Things are going well. It's been really cold here, like almost snowing cold. So I now use three blankets. Thanks for sending more ties I can't wait to get them. Thanks for the news from the "outside". Mom, you mentioned in your last letter that you had read on the Missionary Mom's site that missionaries are often asked to participate in funerals in the Philippines and how one mom had mentioned that her son was asked to dress a dead body for burial. Elder Philips (in the other district) loved hearing this because he wants to be a mortician so he can't wait.
Thanks so much for the hockey news!!!! GO NUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So my calfs are doing better. Did some physio and I can walk fine now. I got some pictures printed off. I'll send some to you guys in my next letter. I bought some for Elder Taurabakai also and he was soooo excited. He's only ever had one picture of himself before and he prized it so much, so now he has lots of pictures to put in his folder.
Went to the temple today. It was good. It's sooooo big - way bigger than the Montreal temple! Its really nice and the cafeteria is soooo good. I love it. As for my schedule, Friday, Sunday Monday and Tuesday are the best days of the week for me. On Sunday we only have Church meetings with our branch, which is three districts. A new bunch of missionaries arrived on Wednesday so we have a new district!!!! Elder Tualetonu from Samoa is so funny. We had a zone meeting to welcome them and he said a prayer for at least 10 minutes all in Samoan and told them it was in Tagalog. They all looked so scared once they heard we have only been here three weeks and are already fluent! It was great!
I can't wait to get the primary kids' letters & drawings. I love getting mail.
Elder Russel M. Nelson came to speak to us and it was sooo great. I copied all my notes from his talk to where it applies in the "Preach My Gospel" manual.
Tagalog is going well. Bro. Welch is the best teacher ever!!!! We're learning a lot. The vocabulary comes easy to me, it's just verb conjugations and sentence structure that's difficult. I'm learning a lot though. The spirit is so strong here.
Anyways, say hi to everyone!!!! Tell me all about what you're all up to. Stay safe, keep up your church stuff too. I love you. Hope to hear from you soon!!!!
Elder Dustan
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Goes Good With Ketchup - Week 3 at the MTC
Today we went to the temple. It was awesome. We didn't really have to wait at all as it was so early. The people I did work for were all from Germany, Norway and France. The oldest was born in 1780! And the German ones were men born in 1890 who I would guess ended up fighting and possibly dying in WW1! Pretty cool eh?
Tagalog is going well. We learned new sentence structures and things are coming together better, although every Huwebes (Thursday) we learn that teaching in Tagaolog is way different! I think that's why they have the TRC on Huwebes right before P-Day because its so draining.
Dad you are right the days are really full and tiring! We joke that after each meal it feels like we're starting a new day. It honestly feels like that. The devotionals are great! Elder Richard Hinckley came to speak and it was soooo awesome. He's just like his dad. He told us to live up to, or build up the names of our families and be the kind of missionaries our mother's think we are. Something to think about.
I'm sleeping better now that I have two blankets! It's been so cold in our room (and cold here in general) and they give you one blanket so I'd wake up all the time. I asked for more and now I have three (a back up) and I sleep so well. Elder Taurabakai hates the bed. he slept on the floor the other night because his back was sore, but then went back to the bed because he said it was too cold. One of the guys in my room is really picking up the language well. So much that he speaks it in his sleep! I wake up once in a while to him talking in his sleep and the other night it was "Salamat po" (thank you).
Bro. Welch interviewed each class member to gauge our progress. He says I am getting it as well as anyone he's ever seen. I'm sure he's exaggerating a bit. I got the words and conjugations down, but plugging the words into the sentence structure while talking is so hard.
We stayed up late last night.....until 12! We usually go to bed on time but last night we stayed up talking to Elder Taurabakai about what it's like back home in Kiribati. He told us how you lure a dog in, kill it, butcher it, cook it, eat it and which dogs taste best (brown ones I think, so Duncan and Kismet are safe!). I also got your packages. Thanks! Elder Taurabakai really liked them, he loves food, even junk. His fav is ketchup though. He said, at home, if there was a bottle of ketchup, his brother and him would finish it in one meal. Which is probably why he eats it on doughnuts here!
