Week 7 Missionary work begins....

Broken Bows of Adversity

Hello po, kumusta po ang araw niyo?

Well hello! haha Words cannot describe the joy i feel in my heart right this instant. I have a new baby brother! When i saw the pictures my eyes instantly filled with tears i couldn't believe it! I want to so badly hold him. The name Eli Brett Naylor will work i guess.. haha Danielle well done you never cease to impress.

The days are hard but still so worth it. I will say it over and over again.. I love being a missionary. Yes, i still don't know any tagalog, yes, people still point and laugh at the white kid, yes this is hard.

I want to express with you all what i have learned this week and i will continue to learn throughout my mission and my life. Remember in 1 Nephi 16 Where Lehi and his family were traveling through the wilderness and Nephi and his brothers were hunting and providing plenty of food for their family? Great story right? The next part is where i want to focus on. Nephi and his brothers were hunting and Nephi's bow had broken. Laman and Lemuel's bows stopped working properly. (haha yes i miss my bow and arrow back at home) When this happened the brothers of Nephi were so angry and cursed God, When they went back to their families with no food their families hardened their hearts and murmured as well, even the prophet Lehi! There was one among them that did not, Nephi. Nephi realized there was a problem but he didn't hang his head, he didn't murmur, he simply looked for a solution to his problem with faith in God. He made a bow out of wood and arrows out of straight sticks, hunted again, and provided food for his family. 

You can take this story many ways but it has touched my heart as a missionary. I know that all of us experience so many trials in this life that we think there is no way we are going to pull out of this. As we journey through this wilderness of life, our bows are going to break over and over again. We must never hang our head, we must always search for a solution with faith. 

I want to be this kind of missionary and kind of person. A solution finder, not a complainer. Life is hard, but i know that through adversity we are made strong. It's with that great gift that God has given us (Agency) that we decide the product of adversity. 

I love you all, i think of you always, it is my prayer every morning and night that my family and friends are staying strong through adversity. If possible, everyone give my new brother a kiss for me. Until next time.