Week 12 - Examples 9-29-19

Wow this week has been long, hard, fun, and everything in between!
     My spiritual note goes along with what kind of example are you setting? One night, Elder Sake and I met these 5 guys outside their house. One of them, Darrell, told us how he loves what we do and what we say and teach. He used to meet with a missionary who has since gone home. He still sees that missionary's facebook page and the other day that missionary posted an inappropriate video that really upset Darrell. So he messaged him and said, "Look, how can you be saying and doing things like that when I saw you so strong in the faith. Do you just sign a contract for 2 years to be a good person and be strong in the faith and give it up?" And it really hit me. This mission isn't a contract where we promise to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and give it all up when we get home. And people see our example and look to us to continue to be good people. I promise that people are always watching, and they will notice who you are by how you act and use your agency. So we all need to do our best to lead by example, so that those who see us may also see our Savior.
    Missionary work is amazing! My pictures in the blog this week will show the mini adventures we have each day. Friend, Find, and Teach. Invite and help others come unto Christ. This is what missionaries do and it is what I love! Have a great week!
Elder George

Rained so hard one day the road flooded and we were soaked!

When I saw the dead frog I thought of "Shrek 3" when the frog king dies. 

Just some cows hanging out on the side of the road
while we were out teaching...

On P-day we got to see Tarzan falls which was amazing.

Elders Sagahay, George and Lademora

I found baby bananas while we were on road side clean-up.

Missionaries made the front page of the Guam Newspaper!

Driving beats walking in the rain!

One of the people we teach gave me this gift.
Yapese currency - Stone money, back in the day.

The ward missionaries Brothers Mike and Bruce come teaching
with Elder Sake and me when we go to single sisters's homes.

Elder Sake is from Tonga, he's helping me with my flexing technique!

I got to see Brother Stockstill one last time before
he goes to Hawaii because his ticket got delayed.

Just out friending in the Chalan Pago jungle.

I really loved this quote from Elder Uchtdorf

Legendary Story for the week...

One of the companions that I was on exchange with has a weird stomach virus that causes him to uh double headed dragon (throw-up and diarrhea at the same time). So one day, we are out teaching and I say, "Elder Sagahay, that would be the ultimate friending technique. I just tell the people at the door that my friend has to use the bathroom and they let us in..." well we start walking to a door and he says, "NOOO Elder George I see that look in your eye I won't be apart of this and walks to the car." So we stop at a gas station, no bathroom. Next gas station, no bathroom. So I flip a U-turn and stop at the house across from the gas station. He says what are you doing. I was like, "just follow my lead." So we get out of the car and there are 2 military men looking at us working on the car, it is 8:45 and they are like Who are You? So I say, "Sorry to bother you I just have a weird request. Can we use your bathroom?" Oh Sure bro come inside. We had a 40 minute lesson about the Restoration right after we went to the bathroom. Soooo Sweet.  

Week 11 - The Secrets to Serving 9-21-19

     This week was Guam Zone Conference, and it spiritually energizing to hear from President and Sister Hicks about how we can become the best disciples of Jesus Christ. It all starts with a foundation of love. When we love the people we serve, when we love the Lord, only then will we become somebody. "If ye have not charity, ye are nothing". Pretty powerful. It really humbles us as missionaries that even if we are obedient or doing the work, without love as the driving force behind this work it matters not. So first we love, and next we are obedient. "If ye love me, keep my commandments". We are obedient with the sincere desire in our hearts to do as Heavenly Father would have us do. Lastly, Hard Work. It is good to know something, but it is best to apply what we know. After all faith without works is dead. And likewise, works without faith are also dead. When we combine those 3 things, we can truly begin to teach with the Holy Ghost.
     My last note to what we learned in Zone Conference, is the importance of goal setting. We know what we have to do to be good missionaries, but we need to push ourselves as well. So when we set goals, we have to do everything we can to reach that goal, and RETAIN IT! What is the point of reaching your goal to simply let it fade away? To plan to really focus on being obedient, by getting up on time, studying every day and serving to the last minute for a month is great. But if we slack off and let go of that after 1 month simply because we reached our goal really profits us little. We must strive to make 1-2 goals at a time, and really. Really. focus on them. That way as we attain these goals, we retain what we gained.
     My Dad loves to quote Vince Lombardi, "We will chase perfection knowing full well that we will never reach it. But in the process we will achieve Excellence."  Friends and Family, as we strive to be as our Savior Is, Perfect, we will become Excellent. Continue progressing one step at a time! Prepare yourselves for the upcoming General Conference it is going to be Amazing!
Have a great week, Love
Elder George

Zone conference is great! We eat a lot of good food!

