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John Thomas McGuire

Well I got two very interesting phone calls this week.

On Wednesday night I got a call from Elder Quinco, my former companion and current AP. He called to let me know that I was training. So on Friday morning I was in Tacloban for a Trainers Training meeting. I was super excited. To be honest, I've been kinda wanting to train since I haven't yet in my mission. On top of that there are quite a few Polynesians coming in and I haven't had an islander companion yet. Overall, my feeling was like a Bishop who just got interviewed to be released and be the new nursery leader. It would be so nice to only worry about 1 missionary instead of 16. 

So I got back to Bato Friday night. We had a very unsuccessful Saturday and I was really bummed about everything. We finished planning at 9:30 and then President Maurer called. He talked to Elder Empase first about if we had a baptism. Kinda just small talking. Then he wanted to talk to me. He asked me a lot of questions about what I remember about the APs doing while I was in the office. I told him they were doing a ton of stuff and dog-tired. They carried a full proselyting load, administrative duties, and went on exchanges with the ZLs. He asked me how we could turn the APs' role into more of a training role instead of administering. So I gave my suggestions. Then he asked if he could ask a dumb question. He asked me that if the AP's role would be more training oriented and less administrative office duty, if a former office elder would  be willing to be an AP. I said sure probably... not catching the fact that I'm the only former office elder in the mission right now... And then he asked me if I would do it. I gave it a little bit of thought but eventually said yes. That's what we do. We accept callings. And it's not like I could just give all those suggestions and then have somebody else trying to do it. So we are traveling later today to Tacloban and I'm gonna be the newest AP. The bright side is I get to be companions with Elder Quinco again which is incredible. We're going to play basketball again. Assuming that we're not dog tired. I also get to drive again. Stoked about that. And I will get to be working closely with President and Sister Maurer and there's also a new Senior Couple coming in this week and they're going to be assigned to the office.

After I hung up with President, I got very little sleep. I imagine it was the first of many upcoming sleepless nights. I'm excited for this new opportunity to serve but I know it's going to be a challenge. I thought that being assigned in Bato was going to be my Mountain to Climb, but somehow, everytime we get comfortable, the Lord finds a way to make sure we get back to working.

In other news, I got the package. Cian's quad is awesome! I'm hoping that I'll be able to give it to him in person now. Thanks Dad for the book. I've already finished it and I think it has some great ideas that I'm going to start trying and hopefully I'll be able to influence others to start trying as well. I love the concept of being a more effective missionary. It's the parable of the scissors and the combine. Any laborer can wake up at the crack of dawn and go to work harvesting with some scissors and any lazy man can wake up late and use a combine to harvest. In order to have a plentiful harvest you have to have the right tools and the right skills. On top of that faith, obedience and love are all required in this work.

My personal study has been great. I'm in the middle of 3 Nephi. I love Christ's ministry in the Americas. Everything was so simple because the people were so faithful and believing. Because of their faith, meaning they believed and did what Jesus commanded them, none of that generation was lost. They were privileged to hear Christ teach and speak and pray things that were not allowed to be written, in order to try our faith. Which made me think, if we were all more faithful to that which we have received, we would be able to receive more. It's a very simple concept I know, line upon line, precept upon precept. But it's so true. How many commandments are there that we don't fully understand and follow and keep. 

Well that's about all from me. I'm super excited to go back to Tacloban. This will be my first area that was affected by Typhoon Yolanda. This will be both a great blessing and a great challenge for me. I will probably spend my birthday and the 1 year anniversary of the storm in Tacloban. This is what I've wanted and what I've been praying for.

Thank you all for all the prayers and love and support. The Church is true. This I know with all my heart and soul. Go prepare your friends to be taught by the missionaries! :)

Find the horizon I promise you it's not as far as you think.

MAASIN ZONE

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John Thomas McGuire

Hello all you wonderful people!

This past week has been a shining diamond in the rough. It took me about a month but I think I am finally used to the swing of things here in Bato. The language is improving. Elder Empase and I had an amazing companionship inventory and just got everything out on the table. We made a plan to do english in the apartment and cebuano outside and it is helping a ton. 

