I Leave in 2 Weeks!

Pamilia!

Kamusta ang iyang adlow? Maayo kaayo ko!
How are you all? I am really good! I have been so excited this week! I leave in 2 weeks! Saturday was my teacher, Brother Latimer's, last day. He brought in pictures of Cebu. It was so fun and eye opening to see what it is like there. At first I was a little nervous because of the low standard of living, but by the end I was so excited! I can't wait to meet all the people and find out where I go and who my companion is. It will be somewhat interesting if he doesn't speak English, because I don't speak Cebuano very well. Some of the older district that left for Cebu a transfer ago have written the teachers. They said it is a huge culture shock and that they have had breakdowns because they can't understand everyone because they talk so fast. But I think it is all in your head. It sucks if you let it. It will be hard, but can still be enjoyable if you want it to be. I am so excited to go! I am really excited for in 6 months when I can say whatever I want to and understand what everyone is saying.
The temple opens up again soon. I hope we will be able to go one more time. I am really excited to see the Cebu temple! It is so beautiful!
Last Thrusday at the TRC (that is where we teach members who can speak our language) we taught for the second time in full Cebuano. Elder Seupule did most of the talking last time, but was still really tired from his surgery. He was actually one of the investigators this time. He pretty much just sat there. But about 2 hours before it we had been practicing teaching in class. I could not remember anything and was having such a hard time. When we go to the TRC I prayed for specific help with the language and for the gift of tongues and the gift of the interpretation of tongues so that I could understand and be able to talk back. When we got in there I could understand most of what was said and was able to have them understand what I was saying. I am sure my grammar was not good, but they could still understand me. Using the words I knew I was able to teach about 80% of the first lesson. It was 35 min long. That was an amazing example to me of the strength the Lord can give us. I know it was not my doing. I know that the Lord was blessing me. The gift of tongues is so real! I love being a missionary!
Last night our devotional was from H. Russ Workman, the Hawaii temple president. He taught an amazing lesson on the spirit and the body and their roles. He taught how someone can go from being a servant of the Lord (he used Balem, a prophet) to a servant of the devil. It was amazing to have him put all of the pieces together and link them all with scripture. One of the things he talked about was that when we obey commandments we are blessed with faith. When we are blessed with faith, we are blessed with knowledge. Knowledge is light and truth, and light is the spirit of the Lord. When we obey commandments, we are blessed (D&C 130: -one of the verses one the right side, 34? "there is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven..."). As missionaries we have a greater opportunity to grow in this gospel than anyone else. Not because we are set apart, because every ward and branch has priesthood leaders set apart. It is because we have more rules than everyone else, more commandments. If we get up right at 6:30 we are blessed because it is a commandment. If a normal member gets up at 6:30 they don't receive that blessing. Because we have so many rules, each time we follow one, we are blessed. That is just another way that the commandments we follow in the church really do make us free! I love having all these rules! What a blessing!
I hope you are all doing well! I love you! Take care
Love,
Elder Schenk