Next week we get a new district so we won't be the newest ones. Weird, it seems like yesterday I got here. Thanks for the hockey news ! I was so excited. Nucks vs Bruins in the finals!!!!! Keep me posted. Everyone here gets basketball news all the time but I just don't care about it.
Thanks for your "Dear Elders" and stuff. Keep them coming please!!! I love to hear from all of you. Even if there isn't much to say, soon I'll be in the Philippines and it won't be so easy to talk. I'll send a letter soon with my schedule too. If you ever want to know what I'm doing though, just guess I'm in the classroom. I'm there 6 hours a day at least.
Here's some wisdom I've recently learned: It's a Tagalog proverb: "He who is accustomed to loin cloths is uncomfortable in pants". So true.
Elder Chadderton is doing well as DL. The other elders look up to him and listen to him. As do I.
Apparently my departure date is the 7th of July. Good to know. And tell Shona thanks for her primary class stories. It's a great feeling to know that the Spirit is working through you.
Thanks for getting me here, and the support while I am here! I love you all. Say hi to the whole family and Riverside & Dows Lake wards and my bishops. Keep up the good work back home. Oh, and I met an Elder form Alberta who knows Jack Stone (it was only a matter of time). I can't remember his name though.
My district consists of Elders Stoddard, Rhoads, Chadderton, Tualitonu (Samoan), Tucker, Thurston, Taurabakai, myself and Sister Steele. Elder Tualitonu is so funny. He laughs allll the time. He also started singing Will You Be There by Michael Jackson the other day and it's been stuck in my head ever since! Weird - that was the last song I heard on the radio before I left. Anyways, this is sufficiently long. I hope you all have a great week and great days at work and stuff. Get lots done, read your sriptures, do lots of fishing together, and scritch the dog! I love you guys!!!!
Elder Dustan
Tagalog is going well. We learned new sentence structures and things are coming together better, although every Huwebes (Thursday) we learn that teaching in Tagaolog is way different! I think that's why they have the TRC on Huwebes right before P-Day because its so draining.
Dad you are right the days are really full and tiring! We joke that after each meal it feels like we're starting a new day. It honestly feels like that. The devotionals are great! Elder Richard Hinckley came to speak and it was soooo awesome. He's just like his dad. He told us to live up to, or build up the names of our families and be the kind of missionaries our mother's think we are. Something to think about.
I'm sleeping better now that I have two blankets! It's been so cold in our room (and cold here in general) and they give you one blanket so I'd wake up all the time. I asked for more and now I have three (a back up) and I sleep so well. Elder Taurabakai hates the bed. he slept on the floor the other night because his back was sore, but then went back to the bed because he said it was too cold. One of the guys in my room is really picking up the language well. So much that he speaks it in his sleep! I wake up once in a while to him talking in his sleep and the other night it was "Salamat po" (thank you).
Bro. Welch interviewed each class member to gauge our progress. He says I am getting it as well as anyone he's ever seen. I'm sure he's exaggerating a bit. I got the words and conjugations down, but plugging the words into the sentence structure while talking is so hard.
We stayed up late last night.....until 12! We usually go to bed on time but last night we stayed up talking to Elder Taurabakai about what it's like back home in Kiribati. He told us how you lure a dog in, kill it, butcher it, cook it, eat it and which dogs taste best (brown ones I think, so Duncan and Kismet are safe!). I also got your packages. Thanks! Elder Taurabakai really liked them, he loves food, even junk. His fav is ketchup though. He said, at home, if there was a bottle of ketchup, his brother and him would finish it in one meal. Which is probably why he eats it on doughnuts here!
Next week we get a new district so we won't be the newest ones. Weird, it seems like yesterday I got here. Thanks for the hockey news ! I was so excited. Nucks vs Bruins in the finals!!!!! Keep me posted. Everyone here gets basketball news all the time but I just don't care about it.
Thanks for your "Dear Elders" and stuff. Keep them coming please!!! I love to hear from all of you. Even if there isn't much to say, soon I'll be in the Philippines and it won't be so easy to talk. I'll send a letter soon with my schedule too. If you ever want to know what I'm doing though, just guess I'm in the classroom. I'm there 6 hours a day at least.