And more food...

President and Sister Hicks. "Let them eat Cake!"

Me standing in the middle of a lot of chickens
hehehe we were out proselytizing 

Chicken in his natural habitat

Week 10 - Chauffeur and here to Serve 9-15-19

       Well there isn't much to report on this week other than my job for a few days...
"Hello missionaries would you like a ride?" Elder George at your service, anywhere you want to go, on the island, we will take you. So for Tuesday and Wednesday we just picked up the New Elders and drove them to shop and teach. I absolutely loved having 8 people in the apartment again, talking late every night and sharing stories. Then I went to take them all (new missionaries and trainers) to the airport and watched Elder Hansen from my MTC group, go back to Chuuk. Super sweet to talk with him for a couple of days. Those new missionaries are gonna kill it!   
      Chalan Pago is my new area and it is straight jungle. The back roads at night really scare my companion, but I just laugh and think that it is the coolest thing to be out in the jungle under a dark sky in the rain as though we are the only ones out there. I am so excited to find new people, I do agree with my companion sometimes though when we are approaching a house that is made of boats, wood and has weird stuff hanging from the top that maybe we better go somewhere else.
     Sad note - my wallet was stolen and they tried to use my card at a McDonalds. Luckily the account was frozen so there's that, but I will have to wait for a new driver's license and debit card. Sister Hicks is making sure we don't starve. She gave us all the extra food that the new missionaries didn't get a chance to eat before leaving for their new assignments.
       My spiritual thought for this week is to have HOPE! Have fun, trust in the Lord and enjoy life. Do not doubt Him. He truly has a plan for each of us and is a master designer. He loves to show His hand in the most intricate details of our lives. He is just waiting for us to notice and act. Love you all! Have a great week,
Elder George

The gang's all here! Good to have these six Elders stay
with us as they're passing through, going to their new assignments.

Where to Elder Mecham? Chauffeurs George and Lademora at your service... 

Another one of my jobs this week - An islands-wide cleanup day.
September 13th the whole Micronesia Guam mission and members 
joined local citizens from all of the islands. Our job site was great!

I'm back to playing the piano again.
It's more like an old friend than a job.

We found this goat right
outside our apartment!
Broken leash....

I think he was on the lam 😉

German pancakes made by Chef - boy J. G. Delicious!

Here I am under a coconut tree near the river border of Chalan Pago.

The only lights our here are our headlights! Chalan Pago is straight Jungle!

Many "helping hands" make light work!

Week 9 - Be Ye Clean

Ran Allim! Hafa Dai! Cascidillia!

     Hello and good day in Chuukese, Chamorro and Pohnpeian. 

TRANSFERS mean changes...Elder Snow is going to Palau and Elder McDaniel is off to Chuuk. I left Harmon. That was tough because I truly loved those people. Someday I will go back to them again.... But Hey! There are amazing people where I am going. I have already seen that and I will love and teach them. The work is amazing!

     Fun side note, our house is kind of a missionary hotel and I might get to house Elder Hansen next week! We took the assistants old apartment so we can have 6 missionaries with us at a time when transfers happen. We get to take the trainers and their trainees so that will be awesome!

     My message to you all this week is Be Ye Clean. This thought occurred to me today, P-day, as Elder Lademora (my new companion) and I cleaned the new apartment. It feels empty with just the 2 of us, but we did some deep cleaning. While I was cleaning the bathroom I thought of repentance. How hard is it to clean the bathroom when it hasn't been cleaned in a year? The grime and stains are really hard to scrub, and the build up of the mess becomes really overwhelming. We, as we are, are constantly in need of being cleaned. But how much harder is it to repent and change when we are not regularly cleaning ourselves and coming closer to God? If we simply cleaned the bathroom every week, it is highly unlikely that there would be an overwhelming mess that needs so much deep cleaning. I know that the Savior's Atonement can clean even the darkest stains that we are trying to scrub off. It is through him that we can really become pure again. Don't procrastinate the day of your repentance by forgetting to pray, to read, and to go to church to renew your covenants. As long as we continue to clean ourselves and wash ourselves, we will become the people our Father in Heaven would hope us to be. I love you all and pray this week is a great one!  -  Elder George     

I have been transferred to a new area called Chalan Pago.
We are opening the area, meaning no one has taught there in over 9 months.

Last McDonalds trip with Elder McDaniel and Elder Baker.
Elder McDaniel has gotten his dream and will go to Chuuk
for the end of his mission and I am so excited for him.

