I Just Wanted to Have Some Franks! - Week 34. Last Week in Santa Maria

It was fantastic to talk to all of you - it made my day! I loved every word and it was great to hear your voices too! I felt really homesick for a minute afterwards.

Christmas was great - not eventful but I loved it. I got a present from my companion, Elder C. It was a cookbook as my cooking blows and he always knew it. Much appreciated though.
Okay, now for a review of the week. It was nuts!! Never thought that I would be a ZL and all the way in Cagayan.
On Monday last week, all the elders in the zone came over to the Narvacan apartment and we went out caroling in Santa Maria. It was awesome. When we got back, everyone split up and went to get supper in different restaurants in Narvacan. Me and my comp, Elder C, went to Franks - a little burger and hotdog stand that is usually quick and cheap. Good 'ol Franks.
 As we sat and waited for our food to be cooked, some drunk guy sat down and started talking to Elder C. While we waited, Elder I and Elder M (ZL's) showed up. Elder I stood behind us and Elder M was on the other side of the stand. Then the drunk guy started being a bit of a tool, asking Elder I if he was from Afghanistan and why he's so fat etc. Elder I got angry but didn't say anything - just glared at him. There were several other friends of the drunk guy there too and they were all taking interest in what was happening.
Elder C and I realized it was time to leave so we pushed Elder I away from them. Then all the guys at the stand surrounded us and it was me and Elder C between them and Elder I. Elder M was still in the back.
Then one guy started slapping Elder I's face with his hand and a towel! He got so mad and was about to hit them when I saw a pistol come out and point at him. I told them all that we were going to go home and that we didn't want any trouble- but they were all riled up. There were around 12-14 of them.
We edged our way out and I grabbed Elder M's arm and pulled him as he was about to fight. I dragged him away. We got a little way down the street when they started throwing rocks (we got stoned on our mission!!!!). One hit Elder M in the head and he got really mad and started trying to run at them but I grabbed his wrist again and pulled and pulled. Elder C was pulling Elder I too. Then, as we got to our street, they all ran at us and Elder M broke loose and punched one in the face (upper cut) and he collapsed. I remember Elder C screaming, "Elder M, no!!" as the first punch landed. Then another got punched by Elder M but he didn't fall, he went after Elder I instead and Elder I hit him too and then his knees buckled and he fell by a tree. Then they were all around us and one had a swtich blade. I lost track of Elder M as I saw a bunch of people coming at me.
This is the weird part - I had a Samuel the Lamanite moment. There would be one guy that would come at me and be about to punch me and I would get ready to defend myself but it was as if, at the last second, he would get distracted and walk away. I can't quite explain it but that happened six or seven times!
 One guy kept pointing at me and yelling, "Get him!" and then when they started to come at me, it was as if they would almost forget what they were doing and walk away. There were huge pieces of loose concrete being thrown as well, and one about the size of a soccer ball went right past my head. There were lots flying around but none of the rocks would hit me. They also had hot coffee as they had all been getting coffee at Franks and three of them tried to throw coffee on me but it didn't go far. Instead, it drooped out of the cup! Looking back it seems really weird. Then a guy on a motorcycle went kamikaze and ran into Elder I and cut his leg a bit. He swung to punch the driver but missed by inches which was good or the guy may have died!
Then I saw Elder M so I grabbed him and dragged him in the house. Elder C did the same with Elder I. We put the Samoans in the room and locked the front door.
Then the gang of guys went to the front gate of our neighbour and landlady and frightened her. She was almost crying. That made the ZL's even more angry. They left the room and we had to stop them from going back outside again. Then we realized that all the other elders were still out in town somewhere buying food. So we all decided to go back out.
Once we went out, we saw that the police were down the street and the drunk guys were somewhere else shouting. We saw two of the elders coming and yelled for them to get in the house. They were freaked. Then the policemen (volunteers only) came over to us and told us to go inside so we asked them to get the other Elders. We went inside and waited a bit and then elders started filtering in.
Once everyone was in, we (my comp and I and the ZL's) met on the roof and talked about what was going to happen. The SWAT team then showed up and wanted to talk to us. We chatted with this nice guy holding a huge automatic weapon (freaky). He said that they (the drunk fools) were known for this kind of thing (we were told later that they were the "Narvacan Murderers" but they must really suck at it because once stuff happened, the gun disappeared).
The ZL's went to the police station and then to the hospital for a bit. Then they called the mission president and he suggested we give them Preisthood blessings so we did. I thought the area was going to be closed but it wasn't.
 I thought the ZL's did well restraining themselves from fighting for the most part and when they did, they only ended up fighting in self defense.
 Later, Elder C asked me if I regretted anything I did that night. I thought about it and said no. He said he didn't either. Neither of us threw a single punch. The fact that I was guided by the spirit to act as a missionary was a sweet feeling. It still is. And if I had started punching people, I wouldn't have had a Samuel the Lamanite moment. Elder C said the same thing happened to him.
 It is such a sweet experience and testimony builder to see the hand of the Lord in protecting me. I can never thank him enough (so you guys will have to help me).
 The reason the ZL's were singled out by that gang was because they were Samoan. But they were men of Christ first and Samoans second. I realized that in my life, I sometimes forget that too (not the Samoan part though, as I am a Samoan like 50th or something) but I mean I need to be a missionary before all else.
It's the same for everyone - a representative of Christ first, above all else. A mother before all else, a father etc.
Anyways, during all of this, people asked us a few times what was going on and every time, my response was, "I just wanted to have some Franks!"
Anyways, I am safe. The Lord is watching over me at all times. I know that for a fact and as long as I do what I should, that's the way it will be. Thanks for all the love and support you guys all provide me. I love each of you so much.
On a side note, can someone send me an easy recipe for rice pudding? I can't believe people here don't eat it! "Rice Central" and no pudding to go with my rice!
So that's all for now - I gotta bounce! I can't wait to hear from you again. Do your best to live worthily of the blessings and protection God wants to give you. He always delivers.
Love you!!

-Elder Dustan

Oh, That I Had the Voice of a Samoan! - Week 33. Serving in Santa Maria

So in answer to a few of your questions: yes, we are still in the Narvacan apartment as the one in Santa Maria is too small apparently! I will be calling from a cellphone but I don't know the number yet. I CAN tell you that it will be my own cellphone. It's transfer list day and I just learned I will be transferred to Camalaniugan tomorrow at 6am! I will be a zone leader. Terrifying right? I had a hard enough time trying to get my head around being a DL!
 I will have a phone to call you on. I got the calling code from Mum and will call at around 6am our time on the 26th. That way it's 5pm your time on Christmas day.
Anyways, I am healthy, still filtering my water, eating really well and working out daily.
We slept outside the other day as there were typhoon winds (no rain and the winds weren't dangerous - just the type of wind you have to lean into if you're walking) and it was nice and breezy. But in the morning, the winds stopped and I got eaten alive by mosquitoes!!!!
We have been fine for weather - no floods or even rain really. Rainy season is done here. Summer is coming. It's going to get "hot" here (I thought it was already hot!!).
 I exchanged with Elder M and it was fun. He's flippin' hilarious! All kinds of jokes and stories and just chats people up and they open right up to him! He and his companion (ZL's) met some guy at a music fireside. They were singing in their awesome Samoan voices. He made an unkind comment of some sort. So the ZL's said that Samoans are the best singers in the world (honestly a fair statement - they sing beautifully even when they are just doing laundry). They were ridiculed for saying so but I was impressed with Elder M. He didn't fight back. He held his peace even though he was prodded on a few times. It was a strong testimony to me of how big changes are wrought on a mission! It's unbelievable. I don't see it as much in myself but if I could step outside of myself I would see it better. I notice it with all the other Elders - hearing what they were like before and seeing how they are now. It's amazing.
This week has just been another testament of our actions and the effect they have on others. All we have to do is analyze our thoughts a bit more before they turn to actions. Like David (when he was younger) in 1Samuel 18 - it mentions a few times how he behaved wisely and strangly enough, the Lord favoured him for it as well as the people! I have been trying to do this better. I really need to think more before I speak.
 I wish I had more time but I have to print off some stuff for tomorrow as I have to help with transfers! My new comp is Elder Cawley, my trainer's trainer! I will also be in the same apartment as Elder Thurston (from my MTC group) who will be my DL!!!! Cool eh?
 I ate custard yesterday (from the package you sent). It was masa-freaking-rap!!! Thanks! I will be eating haggis and peas and potatoes and more custard this Sunday for Christmas! I'll open my can of snow too!
I love you guys so much. Thanks for all you do. I loved each of your emails too. Everything you say is treasured like you don't even know. Got a Dear Elder from DW too and it was the bomb dot com! Got a postcard from TB and it was great.
I will be talking to you all in a week  Take care of yourselves!!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Dustan
ps-Jamon, instoflopsta! Don't stop till you get enough!

