Teach to Train and Train to Teach

Reading all the letters from family and President Carlos today was hard. I was pretty much holding back tears of joy and sorrow through the whole thing. It was a roller coaster. Wow! 

Questions:

1. Tell us about your new companion?

Elder Laxamana is from Batangas. He is 20 years old. He had to wait for 7? months to get his mission call. He is remarkably an only child. He knows his purpose and his testimony is strong. This is gunna be a fun cycle. :) yeeeheee!!!!

2. How is the OYM going for you?

I'm not sure if I understand this question... oym = open your mouth. It means talk to anyone and everyone that you see and share the gospel. My effort there is much higher than it used to be. We are seeing results from it. We have gained 4 new investigators over the past couple weeks because I opened my mouth. We are improving.

3. Did you get to teach many lessons this week?

This week I was in Cauayan on Tuesday and Wednesday so we didn't have any work those days. Monday was p-day, so we only had a FHE. 7 lessons total.

4. Did you get to say good bye to the Carlos’?

I had a couple moments with President Carlos while passing in a hallway in Cauayan. I just sent him a final email before he goes home. It’s been a little emotional around here.

5. What new and wonderful things did you learn this week?

I learned that I didn't know what I was doing last time I trained Elder Ardon. haha. Poor kid. Glad he turned out alright! :) lol. Elder Laxamana will get a much better training. I also learned that I didn't know all the roads and shortcuts as well as I thought I did. We have been doing a lot of walking these past couple days and my back is getting a little messed up. But it’s ok. I'm doing rather well overall.

6. Did you keep the baggage scale to weigh your luggage?

I didn't keep the scale. I would have, but the screen broke during my flight over to the Philippines. It wasn't usable. : / it’s ok. They have scales at the mission home that I can use.

7. When will you get to meet the New Mission President? Will it be when you leave?

I get to meet President Rahlf within the first 2 weeks of July and then a last time when I go home for my final interview. 2 times, that’s all that I will get to talk to him I think...

8. Will you be giving away most of your clothes before coming home?

I will most likely give away a lot of my clothes before coming home. If I can cut out a luggage on the way home, I’ll do so if it’s just clothes. There are a couple elders that I want to give stuff too as well... so... yup.

 :) love you guys! 

-Chris

 

 

Last Cycle in the Mission...

Mom,

(I found a really good deal on a used tent for Elder Lundy.)

Thank you for cleaning up a tent for me. :) I am excited to use it. :) 4 man pa! yehee!

(We gave his Grandma’s some news and told him of their reaction.)

Nana and Grandma are so cute. :) I'm excited to be able to go visit them this summer when I get home. :)

Question: Transfers are this week. Will either of you be transferred?

We got the transfer list text this morning. Elder Talines is transferred. I will have a new companion for my last cycle in the mission. I will also have a new mission president for the last 4 weeks of my mission. It’s a weird feeling.

Question: What are you living in right now?

We have a full house to ourselves. It is well cared for with full locks on all doors and a locked and cement walled in property. Most of all, we have the Lord's protection. :)

(Elder Lundy added the last part because of Mom, I don’t like living in a big city.)

I love you. I gotta get going. We have a bunch of other stuff to get done before the day is over.

Talk to you next week!

 -      Elder Lundy

My dear mother,

How are you doing? It sounds like you are happy. That sounds right in line with who I know you to be: a mother whose greatest successes lie in the successes of those she loves and has given her life to. It sounds like there are a good amount of successes happening in our family right now. I'm happy for you all and it brings joy to my heart that good things are happening with you all. :)

You asked some questions so let me try to answer some of them... well hopefully all of them to some extent...