Here's some wisdom I've recently learned: It's a Tagalog proverb: "He who is accustomed to loin cloths is uncomfortable in pants". So true.
Elder Chadderton is doing well as DL. The other elders look up to him and listen to him. As do I.
Apparently my departure date is the 7th of July. Good to know. And tell Shona thanks for her primary class stories. It's a great feeling to know that the Spirit is working through you.
Thanks for getting me here, and the support while I am here! I love you all. Say hi to the whole family and Riverside & Dows Lake wards and my bishops. Keep up the good work back home. Oh, and I met an Elder form Alberta who knows Jack Stone (it was only a matter of time). I can't remember his name though.
My district consists of Elders Stoddard, Rhoads, Chadderton, Tualitonu (Samoan), Tucker, Thurston, Taurabakai, myself and Sister Steele. Elder Tualitonu is so funny. He laughs allll the time. He also started singing Will You Be There by Michael Jackson the other day and it's been stuck in my head ever since! Weird - that was the last song I heard on the radio before I left. Anyways, this is sufficiently long. I hope you all have a great week and great days at work and stuff. Get lots done, read your sriptures, do lots of fishing together, and scritch the dog! I love you guys!!!!
Elder Dustan
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Three's Company - Week 2 at the MTC
Hey guys!!! Happy P-Day.
This morning we went to the temple for the 6:30 session (I didn't know they held them that early!) and it was great, except I sniffed the whole time because I'm getting sick (nose and throat disease, its not pretty). Also, we were assigned to a Solo Sister (forgot to tell you). Her would-be companion got married instead of reporting to the MTC and so she won't have one until the 24th or so. Now she's my companion as well.
Yesterday we had our first TRC day. We had to knock on doors and ask questions and tell people who we were and set an appointment all in Tagalog. My threesome had split it up into parts (I did okay but butchered some of it and the fake investigator told me to go away!) It was fun. Then we were supposed to teach lesson 1 in english to a filipino family. The lady didn't stop talking to us no matter how hard I tried to get things on track. We only used 8 minutes of the 30 minute lesson time for teaching. Brother Welch said that she always does that and he wanted to see how we did (not bad apparently...I'd hate to see the other lessons!).
Tagalog is coming along okay. We have learned how to ask and answer certain questions, can make basic sentences, and yesterday learned how to connect the sentence structures so things have just started to make more sense. Its easy to remember all the stuff, but hard to connect it all when you're talking to someone. The important parts are Ang, Ng, Sa and VAOL. I'll send you a letter about it sometime maybe, or you can research it.
My favorite part of the MTC is not chocolate milk actually. I drink water. It's more pure than any bottled water and most city water systems! I love it. But the re-fried beans are also really awesome. The days also do NOT go by fast. They are sooooo long, but its like everyone said, the week has flown by though the days are long. And keep spoiling Duncan, but don't wear him out, I still want to see him when I get home. Scritch him once for me.
I love you guys so much! I miss you all. The Lord is helping me. Alot! Until next PDay, I love you all, you're my favorite people in the world. Thanks for all the letters and KEEP 'EM COMING. You can't bother me with mail, it's the best . Tell everyone at church I love them and miss them.
This morning we went to the temple for the 6:30 session (I didn't know they held them that early!) and it was great, except I sniffed the whole time because I'm getting sick (nose and throat disease, its not pretty). Also, we were assigned to a Solo Sister (forgot to tell you). Her would-be companion got married instead of reporting to the MTC and so she won't have one until the 24th or so. Now she's my companion as well.
Yesterday we had our first TRC day. We had to knock on doors and ask questions and tell people who we were and set an appointment all in Tagalog. My threesome had split it up into parts (I did okay but butchered some of it and the fake investigator told me to go away!) It was fun. Then we were supposed to teach lesson 1 in english to a filipino family. The lady didn't stop talking to us no matter how hard I tried to get things on track. We only used 8 minutes of the 30 minute lesson time for teaching. Brother Welch said that she always does that and he wanted to see how we did (not bad apparently...I'd hate to see the other lessons!).