Working With Less Active Members - Week 32. Serving in Santa Maria

This week was surprisingly long for only half a week of work. First things first though - I have some good stories. We are teaching this one guy that is sooooo receptive. He is obsessed with repentance. Then we found out he is defending himself in a court case right now. We don't know exactly what it's about but we know its about something that happened when he was in the army and that he is really upset about it. He is so excited to learn about the Church though. We left a pamphlet the first time and then when we came back, he came out and sat down and started praying without even being asked!!! So cool. He asks all the right questions and reads what we leave him. Then the other day he gave us two sheets of paper with all of his personal info and his identification cards and stuff. He said, "In case anybody asks you who I am."......then we got a little freaked out. I emailed the President about it today. That would suck if the NBI broke up his baptism mid dunk or something.

We also got invited to a lunch appointment this week at a recent convert of the ZL's. The nanay is a member but her kids aren't. One of them looked like she was only 17. Then we see two little kids go by around 3 or 4 years old. We asked who's they were and they said they were hers!!! She has two kids and she's younger than me!
As we were about to leave, a man walked into the house and he was kind of crazy looking. He told us he was scared and trying to hide from Jesus because apparently Jesus told the man that he was going to kill him!!! (What the kwan?). Then after trying to calm him down, the man squatted and hugged Elder M's legs and started moaning!! After we calmed him down again he got up and asked if we could bless him but before we could say anything, he went to each of us and rub our chests!!! I guess my chest has healing powers - I was uninformed... All in all, a weird week.

 As for the less actives, we got a huge list and then went out to find them. Some are dead, some are in Dubai, Alaska and Canada, some are in different churches, some were just happy to see us. I realized everyone has at least one problem. With less active members it's a little more easy to find what their issue is, as they know, and you know that there was a reason they stopped coming to church. The only problem is sometimes it is really difficult to hear.
One man told us his daughter, in grade 5, was raped and he thinks he can't go to church as he feels evil because he can't forgive the guy who did it. Another one told us she got offended because she was eating at church and someone told her to stop eating as that food was for the kids.....weird reason to throw away you salvation.
The worst one was the other night, just after the baptism in fact. We finally found this one sister we'd been looking for for a long time. She is only around 30 years old, and she got married a few weeks ago. We realized we'd heard about her a few times. Some of the ladies at church gossiped about her because she "married one of them African n****rs". They say it in english too!
 She married a guy from North Carolina. He's back there now but he'll be returning in a few months (I feel so bad for filipina's as they always fall for that - so many here just endlessly wait for their husbands who are abroad. They're such trusting and loyal people....too bad so many of the men never return).
 People often don't see the effects of gossip because the effect is that people just don't come back. I know that we should be slow to offend but if the ones offending were more cautious then we would all be happier.
I still feel terrible. She was honestly the nicest and most down to earth girl I've met on my mission. We will keep working with her and reading the Book of Mormon with her (she said she's still happy when she reads it) but it will take a while to repair that damage. I also spoke about this in church yesterday in sacrament. I shared a story about Socrates and a man who was going to share some gossip with him about one of his friends, but socrates stopped him and asked him to "filter" what he was going to say in the "TUG" filter: Is it "True"? Is it "Useful"? Is it "Good"? President O shared that with me and I promised in front of the whole ward yesterday that I would never gossip again. I challenged them all to filter their words, as words, like water, if not filtered, will make the consumer sick. Gossip is poison. This was a huge wake up call. The things I do, really do affect the salvation of others in some way.
 In Matthew it says we'll be judged for the idle words we speak. I decided to watch myself more, to make sure I set a good example for others about the church. Every kind word and smile makes a huge difference and as less active members come back to church, I see that more and more.
 I love you guys and you have always been a great example for me in every way. Please make sure you do the same for every other member of our family and every other member of the church.

We are not allowed out on Christmas Day except to attend church, as people go crazy here with guns and fireworks everywhere. Last night was my first time experiencing that. It's only the 12th and there were CRAZY fireworks and bullets flying everywhere until 1am. (don't worry though, we're safe. It's mostly in the stadium, not near us.).
 Gotta go!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Dustan

Christmas Onions Are the Sweetest to Cut - Week 31. Serving in Santa Maria

We had our Christmas Zone Conference on Monday and Tuesday. The trip to the mission home takes three to four hours but so worth it! We took a Partas bus (which I think I said before, is Ilocano for fast) and they are crazy! They fly around corners and there is no way at all to be comfortable on them. It's nice that they have air conditioning but I feel the whole time like I'm going to die! The nasty thing is, I think we hit something on the way back.  We swerved all over the road and heard a huge thump and then the driver got control again and it was fine. I'm pretty sure there were angels on either side of the bus holding it up though so don't worry. ZONE CONFERENCE!!! It's the bomb! We got there and just sat in the mission home doing nothing and just that would have been worth the trip! I love that place. Some elders even come back and honeymoon there!!! (Kind of weird but it's realllly nice).
Then we had training with the President and he introduced to us the new direction of missionary work in the Philippines - every mission here! It's  called, "Dressed in White Twice" and is all about seeking "real growth".
We are not going to go door to door anymore.....or fence to fence.....or shack to shack. No more tracting is the point I'm trying to get at. We are still encouraged to talk to everyone but our real focus is less actives. They showed us the stats on membership in the Philippines and it was really sad. Most baptisms don't lead to priesthood ordinations or endowments or missions. So we are now teaching mostly less actives (starting today) and seeking real growth. They explained it like this: picture a tree - the branches and leaves are members or baptisms and the trunk is the priesthood. If the branches get too big and there's not enough trunk to support it, then the tree can't last ("..and it grieveth me that I should lose this tree."). So we are trying to strengthen the members that we already have. I'm really excited about it too.
Then we carolled around Laoag and San Nicholas for an hour and a half and gave candy to little kids! It was soooo much fun and my voice was dead by the end of the night. Weird thing is that, here they do carolling but always for money and they don't go away until you pay them. They seriously sing loud and terribly until you get sick of it and pay them. We had carollers come to our apartment. I ended up giving out stickers and candy and told them we had no money. They were all kids so that worked. So when we told people that we didn't want their money they were so surprised and happy! Great experience.
 I had lots of fun with the other missionaries too. We sang White Christmas together just like back home. I also talked with Elder Y a lot too (one armed elder). He's so funny - always happy, never ever heard anything negative come from his lips.  He had to go home for a while because he tore all of the muscles in his good arm.....which happens to be his only one too. Imagine how much that would suck. Just not being able to do anything. He showed me how to put a watch on with your tongue and how to tie a tie with your foot and one arm! Way cool, but way beyond my skills!
 Also had lots of fun with some of the Samoan elders. They taught us how to do the Haka! It's crazy. They performed it for Sister O too and she loved it (she's part Maori and loves islanders and everything about them). I'll try to remember the Haka and I'll do it for you when I get home. It's scary though. Elder F was the scariest doing it as he looked so deadly and he's usually so quiet. Our skit went well too.
 Sister O shared a great idea with all of us. She gave us each a nice little card to write down something we would give Christ for Christmas (because for some reason, on HIS birthday WE get gifts). It was a great
idea. I got some really good insight on myself and how to improve. I would suggest you all do the same - think of one thing you can give our Saviour for His birthday.
Then she gave us each a little stocking with goodies in it and they each were hand made and had a little Elder made of felt on it. President O told us that members in Las Vegas made them, and then older members from Utah all collected money and bought us chocolates (Russell Stover yo!). I almost cried when he told me that (I mean, I was just cutting onions when he told me that...). There is just so much selfless service and kindness in the world and being on the receiving end is almost overwhelming.
  I feel the same way with the Atonement sometimes - unworthy of how kind and loving my Saviour is. I realized that I often focus on what I am not good at and ways in which I am inadequate (there are many). I then realized that that is really not good at all. Before this life I sustained my Saviour and now that I am here, I know that He sustains me in what I am doing. I know that He has full trust in me and loves me more than I know. I learned I should focus on the things I am good at and realize that it all comes from His help and love. I am nothing without Him. I know that's true. I know that as long as I look to Him for help, He will help me do ANYTHING I need to. It's an amazing thing. I know that Christ sustains each of you too. Don't forget to look to Him for help.
 I found out yesterday that my converts in Vintar are not at church anymore except for D and it broke my heart. They have their own branch there now though. I will be writing them soon. My work doesn't stop at the gates of baptism. It goes until they are safely in the covenants of the temple and even after that.
I am so glad I have each of you to be a good example for me and that you each saw me through until I was safely in the promises of the temple. I love you all and pray for you. Thanks for being the pinkabest (aka: bestest).
That's all I've got for now as we only have two hours of p-day today and I still need to shop. I love you!!!!!!
-Elder Dustan