Tonu, one of my favorite families made me a going away dinner. 
lobster, ribs, potatoes, rice, and then they sent me with chocolate.
I love them they are so Great! 

I love seafood!

Eight of us that have been staying in one apartment. It's been close quarters. 

A little deep cleaning was needed after the other six left. Change 
is good but losing my wallet in the move with all my important 
stuff has kind of been tough! We've searched high and low but I
  continue to believe it will find its way back to me... Hopefully. 

And a little more cleaning on the outside for me and
my new companion Elder Lademora. He is super clean
and loves keeping everything organized so that's great.

I don't think i'ts appropriate for missionaries to have a water fight... So
 I'll have to let the thought of squirting Elder Lademora with the hose, pass!

Week 7 - 8 - Technology and Change

         Week 8 ...Well this week has had a lot of great things... and 1 really sad thing. This will be my last week in Harmon. Transfers are on Sunday, and Harmon is where the zone leaders serve. So since I'm not a zone leader and they don't have 2 Harmon areas next transfer I will be moving somewhere else on Guam. In 6 weeks I have had the chance to really love and grow close to the people. Even though I'm leaving, I'll be there when they are baptized someday. And occasionally I might see them at church if I'm lucky.          

        Since it's Brother Stockstill's last week we got him a pink tie (his favorite) and Mountain Dew (Favorite drink). Then one day after teaching we took him to McDonald's because he loves Big Macs. He is the best. This week he showed me the importance of our example. Where he stays there is a renter named Terry who takes in these people without jobs and watches them turn their lives around. He noticed Brother Stockstill's growth and it really has touched him. He went tobacco free, took a Book of Mormon, and now sits in on our lessons. He says that whatever we are teaching it changes people. And I love that.

          To finish I'd love to just share how much fun a mission is! You really grow to appreciate food, whether it be Big Macs, Korean Fried Chicken(KFC), or sitting with 8 missionaries in our apartment around plates of Spam, hot dogs, rice, ramen, corned beef, tuna and sardines. Whatta Life! 

         Love y'all, I really think about my family, my leaders, and my friends and pray each day that life for each of you is going great. Our Father in Heaven loves each of us, and we will become more like him as we love each other.

Elder George

Week 7-  The biggest news for this week is that I received a calling to be a part of a technology team here on Guam. I will be undertaking training for the next several months, to train missionaries here on Guam, Saipan, and eventually Palau. So I will be doing some traveling and a lot of studying. Tomorrow we have a 6 hour training. But what does this mean? I have to teach others how to safely and effectively use smartphones on this mission. I will be face time teaching, as well as teaching over Facebook. It is going to be a really crazy ride, where I have to set aside time every day to work hard. My number will be added to the Church directory so that I can call tech support if there are any problems.

The irony here, is that I thought I would have no technology for 2 years and then I get a calling to be the first missionary in this mission to have a smartphone. But I know that the technology is truly going to speed up the Lord's work here. It makes so many things easier, and will get rid of our paper copy area books as I upload all the information into our records. I can't tell you how excited I am! We have been promised 250 referrals from a member of the seventy by the end of the year as this technology comes out. And I am really excited to be a part of the work and do my best to learn how to best use this technology. Love all of you and have a great week!  Elder George

Some of you have asked about our mission....we speak 7 languages 
and cover 3 time zones. We are one of the largest missions in the world. 
Our mission includes Guam, Saipan, Palau, Chuuk, Yap, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

We have 35 missionaries on Guam right now when there would usually be 26. A lot
of missionaries get sick or injured on Chuuk, or there happen to be problems so they
end up coming to Guam. We have always had 6 to 7 missionaries in our apartment. It's
crazy, but awesome because Elder McDaniel and I always have a 3rd companion.

Our best companion however, aside from the Spirit that is,
is Brother Michael Lee Stockstill! There is no person I would
rather have teaching with us. 

After teaching we took Brother Stockstill 
to McDonalds. Big Macs are his favorite! 
I am doing my best to keep the 10 plus pounds 
I gained at the MTC, and trying to add to them!

The original squad  Me, Elder Baker,  Elder McDaniel and Brother Stockstill.

-Knocking....

-knock knock "oh you don't speak English have a good day,
-knock knock "AHHHHHHHH"(Elder don't knock again just run)
-knock knock "Oh you just want a pamphlet okay"
-knock knock "Oh what y'all do is commendable but I'm not interested.
-knock knock "Come in...oh *door slams"-knock knock "massive killer dog gotta go!"