Tatays & Tennis - 2 Feb. 2026


Well this was a pretty normal week, we taught our lessons and that was really it. This week was really just pushing forward, we have many people that are so close but just feeling hesitant to accept baptism. So things there are about the same.

The one really interesting thing that happened this week is that I got to play tennis for the first time in almost 6 months which was crazy. So very fun, I am now so very bad, but it fs made my day.

Ya honestly this week was really just a grind and there's not much else to be said. We're really just trying to work as hard as possible to give opportunities to our friends to feel the spirit.

I did have the opportunity to give sister Mary Ann a priesthood blessing, and I will say this was a very unique experience. We went to her house on Saturday to find out that she would not be attending church because she had an operation the next day. A surgeon that comes to the Philippines and does free work as charity was going to remove a gallbladder stone that had been growing over the past 6 years. 

The blessing that I gave was 100% in English. I didn't think that she would feel much significance from it but I was surprised to see that at the end of the blessing there were tears running down her face. It can be magical sometimes how the spirit can communicate through languages and be felt regardless of other barriers that might exist.

My new goal though is that I will be able to do priesthood blessing in Tagalog. Regardless of the fact that the spirit can communicate through languages, I think blessings are more special when you understand the words that are intended purely for you.

Well, love you all tons, hope you've had a good week. I'd love to hear from any of you if you have time. Love you all.

Elder Shill

Write to Alex at alexander.shill@missionary.org







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