Huck Finn & a Rabid Rooster - Week 30. Serving in Santa Maria

Doostmans....Bustans....Batmans....
Dustbans...who'd have thought that name was so hard to say eh? But our whole world seems to have a really hard time with it. The names I just said have all been the results of people reading my tag.
Our ward is pretty small. It's a ward though, and we have our own chapel complete with ping pong table. The attendance is around 40 people per week. .
This week has been ridiculously busy and possibly the most stressful week of my whole mission. I had my first District Meeting with everyone present and didn't have much time to prepare for it as I also have to write a sketch for Christmas Zone Conference. Every zone gets to go to the mission home for two days of food and fun and gospel study. They go two or three zones at a time and we are going with the Vigan zone. We have to do a skit about Christmas and it has to be funny and spiritual.
 On Monday last week we went to the ocean in Santa Maria! My first time in the Pacific (we can walk in it if it's not deep and the waves aren't bad, which they weren't. I got some photos of it). There were no sharks so it was really nice. Its a beautiful place.
We taught a few lessons after P-day. The next day we went out to a middle-of-nowhere brgy and got punted a lot. At district meeting we discussed the skit we will have to do at zone conference. I pitched an idea and then Elder Cayanan did too and we put them together and now it's about elders who tract into a guy who doesn't believe that Christmas is about Christ but about Santa and about presents and gifts which he believes are the source of real happiness. Then he whips out Zechariah 2:6 (which I've been sitting on for some time and now I love that I get to use it for this!!!).
"Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord."
Then the sisters tract into him after the elders are kicked out for not handling it well and the sisters save the day and he gets converted. The best part is at the end - everyone leaves except the investigator and he thinks quietly for about 30 seconds and then starts singing the 1st verse of Silent Night. Then everyone else is somehow in his house and singing with him - it's going to be matamis (sweet)!
I got attacked by a fighting cock! I had to use my bag as a shield and it scratched it good. It was actually terrifying!
 I am really in love with the concept of daily improvement. The doctrines of the gospel are so simple and easy but only those that use their agency properly and exercise a particle of faith and act on the doctrine get to know the joys of them. I don't want to go back to being that person I was before my mission. I think you have a copy of my patriarchal blessing too right? It mentions something about this in there and that's the first time I've seen something from it come to fruition with such an impact.
We found a new apartment in Santa Maria which is sweet. We also had Stake Conference yesterday and President & Sister O were there, so.......I GOT YOUR CHRISTMAS
PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Salamat (thanks)! I loved everything in there. The Senators pennant is right above my desk right now. I'm going to have haggis and snow for christmas (didn't know either came in a can!). I loved my ties too! Where did you even get those!!!??? They were awesome. I offered some candy to the ZL's so most of it is gone now (I kept all the chocolate for me and my companion though).
 I made leggo for the first time in years (from your package) and I really want to give it to this kid named J who follows us around this one neighbourhood we work in. He looks exactly like a dark Huck Finn. He is so funny. He sits in our lessons and the investigators ask who he is and we don't know what to tell them. He wears overalls with no shirt underneath.
Just know that everything you sent made me so happy - not because I get to have new stuff but because of the underlying meaning to everything. It all reminded me of you guys and that's the best gift of all. AND I get to make the little nippers here happy with some of the stuff....(maybe I'll keep one leggo for myself though... we'll see).
 Sister O gave a talk yesterday about how they were so poor growing up in New Zealand that all their presents were things they made for each other and the time they spent together. President O also said that presents are better when they have an underlying spiritual meaning.
Anyways, I love you guys so much and will realllllly miss you this Christmas. But either way, we all get to celebrate the birth of our Saviour no matter where in the world we are - and the fact that, through Him, we can all not only have eternal life, but we can have it together! Make sure you do what Mum had said about not getting wrapped up in the commercial side of Christmas but focus on the Saviour and our eternal family.
 But all that aside you HAVE to watch either Home Alone or A Charlie Brown Christmas.
There's so much more I want to say but I'm out of time. I love you guys more than I can say. Have a great Christmas season. And for goodness sake, if you see a rooster, run the other way! If they had the chance they'd eat you and everyone you care about!
Love ya!!
-Elder Dustan

Red Neck in the Philippines - Week 29. Serving in Santa Maria

First I'll answer some of your questions: I did not turn my clock ahead or back. I put it on my left hand now instead of my right but that's about the only difference. And if I was supposed to, I don't think I would ever find out because everyone here is late for everything anyways. But for reals, I don't think that they have time
change like that here. I don't know why.....come to think of it, I don't even know why we have it in Canada.
As for the area, it's different than that of the Zone Leaders'. They work here in Narvacan and we work in
Santa Maria. Very different places. Most of the people in central Santa Maria are young girls who go to college......other wise known as college girls I guess (my English is getting worse and worse). So we can't ever teach them because there is never a guy home So we have to go to the outer brgy's which are entirely bukid (rice fields). Typical Philippine province - cement or dirt road and endless rice fields with mountains in the background. One of our appointments is an hours walk!!! We go there on Sunday and my legs are dead afterwards. We would take a trike but they are mahal (expensive) and we wouldn't get one coming back anyways because it's too far.
I'm getting lots of sun though. I wish you could see my tan line on my neck!  This week was pretty frustrating though. I had a lot of issues with the language and I don't know why. A few times it was because I didn't have my language study in the morning as we had meetings instead.  All my issues aside, one of our fellowshippers who had been an AP in the Baguio mission said he knows that my companion will get transferred next transfer and I will become a trainer - a bit of a confidence boost. He said he got it right when he told Elder D that he would be an AP. Well, I didn't have the heart to tell him Elder D is a ZL not an AP.
Anyways, I continue to struggle with the language but it keeps me humble.
We exchanged with the AP's this week. Elder P and Elder C (I love those guys!).
 I saw a bus go by this week with a picture of a cat and mouse fighting on it (they were a cartoon) and written beside them were the words, "Tom and Terrence"!!! Slight copyright infringement? That's gotta be a great cartoon though, like Mortimer the Retarded Rabbit.
I met one guy whose sister and brother live in OTTAWA! He invited us back and I'll see where exactly they live (might have a referral for the sisters!.....they might have to brush up on their Ilokano and Tagalog though!).
  Anyway, that's all for this week. I love you all so much and thank you all for helping me gain a testimony of my own and helping me get here. I treasure my testimony so much. I know this is where I am supposed to be.
Take care of yourselves!
-Elder Dustan

Punched By a Monkey - Week 28. Serving in Santa Maria

I am emailing from Narvacan now. It feels weird still - not to be in Vintar. I'll give you the lo-down on my new area and companions. My area is Santa Maria. It's about 20 minutes outside of the booming metropolis of Narvacan. It's as Vintar is to Laoag except Narvacon isn't as big as Laoag and Santa Maria is way bigger than Vintar (not in terms of area but in people definitely). We stay in an apartment with two huge Samoan Elders: Elder M (who is almost done his mission) and Elder I (pronounced ya-wan-eh... don't worry, I have used every joke possible with his name....just not out loud as he's HUGE!).
We have our own room and our own aircon (AC) but we sleep in the ZL's room to save electricity. We bring our "mattresses" in every night (old worn down pieces of rectangular foam that have been eroded by the sweat of multiple sets of Elders....I use a sheet, don't worry) and sleep in between their two beds. There are TWO showers. There is no shower head or bucket - which was new to me (I love the bucket system). Instead, just a drippy tap and a juice jug. It works pretty well though.
 Here's our schedule: wake up at 6:30 and yell at Elder I to get off me as he usually falls at least partially off his bed and lands on me. He's huge too. He likes to play foozeball and he went to military school in Roswell New Mexico (he's definitely an alien). I exercise with weights (they have a metal bar with concrete-filled buckets on either end...it works) for 30 minutes every morning and I feel great.
At about 7am I go out and get some pandasal (a cheap bread that everyone eats here. It doesn't have much taste, rather more of an illusion of taste, but it's one peso each so who's complaining?).
When I get back, I shave and shower, iron my shirt, tie my tie and then find that half my pandasal is gone because the ZL's got into it again. We study and then we go to the mall. Yes, the Mall. The Narvacan mall is pretty sweet. Of course, it's like all things here that are similar to things back home - they're just not quite the same.
We eat in the food court every day. I didn't like the sound of it either till I got there. A member owns a little place in the food court and she gives us free shakes and juice and soup. Then for 50 pesos we get two servings of rice and two ulam (anything you can put on rice is called ulam...except more rice). There's veggies there too. I usually have carabasa which is mostly squash.
Then my companion and I catch a bus outside the mall (like a worn out Greyhound bus) for 10 pesos each and we go to Santa Maria. It's a College town and is essentially a city. Bit of a change from the small-town life of Vintar. Then we go to the outside of town and it's all bukid (rice paddies) and jungle. So no matter where I go it's different than Vintar and I now realize how perfect that area was.
My companion is Elder C. He's pretty cool. He's from Quezon and has been out 9 months. He is quiet but speaks English fluently.  He is really nice and says profound things that really get me thinking.  He's really easy going and gives me lots of teaching time which I love.
 I had to give training to the Zone leaders and give a talk on Sunday as well as do my first accounting on Sunday night. It was a crazy week and I would have normally gone crazy with stress but because the Spirit is with me, I did no such thing. I was calm and I was led to the exact things I was supposed to say.

