Before I put Taylor's letter up this week, I want to tell you about an experience that happened while editing his last week's letter. I always read his emails on Wednesday's when they come in, then I re-read them when I am editing them. So while re-reading his email, I got a really strong impression that something was wrong. So in my email to him I asked was something wrong or was he having problems. I will let you read his email in response!!!
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Hey everyone,
To start off I will resolve your worry (but first i will probably make you more concerned)...
So we had a CSP is Talibon area on Thursday, so if you were reading my email on Thursday this is probably why...
And our CSP's are organised by the Elders in the area for a investigator of theirs or a less active they are working with... then it is confirmed by the zone leaders for approval. Basta(anyways)... We were splitting logs of wood into smaller pieces with axes... (oh no, you're already thinking)... and somehow the axe bounced off the log and across my foot and i didnt even notice, until Sis Robison yells out "Elder Cox! Your foot!" and i look down and there is a great big gash across the top and its pouring blood down the side of my foot. So I went and got it cleaned up and bandaged and Elder Gacos being the great wonderful missionary he is, helps with his great knowledge of herbs... i think it was horse radish leaves or something, but it really helped to stop the bleeding. Luckily we had prayed before we started and asked for protection, so it turned out to be only a surface scratch on the skin (see photos) , but a few mm deeper and it could have been much worse. I am so thankful to Heavenly Father that he is watching out for me and that i didnt lose my foot that day.
But other than that our week has gone really well and I have felt some really big spiritual growth in my life this week. I have come to gain a greater eternal perspective on things in this life.
We had a great baptismal service this past Saturday... and the Spirit was so strong there. It is just wonderful to see people come to a knowledge of the truth and receive much needed blessings in their lives.
I wouldnt worry too much about the trikes... cause when people get on top its cause theres no room down below which means there is lots of people on the trike... which means it is very heavy and cant go very fast at all... only about 50km/h or so...
Other things that happened this week... We had Christmas 1st Presidency message broadcast at Calape, which was just great... I hope you went and saw it too... and before that the Strouds invited us over for dinner for Australian beef burgers!!! Yes, real Australian beef from Australia... Elder Stroud said he got it while they were in Cebu... it was soooo delicious compared to the meat here... it reminded me of home. We also had jelly and ice cream for dessert... it was a great dinner!
We also had a Christmas conference meeting in Tagbilaran with Pres and Sis Schmutz. We had a narration and music sort of fireside thingo, with President Schmutz talking about the gifts of the Savior in our lives. We then moved into the cultural hall to play some games and then to eat pizza... it was a great and relaxing day... to start with... then back to work in the evening. We went and visited our favourite Nanay and Tatay B. at our last time for visits... it was dark by now, and they live semi-bukid... but anyways we went to visit with them and tried to teach them something, but Elder Holley just couldn't feel anything to teach... and we both discussed about this afterwards... there was more than just us and them present at that visit. There was this eerie feeling and something that didn't like us missionaries being there. Their dog outside had also stopped barking and started to whimper... it felt it too. So we closed our visit with a prayer and left a special blessing upon their home so that they would be safe there and feel love there. As we walked back to the road both of us had shivers, until we were at the road and waiting for a sakay(transport) with some of our friends in the area (both members and non-members, cause there are heaps of people that know us missionaries an love to just talk with us).
My testimony this email is that Satan is real... and so are his servants. They do exist and area s real as we are. They have power also, but we need to remember that we have more. We have gained a physical body and that gives us power over them. We have power through prayer also, as I spoke about last email. We can ask our Heavenly Father for anything we need, for protection, for help, for guidance. From my experience with my foot, I may have still been hurt even after we prayer for protection... but he did grant us protection. I still have my foot and the injury was nowhere near as serious as it could have been. And this is in similitude of our lives. Heavenly Father will not remove our trials and challenges. If he did, what would we learn?, how would we learn? Although this is the case, he will give us help to overcome our trials and challenges ourselves, that we may learn and grow from our experiences. "As we follow the commandments of God we will prosper" That is the lesson that has been repeated over and over in my readings in the Book of Mormon this week. It does not say "if we keep the commandments, life will be easier", or "we will have no trials". We will prosper... we will have the help from God, our Heavenly Father to overcome our trials and challenges, our problems and concerns, through our own efforts magnified by the help of the Lord. I know that Heavenly Father loves us all and will bless us if we but choose to follow his commandments.
I miss you all, and love you so much too,
Nahigugma ko kaninyo!
Elder Taylor Addison Cox
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Terri here: Notice the "But other than that our week has gone really well" So other than chopping my foot all is good!!! So casual about it!! And photos over on the photo page!! And I have asked how come he was splitting logs while wearing flip flops/thongs!! Anyway all is good, it's not real bad, but it's not just a scratch either! And the bit about the trikes...I just told him I was a little worried that they are up there on top with no helmets, you know, just being a Mother!!!!
