This week I went on splits with the Elders in Cabarrougis, which is also in the Santiago South Zone, but it's in Quirino province, which just means that my leather proselyting sandals have been in 1 more province than before. We took a nice white van that looked like it was going to kidnap us from Santiago to Cabarrougis, and while we were on the van, I was showing Elder Mills, one of my companions for the day, some pictures from my camera, as you do.
The van ride was long and not very comfortable, but finally we got to Cabarrougis, which is a very pretty place, by the way.
Cabarrougis is super cool,and I'm not just saying that because it was overcast. Anyway, we got back to the Cabarrougis apartment, and got ready to go to District Council, when I realize, to my dismay, that while I had been showing Elder Mills pictures from my camera on the van, the case I keep my camera in fell onto the floor of the van. And I know what all of you are thinking: "who cares about a stupid camera case?" I DO. That camera case had a cute little knit pouch in it that Elder Pino gave to me, which is where I kept my card reader and USB drive, both of which were not things I wanted to replace. I had my camera though, which was the most important thing, I guess.
I was pretty bummed for the rest of the day, and I felt silly for losing it, but we just kept working and taught some lessons. We taught these girls and their uncle (who lives an hour away, it was pretty weird for him to be there) and they were super cool. They had this little plush egg hobo that Christina really likes:
After that, we went to a birthday party for dinner, and ate some chocolate ice cream with toffee bits in it, which isn't something I knew existed in the Philippines. That was delicious, but it was even more delicious when the guy who we taught at the house with the egg plushie comes to the door and is like "Elder Menzie, is this yours?" and he's holding my flippin camera case!!!
I was in complete shock. I thought I might've not actually left it on the van, but had it in my bag the whole time and dropped it at their house, but this man tells me that he owns a van, and at the end of the day, he found this little camera case on the van with a USB on it that when plugged in has the name MENZIEJUMBO, and has folders like missionDocuments and BookOfMormonVideos.
Some people might dispute whether or not this was literal divine intervention, but a quick list of the things that needed to happen for me to get my camera case back are pretty crazy:
- We got on that specific van. If we had left like 20 minutes earlier we would've been on a different van and my case would still be gone
- I was going to Cabarrougis specifically. If I had been going on splits in Madela or Cordon, my case would still be gone
- We taught these girls with their uncle. I've never met them before, and if we hadn't taught them they never would have known that there was even such a thing as an Elder Menzie, and my case would still be gone
- Their uncle was there, in Cabarrougis, instead of in Madela, where he lives, which is an hour away. If he was in madela, my case would still be gone
- They just so happened to check the USB right after we left, and just happened to remember my name. If they hadn't, my case would still be gone
- They asked us where we were going to dinner. If they didn't know where we were going, they would have had no way to get it back to me before I had to travel back to Santiago the next morning, and ... I'd probably have the case at this point, but it would've been a lot more annoying for me.
I believe that it was a literal miracle that I got that case back. not trying to be dramatic, but my case was lost, and there was none that could deliver it except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did.
2 I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions. (Alma 36:2)
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Elder Menzie
Tagalog time:
himala -- miracle