 Elder M is amazing! He's really fit and played for the Samoan olympic volleyball team. He also has some crazy stories. Some of them are too terrifying to tell you but once he passed by a man who had just shot and killed a woman. He struggled with him for the gun and ended up punching him and breaking his jaw and subduing him until the police arrived.
On Friday the ZL's saw a man get hit on his bike by a Partas bus (partas is Ilokano for fast and they hit lots of people because of that). They said he died instantly. Later that day they came to a house where an old man (a member of the Church they went to visit) was laying dead on the ground because a Python bit him and he had a heart attack. They said the python was pretty big too.
The girl who works at the food court in the mall....her legal name is Sexy! She is the daughter of the owner. She hasn't been there for a couple of days though, as she has been sick. I have a feeling that when the owner goes to work today she's "bringing sexy back".....bam! Anyways, point is, names don't always mean something.
I also caught a runaway goat this week. It got away from its owner and I snagged it and gave it back to him (shoulda kept it....finders keepers!).
 I've realllly felt blessed this week.   Things, although tough at times, have gone according to the plan of God - it's so obvious to me. My life is guided at all times. Sometimes I may override the right plan with an unwise choice (and it usually involves a lot of anxiety and discomfort), but as long as I choose the right, I can stay on the path that God has given me and He will lead me to happiness and the best ways for me to grow. I love my mission. Anyone who is of mission age and in their right mind will choose to serve and if they don't then they can't even comprehend the kind of things they are missing out on.
I've been blessed. You all helped me to make the right decision, and now I've been blessed some more.
 I was going to think of some wonderful way to incorporate my last experience in Vintar but I'm running low on time so I'll just tell you: I got punched by a monkey!!!! Elder Sm had been teasing it in increments over the past month and the once pleasant monkey became a sour one. I wanted a picture with him but got too close and he literally full-on punched me in the head! It hurt too!!!
Anyways, I love you guys so much I wish I could say it better. Don't ever worry about me. I am safe in the protecttion of the Lord and two Samoans! You are all always in my prayers, specifically named and everything.
-Elder Dustan

Firrrrst Trrrransfer! - Week 27. Last Post From Vintar

We met a realllly old man two days ago. We were having a really bad day (we got "punted" about 16 appointments in a row over two and a half days!!!) Then we saw the old man and said hello to him but he just stared at us and didn't respond. We thought maybe he was one of those that a pare (priest) had told not to talk to us. So, of course we went right up to him. As we approached, he says in a really loud voice and rolling his r's, "What is yourrrrr obligation??" (.....what do you say to that?) He repeated the question and so we told him we were missionaries. He then said, "So yourrrrr obligation is to the churrrrch!" (Spot on). We then asked him in English (but English with a Tagalog accent so they understand better....you will all think I'm strange when I call home at Christmas), "What is your name?" He said "I am Orrrrlando L. - one of the most powerful in the world!" We started telling him about the Church but he stopped us and said, "Sorrrry, I cannoot hearrrrr so goood, the Japanese arrrrrtilary went off rrrrrright by my earrrrr". He then told us how the "japs" had fought here at the school which he lives beside. They were using it as a base to fire on the other side of the ilog (river)! How crazy is that!!?? Anyways, so now you know who is one of the most powerful in the world.
So here's a fun fact: I got TRANSFERRED! Yep, and I called it too. It hasn't really set in yet. Elder Sm is staying here in Vintar and I am going to Santa Maria, but my apartment will be in Narvacan (which sounds like a drug to me - "do not put in ear"). I am getting a Filipino companion and Elder M, to whom I was a ZL in the MTC will be coming to Vintar.
On Halloween we were on the way home after a weird night. We got punted because our guy we were teaching had a serpent loose in his house and it had eaten one of his chickens! We showed up at the gate and he says, "Teka lang, may ahas diyan." (or, "Wait a second, there's a large snake in there!!"). He was carrying a machete. When we came back the next day, we found out it was 2 metres long and was a type of cobra! Crazy! He lopped its head off too.
That same night we passed some people having a party and they said, "Kain tayo!" (or "Let's eat!"). People always say that so we laughed and kept walking. But they said in English, "Seriously, come on in!"  So we did. They fed us and we met a guy from Laoag who lived in Saudi Arabia who is a muslim. He shared his beliefs with us and then we shared ours with him. Then we gave him a Book of Mormon and he was so impressed. He excused himself for a moment, then came back with a copy of the HOLY QU'RAN (holy quran Batman!). He said we can't keep it but we could borrow it as long as we want and then return it to their house down the road. So we have a copy of the Qu'ran on the table.
 I will be in the ZL apartment in Narvacon and we will have to commute to our area (it was just opened too - just  like Vintar). The ZL's are apparently Polynesians so should be fun.
I found out why retired teachers here say "retarded" instead of "retired".  I always thought they knew the difference and did it as a joke but they just don't know English well enough so they conjugate retired to what they think is the past tense by adding "ed" - "retired-ed teacher". With a filipino accent, it sounds like retarded. Sweet! We also tao po'd (knocked on the door of) one house and a guy named Ri let us in and was so kind. He was also really ripped and had really hard eyes like he was interrogating your soul as you talked to him. We asked him what his work was and he says,"NBI".... we raised our eyebrows so he flashed a badge -  National Bureau of Investigation! When we explained where the church was in Laoag and how there is a car junk shop at the bottom of the hill, he said, "Oh, kung saan may carnapan" At first we didn't understand but then later realized that putting "an" at the end of a word sometimes means a place where that thing is done. He said the "taglish" word for it, meaning, "The place where they are doing car napping!!!" I guess he would know (and those people had seemed so nice before!).
Anyways, I LOVED the W family's Halloween photo!! So good! I'm going to show it to Elder D as he really appreciates Star Wars oriented humour.
 I still carry my little photo album of family pictures with me everywhere and I use it as a teaching tool for lessons and such. In it is the one of the W's and me in front of the mountains in Canmore. I taught one lesson to a member about the powerful effect for good that righteous members can have and I used that picture. I explained what the W's had done in helping me serve a mission. Anyway, thanks W's!!!!!!!!
I am learning more and more about the Holy Ghost. I had thought that I knew what it meant to have the Holy Ghost as your constant companion, but I really didn't get it. I am still now only scratching the surface. It makes life so much more enjoyable, and understandable.
W said something great in one of her Dear Elders, about not living event to event, but enjoying the moment. I have always lived event to event. It really makes you miss out. I have been trying to enjoy, appreciate and make the most of the moment, but realized it's impossible without the spirit. With the companionship of the Holy Ghost, life is better.
We only have a limited time on this earth and sometimes people use that as their argument for unrighteous living, "We should have fun while we can". I've tried that and it sucks and anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves and God. I know now that the gospel helps us make the very most of EVERY second of life. Anyways, that's my rant.
I love my mission. I am learning so much. I am now a DL and terrified to give training to Elders and Sisters who have served longer than I and speak the language better, but I know that the atonements power and the companionship of the Holy Ghost will help me be an adequate servant.
So thats all folks.  I gotta go and teach my last three or four lessons in Vintar. Poor Bishop cried when I told him that I was leaving. It felt strange...I don't know what to do when people cry. Pretty sure I patted his shoulder awkwardly.
I love you all and will never stop thinking and praying about/for you. Do all you can to "Live after the manner of happiness" as Nephi says (though surely this involves the temple.)
 LOVE YOU!!!
-Elder Dustan DL, NBI,

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Pasco! - Week 26. Serving in Vintar

