We Take 'Em Any Way We Can Get 'Em!

 

 

We were reading Sister Carlos' blog and stumbled upon this picture...look who is in the background!!!!!



A Missionary's Testimony

 

 

Dear Home Branch who I miss so much, and young stripling warriors - or young men.  I thought stripling warriors would be much cooler!

 

There are a few things that I wish to impart unto you all - especially the young men.  I am serving in the Philippines Cauayan Mission, Ilagan Zone, in the Benito Soliven area for the Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I have been in the mission field for eight weeks now, and my whole mission for four months next Wednesday.  Now that you have some background, like the title headings in the scriptures, I want to get right to it.

 

I have never experienced anything in my life that has brought me greater joy than serving a full time mission.  This is my routine every day: I wake up at six am to workout, eat breakfast, and get dressed - while church hymns or The Restoration movie is playing.  I have personal study time from eight to nine to study the scriptures and out of Preach My Gospel.  Nine to eleven is companionship study.  We learn how to teach in unity and learn about the scriptures, and more importantly we learn about how we can apply them.  We practice teaching in English and in Tagalog.  Eleven to twelve is language study where I read the English and the Tagalog Book of Mormon side by side out loud for thirty minutes, and the next thirty minutes is reading Preach My Gospel and pamphlets, and practice teaching in Tagalog.  I also try to learn five to ten new words a day that I use so that I won't forget them.  Twelve to one is our lunch time and our time to prepare for the day.  Then from one to nine pm we work.  Our motto is "Work. Work. Work."  The Lord said a marvelous WORK is about to come forth unto the children of men.  Not a marvelous rest! (haha)  We teach less-actives, investigators, and we find people.  We return home around nine and immediately have our daily planning session which is a thirty minute period in which we plan for the following day.  Then I eat dinner and workout again, and sleep.  That's the routine of a missionary.  You would think that doing that wouldn't be fun and it's so strict, but let me let you in on a secret.  I have never been happier in my life doing that day in and day out.  This is where true happiness comes from.  Living this perfect gospel is where we find a sense of belonging, peace, comfort, direction, and eventually eternal life.  Like I tell the many people here that I talk with, we cannot be "just" a member of this church.  We have to be a saint of this church and we do so by living it.

 

I want to let you in on another secret about how to obtain a conversion by fire which is an everlasting conversion that will enable you to live the gospel at all times, in all places, and in all things.  We must gain a testimony of The Book of Mormon.  Christ is our foundation and our rock, but what is our keystone, or the thing that holds up the roof - the protection from the winds and the fiery darts of the devil?  It is The Book of Mormon.  If we have a testimony of The Book of Mormon, we have a testimony of The Restoration and we know that Joseph Smith was the prophet who restored it.  We know that this is Christ's church and we know The Plan of Salvation because The Book of Mormon outlines it.  We must embrace and gain a testimony of the power and divinity of The Book of Mormon if we are to live this gospel and endure to the end - so we are worthy of Celestial glory and worthy to live with our Father in Heaven, His son Jesus Christ, The Holy Ghost, and our families for all eternity.

 

Young men: read The Book of Mormon every day.  Read The Book of Mormon in the morning so you will receive strength throughout the day to prevail against Satan's attempts to snare you in his cunning traps, and at night to show your gratitude to God.  I just recently finished The Book of Mormon for the first time in my life and I can testify to you with all of the surety of my heart that it is true.  I felt the Spirit testifying to me as I read the last three verses of Moroni 10 and I did what he directs as well as what Jeffery R. Holland directs us to do.  Read The Book of Mormon and ask if it is not true.  Ask if it is true continually, not just once, so that your testimony will continue to grow.  In Alma 32, it talks about nourishing your faith.  Brothers and Sisters, I would ask you.  Are you nourishing your faith so your roots will be strengthened or will the winds of Satan prevail when they blow? 

 

Young men: looking back now...I wish I would have learned these things in my youth.  I wish I would have known.  You don't have to make the same mistake that I did.  I would commit you to read The Book of Mormon and apply it.  When you don't know what to do and you're lost in your life, read 2 Nephi 32:3.  When you need help or strength to accomplish anything righteous, read 2 Nephi 32:9.  I have had every question of my soul answered through The Book of Mormon.  I want to testify that it is the most true book on this earth.  I know Joseph Smith was The Lord's prophet who restored His gospel back on the earth today.  I know that serving a mission is the greatest thing any young man can do in his early life and I know that it opens doors for his future.  If you are a worthy young man and you don't serve a mission for Him who created you, you are making the biggest mistake of your life.  If you are a young woman and you desire to serve the Lord, please serve.  Sister missionaries are so incredibly important and I can't stress that enough.  Because of two sister missionaries, my nephew was baptized and I had the honor of confirming him a member.  I know that this work is our purpose.  Alma 34:32 - this is the day to perform your labors.  Let us labor in His vineyard with might like He directs us in The Doctrine and Covenants so He can pour out a mighty blessing upon us.  We are all missionaries and we are all called to this work.  The worth of every soul is great in the eyes of our Lord.