Tagalog is coming along okay. We have learned how to ask and answer certain questions, can make basic sentences, and yesterday learned how to connect the sentence structures so things have just started to make more sense. Its easy to remember all the stuff, but hard to connect it all when you're talking to someone. The important parts are Ang, Ng, Sa and VAOL. I'll send you a letter about it sometime maybe, or you can research it.
My favorite part of the MTC is not chocolate milk actually. I drink water. It's more pure than any bottled water and most city water systems! I love it. But the re-fried beans are also really awesome. The days also do NOT go by fast. They are sooooo long, but its like everyone said, the week has flown by though the days are long. And keep spoiling Duncan, but don't wear him out, I still want to see him when I get home. Scritch him once for me.
I love you guys so much! I miss you all. The Lord is helping me. Alot! Until next PDay, I love you all, you're my favorite people in the world. Thanks for all the letters and KEEP 'EM COMING. You can't bother me with mail, it's the best . Tell everyone at church I love them and miss them.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
You Say Potato, I Say Patotoo - Week 1 at the MTC
Hey guys!!! As it turns out PDay is every Friday....except for yesterday! So we only get a half PDay today. By half I mean from 7-10. So I'm doing laundry right now and writing you.
So we only get 30 minutes a week on the internet. I'll try to get as much in as I can. My first couple of days were great. The language was coming along well and stuff. I can greet and ask simple questions of a certain structure. Our teacher is Sister Maiello. She's a convert from California who served in the Philippines on her mission. She's really fun and a great teacher. The other teacher is Brother Welch. He's the bomb dot com. He is such a great teacher. We started learning to bear testimony in Tagalog (its called Patotoo or pronounced po-toe-toe-oh) and it was going well until yesterday when we got a new teacher for about an hour (she was just practicing on us I think) and she talked only in Tagalog even though we didn't understand, and she spoke real fast. Then she got us to go and bear testimony to random elders and sisters on the campus. It was really difficult. Good thing everyone is so nice here.
My companion is Elder Taurabakai (ta-oo-ra-bak-eye). He's from Kiribati (kee-ree-bas....dont ask me how that makes sense) its a set of Islands in the Pacific called the line islands. He speaks Kiribati and is a little weak in english. Pres. Stott said that most islanders speak really softly and don't enunciate....which is really true. He can read english really well but I don't know how much he understands. I need to help him as much as I can (as Senior Companion!....decided only by alphabetical names though) but it's tough when he's never worn shoes before. I taught him how to iron, how to use a camera, what to eat in the cafeteria (he ate rice and fish back home, I think he's going to the right mission), and lots of other stuff. He ate lots of dog back home, and couldn't believe that it's against the law here to kill a dog ("even if its your own!?" I told him, "especially if its your own").
They called Elder Chadderton as DL! He's really awesome. He's a huge New Zealander ( I keep saying "Flight of the Concords" quotes to him). We had role-playing seminars where the whole room of Elders and Sisters had to teach an "investigator". I spoke up a lot and did well I thought....this one role player destroyed me though. It was humbling.
The first night here I was temporary companions with Elders Behira (Filipino) Miller (American) and Robillard (Canadian! He's a great guy and I still talk to him sometimes). My roommates are Elder Taurabakai, Elder Tucker, and Elder Thurston. I did meet him Mom, he's living in my room. He's quiet but he's a really nice guy. I like him a lot. The district ahead of us is really great too. I get along with them really well. Anyways, my time is almost up. I love you guys. Today is great, and we're going to learn more Tagalog. I'll send you a real letter soon okay?
Thanks for all the letters so far. They have helped a lot. And you guys are very popular here. The candy and how prepared I am impressed everyone. Love you, talk to you in a week.