I heard a bit about Halloween from you guys. Thanks for rubbing it in!
Apparently there is no Halloween here. They jump right into preparing for Pasco (or Christmas). At the start of the week we left the apartment and D was hanging ornaments and getting all excited about Pasco. She decorated our place a little too. Christmas songs are playing everywhere! Even all the karaoke we hear from peoples' houses is for Pasco now, no longer the usual mix of children's songs and 80's music. One song that they've been playing quite a bit is "Star ng Pasco". It's a Tagalog song and it's quite nice. Look it up, you'll be singing it all the time.
 This week we had two exchanges (the DL has to exchange with every companionship 2 times a trasnfer, which means I have to do it too). On Tuesday, Elder M came to Vintar. I remember him from the MTC! He was in the group ahead of me. He's taga Idaho (no Udaho). He has only been out for 6 weeks more than me so it was two rookie white guys leading the area for a day. It was great too, because I made sure to schedule no appointments all day and just find instead. It was sweet - lots of weird stories come from finding. We taught a family (we actually stopped a little girl's birthday party to teach this lesson......I felt bad but that's what we have to do sometimes) early in the day and there was a guy there from the Visayas (southern Philippines) and he is Muslim. He seemed pretty accepting of the 1st vision though. We gave him a pamphlet and might see him this Saturday if he doesn't go home before then. It was a really long day and was pretty draining.
For supper I finally cooked those Idahoan packaged mashed potatoes you sent me. I figured "what better time to have them than in the company of a real Idahoan".....he wasn't very impressed though. I thought they were pretty good.
On Thursday I exchanged with Elder U, Elder D's companion as a ZL and my friend Elder T's old trainer. He has only been a member of the Church for 2 years - or even less than that as one of  the elders who taught him is still in the mission (Laoag mission too, as he's from here). He got baptized here and then moved to Quezon and then decided to magmisyon and got sent here. He's hilarious too.
We blessed a less active tatay who is kind of losing it. He asked us 3 times if we were confirming him! We then taught a really old tatay with no teeth but he's still very sharp (not his teeth though). Although, he refuses to hear about any other book other than the Bible until we can prove it through the Bible. So that was a fun challenge.
 It's not easy for some 21 year old white guy to come and tell you in broken Tagalog, something different than what you have always believed.
That's a skill I really need to improve on - seeing things from others' point of view.
Later in our exchange, we met a guy from the Dating Daan church ("The Old Way") founded by an Eli Soriano who rants about other churches on his radio show and then finishes with, "We need to return to the dating daan". This guy we met kept quoting from the radio show about how Joseph Smith was a false prophet and how the church is building a secret temple on the border of California or something like that. Elder U started getting a bit upset at him and saying, "Mail kayo tatay", or "You're wrong Pops, you're wrong."  Anyways, that was an interesting lesson.
Elder U is amazing at teaching in all three languages.
Everyone has their own skills and flaws and it's only through recognizing them, actively trying to improve them, and seeking the Lord's help that those flaws can become strengths.
T.B. sent me a scripture from Romans about the body of Christ as the Church and we are all good at certain things but when we work together we are an effective, full body. I was thinking about that the other day sitting at the jeep station in VIntar. I had never before realized that I have a part to play in our eternal family. You are all amazing people who I will always look up to, but I had never fully realized before that what I do has an effect on our family. I wish I had realized that before I left on my mission, when I was a teen ager. And then I realized that for you guys, you each have things you are good at, and not good at. Instead of trying to hide things we are not good at we need to lean on each other for help to get by and improve our weaknesses. No one can do everything by themselves. Anyways, it was a great exchange in Laoag.
I learned something about a true companionship too. As I listened to Elder U and Elder D talk, I realized that they are the ideal companionship. They never say anything bad about the other. They always do things for each other like ironing each others shirts and stuff. They always have fun together and they know each other's limits and strengths and weaknesses and do all they can to build off of each other.  The beautiful thing about the gospel though, is the constant possibility of improvement. I am really loving that concept of getting a little better every day.
 We gave a blessing to an old nanay who has been sick for a while. They asked for a blessing and we explained the power and origin of the priesthood to her and blessed her. Then after that, all of her sisters and brothers (all old people), "blessed us", which is when you shake hands with a filipino and if they're very old you put the back of their hand to your forehead, but they all did it to us.
Anyways, crazy week, and I am learning lots. I have one week left until transfer day too! I'm pretty sure I'll be transferred, though D says I have to stay until Pasco.
We taught a guy named J who I told you about before. He couldn't go to church because his child was sick, and so he asks, "Do you believe in fasting? I think I might fast so I can go to church." Has this place been prepared or what??
Anyway, I have so much more to share but I'm out of time. I miss you guys so much. This is the greatest time of growth I have ever experienced in my life - even more than when I had that plantars wart (baha!). But for reals, I love it here. I love the people. I know this is the place I need to be. Never stop trusting in the Lord. I just finished the book of Joshua and that really drives that message home. With the Lord, ANYTHING is possible. My time I've "survived" here as a missionary is testimony to that - how is it that a guy who hates being wet and hot can live in the Philippines just fine, and that I can study for hours at a time, when back home I couldn't for more than 15 minutes?
 Do all you can to do your part in our eternal family, and I will do all I can to do mine. I love you guys so much, think of you as often as I can, and pray for you always - and every prayer gets heard AND answered - that's not just a saying.
Give Ryan a "Sweet Patatas" from me and a high-five, and do all you can to be good missionaries back home. We need a temple in Ottawa! Love you lots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Dustan
ps-I was told not to use the word hinarharap which means future, because it also is used for boobs... future, the things in front of you.. get it? Now I get why so many people laughed randomly in my lessons!

Tim Tam Slams! - Week 25. Serving in Vintar

Hey  guys! It's been a while, but this week actually went by the fastest so far I think. I usually make a small list of points I want to tell you about in my email on a little post-it in my planner, but I didn't even have time for that this week.
We had interviews with President O this week, a movie night, an exchange and some baptismal interviews in Sarrat. Busy, busy. So here's the low down.
Interviews with the president once again felt like an eternally significant moment. It's so hard to explain but every time it just feels like I am learning things that will benefit me forever. While we were not being interviewed, we hung out with Sis O and she gave us our mail (I think I got a couple Dear Elders from you guys but this week has been so busy, I can't remember!!!).
Also a random tangent - a few times lately I have had weird déja-vues, but more real. I remembered a few dreams I have had and saw that they really ended up happening in real life, and the feeling didn't go away like a usual déja-vu..... Cool but weird.
We had a movie night at D's house - the full Joseph Smith story. It was great. I love that movie. It really bothers me when people don't appreciate what he or any of the early saints did. Also D and R were there and they have both been a little mahia (shy) about sharing the gospel in Vintar. I know it's hard because I wasn't good at it back home but we are really trying to get them to come out of their shells a little - and they have a bit. D went with us when we taught one of her friends, N (we call her Street Nanay because we met her on the street and only ever saw her there and never knew her name). We gave her a  Book of Mormon on the street and she read the whole thing. I know because she told us her favourite part was with the Anti Lehi-Nephis!
R helped us teach his girlfriend's brother. He taught amazing things. R is one of my favourites!
 I got a PACKAGE from T.B. She sent me some Aussie foods, socks, a lot of church stuff that I can give out to kids, and these "milk flavouring straws". They are just normal straws but have little filtery things on each end and inside are little chocolate balls! So I bought some milk - imported stuff from New Zealand that doesn't need to be refrigerated, and tried it.....it's AMAZING. She sent me "Tim Tams" too - it's a chocolate cookie sandwich thing. Sister O told me that they have "Tim Tam Slams" in Australia and New Zealand where you eat the middle of it and drink milk through it. Then later Elder Sm asked me about Tim Tam Slams too! Yesterday an RM from Australia who served here was in our ward and he asked if I'd had one yet. So the talk around here is all about Tim Tam Slams.
I had an exchange again with Elder D. We worked here in Vintar.  He's pretty awesome. His Simpsons quotes are flawless and he has a deep appreciation for Star Wars and how is relates to the gospel..... All that aside, he gave me a lot of good tips and really helped with a few of our investigators.
 We have 4 new baptisms coming up!!!! The family that has been coming to church decided to be baptized! They are all excited for it. They're so great. The tatay is a town counsellor for all of Vintar. I am way excited.
We went all the way to Sarrat on Saturday and had a baptismal interview from the Sisters there. The area is beautiful and I've now been to every area in this district! The interviewee unfortunately didn't show but the sisters made us pancit and HOME MADE ICE CREAM!!! It was soooooo good. The sisters are the best.
I finally finished Deuteronomy! Took forever but I'm done and into Joshua now. I loved how Moses was 120 years old and he was still going strong (there's a sweet verse in the last chapter about it) because he wore his life out in the service of the Lord, and for that, the Lord wouldn't let him wear out. I am just starting to see that here. I'm more tired than I've ever been. My sleep even seems to be tiring because we usually teach in our sleep! Elder Davis woke me up talking in his sleep asking me, "Claro po ba iyan?" ("Is that clear?") and went on to teach another principle in bits and pieces. My back and arms and sides and legs and neck all ache but sometimes it feels like the pain is just gone and like I'm almost floating. It's weird, but I know I'm being helped.
This is the greatest work there is and I love being part of it. I have seen peoples' lives change from complete sorrow to utter joy and have seen it in their faces, eyes and in their countenances. It's a great thing to see.
I love you guys and think about you all the time. Never stop spreading the gospel, even if it's outside of your comfort zone because that's when we grow the most. Take care of yourselves.
-Elder Dustan