On top of that I got to go on exchanges with Elder Oakes in Maasin. It makes the top 3 in best days of my mission. Elder Oakes and I became great friends just before the storm and during and after. It was just his first transfer when Yolanda hit. Now he's my district leader. You know those friends that you meet and you can tell that you want to be life long family friends. Yeah it's kinda like that. On the last night we were in Tacloban before we evacuated, the two of us slept back to back on a couch in the mission home. In the middle of the night he was using my head as a basketball. Later that night, I subconciously punched him in the crotch... You can't really script that. We're basically best friends and now I'm his zone leader and he's my district leader. It was such a blast! Going finding with him is great! He makes sure that after each house we knock, we stop and say a prayer for that person by name and ask that they be protected from sin and temptation and evil. It is one of the most spiritually uplifiting experiences I've had while finding. We also taught two great lessons to some potential priesthood holders. Their area is definitely a hard one but they are doing great! He treated me to dinner at this really nice restaurant called Kinamot sa Abgao. It was such a fun time.

We also had zone interviews on thursday. It was great to see President and Sister Maurer again. They're so fun to see interact with eachother. The good news of the day is that I'm 2 kilos lighter than my first day in the Philippines. The difference is that my arms are a lot bigger and I'm stronger now. So boom! In our interview with President Maurer his first question to me was how long I'd been a zone leader and if I would be willing to not be a zone leader when I go home. I told him that I'd really like to train and that I'll do whatever I'm asked. So we'll see what happens. I don't really expect to transfer because I just got here and Elder Empase is going home in 9 days. But it was a really cool to know that God answered my prayers. 

The thing I love most about Bato is the members. They are really cool. The active ones actually do their scripture study. We have all the meetings we're supposed to. The Elders' Quorum is pretty united. We have a service project this coming week and we're gonna help put a roof on a house. Super stoked for that.

We also have some new investigators that I'm really excited about. Richard and Ella Basaca. They have 2 little boys. Our Branch Mission Leader referred them to us. We got to know them a bit and they're really nice. They want us to come back next Sunday. They're married and he has a steady Mon-Sat. job in Palo. Sometimes the stars just align. Now the plan is to teach and baptize.

Other new investigators of ours are Dave and Deborah. They're not married but Dave is super interested. He is friends with our BML and has lots of questions. He asked if we could come back on Saturday. He committed to baptism and wants to learn more. The Lord is very gracious. Sometimes things just take patience. 

My personal study has been really great this past week. I finished the Miracle of Forgiveness. Great read. I also borrowed a book from Elder Oakes. For Times of Trouble by Jeffery R Holland. I devoured it. It's his personal reflections about the Psalms. There are some of them that just bring the Spirit so strongly. I reccommend it. I also decided that I'm going to read a Psalm a day until the end of my mission because I've never read them before and it's a good way to be diligent about it.

Thanks for all the love and prayers and support. I hope you're all doing your gospel study and living what you learn.

Love you all!

Positive Attitudes are best

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John Thomas McGuire

Well this week has been really great.

I have come to a lot of realizations. The first being that I totally asked for a mountain to climb and so God gave it to me. After realizing this, I realized that I had two options. The first being to murmur, gripe and do nothing just endure until the transfer day. And the second, which means to have the same positive attitude that I had before. Being the same person in the darkness as in the light. Being the same person in times of trials as in times of plenty. What is the point of trials and adversity? To help us grow. If we are not actively seeking to grow, we never will. If we never do the things that will help us be better, we will never improve. My attitude has changed a lot this past week and I feel a lot better and happier.

We taught lots of investigators this week. Members were at each of the lessons. I'm not a numbers guy at all. I really don't care about them because we don't baptize numbers we baptize people. But even so, it was good to realize that we were teaching people with support from the branch. The Labapies family is awesome. They have been members since 1992. They have a son in Butuan mission right now. They worked with us several times this past week. The thing about this area is that the members are really awesome and all the church meetings are happening (MCM, BCM, PEC...) which is the first area in my mission to do so. The only downside is that referrals are hard to come by. Their friends are devoted to their own religions. We did get some referrals though and they seem promising. I'm super grateful that almost all the people we are teaching are potential priesthood holders.

We had 2 investigators come to church. Jerome and Nonoy. Jerome is 24. He really knows the Bible well. But he doesn't read the Book of Mormon as much. He loves listening to us and us answering his questions. The problem is his work. He works unearthly hours in a bakery. (like 4 in the afternoon until 8 in the morning 6 days a week...) So most of the time when we teach him he is on the verge of sleeping. He's slightly progressing but quite a ways away from baptism. Nonoy works in a different bakery owned by a member but I've never taught him. He seemed very humble and eager to learn. Hopefully we can teach him this week.

Julios actually came and worked with us during reactivation... But he didn't come to church. I don't know how blunt we have to be that he needs to come to church in order to be baptized. 

We also started teaching President Gonzales' mother. She's diehard catholic. But there are some slight changes this time around. She said she would pray and ask if our church was true. Which is apparently a breakthrough. Sometimes I think we forget about our understanding of prayer is very different from other faiths. I love that our prayers are so personal and direct communication with a loving Father in Heaven.