 

Brothers and Sisters, be missionaries.  Let your light shine forth.  A  city on a hill cannot be hid.  I know this gospel is true with all of the surety and faculty of my heart and soul.  I know that our Savior lives and He is willing to bless us according to our obedience and faith in Him.  I leave you with one more thing.  When you gain a testimony of these things and you live this perfect and true gospel, you will receive a happiness you never knew you could in this life, and if it is that great in this life - imagine how great your joy will be in the next!  I know the work I am doing is the work of God and I have never seen more blessings in my life and in the lives of my family before because of my service.  I know the things that I have said are true and I cannot and will not deny them!  I leave them with you in the name of our Lord and Almighty Savior, even Jesus Christ, Amen.



Happy Birthday Elder J!



 

Happy Happy Birthday Elder Odom, dear!

Happy days will come to you all year.

If we had one wish then it would be:

A Happy Happy Birthday to you from...WE!

 

 

TWENTY YEARS OLD!



Bits and Pieces of THREE emails

(haha - I LOVE this picture!)

 

There is something new.  I can't dunk here anymore.  (hasn't he said that before?!) We were walking to a lesson and kids asked me to dunk so I dunked it with two hands and then they said, "Again!"  I took a running start and threw it down, broke the rim, and flattened the ball!  The rim is barely hanging now.  I had to give them my ball...

 

My week has been pretty busy. LIKE ALWAYS!  We only taught fifteen lessons last week.  I swear these members punt us every day!  When you say you've been punted, it means they kicked the lesson so NO LESSON!  Some days we get SUPER PUNTED!  That means no lessons the whole day.  It happens two or three times a week.  We don't have any baptismal dates yet, but we do have two new investigators who are awesome and we will get another new one this week who is amazing!  She asked if it was okay to ask us a question!!!!!  That's just awesome!

 

This week has been an awesome one because we've had to work really hard.  We had FIFTY-FIVE members come to church and a record high attendance in Priesthood in years!  Fasting helps so much.  I've fasted every Sunday since being in the field and I plan on fasting every Sunday while I am here in the Philippines.  It truly is powerful and I love the gospel because it makes you work!  When you are truly baptized by fire, you will desire to follow the commandments.  It's just how to get there.  How you get there is to follow the commandments and apply them.  It's as simple as that.  I love this gospel.

 

I had a few spiritual experiences this past week.  Last night we went to a member's house for no reason and it was late.  Turns out that a girl that had just had a baby lost a lot of blood and was fainting.  We gave her a blessing...I had the privilege to give a blessing to a baby that is less than a month old.  The power of faith is where blessings come from...

 

  The language is coming and I'm working my hardest every day for everyone to make y'all proud of me.  I love y'all and I WILL see you soon.  I love you all.

 

Love, Elder Odom

 

P.S. I'M NOT A TEENAGER ANYMORE!  BOOM!  THE BIG 2O!

PINAKANAKAKAPAGPABAGABAG!

Can you say that word?!  It has twenty-four letters and means PET PEEVE!  Funny huh?!  Jarom says it is pronounced:

"pee-nuh-kuh-nuh-kuh-kuh-pug-puh-bug-uh-bug"
 

 

Dear Family and everyone else,

 It has been raining here for days.  It's raining right now.  Once a week, we walk to Rizal which is a three mile walk through the mountains there and three miles back.  We had to ride by trici (tricycle or a 150cc motor bike with a side cart) there because it was raining and the water in some spots over the road was knee deep.  We had to walk on the way back because no trici.  We got wet...

 

This morning I saw eleven people riding on one trici!  The driver and two behind him, five in the sidecart, and three on top of the side cart.  Aaand you can fit up to like fifty people on a jeepney - thirty inside and like twenty on top.  It works somehow.  In America you wouldn't even think about putting more than seven to nine people in a van.  Here, they fit like fifteen to twenty people in a van.  Very efficient and they make some money!  (haha)

 

(these are photos I found on the internet - this is basically what Jarom must see!)

