6/8/2015 Chicken Curry and Comparing

Chicken Curry and Comparing

Monday, June 8, 2015

Dear Everybody, and Elder Wilson and Elder Hadley,

Elders Hadley, Wilson, and Thurber at our MLC station with a computer and projector

I feel bad I haven't said a word about my excellent, due to their awesomeness, companions. The three of us are always on some mad adventure or on exchanges, putting our shoulder to the side bag. This past Tuesday, they got their official Philippino driver's licenses. Elder Hadley had some issues with getting his, because his current ID from Pompeii wasn't "acceptable" to the Land Transportation Office we went to last time. But it all worked out.

They are both superb in Tagalog, and are experts in finding joy while working the hardest. It's incredibly hard not to laugh when you're around them. At the same time, they've gotten down their responsibilities of being assistants just fine.

The wonderful family who made us delicious chicken curry.

On Wednesday, we picked up two missionaries from the airport assigned in Palawan to bring to our area for exchanges. Elder Wilson, out of the goodness of his heart, made some awesome curry that we devoured. The two of us worked with Elder Yu, and had an excellent dinner appointment (see first picture), where they fed us chicken curry. It was so delicious!

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Thursday was MLC, which was the easiest MLC  BY FAR for me, as the office elders played a huge part in their role, allowing us to just work. I played an arrangement of Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise / Saints Behold How Great Jehovah by Jon Schmidt as a special musical number.

For lunch, we had chicken curry made by Angel which tasted great. Afterwords, we watched Meet the Mormons, and then the going-home missionaries bore their testimonies. After shuttling missionaries to the exit of the neighborhood, we came back to the mission home and prepared the MLC, and made notes and a training plan for zone conference. We stayed there that night, and Angel heated up the Chicken Curry for us yet again.

Me with my awesome compaions:  Elder Wilson and Hadley

This is Elder Morales.  He's from Utah, and is a great piano player!

So we ate chicken curry four times in a row. Just like a teacher who teaches one subject in two separate classes, it's easy to compare. Most of our decision making in life involve comparison. While analyzing is good for improvement, I've realized that comparison does little good, and numbs our ability to see the good in the things. For example, the numbers zone leaders submit every Sunday evening from 9-10:30 vary greatly. Sometimes it's hard not to be harsh on some when others are hitting much higher. But the Spirit, I've noticed, cannot abide with us when we compare. It's better to just be grateful and help them improve.

So, even though the different types of chicken curry I ate we differed in taste, I'm not thinking about which one is best, but continue to thank the people that fed me it. I hope more comes my way. 

In other words, stop comparing and be grateful so you'll be happy. 

--

Elder Thurber - Philippines Manila Mission

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