Monday, February 15, 2010

Happy Valentines Day!

Dear Family-

First off, happy valentines day!!!!This week was a cool week. I have learned some skills that I am obviously meant to have, but I will get to that. I have some stories, some lame, and one cool, that I want to share. I guess I will start with those first.

This week I learned something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. It is funny how you learn skills that you need when you need them. I am planning on passing the lesson that I learned the other day down to my children and to their children’s children. This week… I learned how to cut a mango. There is this cool Filipino slice and dice way that they do it and it is the most efficient way that I have seen to peel fruit in my life. It is so cool!!!! I plan on utilizing this skill and mastering the way of the Filipino mango cut.

I also have a cool story. So, I was walking talking with Elder Richens (he is American and 6’6”…we were a sight…) and I looked in the garage of one of the houses we were walking by and low and behold what did I see? No, not popcorn popping on the apricot tree, but a sports bike. I asked them to turn it on and they did and I had…fun on such a thing. It really really made my day!

Another random story…I learned how to propose in Tagalog this week. How is it relevant? Cause it uses a new conjugation that I am trying to learn!

Another story…how I don’t fit in the Philippines. Now, I need you to remember that the Philippines are built for Filipino people. The houses are small, and the people are smaller. Well, a couple days ago (last week actually but I forgot to tell you all:/) I went into the house of a less active family. When I say family I mean like a nanay and a tatay. Well, tatay is like 80 and he cant see and doesn’t work (for obvious reasons) and nanay can see, but doesn’t work. Well, we taught gave them a quick spiritual thought and decided to leave. Well, as I was leaving we were climbing down these stairs that were held into the house (which was up on stilts) by a few itty bitty nails. As I was about to climb down I thought to myself “watch, I am gonna rip these stairs out of this teeny house…” sure enough, the second I stepped down onto them YANK out comes the stairs and down I fall to my imminent doom…which was only like 2 feet down but still. I felt so bad because they obviously had been ripped out before and the nails were all bent and retarded looking cause they couldn’t fix it. Yea…kind of looked less than dignified on that one…

I have actually a kind of cool story from one of our family home evenings. So, if you all remember, the Largo family is this amazing family in which the gospel is flourishing. Tatay was baptized a bit ago, and his son followed a week after. Jayson (his son) is definitely living it up by attending every single SA (single adult) activity that we can organize ha. Well, we have shifted our focus onto nanay cause she still isn’t a member. We actually went to them last night and I told them that more than anything I wanted to see them getting sealed in the temple, but they needed Nanay to be baptized first. Tatay will be able to be endowed next year, and, well, Jayson is a complicated story. Anyways, at this family home evening I was like you know tatay I just want to thank you for your kindness. We get rejected, spit at, yelled at, bit by dogs, and swore at, but you have always accepted us. For this I thank you. Then his eyes got a little teary and he was like “ibinagay mo ang lahat sa akin” which means you have given everything to me. It really made D&C 18:15-16 stand out on my mind

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

It made me realize that I am like the stone thrown into the pond. A simple splash may seem insignificant, but the ripples extend farther than the eye can see. The Lord works miracles through people and it is so so obvious. I just hope with every inch of my being that Nanay will realize that what we have will change her life for ever.

As for the companion thing, it definitely gets frustrating. I tract by myself because he hates tracting so he refuses to do anything. You see, when you tract you don’t just run up swords drawn and say “hi, im elder muller LET ME SHARE A MESSAGE IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR LIFE” You get to know them and talk with them cause they are people not numbers. Well, san Francisco (his name is elder Francisco, but I have names for everyone…) will go up and be like “hi, we are missionaries and we have a message. Can we share it with you” and I am like what in the world champ where did you learn that? If a short stubby Filipino and a creepy lanky American came up to you and was like let me share a message or we will eat your first born child…I don’t think I would let them in either. Anyways, we butt heads because I want to work and tract and teach and he wants to sit, cook, and chill at members houses. It is ok though I guess. I realize that he probably sees me the same way that I see him and that I probably do more things that annoy him than he does to annoy me. But, he was given to me for a reason so I will see what I can do to learn from everything that has, is and will happen.

Side note, when are you sending that package with those books that I asked for? Did you get them in yet? Are they legit? Like full color and everything? Not weak sauce-pretty much the stills of the cartoon. Please make sure they are the right ones.

Please tell grandma and grandpa muller that I am so very grateful for their willingness to facilitate my needs. It is SO good to get mail. I don’t have insane needs I just enjoy…candyJ I

Speaking of mail, I have a small insert for my little friend Casie Perdue. Casie-I am from Frederick, Maryland…not Fredericksburg Virginia haha but thanks for thinkin’ of me!! Reading such a story tickled my buttons (and I have a lot seeing as I have like 8 dress shirts…and like 12 total buttons on each…plus pants…and my book bag…) but yea…kind of off on the place of upbringing…by like 2 hours…

This week, I had kind of an eye opening. I was reading this story about this sister who was frustrated with her day. She felt as if she was a failure and she imagined her at the Lord’s feet crying because she didn’t have any lessons taught. It is a long story, but she then had an image come into her head of Christ crying right next to her saying “please father, I love her so much. Please, let me make up for everything that she is lacking” Ask people who are your friends-tell me the 3 most important things that you have learned in your life. See what they say. For me, it isn’t which pokemon evolves into who, how to heel-to-toe shift, the breathing technique while running 12 miles uphill, or the engine size of a mv agusta f4 rr 312 1078. It is

1)Christ lives!

2)We are children of a loving father in heaven and no one can take that away from us

And,

3)The Lord’s will NOT OURS (this I have found out the hard way…)

I wonder if Sister Altenan (spelling) realizes that because of her I am on a mission. I wonder what she would do now if you got back in contact with her and told her that I am serving. Man, she must be like 38 by now. Cool stuff!!

In a few weeks, it will be 2 months until I call you all!!!!

How is Brady doing? He still hasn’t emailed me back so I am still waiting. I send my love to you all 10x over!

Love you all and keep safe!

Love,

Jake

Aka Elder Muller

Ps-this gospel is the single most important thing on this entire earth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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