1. How is the work going?

Just pray for us. This is how the work is going right now.... Hey President, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's Zone Conference. I need a boost. I know how important this work is. I want to do it. It’s killing me though how little is happening. We tract in the morning, we go to investigators and others we are trying to teach, we constantly ask for referrals, but in the end I can never teach. I'm willing to give everything to know what I’m doing wrong, or what I’m not doing that I need to do. There is still someone that I need to help, but I can't seem to find them. There is still something I need to do, but I don't know what. I feel like I have wasted a full cycle of my mission doing nothing, and here at the end of it right when I want to give 200%. It’s hard. I notice small miracles from our efforts, like when we found a new apartment last Sunday because we decided to go tracting before we went to church. I know the Key Indicators are important and when you are giving your best to not be discouraged, but when I only get to teach 4 lessons a week something is incredibly wrong. I think, "Maybe if I give just a little more I’ll find my best friend right around the corner just waiting for me to teach him."
I doubt you'll have the opportunity to read this before Zone Conference tomorrow, but I’ll still be waiting for my answer tomorrow. It never really matters if I voice to you the question, because through you the Holy Ghost always gives me my answer. I thank you for that, President. I love you. Thank you so much. See you tomorrow.

2. When do Pres. and Sister Carlos leave?

President and Sister Carlos leave on July 1, 2013. They will spend an hour discussing mission affairs with President and Sister Rhalf and then leave for home.

3. Last week you sent a picture of you in a cave? What’s with that picture?

The picture was taken just because it reminded me of the part of the movie "The Testaments" at the end with the bad guys all in a cave. I had also read a lot of the lines that they used in that cave scene the past couple mornings in my scripture reading so I just took it for laughs and giggles. That was part of our district field trip to Callao Caves in Penablanca, Tuguegarao. They have it there for presentations in the caves. I was facing a bunch of rock benches while standing in the picture...

4. Why were you in a boat in the other picture?

To go to Callao Caves, we had to cross a small river in a boat. And that wooden "canoe" had a big motor on the back... haha :) true Filipino style. :)

5. Is your health improving?

I'm getting bigger again and I can't stop! haha. All of my new shirts that I had fit are starting to get a little snug... they feed us sooooo much here that most of the time I just don't want to eat. It’s getting to a point where it is affecting our work. It’s ridiculous. Overall, I’m doing good. Just tired. Always tired.

I'm focused as I can be with everyone reminding me all the time that I go home in.... 50 days from today as my batch likes to remind us...I will not work like when I just got here. Mostly just because I followed and did nothing to contribute... but I’ll do my best ;)

I love you and I hope you all have another productive week! :*

Elder Lundy

A day late Brown-out

Hey!

It's Tuesday morning... not preparation day. We had a brown out yesterday... yup.

Question: 10 push-ups hmm, didn’t you use to do a lot more?

Answer: Push-up's/shoulder report: I popped my shoulder this week. All the sudden my range of motion improved. It can now move/rotate anywhere my other arm can. The only difference is it is weaker and hurts a bit. It’s getting better though. I used to be able to do 30+ straight no problem...

Question: So what did the Bishop feed you 2 on Tuesday? Did he carry thru on his joke?

Answer: I was on splits when we were supposed to have dinner with bishop. I was the one that left the area. But, they cancelled dinner. They took us out to a restaurant the next day instead. I am getting fat with all the dinner appointments here. I have at least one day every week with 2 dinners. The members know it; they just want to feed us. They are all like, "I know you have a dinner appointment but just drop on by and we'll feed you too. This work must make you really hungry..... (Slight protest from me and Elder Talines)..... OK elders, I’m cooking you food and we are going to wait for you to come so we can eat dinner together. That’s that. Thanks for agreeing to come to dinner! :) "

I really like your quote this week mom. :)

Quote: “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it.” ~ Margaret Thatcher

I gotta get to district meeting. This took longer than usual because we had another brown out this morning while I was emailing. :P 

That’s the picture I sent you while sitting at a computer.

Love,

Elder Lundy

Here are some more pictures. I wish I knew something about them. 

Crossing the river to Callao Caves

Callao Caves in Penablanca, Tuguegarao

June 3 2013

Sorry Everyone,

There wasn't a letter from Elder Lundy this morning.

If we get one later I'll post it.

Have a great day, and God bless you!

Nanay Lundy