Elder Dustan
So we only get 30 minutes a week on the internet. I'll try to get as much in as I can. My first couple of days were great. The language was coming along well and stuff. I can greet and ask simple questions of a certain structure. Our teacher is Sister Maiello. She's a convert from California who served in the Philippines on her mission. She's really fun and a great teacher. The other teacher is Brother Welch. He's the bomb dot com. He is such a great teacher. We started learning to bear testimony in Tagalog (its called Patotoo or pronounced po-toe-toe-oh) and it was going well until yesterday when we got a new teacher for about an hour (she was just practicing on us I think) and she talked only in Tagalog even though we didn't understand, and she spoke real fast. Then she got us to go and bear testimony to random elders and sisters on the campus. It was really difficult. Good thing everyone is so nice here.
My companion is Elder Taurabakai (ta-oo-ra-bak-eye). He's from Kiribati (kee-ree-bas....dont ask me how that makes sense) its a set of Islands in the Pacific called the line islands. He speaks Kiribati and is a little weak in english. Pres. Stott said that most islanders speak really softly and don't enunciate....which is really true. He can read english really well but I don't know how much he understands. I need to help him as much as I can (as Senior Companion!....decided only by alphabetical names though) but it's tough when he's never worn shoes before. I taught him how to iron, how to use a camera, what to eat in the cafeteria (he ate rice and fish back home, I think he's going to the right mission), and lots of other stuff. He ate lots of dog back home, and couldn't believe that it's against the law here to kill a dog ("even if its your own!?" I told him, "especially if its your own").
They called Elder Chadderton as DL! He's really awesome. He's a huge New Zealander ( I keep saying "Flight of the Concords" quotes to him). We had role-playing seminars where the whole room of Elders and Sisters had to teach an "investigator". I spoke up a lot and did well I thought....this one role player destroyed me though. It was humbling.
The first night here I was temporary companions with Elders Behira (Filipino) Miller (American) and Robillard (Canadian! He's a great guy and I still talk to him sometimes). My roommates are Elder Taurabakai, Elder Tucker, and Elder Thurston. I did meet him Mom, he's living in my room. He's quiet but he's a really nice guy. I like him a lot. The district ahead of us is really great too. I get along with them really well. Anyways, my time is almost up. I love you guys. Today is great, and we're going to learn more Tagalog. I'll send you a real letter soon okay?
Thanks for all the letters so far. They have helped a lot. And you guys are very popular here. The candy and how prepared I am impressed everyone. Love you, talk to you in a week.
Elder Dustan
Friday, May 6, 2011
Arrival at the MTC
I just set up my email account here. Sorry I didn't get to talk to you yesterday. Anyways, I'm talkin' to ya now! The flights were fine. No ear popping. I actually was sad when they were done with. You should've seen the mountains! They were crazy, and the MTC is right between them. I wasn't sure I'd get here fine because the Shuttle Driver was drifting into lanes and then he honked the horn by mistake and scared himself. It turns out his son went to the MTC and was headed for the Philippines but then they changed his call to California. He wasn't very happy about that. Annnnd there was a Filipina in the shuttle too! We chatted a bit, and she wasn't a member but she knew a lot about the church. When I got here a lot of people tried to show me around, and they gave me a temporary room. I don't like the red dot, it makes everyone stare. And I realized how much I missed you guys once I got to my room. But then there was a devotional where an Elder Ellis spoke. We sang 6 hymns (4 opening!) and it was great. I also saw Chris Benson. And then we went back to our branches and discussed what we'd heard. The branch president and his wife are the greatest people I've met. I wrote tons of stuff down that she told us. And then we sang two hymns in Tagalog. Most of us had never done it before so it was a lot of fun, and its pretty phonetic. Then there ended up being three other elders in my room (3M225). One from Calgary headed to Nebraska, one from Japan and one Philipino! I slept real well. Today has gone well. I feel great, and we sang a hymn before we left our room this morning. I am now in orientation (in which we learned that the cranberry juice makes you pee a lot, orange juice gives you real bad gas, and chocolate milk binds....I'll take the crab juice!). I will soon get a companion, and hopefully will see the temple today. I love you guys lots! But it seems like just hours ago I was packing at home. Time really flies, so I'll be seeing you before I know it. Scritch Duncan for me and say hi to everyone. Give mum a hug for me too a'ight? I'm starting to love it here, so don't worry. Love you lots!!!!
-Elder Dustan
-Elder Dustan
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