#30)
Along this note, I heard one of my all-time favorite quotes this week. I believe it was by President Uchtdorf and it is something along the lines of, "We need to strive to do as much good as we can, for as little credit as possible." That is true service. I hope we all strive to give the glory to our Father in Heaven in all times and in all places.
Lately I have been learning so much about using the Atonement of Jesus Christ to align our will with the will of the Father. Many times in life, we are faced with situations where we need to pick between what the Lord wants and what we want. Many times, making this decision means overcoming our own individual weaknesses and becoming strengthened in the Lord.
One example that has been a little prevalent in this zone lately:
Homesickness. Sometimes, missionaries just don't quite catch the whole "mission" thing. They "decide" that it's just not for them.
Well, getting on a mission isn't easy. And neither is quitting and going home.
The Lord (with only a few exceptions) does not want missionaries to go home early from their missions.. Especially just for feeling like it's too hard, etc. So, in this example, we already know the will of the Lord. The harder part is following it! Making His will ours. This involves a change of heart. We know that anything relating to a change of heart, desires, thoughts, character, etc. involves the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We all have been given weaknesses. We need to remember that they have been given to us so that we can - with the Lord - turn them into strengths. (See my new favorite article: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2015/04/it-isnt-a-sin-to-be-weak?lang=eng)
I love my mission. Yes, of course I get homesick. Who wouldn't?? I love my family and always want to be with them! But I know that I have a purpose to be on my mission right now, at this time. For two full years. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to help those around me. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I love Him. I love all of you as well. Thank you for being the best family and friends anyone could ask for.
OH! Sorry, I have been slacking in the funny stories department... I'm not sure if this actually classifies as "funny" though... Mom, close your eyes. Scroll down. Don't read this part...Now open them again ;)
On Monday, while we were at our first Family Home Evening, a woman showed up. I don't know the correct or proper way to describe her in English, but the word here for it is "Buang". They live on the streets and are basically just mentally lost. It kind of reminds me of schizophrenia.
Long story short, she stayed outside until we left the house where we were. Then she followed us. She was just walking behind us. Until we got out to the highway. We figured, "Oh, she'll probably just go her own way now.." and we jumped on a jeepney. Yea...
She jumped right on with us.
Creepy. The driver tried to tell her that she had to get off, but that didn't happen. So we go and when we get off, I jumped on a habal-habal (motorcycle transportation) here. I got on first, not really noticing that she was still standing right next to me. Next, SHE TRIES TO GET ON BEHIND ME! But I'm grateful my companion loves me. E. Uata was not about to let that happen... So he jumped on first and we just told the driver to go. Go fast. Go fast NOW!!! It. Was. Interesting. :0
I LOVE being on a mission! I love doing what I get to do every single day. Preaching of my Lord, Savior, and King: Jesus the Christ. I know that He lives. I know that He truly did do EVERYTHING that we all say He did. I know that this Gospel - this church - is the only way to true peace and happiness in this life and eternal joy in the life to come. I am so grateful that I have the knowledge necessary (because of this church) in order to know with 100% surety that the course of life I am pursuing is in accordance with our Father's will. I love you all :) Thank you for your examples.
HEY! Do me a favor... Please follow Lindsey's example and, when you see some missionaries walking down the road, pull over and say hi! If nothing else, please give them a bottle of water or little treat. I can't even begin to explain how happy that would make me. Even more so, our Father in Heaven.
I love you all!
Elder James Ryan Jacobs
