Dog Does Not Taste Like Chicken

Peeps,

Well the weeks are just flying by so fast. My Tagalog is getting better and I'm trying to learn Cebuano (another dialect here, Elder Y's native language) so I can communicate better with my companion. Well rainy season has officially started and it was really fun the first 2 days...but now I'm sick of it, no I'm literally sick because of the rain. It rains so hard everyday that it puts Texas rainstorms to shame. 

Earlier this week I went on exchanges with a Elder that has been struggling with getting lessons. His name is Elder Flutey-Paramore. I'm not joking that's his real name. No it gets better, his first name is Apollos. Mom why did you give me a boring name like Jaren? Well, Flutey is Samoan and he's HUGE, but he has a even bigger heart. When we opened our exchanges and I had Elder Flutey-Paramore read the definition of what the definition of a lesson is in Preach My Gospel. What is it that you need to have a opening and closing prayer, teach 1 or 2 principles and extend a commitment. It doesn't say we have to teach people in house or teach a long 45 minute lesson. So we decided to focus on teaching short and powerful lessons. Lessons that are simple, clear and they feel the Spirit and then we leave so the investigators feel the difference when we're there and when we left.  So we did that and we had a killer day! We taught people at bus stops, outside their houses (because they didn't want us in their homes), we almost taught a guy in a public restroom. It was a wonderful day and we both learned a lot.

I love you guys. Thank you so much for the emails and prayers. I know this church is true. I know why I'm out here. I know Jesus is the Christ. He is my Savoir. I love ya'll and I'll be home soon. 

Your Valiant Missionary,

Elder Strader