 

Next week is the big 20!  My birthday is on our P-day so we are going a few miles down the road to an area called San Carlos to play basketball.  I'm going to break the goal!  I told the little kids of the primary and a few deacons to come so I'll dunk for them and we'll play.  What makes me happiest here is the kids.  They are so nice and they help me get through the day when the day is tough.

 

This week has been tough.  We have over five hundred members here, fifty came to church Sunday.  Our investigators didn't, and the Bishop was home sick.  Only fifteen stayed for the three hours.  The sacrament meeting attendance is 8% and the real member attendance is 1-2%.  People here don't really pray or read every day and they DO NOT do it as a family.  There was a member who had to open the church with his wife.  He is an American who served here and married someone.  He opened the church at 7:55 and church starts at 8:00.  No one showed up until 8:45...all I have to say is I'm going Jeffery R. Holland on them at the fireside and DECLARING REPENTANCE!  I tried to do the Ammon approach and serve them, but it doesn't work.  It's time to let them know the importance with the sound of a trump!  I feel like Captain Moroni in Alma 51:14.  I do have to say though that I love the challenge and I came here to work.  When everything is hard and you're doing all you can you have to push forward and work work work because that's all you can do and God WILL bless you after the trial of your faith.

 

This letter isn't like the previous ones, but more of a...I don't know (haha)...just what's going on on the other side of the world.

 

Love, Elder Pambihirang Odom

 

P.S. Pambihira means freak or freakin! 

 

P.P.S.  Remember when times get hard just say

"PINAKANAKAKAPAGPABAGABAG"!!!!!

 

 



Another Picture!



Singing a medley of Christmas songs at a mission Christmas party!

 

 

I was so excited about pictures last week I forgot to post highlights from his email...

 

Minamahal na pamilya ko (My Dear Family),

 

Our past week was full of miracles.  I fast every Sunday for twenty-four hours for our area and for success.  Elder Pareja and I have been led by the Spirit this past week and I can't deny it.  We usually don't OYM very often.  OYM means Open Your Mouth or talk to people and ask people if we can teach them, and give pamphlets out.  We don't do it much because we have to focus on all of the less-active members first...we have OYMed eight times this week and we have two progressing investigators!   We also OYMed to this young nanay (mother) and she was so interested she wanted us to teach her right then and there.  We gave her a pamphlet and when we visited her she did the questions in the back and we didn't even ask her to do them.  In the next six weeks, I feel like we will have three to five progressing investigators or three to five baptisms.

 

I have a strong testimony of fasting with prayer.  I have a strong testimony that when we open our fast with a prayer, and be obedient and faithful at the same time, and WORK...we will be blessed and see miracles!!!  I see miracles every time I fast.

 

A miracle...usually we have on average forty-two members and the highest the number has been in a loooooog time is fifty.  On Sunday Elder Pareja and I opened our fast and started the day off by going to our "eternal" investigator's house who has been investigating for over a year and has a strong testimony.  He hasn't come to church but once this whole time.  He came to church with us!!!!!  PUMBIHIRA!!!!!  We have been inviting all our Priesthood holders to church because usually eighty percent of the members at church are the women.  I swear women are already celestial!  We had FIFTY-SEVEN members at church Sunday for fast and testimony meeting and we had a lot of the Priesthood holders there, and they stayed for classes.  We had two more people in Priesthood and one is fourteen and he will be passing the sacrament next Sunday!!  It was amazing! I bore my testimony and I told the people, "Sana, Dito ako so buong misyon."  (Hopefully, I will stay here my whole mission)

 

I am now in Alma 31 in my Book of Mormon reading and I will finish the Book of Mormon in less than a month.  I love reading from it every day.  Every morning and throughout the day and every night.  I love it.

 

I am thankful to be a missionary.  I can't even explain the joy it brings to serve Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and work with the Holy Ghost because He is always the senior companion in the companionship that we need to listen to.  I love serving others and bringing happiness in their lives...I have two years to show the Lord how much I love Him.  MY MISSION MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME.  I will not come home a returned missionary.  I will always be a missionary.  We all have been sent here with a purpose and we are all missionaries. 

 

I say these things in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Love, Elder Odom

THANK YOU Sister Carlos!

I am so thankful for Jarom's mission president's wife, Sister Carlos!  She keeps an awesome blog that allows us to see moments in Jarom's mission!  Her blog is carlosmission.blogspot.com

 

 

Elder Odom and Elder Pareja (center) at a missionary training meeting.  Their  companionship motto is "Work Work Work"!!!

 

He looks so happy, and I know that he is!  He tells us weekly how much he loves being a missionary and serving a mission!