Typhoon or not Typhoon

This week, we weren't sure we would get to hear from James.  I'm sure many of you have heard of the super typhoon closing in on the Philippines.  We've received a couple letters from James' mission President.  The most recent below:   

Dear Parents,
The expected super typhoon over Antipolo has moved further South and we will not therefore experience the eye of the storm. We will however still experience heavy rain and strong winds. All our missionaries are well prepared with water, food and their 72 hour pack. They have been advised to stay indoors until given the all clear. Those missionaries in low lying areas are being moved to apartments which are safer. The safety of your missionaries is our top priority and we will do everything necessary to ensure they are taken care of.

We thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we have prepared for this event. We will certainly keep you informed of any further developments.
The latest information and maps can be seen on:- weatherph.org

President Mark Alder
Philippines Antipolo Mission

However, we did hear from James! We were so excited.  He is doing well.  Here is what he was able to send.

I am doing alright, there is no rain here yet, it is still the calm before the storm, but we have been told there will be emergency plans and evacuations happening so to be ready for that. I don't think elder and I will need to go anywhere. Our house is higher up and it has two floors.  Our bishop doesn't think the storm is coming at all and he has a service project for us on Tuesday, but that is not happening, hahaha. Preparing for the storm really has not had any affect on anything, there hasn't been any rain yet.

John-drew is looking good for his baptism date of December 28th, and Rayden wasn't able to come to church this week, but we are still shooting for January 11. Next week we will go pick him up!! We have met tons of new FAMILIES that are excited to hear the gospel and readily accepting the Gospel and it is such a blessing!! 

We actually did have a real Thanksgiving dinner! Wednesday night we were all invited to a dinner that an American Family made for us in another Elders area. The whole zone went! It was a REALLY fun time and the members were so nice!! They made a whole thanksgiving feast!! They were so amazing, and some of their friends were visiting from the states who were in the Tabernacle choir, so we got to meet them too! The food was so delicious!! We all shared a big zone message afterward and it was good!!   Oh yeah, I cut the Turkey at thanksgiving. Just saying I was the best out of everyone else 😎.

 I ate 5 slices of pie..... 4 pumpkin and 1 apple

This is the Orlanda family (middle with the baby), and the Buban family (on the right). 
They invited us over for a FHE because the Buban family is a little less active and it was a great time

Spiritual thought:

This week my studies have been amazing thanks to promptings of the Lord!! As I was reading the book "Saints" this week, I was reading about Oliver Cowdery's experiences in wanting to learn moire and trying to develop gifts of the spirit when the aspect of revelation, prophecy and seer-ship came to mind. I then was prompted to read certain sections in the Doctrine and Covenants and other chapters in the Book of Mormon. 

Through my studies I learned so much and still have much more to learn, but the process has been humbling. These gifts are only available through humility and wanting to act out of love for others and wanting to build up the Lord's kingdom. If there is any other reason that you have for developing these gifts, you will never receive them. True, pure humility and wanting to come closer to God is the key to any gift of the spirit and the solution to many if not all of life's problems. Always look for ways to feel God's love in your life!!

Love Elder James Dunyon