I'll fill you in on the happenings of our crazy week. We got a bug racket at the palengke in Vintar. It plugs right into the wall and is reallllllly strong. But it's still not strong enough to kill the centipede. Even the permethrine takes like 20 minutes to kill them.
We had another exchange this week. I swapped Elder Soriano for the DL, Elder Atazan. He speaks next to no English so it was fun. The best part was that the only 3 people in the entire area that speak fluent English were the ones we taught! He didn't like that but I loved it.
One was a Vietnam Vet (we're old pals) named Eliezer Racimo. He's really stubborn and likes to talk about what he knows no matter how irrelevant. I had to be a little stern but got my message across and he understood.
We've been teaching a lot about living prophets. It's a really powerful message that is foreign to many. I love talking about it because it's so comforting and awesome to know that we have a REAL LIVING PROPHET. One guy in Brgy 10 asked why the prophet's name wasn't in the Bible. I asked him why his own name wasn't in the Bible and if that meant he was not a real person or unholy.
Elder Soriano got sick. On Satuday morning he slept in a little and that's not really usual so I shoved him a bit and felt bad once I learned he had a huge fever and sore joints. Sister Odgers said it may be Dengue Fever but we won't know until after the fever and see if a rash starts. The fever stopped today (we had to stay at the mission home last night which is why this email is so late). He's fine now though. I spent the entire day Saturday inside at the table. I read a huge chunk of the Book of Mormon and then remembered that we have encyclopedias in our apartment! I read all about Canada and it's government, the US government and it's judiciary branches, hippos, Einstein, koalas, Hitler and all kinds of other stuff. I was able to read from 7am to 9:30pm nonstop whereas back home I could barely read for an hour. Cool. I also ate fishballs. They're gooey but they make me laugh.
My payong (umbrella) fell in the ditch with the sewage! Sick. I soaked it in alcohol and let it dry and I think it's okay now.
The "Awesome Family" is really cool and their son wants to serve a mission (he's 17). The awesome family are the ones we administered to when they were sick. They are realllllly progressing well and we're planning to get them a roof because theirs burned. When it rains she has to stay home and brush the water down the stairs as it comes through the roof in the top floor and down to the main floor. We were there in the biggest rain storm of my mission thus far and it was nuts! I made her take a break and let me sweep. I had brought my family pictures and she looked at them. She's in love with the temple. See how both my sisters deciding to marry in the temple has affected a woman in Vintar to set a goal to go to the temple? Amazing!
We met a guy named Carlo who is from California but Filipino. He moved here to finish med school and he contacted us. He said he's been searching for the truth and what his purpose is and that he's so happy to find it. So cool because when he found us as we were out walking, I was feeling down because it's still a struggle to speak the language. But then it turns out God never lets us down if we are obedient (imagine that!). Right at the worst time he sends the best investigator yet! I love it here and know I'm in the right place - don't worry about me.
Love you guys!!!!!!!!
-Elder Dustan
Friday, August 19, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Slapstick - The Best Medicine! - Week 14. Serving in Vintar
Hey guys, I only have 15 minutes!!!!!!! We have a district activity and we have to meet people in Laoag so I have to go soon. I wish I had more time.
We met a great family that contacted us and they all wanted to come to church so badly. Two of the kids came and they said their mom was looking after the other three as some of them were sick. But in sacrament meeting, the little boy threw up all over himself and looked so sad and defeated I felt so bad for him. I told him how, when I was younger, I had fallen asleep while sitting on the stand during sacrament meeting back home. My elbow slipped off my knee and I fell to the floor in front of everyone. He liked that.
Demma got up and bore her testimony of how she knows the Church is true. After church we went to the vomit kid's house to check up on them and say hi to the mom. Two of her kids were under a huge mosquito net, sweating with Dengue Fever. I gave my first priesthood blessing to one of the children (Ronbert) and to the mom. Elder Soriano blessed the little guy. I felt directed by the Spirit and the words weren't my own. Certain quotes from General Conference came to my mind that applied to her. She loved having us there and wanted us to help her insomnia. Turns out she's addicted to coffee! Word of Wisdom pamphlet!
Elder Davis and I got hissed at by a crazy guy in a tricey at night and it was wayyyy creepy. We've been invited fishing two weeks from now but that's after transfer day which is next Monday!!!! WOW. So I might be gone or have a new kasama by then.
Time flies - and crawls slowly at the same time.
Did you get my letter yet???? I sent some pictures with it. I also got a memory stick to send you pictures from here but there's no time today. I miss all of you guys and think of you every day. I pray for you and am glad to know that we are an eternal family. That is the best thing ever!!!!. Finally, we showed "The Restoration" video to people this week and they all loved it - some cried. The Restoration is such a powerful event, and everyone needs to know about it! So to anyone that reads this, go out and learn about the Restoration and the First Vision from a church member, from the movie or from a missionary. That event is why I am here.
