Elder Head in the Philippines - Feet buffet....only $1 ;)

Hey!
So this week I was able to baptize one of my old investigators in Lapu-Lapu because he requested that I would do it. Unfortunately, there were no pictures. But it happened. I'm telling you.

We did some more training this week for Elder McNett. He's doing really well. He seems to get it. Now all that's left is just to teach him about the insurance company, and that should be about it.

I really can't think of much more this week. It's just been a lot of running around and problem solving and training. The usual thing. One cool tender mercy this week was that on Wednesday, we finally went and got a bike fixed that's just been taking up space in the office for months. Five minutes after we got back from the bike shop, we got a call from some missionaries saying that their bike was broken and they needed to switch them out the next day. That was some perfect timing. It's cool that as soon as we got it done, that was then it was needed. I fell blessed that it wasn't needed that time when before it was done. That was a cool thing this week. Just really little, but needed. I hope to better keep my eyes peeled for little tender mercies like that more in life.

That's really it. Other than that earlier, we got our feet messaged by little fish who ate little particles of dead skin off of us earlier. That was cool. It was about the equivalent of $1 as well. I'll keep you posted if my feet start to fall off because of the $1 feet buffet for fish.

Later!

Elder Mitchell Jeffrey Head

Elder Head in the Philippines - Good to hear from Mitch again :)

Hey Momma!

So these past few weeks have been all training! My replacement got here to take my spot as Financial Secretary so I've been showing him the ropes once each time and then letting him do it after. If he needs help, I help him. But if not, I let him do it his way. It's working pretty well and he is catching on really well! His name is Elder McNett from Coalville, Utah. He loves to hike and can fly planes and has a lot of neat stories. He's really fun to talk to.

So we got everything worked out with Aetna the day before Elder and Sister McNett got here which was perfect timing. I'll be showing him how to do that this week.

Conference was last week. Oh man.

I really loved Conference. I enjoyed how they called everyone to just be better, to improve, to progress, and to become who we need to become. I especially noticed a lot of things in myself that I need to change. It all started with self evaluations. I can't wait to work on the things to help me become the person that I have the potential to be. Along with changing myself, conference helped me change the way I like to do planning. In the past, we would just kind of say what we thought that they needed. But because of the talk by Elder Renlund, we've changed our planning to asking ourselves for each person we teach, "What does God want this person to know, feel, or do?" And it's really helped change the way we plan and teach. I'm so grateful that God loves us enough to give us exactly what we need to hear through living prophets and apostles in this day and age whom he called.

We were able to go to the temple this week as well, which always makes the weeks better.

Sorry for the lack of metaphors in this email. I'll try for next week.

Elder Mitchell Jeffrey Head

Elder Head & Elder Saluta

This beautiful photo was taken before they entered the temple.

And when they left a couple of hours later. #philippineweather

Elder Head in the Philippines - Accountability

Hey Momma!

So this week, I've been thinking a lot about accountability. Mainly because this week I've been trying really hard to figure out how to get the mission reimbursed for it's many medical expenses through the church's insurance partner "Aetna". We just got a reading back from Aetna about the Philippines area's usage of Aetna and we found out that we are the ONLY mission that's not getting reimbursed for it's medical bills. The reason is because we just didn't know how to do it. So that's been my week. Trying to figure it out. Haha.

Anywho, accountability. I was reading in the scriptures during personal study yesterday and I received revelation. Now this piece of revelation is not anything new, or earth-shattering, but it just kind of hit me. Every person, will return to the presence of our Savior to be judged of our works: to be held accountable of what we have done with this life. Whether they are ready or not, we will ALL return to his presence. Which is a scary thought. What if we're not doing what we must do? What if we are not living to the fullness of our potential? What if we're just going through the motions of this life and missing out on all the learning opportunities the Lord has put into our path? I then was reading in Preach My Gospel, and confirmed it.

I'm so grateful that we've been given the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can repent, and truly make the changes we need to make the most of this life. I know that for me, personally, I do not want my return to the presence of Deity to be like this Aetna thing was. I return only to find that I was the ONLY one that didn't improve on my time here, only because I did not know how. I'm also very grateful that the Lord has given us this time to prepare to return to His presence. I'm grateful that He's given us this General Conference to be led by our inspired leaders on how to improve our time here.

I pray that we'll all pay attention, not to just what they say, but to what the Spirit will say to us. What changes we need to make. Where we need to improve. Then I hope we'll have the humility to make those changes. I know that our Father will prepare ways for us to make those needed changes, if we'll just take some time and tell Him what we want to do to be better, to improve, to become. I'm so grateful for repentance, that even the worst of people can change and be refined by the healing touch of the Savior. I'm so grateful for inspired leaders who receive revelation for the church and the Gift of the Holy Ghost that we can receive that revelation personally for ourselves.

Love ya.

Elder Mitchell J. Head