July 23, 2014 - Escalante City, Negros Occidental

Hello.

It's started getting to the point where I don't even realize how much it's rained this week. It's not that it really rains a lot, but it's been raining at least every day, and sometimes it really comes down. But supposedly this is the tail end of a baguio (typhoon) that hit Manila, so that's a first for me, a tropical storm.

This week was the branch had an activity! It was called Branch Unified Home Evening (or BUHE, which sounds like buhi, which means life. It's clever.) and they used to have this weekly before Yolanda, but it got stopped by "different priorities" afterward. But it's now being restarted, and it was a really good activity! It is essentially that the members of the branch meet together and discuss a certain topic (the baptismal covenant was last week's, for example), then they are split up into groups and they go and visit all the less active members in a certain area, and have a sharing time, little family home evening, unified with all the branch, thus BUHE. The turnout was kind of small at first, because it had been raining all morning, but a good amount of people came out, and it was all very nice. It was really good to have the members really out and focusing on these less active members, and having the whole spirit of helping their isigkamember (fellow member). Though the rain really came in as we were out, so people got very wet. 

I want to let you know that I have recently gone back to writing in the journal. I'll be honest, I was lacking a bit, but I feel like the last week or so, that I have learned some things that I cannot forget. I cannot afford to forget. I know that this will help me grow on the mission. I have felt that I have grown, and I have seen that I have so much more to do to become better. But I know that all of us can become better. That we can become perfected in Christ. 

I know that this work of ours is true, and I know that it is not our work. Yesterday I went on splits with Elder Omugtong, and I was given the calling to be trainer to him for a day. And so that was my piece of wisdom I tried to give him. That no matter where you go in the mission, no matter how good things are going, no matter how bad things are going, just always remember where it all come from. All your strength and all your weakness. I think that applies to what you were saying, that we need to always focus on that "deeper spirituality." No matter where we are in life, lost or found, there is one who knows where we are and what we need. Remember him always.

I read in a 2005 conference report Ensign kicking around the house a talk of President Hinckley's. In it he quoted a poem, It read:

"Let me live in a house by the side of the road,

Where the race of men go by.

The men who are good and the men who are bad,

just as good and as bad as I.

I would not sit in the scorner's seat

Or hurl the cynic's ban,

Just let me live in a house by the side of the road

And be a friend to man."

He said this was how he felt at his age in life. I know that if we follow this, we can come closer to Christ.

Thank you always. I love you.

Elder Dunford