Happy Birthday Rachel!!!! I realized the other day as I was worrying about you growing up so fast that I will make it home right before you turn 16. That brought me some peace.
Dad, lets not get you too trunky ha? You still have a whole 10 months before you can come over here :)
Mom, thanks for your questions about the scriptures, and... rice. First, the rice. We are lucky enough to all have rice cookers here so cooking rice is super easy, but the natives just use fire. They are pretty good at it too, I have never yet bitten down on even 1 grain of rice that wasn't cooked. Amazing. There are lots of people who eat burnt rice here though. It's called dukot.
So about the scriptures. I think it is interesting how my point of view has changed regarding studies from before my mission until now. Before my mission when I studied for 1 hour, I was done. That was a good study and I was ready to go do other things. I learned, but it wasn't as deep or lasting, or important to me as it should have been. Now when I study, it hits the hour mark each morning and I groan. This gospel is filled with with so much, that there is no way you could possibly learn everything in just an hour a day. Just think of all the things we have to study! 4 standard works, teachings of the prophets; Joseph Smith through today, every Ensign ever published, the conference talks of the prophets, discourses of the prophets, Mormon Doctrine, countless books written by prophets and apostles, and so so much more. It's ridiculous. I am looking forward to the day when I can go home and start studying for more than just 1 hour a day. One thing I have definitely learned here is how to prioritize. Why watch tv or play video games when you could be studying the gospel or increasing and improving your talents? Anyway, I think one of the biggest things that helps study is simply the desire to do so. Through prayer, we can ask Father in Heaven to increase our spiritual appetite, so that then we can truly feast on the words of Christ. Second, we can follow the example of Nephi who "did go into the mount oft" to pray and learn. If we can find our own personal "mount" when we are away from the distractions of the world, the Spirit can testify clearer than before. If we are willing to wake up early to study, while the world is still asleep, we can show the Lord how much we truly want to learn. Maybe your mount is different than mine, but I have found that by waking up at 5:30 every day instead of 6:30 so that I can prepare for the day and then have extra time to study in my mount, the scriptures have opened up to me and I am learning doctrine that I never even thought existed. My third tip would be to try to get in the mindset of the author of whatever book your studying. Realize that they were human too and not perfect. Put yourself in their shoes and see what you would do in their situation, or why you think they acted the way they did. For example, in 1ne 3:7 Nephi declares that he will go and do the Lord's command and bears testimony that the Lord always provides a way, yet in verse 11 the first thing he does is cast lots with his brothers to see who would actually act. Why wasn't Nephi prepared to take the lead? What was he afraid of if he knew the Lord would provide a way? Why did he send Laman, a faithless and unworthy servant, to accomplish the task of God? How did Nephi learn and grow as he realized his mistakes and changed through out the next few chapters? Always use the footnotes as well, and then make your own! Link scriptures that the Spirit leads you to and fill up those margins that have been given to you with cross references and revelation. Don't be afraid to "dirty up" your scriptures. And if you don't want to just open up your scriptures randomly or read linearly from beginning to end, start your study with a prayer and a question. "Father, what is it that you would have me study this day? Where should I start?" Then listen to the promptings of the Spirit guide you to your first topic or question which will then lead you on through your whole study. I love the scriptures. I hope this helps a little. If you have any more questions, I would love to hear more. Answering questions is my favorite part about missionary work.
So, this week was a good one. We passed the 100 mark in sacrament meeting attendance last Sunday, and we got a solid date for Mike Acero's baptism. That will be August 25. That was awesome. Elder Plandiano and I have made a more directed focus this week on finding new LA members that haven't been visited before. It has been awesome to go exploring again. The Philippines is so beautiful. The biggest reason for members going inactive here is definitely lack of testimony. When we ask these members why they were baptized, a lot of them say, "my friend was mormon so I decided to try it out" or "the Elders were really nice so I went to church for them," but then the friend moves or the missionaries transfer and the new convert is left with nothing to hold on to and falls away. This could be solved by two things, first, by missionaries making sure that they are baptizing people who are ready, and not just being dragged to baptism by a friend or charmed to baptism by the tall white guy with a long nose. Second, if members in the church do their duties to fellowship and home and visit teach, new friendships form as well as new faith, and those who were weak at first are made strong by others.
So we have a lot of work here but it is all going well. Thanks for the news from home!
I love you all!
Elder Garver
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