My 16 months Mission

My family, My Sacrifice

Jo!!!......Jo!!?? (my nickname)....my mom called me to run an errands again..... It's about a couple of weeks left but still she had no idea that I am about to leave and serve a mission. I was afraid telling them about because she might not let me.

Please don't blame me. I'm just afraid how would they react. I was been their eldest son that's with them single since six of my siblings were get married already.

We live here in the Philippines, Province of Bukidnon, City of Valencia, Barangay Kahaponan, Purok  -1. We spoke Cebuano and Ilokano as our native language, Tagalog our National language, and small knowledge of English from our school.

We are twelve in our family: my mom and dad and the ten of us, their children ( five boys and five girls). Such a big family. I won't deny that my parents had a tough days raising us. I've witnessed their hardships. Upon raising us, we have experienced nothing to eat for the whole day. We have experienced to walk a couple of hour to reach to the mountain to look for root crops to eat. Our parents have no educational attainment enough to get a job. They are both farm laborer. They cannot afford us all their children to send to school. Non of us has completed until college. As long as their strength allows them to work, they look for a job to help our family. And that maybe one of the reasons why my elder brothers and sisters chose to get married early to start their own family and live better than they have in their childhoods. Sad to say that I still choose to be single.

I am the fifth from our eldest. The four of them is already married and two of my younger sisters. They are all not member of the church except for our youngest sister whom I've invited and been baptized myself after my 6th months of being converted and received the priesthood in the office of priest.

I've tried to invite the missionaries assigned in our place to teach my parents and siblings many times but unfortunately, they're still not prepared to accept it.

In the first place, it's a big sacrificed must be done for my family if it happens that they were converted. We are far from the city where the only chapel was located and we cannot afford to travel even once every week due to our financial challenges.

I was lucky to meet the missionaries the time I found a job along the city  and stayed there in my work place so I could meet them as long as I want and I'm the one supporting my younger sister financially to get the church until she received the ordinance of baptism until the time that she could earn something for her expenses coming to church. My weeks would be empty whenever I ain't go to church.

It is very very hard to budget my small salary while we are in the church as well as sending money for my family for their daily needs. I worked very hard, worked until midnight from morning so I could find money to survive while my family and I couldn't ask for my brothers and sisters elder than me because they also have their own family and priority. I could cry sometimes and tried so many times to quit being a member because of this challenges yet I thank  our Heavenly Father for the strength he has provided to me daily so I could survive.

After a year of my membership to the Church, I started to prepare to serve a mission that I've planned ever since I've been converted.

I understand the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and ever since I received the ordinance of baptism, my heart races each day thinking how to share this wonderful blessings to the world. And I am willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to share the gospel....

I prayed to God earnestly...