We had a meeting with the District Presidency yesterday. They asked for our suggestions on how to increase and improve home teaching. So now we're having a combined priesthood home teaching convention on the upcoming saturdays. We will be demonstrating how to be an effective home teacher.

Mostly the work is progressing slightly and slowly. But there is progress.

I went on exchanges with Elder Magtanum this past week. He's just finishing up being trained by Elder Adair. He's new missionary still but he can hold his own. He's from the same stake as Elder Rivera so I had him teach me a little Aklanon. Not really retaining any of it. It's like Illongo and Tagalog and cebuano mixed. The cebuano is going a little better. The promise in Ether 12:27 is true. Sometimes things just take a whole lot of humility, patience, and hard work. Please continue to pray for me though that I'll understand the people.

The miracle I noticed this week is that I have greater unity with Elder Empase. We got off to a rough start. Mostly it was my fault not being able to adapt and transition well. On top of that I didn't understand him of the members since I was coming from Waray and he and this area are cebuano. But now we have better unity. We talk more openly. We respect each other and are helping eachother out. I really do love him and I'm grateful for the things I've learned from him. I've learned that I need to delegate better and communicate what I want to happen more. He's been a blessing.

We also have zone interviews coming up this week so we'll get to see President and Sister Maurer again.

I hope you're all living lives of Gospel integrity. There is no way to happiness outside of the plan of happiness. The work is true. Press on!

Onward, Forward, and Upward

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John Thomas McGuire

So this week was pretty great.

Tuesday we had district meeting in Maasin. Elder Oakes gave a great training about finding new investigators and when we get rejected, praying for that contact. It's been really helpful. It says to do so right in PMG chapter 4 but I guess I had forgotten about that. It's really hard to have bitter feelings for someone who rejects you if you're praying for them. 

After that we got on a van and went to Tacloban. We got to meet President and Sister Maurer. Pronunciation is like Hill Cumorah (without the Hill cuh) Yeah the Australian accent really threw me off. Wednesday morning we had breakfast in the mission home. It's gonna be different having foreigners as mission president and wife. We didn't have rice for breakfast but we did have bacon and eggs and english muffins. I was quite taken aback. President Maurer is really cool though. He really wants to learn from the missionaries and is really humble. We mostly just talked about the mission culture during MLC. He's kind of a joker. They just sent their youngest son on a mission to Canada Vancouver mission.

Thursday I went on Exchanges in Hilongos with Elder Wheeler. He reminds me of Malcolm so much it's crazy! He's from Idaho. He dirtbikes, extreme sports, etc... He used to be nationally ranked for pole vault and had scholarships lined up and then got injured and lost it all. He's a really great guy. Very humble and has an incredible work ethic. He wants to be the best. We celebrated the 4th of July together. We made hotdogs and rice krispie treats with red gatorade and oreos and skittles and A1 Steak Sauce (you better believe I found some!) 

The work is going well in Bato. We don't really have any progressing investigators at all. But we did get the Branch Mission Plan established which is a first in the history of Bato Branch. One of our investigators went to Davao for work. None of our other investigators came to church. It's kinda frustrating. Elder Empase just got his flight itinerary home. I can't believe this cycle is half over. Time goes by way too fast.

My personal study was finishing Helaman and starting 3 Nephi. Remember Nephi? How he was working mighty miracles and then people went their way and left him alone to ponder... Well after Samuel the Lamanite preached unto them, Nephi was baptizing people unto repentance. Sometimes we don't understand why people don't get it the first time. Sometimes it takes others to preach and prepare the people's hearts. Sometimes it takes patience and longsuffering. And a whole lot of unwearyingness. In the end, Nephi was translated. 

As far as the language goes, I'm still getting rocked... I can speak it alright... it's just the comprehension and understanding it. This presents a problem because if I don't understand, I get shy and quiet and people think I'm way too serious when really I just have no idea what's going on. This means I don't have the members' trust all that much. So if you need something to pray for, pray that I will be able to understand the people and gain their trust. You wouldn't think it, but the gift of tongues and the gift of the interpretation of tongues are two distinct gifts of the Spirit. 

(Just for the record, I have had a different dialect in each area of my mission... Villaba- cebauno, Tacloban- Waray-h, Calbayog- Waray-s, Bato-cebuano-j)

Mostly I'm doing alright...

We went to the beach in Macrohon earlier today and had a really fun zone activity. It was a much needed breath of fresh air.

This week is gonna be a great week! I am excited to get to work! Press Forward Saints. This is my Mountain to Climb.

Love you all!