Dear Family,
I read an awesome quote of Elder Holland, in his talk "prophets in the land again", and it caught my eye because it was about those trekking pioneers. He talked about the conference and the call to bring in the forlorn pioneers losing hope in the Wyoming wasteland. He said we've got to save the people caught in the 21st century equivalent of Martin's cove. This is what he said:
"They are out there with feeble knees, hands that hang down, and bad weather setting in. They can be rescued only by those who have more and know more and can help more.
And don't worry about asking 'Where are they?' They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world.
Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction.
Open your heart and your hand to those trapped in the twenty-first century equivalent of Martin's Cove and Devil's Gate. In doing so we honor the Master's plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
That really hit me hard. It's amazing, as we walk down the street, and one of us just gets a feeling to turn to the left and talk to someone, and they let us in and listen, and the spirit is there. It's amazing.
This is our schedule, and how the work is going in Capas City, Tarlac Province, Philippines.
The sun is up at 6 o'clock, and the basket-ball players looking for cooler weather are already playing in the "Villa de Santo Rosario" subdivision. We get to sleep in until 6:30. Then it's improvised weights, push-ups, jogging-in-place, and any other exercises two missionaries at 6' thirty in the morning can think up. Then it's time for that shower, cold is the only option, thankfully that's just right. I'm usually the breakfast cook, and we eat everything from fake corn-flakes to hot dogs and pandesal. Eggs are a favorite as well. Then we have personal study and companionship study, one of my favorite times of the day. Our electric fan saves us from unbearable heat during this two-hour period. Then, because I'm still new, I have half-an-hour of language study with Elder Gumiran. Anything from reading out loud to role-plays, or grammer study. At 10:30 we're out the door to our first appointments. Right now we are covering the area just outside our subdivision, finding. Finding here is really interesting. In these areas, near a squatter's area, the houses are packed together, on both sides of an alley-looking dirt street. Small streams of grey-water lead from the houses to the open sewer.
We stand outside the first house and call out "tao po!", if they're not already sitting outside their home. We ask questions, try our best to build rapport, and then, depending on what they're doing, what they said, or what we see or feel, we cover a basic principle of the gospel, and then testify that truth has been restored. Then we ask if we can come in and share with them. I love the friendly culture here, I don't think we've ever talked to five people without being let in. Getting into the house is a guaranteed lesson, and in many neighborhoods, people let us into their home before we even introduce ourselves.
I'll cover the rest of the day in the next email.
Fam! Have an awesome trek! Let's do it together, ok? I expect a full report next week, Sarah. Way to go, working hard. The wrong-postage-mistake gets a little more embarrassing after you've been there for a while. And accidentally making fifty copies of something instead of one. In tagalog, you might say that's "nakakapagpapabagabag". Nope, I didn't make that word up, it means it has the ability to annoy somebody.
I'm excited to hear about the trek. Glad to hear Nate's ok. Nate, you were in my prayers this week -- don't scare me like that! : )
I love you all so much, thanks fam!
Elder Loren Peck
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