Like a Reeeeal Filipino! - Week 24. Serving in Vintar

Yesterday we got ready and went to our investigators houses to round them up for church because they are less likely to go if we don't. We had to wait in one family's house until she started getting ready. I'm learning to be a real filipino now in the sense that there is no personal space/privacy. We just walk on in to peoples' houses and are way upfront and way rude by north american standards. Because of all our efforts and a huge help through prayer, we had 12 investigators, 2 Less actives and four recent converts at church!
Great day! In total we had almost 20 investigators at church (between us and the AP's). President and Sister O were there too (they kind of tour around the wards). So the chapel was literally too full (its not small either!). So yeah, sweeeeet day.
We had a very malalim (deep) lesson in priesthood class where the teacher and other older men started discussing opinion as if it were doctrine. Pres. O doesn't speak Tagalog so he didn't catch it right away but one of our investigators spoke up at one point and corrected them with the proper doctrine (he's only been taught 6 times, and we had never discussed those things) but he was right and it was hilarious!
After church we went to the mission home in the AP's apartment as we usually do between church and PEC meeting. We got free pizza - with ranch dressing! What a sweet day. We had to leave early and give two sick people blessings, taught a lesson at someone's home and then went to
PEC meeting.
After PEC, as we were leaving the chapel, we heard yelling and smashing glass. We looked down the hill (as Bantay chapel is essentially a castle on a hill) and the two shacks at the bottom near the junk shop were fighting each other. One drunk guy from one shack had a bottle in his hand and a bit of blood on his arms and the one from the other house was hiding behind a fence. They pretty much had a snowball fight with bottles and the road was covered in glass. They yelled and fist-fought a couple of times too. We don't know how it started. The best part was that it's 2 minutes from the PNP (police) station (campo) and they didn't show up for about 20 minutes. I would hate to see their reaction time if there was something happening in Vintar! They showed up with automatic rifles and everyone freaked out. It was a very interesting Sunday! My first domestic dispute (I was told by the other elders that it's a regular occurance and that they usually use rocks.
Last monday I got a haircut from a bakla and it was terrible! I told him I had 15 minutes and he took 1 hour and it was 60 pisos instead of the 38 it usually is!
We taught a guy named J who had been taught by other missionsries in the past. He said he knew the Book of Mormon was true before and felt his sins being washed away. I'll keep you posted with him.
We realize that too many people just won't commute to Laoag, so we are now trying to teach men with cars so they can bring their families to church and establish a priesthood base in Vintar. I realize now that there is order to everything. We can't teach everyone. We have to start with people that can and are willing to go to church. Anyways, it's going well. We have a few families we are teaching now. We taught the Plan of Salvation to one of them and then the dad asked some very deep questions. It was great though. I learned the importance of only saying what I know.
In Alma 11:22, Amulek only says what he is prompted by the Spirit to say. I love that because one of my goals is to be better at thinking before I speak.
We taught an old tatay who told us he "nag-abroad" (mix of Tagalog and English words - I love it! Means he went or worked abroad) in Iraq in the 80's. He said he built houses for the government. We asked him if he's seen a guy named Saddam Hussein before! He said yes but we doubt he's serious - pretty good dead-panner, that guy.
Also met a drunk guy two nights ago who said he has seen some crazy things when he fought in the Iraq war (I didn't know the Philippines was part of that one!).
 We visited one of the families we are teaching. The tatay wasn't there. He was in Manila, but luckily we had R teach with us. The whole family is baptist too except for the tatay. He is the one who let us in. The others are a little hostile. The oldest girl was there though. We had never met her before. We assumed she was hostile too but once we finished teaching about the apostasy and started teaching about the restoration, I explained that Joseph Smith wanted to know which church to join so he went into the woods to pray. All of a sudden, in a whisper on the edge of her seat, she asked, "What happened??" We told her about the First Vision (which I can say in my sleep now and sometimes do) and she was shocked and said, "That really
happened??"
 That was so good to hear because people are seldom really interested in it. They  seem to assume it was in the Bible and they just never read it so they don't ask questions. They think we will find out they don't really read the Bible.
We taught the girl about the Book of Mormon and that we would give her a copy. She told us that the day before we came over, she had been saying to her mum that she needed to find a religion as she felt lost. She had tried all of them and none felt right. The only one she hadn't tried was Islam and she was thinking of checking it out.
She had tears in her eyes and was so happy and kept saying things like, "This must have been planned!"
She has a three month old baby so maybe my nephew, C, will serve with him in the church at some point! So that was sweet.  We teach them again tonight. We taught another guy named  J, who asked lots of questions and was great and then when we mentioned prophets he said "teka lang" (just a second) and ran off to get something. He came back reading a Gospel Principles book, looking at the prophets section! Turns out he reads that book all the time AND he has six copies of the Book of Mormom!!! Turns out his brother's a member somewhere.
 So much has happened this week! We stayed out until 9 every night and I'm more tired than I've ever been in my life. I reallllly love my sleep now, no matter how short.
 This brings me to the real reason for the email subject! I harvested rice this week (naggapas). We asked a family we teach if they would let us help them in their bukid (field). I thought they would wear as few clothes as possible in the heat but they bundle up! I wore jeans and socks and my crocs with a long sleeved shirt I bought (way cheap, way big like it's supposed to be, and it has a big pirate parrot on it and says "Castaway
Bay"....stylin'). Anyway, they gave us each a little hand held sickle that is sharper than all the Subway knives in the world and we harvested rice. It was reallly hard work - so hot and really hard on the legs, arms and back. We finished one of his fields for him though. All the filipinos stopped gapas-ing and watched us. White
people in the bukid is unheard of. It was so messy and rough but I loved it. I would love to do it again and might get to this week.
I''m loving it here, even though sometimes I still really really miss home. On the other hand, sometimes I forget and think Vintar is my home, it's weird. Being transferred will suck.
I think of you guys so much and miss you so much. You are all part of the reason why I am able to do what I'm doing as I know back home before my mission I would NOT have been able to do this - to work in the bukid, work all day until 9 and still get up at 6:30 happy and ready to go. It is great here and I am so happy you all helped me and encouraged me to get here. R gave me a letter yesterday and said he didn't want a repeat of Elder S leaving almost without notice so he gave it to me now while he knows I'm here. It essentially said that he would never ever forget what I've done for him. That is something that I never have felt before, and don't think I could get that kind of satisfaction anywhere else. Because of all you have done for me I was able to do all I could for him. Now he feels the full joy that ONLY comes through the gospel. What an amazing work this is! Anyways, we have a lot of groceries to do today so I gotta get going (I haven't been eating very healthy as we have been eating whenever we get the chance to. It's like being in North America all over again).
 Keep up the good work back home - just by your support you are spreading the gospel. You are all amazing missionaries and I love you all. Stay safe, never stop trying your best, and don't eat yellow rice (they dry it on the road and animals pee on it and sometimes poop too.....that also why there's rocks in my rice all the time and it kills my teeth).
LOVE YOU!
-Elder Dustan

A Week Full of Tae & Ihi - Week 23. Serving in Vintar

Once again it feels like a year since I wrote last.
Every day feels like a week - I just do so much. It's bananas (you know the song)... just this second I heard a little filipino voice behind me say "bananas" and then realized there's a little crowd of kids behind me....I guess people are following my emails here too, not just back home. Hahaha, I wish you could be here, they're reading every word I write.
Anyways, this week was great. We had training from our AP, Elder Cooper in District Meeting about false beliefs/traditions ( in tagalog, haka-haka). It was very insightful and hilarious. He told us about some false beliefs in our mission. One is that some people think that after Sacrament meeting you have to wait for the bishop to stand before you get up. Every Sunday someone will always get annoyed with us for "being rude" and getting up before him. A myth among us missionaries is that Sister O (mission president's wife) sends out her own weekly message but not to every missionary like the President does but only to a select few whom she favours (she thought that one was hilarious, and I told her I'm part of it and have the Sister O fan club ring to prove it). Another myth is that you can't pass the sacrament if you don't have a white shirt. I thought that last one was true. Apparently it's encouraged for all priesthood holders to wear a white shirt, but if they don't have one that's okay. In the Young Men program when I was a youth, we used to purposely wear a blue shirt so we didn't have to pass the sacrament, so this puts a stop to that too. Anyways, I loved learning about the proper protocol of the Church because it always makes sense - never too far left or right.
So... you're probably wondering about the subject of my email. We will start with "ihi". It means pee. And I really noticed this week how much public urination there is. Not hidden by any means either. We went back to see the Vietnam vet, E.R. this week. He's a caricature of a stereotypical nam vet. He told us all kinds of crazy theories and then said he would be right back. He walked three steps and didnt unzip but peed out the pant leg of his shorts! I know it's not effective because when he shook our hands later I felt the evidence...... Don't worry we sanitzied after. He also gave us copies of the Gideon Bible in Ilocano which was good because we tao po'd (tracted or knocked on the door of) a house later and ended up teaching an old Ilocano man and used that bible. He loved it (if it weren't for that Bible all I could have said is "why?", "where are you going?", and "don't be shy" - the extent of my Ilocano vocabulary).
Which brings us to "tae". We went to teach the D family as the mother is back now. We had taught them many times but their mother was in Manila working. She's a less active member and a single parent. As we were there, her other kids who had moved out all come back randomly! The whole family was there! The lesson went way over time and I was worried my shoes were going to get wet as I had left them outside and I thought it was going to rain (we're due, as it has been SO hot and stagnant for so long).  It was a great lesson too. When we left, I walked out in my socks and put my foot in my shoe and then the little girl said, pointing at my feet, "tae". I looked down and a dog had pooped on every flip flop and shoe that was in front of the door and then pooped it's way back to the road! I thought it was a cow but the alleyway is too narrow for a cow. I first stepped in poo in my socks, then kneeled in it with my left knee as I put my tae-filled shoe on my tae-covered sock! Then as I got up, my book-bag swept across the tae and before I knew it, I was totally covered in poo! What a night! The church member that came to teach with us just looked at me and said, "You've got poo on you." and that was all. No one thought it was any big deal.  Anyways, thats enough C.R. stuff.
We taught R this week - the first time since his baptism. He seemed grumpy and distant. When we finished, we asked if he had anything he wanted to say. All he said was, "Am I allowed to hold the priesthood?". Once we said yes, he was all smiley again. I love that guy!
I accidentally sliced my finger with my machete (first blood) this week and it bled everywhere. It wasn't deep at all, it's just so sharp! I also got cuts all over my hands from other things that I can't even remember, so doing laundry this week was brutal (we do all our laundry by hand in a tub with an old fashioned washboard). Good thing I'm a pro and can do it way fast.
General conference was amazing!!!!! I loved it. I went in with very specific questions and got very specific answers in return. One of my questions was, how can I best help my family while I'm here and the answer I got wasn't about you guys. I realized I need to apply what I teach. Missionary work is important, I tell people, but it starts in the family. I can't wait to be a missionary in Ottawa, and I realize now that we need to focus on our family first. That's what I want to ask of you guys while I'm gone - do everything you can as directed by the spirit to help our eternal family grow!
We had an amazing Family Home Evening with that family that came to church last week! We shared all about the Book of Mormon and how important it is. Then we played a game where there was a category and we went in a circle and had to say something about the category (animals, etc.) and then if you repeated or couldn't think of one, everyone got to draw on your face with a marker. It was soooooo fun. They loved it and are so excited to come back to church.
I'll try and think of something to email to the young men back home or write a letter to the ward soon. I just keep thinking of how close I came to not serving a mission and how much I would have regretted missing that opportunity. I feel the need to do all I can to help them avoid that.
 I've learned that sister missionaries are what make missions successful - for real! The sisters' areas here are the best ones.
A woman named N finished the Book of Mormon we gave her a month ago and knows it's true and is a great friend of D's (who was baptized last month). She came to General Conference and loved it! I'm sure she'll be baptized.
 I miss you all very much and love you very much too. Everyone take care of yourselves and never let a single day go by where you don't truly converse with our Heavenly Father.
Okay, I gotta go get a haircut now. My first haircut from a barber in Vintar ...wish me luck.
Love you lots,
-Elder Dustan

