Tuesday November 19, 2019

But ya so this week has been crazy. Last week we set a new mission record for latest transfer call. The transfer call is suppose to happen on Tuesday night so that we can get ready and pack on Wednesday so that we are all ready to transfer on Thursday... Well we got the transfer call at 5pm on Wednesday hahahah. I've been transferred to Talisay 1 as a Zone Leader. Problem is so did another Elder (Elder Sudayon) from Escalante as well hahaha. So ya we're both new Zone Leaders and we're whitewashing our area so we don't really know what's going on. It's been fun hahaha. 

We're lucky though since we have the smart phones now. We were able to find one of the recent converts here almost immediately. but ya often times the area book map on our phone doesn't really work so we're still trying to find everyone that was being taught before because they had a lot of progressing people here in Talisay. We've only been able to work in our area for 3 days now because we just had MLC so we're still just trying to figure out our area and everything. It's all kinda got a familiar feeling to it though kay Talisay is part of Cebu City so it feels kinda similar to Central Zone. A lot less skyscrapers but it's definitely still city. But ya I can't really say much more than that for now. Hopefully next week I'll be able to talk more about the work here and all that once we've actually had a chance to work in our area.


Love ya!
Elder Shirley

Zone Leader of Talisay Zone

PHILIPPINES CEBU MISSION
Temple Complex CJCLDS
Gorordo St. Lahug
6000 Cebu City

November 19, 2019


Dear Brother and Sister Shirley,

I am happy to report that your son, Elder Spencer David Shirley, has been called as a Zone Leader, and has been assigned to Talisay Zone. Elder Shirley has demonstrated leadership ability in other callings and has a great understanding of the spiritual nature of this work, which will help qualify him for this calling.

The additional responsibilities of a Zone Leader will mean that he will spend hours teaching, training, and assisting with the spiritual and physical needs of the missionaries in his zone. In addition, it will be necessary for him to be an outstanding example in all aspects of missionary life. I believe that he can carry out these responsibilities very well.

The Cebu Mission has many challenges in communication and transportation with the several islands that are in our mission. Zone Leaders here have an even greater challenge than those in more established missions of the Church. This provides opportunities for greater growth and maturity.

I want you to know that your son has accomplished much in this mission, and he is worthy to be given this important calling.

May I suggest that you continue to support him with your encouragement and prayers, as Sister Pajaro and I will certainly be doing.



Warmest regards,

Abenir V. Pajaro
Philippines Cebu Mission

transferssssss

Tuesday November 12, 2019

Alright so we haven't gotten transfer calls yet so we're just gonna be chillin in an internet-han while we wait for the calls. Elder Auva'a is training so he's already left for Cebu so I'm with Elder North for now. He's Elder Jones batch and ya he's pretty chill. I don't really know what to expect for the next transfer but I guess we'll just see in another hour or so.

This past week Elder Auva'a and I saw a lot of random miracles happen and it's been awesome. That lady that we met in Purok Paglaum worked out. She actually has been looking for some help and inspiration in her life. She's kinda in a really tough situation and when she met us on the road it was kinda the thing she really needed. The other night we also got a random call from someone who was taught by missionaries before. They missed the missionaries and wanted us to come and visit. Well we found their house and are now visiting her as well. And THEN there was also someone that Elder Auva'a taught about 2 months ago that we found again, but this time we're not just teaching her, we're teaching her entire family too. So ya just a lot of random miracles kinda happened and so ya it was a good way to end the transfer. There was also a TON of members that we've been working with to try and encourage to come back to church, that actually came to church this last sunday. As in our Sacrament attendance went from 130 to 160 solely from those people that came back to Church. So ya that was a REALLY good way to end the transfer. Escalante Ward has been fun. The members are great and the work is really starting to get going. I'm a little sad that I'll be transferring but I'd definitely say it's Elder Auva'a's time to train. He'll do good here in Escalante. I can't wait to see all the people we've been working with progress in the gospel and continue to change their lives.

Love ya!
Elder Shirley


"Salt Flats" -- fields that they fill with salt water from the ocean, let evaporate and then harvest the salt ...



Burning Sugar Cane

   

Storm coming in and flooded steps ...

Members "remodeling" their house
   

Well we literally found hope.

Here in the Philippines they have a very specific way of organizing their communities. Basically goes like this: you start with your city (ex: Escalante), then the city is divided into townships, or Barangays (ex: Barangay Balingtawak), and then finally each Barangay is divided into even smaller areas which are called Sitios or Puroks (ex: Purok Sambag). As far as addresses go we're lucky if we ever figure out what Purok someone lives in, but even if we find that out we're still left with a lot of wondering around to find those that we're looking for. Well the other day we were looking for members in part of our area that we've never really gone to before when we came across a Purok that we've never seen before: Purok Paglaum. Well we took that as a cool sign and decided to check it out because paglaum means "hope" and ya we're always looking for some new hope in our area. Well we wandered in and asked some people if they knew of any members nearby and ya basta long story short we found a nice lady that said we should come back and visit her and her kids this Saturday so hopefully that'll work out.

But ya it kinda stuck out to me. I guess it's just kinda cool to think of hope as a place. Not some kind of intangible thing but a place you could literally go to, a place you could literally see, or literally feel. I guess it kinda makes it easier to see what we need to do during those times in our life that we need more hope. Instead of asking "Is there any hope?" we could ask "where can I find hope?" "Where do I need to go?" I'm sure there's plenty of answers to that but I think a simple answer for me is any place that brings me closer to god. Whether that's the Temple, or even just sitting at my desk reading the scriptures. Ether 12 of the Book of Mormon pretty much sums up a lot of what you'd ever need to know about Faith/Hope. One of my favorites is Ether 12:4

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."
Ether 12:4

However bad things may be in our lives, as long as we can still believe in God then we can always have that hope we need. I like how it even goes as far as saying "with surety," as in there's no doubt involved. If we can truly believe that God is there for us, that he loves us, that he has a better plan and a better way for us, then at least for me that's really the only hope I think we'd ever really need. Hope leads to faith and through faith we can do all things even miracles. If a miracle is what you need in your life, go find a place that can help you find some more hope, a place where you can strengthen your belief in God, and I promise you that all will be well.

Hahaha that was hecka long... sorry
Elder Shirley


  























AND .... did he mention ... that he had his Christmas/birthday EARLY!!

Would be too hard to move 4 boxes if he's transferred next week ...  and he needed his new pants .... tsk! tsk! now there won't be anything to open on Christmas!!

Tuesday October 29, 2019

Well this past week was alright. We had a fun sunrise hike last pday with a member getting ready to serve a mission, and we've been working a lot with that member and a lot of other members to bring the work forward. We've found a number of potential in our area this past week through tracking and finding Part member families. It's just another matter of making something out of that potential. 

Yesterday I got to work in the Zone Leader's area which was pretty fun. We worked out in a place called Libertad which is basically just hills after hills of sugar cane. It was actually a really cool place, just not a whole lot of people hahaha. It was cool to see how much the people there really cared about the work there. The members up there have to travel all the way to Mabini (and ya it's far) to be able to get to church so right now they're trying to do everything they can so that they can get a church built up there. It's amazing what a cause like that can do to a little community. It's just another testament to me that every effort matters. Even if there's just 2 or 3 gathered in a righteous cause, many great things can be brought to pass.

Love ya!
Elder Shirley

Zone Conference

  
"forbidden fruit" ?


  
Rain storm on the way home from church ....

So, you stop and help a shop clear out their flooding ...







Elder Lewis