New companion: Elder Gajete

This week was a good week of work with my new companion Elder Gajete. He's a 19 year old boxer from Negros Occidental. He's fresh out of his training in the mission so he's also pretty new. You wouldn't know that though because he's not shy at all and is very hard working and willing to talk to everyone. It's been a while since I've had a companion as talkative as he is. Much of the time I was the main person initiating and dictating the conversation but now that's not the case at all. Sometimes his talking is a little overwhelming but that's alright. I have to constantly fight my way into every conversation we have with people because he's so excited to speak to them himself.

Our work this week over all was very similar to that of the last few weeks here in Pagudpud with my last companion Elder Powell except for it was VERY fast paced and I've been doing way less speaking since Elder Gajete has taken that completely upon himself.  The result of our fast paced hard work though is very similar to what's it's been the last couple weeks. Unfortunately none of our investigators attended church once again. We had five people attend last week but none of them returned this week. We're unsure but it seems like they might be avoiding us now. We're not sure what happened but we're still going to try and return to them a couple more times. Not having PSA (people sacrament attendance) was pretty rough for my companion because he felt like it was somehow is fault. But after having a discussion and reading Preach My Gospel I think he's come to a better understanding that people have their free agency. The important thing is that we give all we can and work to the best of our ability and if there's not people at church that's likely because of their free agency.

Also during this week we ran into a white guy from Paducha, Kentucky. He was very nice and willing to talk to us. He only knew english though so I was the only one talking once again. Though it was nice to talk to him and even converse about Kentucky since I used to live there as well, he was very Baptist and didn't seem super interested in learning about our church. He did seem to appreciate what we were doing though and as we left yelled a solid "Glory be to God!" I liked that. He's right. Our work here is to glorify God. What we do here on earth, especially as missionaries is for Him and His Kingdom and it's not for ourselves even though sometimes we tend to forget that.

During this week, my personal study has been very enjoyable. I found three verses that present a similar idea in a couple different ways. 

Ezra 8:22 -

The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

Romans 8:28 -

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

2 Nephi 4:35 -

Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

All three of these verses do a good job acknowledging the will and purpose of God. Our Heavenly Father is the one who knows exactly what's going on and knows exactly what's best for us. Our job is to aline our thoughts, will, and purpose with his. We need to have our "eye single" to his purposes. If we ask for things from him that aren't according to his desire we are asking "amiss" and will not receive them. It's that simple. If we can more fully understand what he wants for us and ask for those same things we will receive them and his plan will become much more clear to us.