I Don't Think That's in the Hymn Book - Week 22. Serving in Vintar

My new companion is Elder Sm. He wears a green suit, sun glasses and has
red hair. He's from Utah, is around my height and I swear I have met him or seen him before.  I'm sure I met him at the mission home when I first got here because he trained an elder from my batch but he's reallllly familiar.  He's been out for a year and is pretty skilled in the language.
 I felt way homesick when I left Elder S though. He feels like family now and I felt the same way I did with you guys at the airport. He left his book of rememberance with me and I had some of the people here write in it. I gave him a tie before he left. I told him to pick any tie, and of course, he picked the one he saw me wear the least....but it looked good on him so that's not bad. Then a couple of days ago I found his red "Judgement tie" in my things. He wore it for baptismal interviews. It was one of his favorites. What a guy, I miss him.
On Tuesday we returned to the apartment as a new companionship. We studied, then went out to teach. The whole day everyone just kept asking, "Where's the Filipino?". The change was so fast.
People would let us into their houses every time with Elder S. He is Filipino from Canada, the Filipinos' next favorite place, and he had some white guy (me) with him just to pique their interest. Now people say, "I'm Busy" and walk away. All that aside, Elder Sm is doing great things with the area. We had 29 new investigators this week, the highest since the area was opened!
Elder Sm's a great guy. EVERYONE that meets him at church or that knows our message says, "Elder Smith, like Joseph Smith!" and then they laugh like they're the first person to ever think of it. He handles it pretty well. I would probably just start slapping people.
We had rumours of typhoons all week. All we had was some strong winds for a little bit and normal rain on and off. Filipinos will work in a torrential downpour, in thunder storms, in blazing heat, but as soon as they hear there's a Baguio, everything is cancelled. We got punted a lot because people would say, "I can't open my door, the rain will get in.".....but it would be totally clear out. Just the news that there was a baguio was enough. They cancel everything except a party.
We had our first district meeting with the new changes. Elder Davis is still there and we get along well, he's pretty hilarious and a really good elder. I had to give a mini training and afterwards we do a review of our training with the ZL's (as Elder Smith is the DL pala). Elder Davis just raved about my training too, so I hope it made a difference. It was about not putting trust in the arm of the flesh.
We went back to a lady we had given a Book of Mormon to a while ago. We call her Street Nanay because we never knew where she lived - she was just always standing in the street. We knew she had been reading the Book of Mormon but when we went there she said she had read the whole book. She had too. She knew the whole story: which books she liked, the ones that were long and the short ones and the promise from Moroni. The only thing was, she then said, "Its good. I believe it.....but our churches are the same."
She doesn't get it. And then once we explained it she said,  "I've been an Aglipay for too long to change."
 We told her that D was baptized but she didn't believe us. "She's a devoted Aglipayan!.".... Not any more!
We got a new family to come to church!!!! The R's - the dad is way cool and sharp, thinking things over and
searching and reading the Book of Mormon! They are soooooo cool. They are 7 - mom and dad, 4 daughters and a little boy. The best thing is that the young men at church were a little more talkative and participated more this past Sunday, as all the girls in the family are between 14 -18 and all very attractive.
 We have a FHE with the R's tonight! I am so excited, Vic is just so cool and I love hearing what new insights he has on the Book of Mormon. He says he knows what he has read so far is true without a doubt but that he needs to finish it.....he's just like Brigham Young!
Also we taught a lesson to a guy named J - we call him J Speedo after what he was wearing when we found him. While we were teaching him, a car pulled up outside with loud music blaring and we taught a whole lesson to, "Down with the Sickness" (they love that song here). It was so annoying.

We have General Conference this coming weekend as it was broadcast in the "wee hours of the morning". We also have DLC  on Friday. Lots of meetings coming up.
 Could you email Bro. W & Sis. M (my MTC teachers) and thank them for being so flippin' awesome? I would have been lost here if it weren't for them. Very specific things they taught me helped me at very certain times here. Too hard to explain but I owe them big. Missions are the bomb dot com.
I love you all, I miss you all, but I'm wayyyyy happy you love me enough to let me be here and to have helped me to get here. This is the best thing I've ever done. Take care.
Elder Dustan

A Fisher of Men - True Hapiness!! - Week 21. Serving in Vintar

So first off - I have NOT been transferred! I am staying in Vintar for at least 6 more weeks. I have a new companion coming tomorrow - Elder Sm. That's all I know. Elder S is going to Sinait in Ilocos Sur. We found out this morning. We woke up at 5am and went to the mission home and read the list.
We had our baptismal service on Saturday. It went so well. They were all there on time and they all were so ready. The only problem was that we forgot towels.
When Elder D baptized M, he did it almost like a wrestling move and slammed her down into the water. We said he made her sins "tap out".
I gave my talk in front of over 100 people - the biggest baptism any of us had ever seen. My mission president and his wife were there with the AP's, ZL's and the stake president. I was really nervous but because I got started on it early in the week and because Elder S is so magaling (skillful) at Tagalog (I had him proof-read it) and because I prayed endlessly for it to go well, it went great. The baptismal service was beautiful. That scripture of how great your joy will be if you bring many souls unto Christ is so true. I can think of few, if any times where I was more happy -  true happiness that made me feel warm and complete. Difficult to describe properly, especially because my writing in English is getting worse and worse. I have to consciously think about it now before I write it down.
D bore her testimony. It was epic - a thanks to everyone, and she called us guapo (handsome) like 17 times. The others bore beautiful testimonies. The awesome thing was that they were all about the Book of Mormon - not about the wonderful people at church, or the skills of the missionaries, but the power of the Book of Mormon and how it had changed their lives so profoundly that they had to testify of it.
Now that D, R, B, A and M are baptized, we have to help them become productive members of the Church. It must be hard for them to be the new ones. Do your best back home to watch out for those new investigators and recent converts. They are soooo important.
Afterwards I was feeling a little saucy and ate my first fish head. It was good. Elder H, a senior elder, said he can't eat anything that is looking up at him. I told him the trick is to eat the eyes first - so I did......I don't think he liked that.
We had a dinner appointment last night with D and six other families. I had pigs head for the first time. I walked into the room and, hey, there's a severed pigs head upright on the table. They made us go first to get
food. I get to the pigs head and look back at Elder S as if to say, "I don't know how to go about this" and then this guy comes up from behind me with a meat cleaver and starts going all Lizzie Borden on the pig head. It was sooooooo gross. And then he slapped a huge piece on my plate. The skin is really crunchy and fatty - good though.
 They're all about eating here. It's how they get to know each other. Such a social thing and that seems to be lost from our culture to some extent with all the fast food and eating on the go.
 After we got back today Elder S started packing and I started feeling the same feeling as when I left you guys at the airport. Missing someone is among the worst pains in the world. He's been a great companion and has taught me so much about this work and about the gospel, (and about how final fantasy relates to the
gospel). We have had so many great times and now God has decided that we need to part ways.
I realized just how big an impact our actions have on others. That's why God has given us advice, guidelines and commandments. As long as we do our best to follow them, the outcome of our actions will be for good in some form or another. It makes so much sense to me. I am trying my best to be the best example I can be so I can have the best effect possible on God's children.
We bought this pie thing at a bakery near the jeep station in Vintar and guess what it was? The same stuff that W made on that family day where we all made Filipino food from recipes from the Internet. The pie that was soooo good. Good job W! Yours tasted just like the native ones here!
I saw my first dog fight this week. Just feet away from our apartment two dogs were just ripping into each other. I felt so bad for them - poor things. They had blood all over them and they weren't holding back at all. Don't worry I stayed safe, but I did do an umbrella thing like Sean Connery in "Indian Jones and the Last Crusade". They stopped fighting for a second and looked at me and it seemed almost like they were saying, "Stupid white guy". Then they turned back and fought. The owner came out after a while and hit them both with a stick and they ran away. Crazy though.
We taught a lady this week who refused to believe in living prophets or accept the Book of Mormon. Elder S shared a scripture with her and she agreed with it and said it was beautiful. He said, "That's from the Book of Mormon". It was a real "Green Eggs and Ham" moment....only with a less happy ending.
Elder S also got me a caribow (water buffalo) horn belt. It's so cool! He's awesome. He also said he thinks a temple in Ottawa will be announced in General  Conference. I realllllllly hope he's right. If he is, I will try to go every morning, or at least every two days. I have never missed the temple so much before.
We have another Typhoon coming tomorrow. It's a big one so wish me luck!
Anyways, we gotta bounce off to see our buddy E, the payong (umbrella) wizard (Docta Payong, some call him.....mostly us). Take care of yourselves. I love you lots and think about each of you often and pray for you just as much.  IGNAT!!!!!
-Elder Dustan

Egg Salad Anyone? - Week 20. Serving in Vintar

 It's baguiing again (typhooning). Well, not right now but it was for the past three days. Not a strong one but it almost sunk Vintar......but it didn't.
B is getting baptized. Elder Davis interviewed D and said he's never met any person in his life who is more prepared to be baptized. R is getting baptized as well. He even said, in great English, "The Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth." This Saturday 4 of our investigators are for sure being baptized. D has so much sway that I am speaking as well as the Stake president, AND President
Odgers is baptizing her! The whole town is talking about it and
everyone knows her as a devout Aglipayan so it's a big deal.
 I saw an old Tatay in a SENATORS CAP!!!!!!!!! I walked by him and just pointed at his hat and said, "WHOOOOHOO!" I think I freaked him out.
We have another mosquito infestation. They are so bad that they land on our plates while we're eating and lay eggs! So gross!!!! We have bites allllll over. I'm pretty good at catching them with my hands and squishing them. Reflexes of a cat.
 Elder Soriano is sure he's leaving next transfer and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a Filipino companion but only President Odgers knows what is up, so we'll see.
We had lunch at the mission home and a member of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy dined with us - Elder Arden. It was soooooo amazing. He is from New Zealand and told us all about being called to the Seventy. He is speaking at General Conference next month and told us all about choosing his topic to speak on. It took him 40 hours to write a 7 minute talk! We then sat there and he imparted some amazing wisdom on us. It was awesome!
I'm now studying Leviticus and loved reading all about the symbols of the temple. I can't wait to go to the temple when I get home.
I'm jealous of your cold weather - so hot here.
Anyways,  I love you so much and miss you. Take care of each other. Family is THE most important thing ever.
  And scritch the dog for me for
goodness sake!
 Love you lots
-Elder Dustan

Wait, Don't You Mean, "..Ere We Part"? - Week 19. Serving in Vintar

We got a referral last week. If anyone contacts someone from Vintar that seems interested they write the name and info on a referral card and we get it through the office. The Elders from Bacarra (who's apartment got flooded in the baguio or typhoon, and they found fish swimming in their first floor!) gave us a referral and there was no name and no info....just a photo of her on a bus and a note that said "She's got no legs, ask around". So we have a photo and are just starting to ask people if anyone knows her. We haven't found her yet. This has to be the most unusual referral ever!
This Saturday is baptismal interviews. We have several people who would like to be baptized but the only one that is for sure is D. She is paying tithing right now even though we told her not to until she is baptized. She got up in testimony meeting after only going to church for 6 weeks and she quoted and expounded on the scriptures.  One of our investigators has to be married and his girlfriend doesn't want to because she says it's easier to travel if you are single. He almost cried when we told him he can't be baptized. He reallllly loves the Book of Mormon and eats up everything we teach him. He started as an iffy and awkward investigator but he is now the one we look forward to the most. He also works at the pancit (rice noodle) factory.....don't know why I shared that, I just think it's cool I guess.
 R can't be baptized unless her husband gives us consent and he's against the church. She is so ready too. She had really expensive food delivered all the way from Laoag for us to eat with her....on HER birthday. She's so awesome - her own birthday and all she wanted to do was listen to the gospel and feed the elders (it was wayyyyy masirap too!). Then there is the other R - that kid who had Dengue Fever and the first person I gave a blessing to. He loves the church so much and is so excited to get baptized as is his brother B. They are so great. When we show up at their house they are usually sitting and reading the Book of Mormon or even singing "I Am a Child of God".  J, the former town drunk, is doing so well. He relapsed but that's to be expected so we shared the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife and he's doing so well. We gave him a tie to wear and he loves church. He used to be really quiet and self-conscious but now he answers questions on his own in Sunday school class. He also has the nicest shirts I've ever seen! He has ratty pants and shorts, no indoor lights, only a bed and a pit for fires, but the nicest shirts. He also keeps his Book of Mormon in a cardboard box covered in other cardboard pieces and fabric to protect it from rain and leaks (his place leaks a lot). He really treasures the Book of Mormon - it's so sweet to see. He also calls us Elder Brother. "Opo Elder Brother Doostan".
I remember in Sunday school when I was younger and the teacher (can't remember who though) said, "If your house was on fire and your family was safe, what would you grab from the house to save?". Everyone said "Ohhh, of course my scriptures...." but I kept thinking "I'd totally grab Duncan and my guitar". But now in all honesty I would save my scriptures. I am in love with my study time. I have tons and tons of notes of all kinds marked in them. I'm reading the Old Testament right now and am almost done Exodus.
This week has been pretty good but really wet. I got soaked four times. Finally on Saturday we got a chance to buy new payongs! On Saturday night we had a movie night and watched the second "The Work and the Glory" movie. Everyone loved it. We had to leave part way through as we had to rush back to Vintar and tell R he can't be baptized. Not a great night.    We taught an old man who has been going down hill a little and it's really sad to see but he told us once he knew it was all true. Then this time it was as if he totally forgot everything we taught him. We essentially tried to repeat it but he went on a loop and I felt bad because he was a little embarassed as he knew he wasn't getting it. I felt prompted to bear testimony about the Book of Mormon and other principles and to tell him not to forget what I told him because he'd need it later. He seemed to get it for some reason. I felt strongly that we don't need to teach him again. It was strange, but I know that he's in the hands of the missionaries in the spirit world now. Of course, we'll go back once in a while to see how he's doing. It was both a sad and spiritual night.
 I had another exchange (which is a split but now we call splits when each companion goes with members to teach different appointments, and exchange is swapping companions for a day) in Piddig, Elder S's first area. I was with Elder L. He's Filipino. He always says fart instead of part and I die laughing. I was frustrated for much of the exchange as he's really in your face with the investigators but at the end I realized that that is exactly what some of those investigators needed, as some were quite stubborn. I really liked him by the end, it was cool, and I realized just how intricate and complex God's plan for us is. He knows each of our quirks and knows who can be affected for good by them and puts those people in our path. Not just here on a mission but back home too.
I also got to teach a young couple investigating the Church and once again got to share my testimony of eternal families. They were really moved by it and I used my photos (which I use allllll the time as a teaching aid with photos of the temple and my family).
We have a dog that walks by the apartment all the time and he's way skinny but so cute and kind. He is exactly like Snoops, K's dog back home, but white. We fed him some food one night (not in front of the apartment - don't worry, he doesn't know where we live and we have a gate. I thoroughly washed my hands afterwards as well). Anyways, he sits and lays down and everything but I think he was abused or something at one point. We named him Snoopdos because he's the second Snoops and we had been naming all 150 pokemon that day! (We're so cool!)
 We are also eating weird food. Not like ethnic but just being tipid (thrifty) and eating left over stuff we have in the apartment. We had a missionary favorite - bread with condensed milk. So gross right? But it is also so good. Don't judge me! We also bought cereal for the first time and it was called "Dinobites"  (or we call it Dinobetes). It's essentially the leftovers from Froot Loop packs. No joke.
 I've been thinking about you guys and miss you so much! I hope you are all safe and doing your best in every way.
 I'm so glad to be here and love you all so much. I pray for you constantly and am learning daily just how powerful prayer is. It's a true power - not fictional, I've witnessed amazing things through true, sincere prayer. Take care of yourselves and take care of my best bud Ryan too!
-Elder Dustan