I love you Guys!
Elder Dustan
We met a great family that contacted us and they all wanted to come to church so badly. Two of the kids came and they said their mom was looking after the other three as some of them were sick. But in sacrament meeting, the little boy threw up all over himself and looked so sad and defeated I felt so bad for him. I told him how, when I was younger, I had fallen asleep while sitting on the stand during sacrament meeting back home. My elbow slipped off my knee and I fell to the floor in front of everyone. He liked that.
Demma got up and bore her testimony of how she knows the Church is true. After church we went to the vomit kid's house to check up on them and say hi to the mom. Two of her kids were under a huge mosquito net, sweating with Dengue Fever. I gave my first priesthood blessing to one of the children (Ronbert) and to the mom. Elder Soriano blessed the little guy. I felt directed by the Spirit and the words weren't my own. Certain quotes from General Conference came to my mind that applied to her. She loved having us there and wanted us to help her insomnia. Turns out she's addicted to coffee! Word of Wisdom pamphlet!
Elder Davis and I got hissed at by a crazy guy in a tricey at night and it was wayyyy creepy. We've been invited fishing two weeks from now but that's after transfer day which is next Monday!!!! WOW. So I might be gone or have a new kasama by then.
Time flies - and crawls slowly at the same time.
Did you get my letter yet???? I sent some pictures with it. I also got a memory stick to send you pictures from here but there's no time today. I miss all of you guys and think of you every day. I pray for you and am glad to know that we are an eternal family. That is the best thing ever!!!!. Finally, we showed "The Restoration" video to people this week and they all loved it - some cried. The Restoration is such a powerful event, and everyone needs to know about it! So to anyone that reads this, go out and learn about the Restoration and the First Vision from a church member, from the movie or from a missionary. That event is why I am here.
I love you Guys!
Elder Dustan
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Teaching Great People AND Feeding Ducks to Monkeys! - Week 13.Serving in Vintar.
So my new nephew, Carter has finally arrived! I've been waiting so long for the news! Sister Odgers was all excited too. But 7lbs, 12ounces! That's as big as you are Whitney! Loved the pictures too - looks like he's looking right at me! On p-days we use one of the FOUR internet cafes in Vintar (for a place with no sewage system, they've really got it made). I love hearing from you guys though - reading your emails is a high point in my week. I also got some regular mail. So here's how the mail works: The mail goes to the mission home in Laoag and waits there until the AP's bring it to us either at church (as we are in the same ward as the them) or at our district meetings - but they only attend the first one of every month. We can also pick it up if we run out of supplies and have to go to the mission home. We aren't supposed to go there much but no one runs out of copies of the Book of Mormon, pamphlets and teaching records as much as we do. So every two weeks or so we have to go there.
It has rained everyday for the past week. Vintar was on the verge of flooding. All the ditches were inches away from the top. It didn't just rain, it RAINED! A real downpour. I never heard thunder like this back home. It shakes the house and everything! My waterproof shoes were a good investment. No false advertising. My feet have been dry all week except the day I wore my other shoes and the one time it rained so hard it bounced off the road onto my pants and soaked me until my socks got wet. I do use an umbrella though. I got a huge one at the palenke in Laoag. Only 4 bucks.
I use my filter bottle everyday and drink only from it. We have filters on the taps in the apartment but they can't be trusted. The other elders make fun of elder Crandel (my "grandpa" in that weird elder family thing) and I because we're the only ones that use them. But that's probably why so many missionaries have been getting sick.
Our investigators are doing well. Sister Demma (our neighbour who is the older lady with lots of jewellry and trinkets and makeup but is really kind), has softened a bit. She would never go to church with us as she's the choir leader at the Aglipay church. But she started coming. She even stood up in Church and said, "We need to not send our kids to church - we need to bring them to church". Well put and true. We were bold with her in our last meeting. ('bold' in Tagalog means 'naked'). My companion reminded me not to say 'pwede ko po magbold sa inyo' (or, "Can I be bold with you?"). Good thing, because I was about to say just that.
We found a less active family too. They are very quiet. We talked to the mum on the phone as she's in Manila and she was screaming with excitement that the Church is back in Vintar. I often wonder what it was like for the branch in Vintar to close. It seems like a lot of people just went to the meeting house one day and realized it was gone. So sad.
The AP's (Assistants to the President) started teaching a guy named JonJon (unusual names here too, like 'Bethlehem Kalsada', which translated is 'Bethlehem Street', and 'Lovely' is a common first name here). He's the leader of a frat in Laoag. He was quite a party animal. He is now down to two smokes a day from two packs plus no drinking or other stuff. Once he learned about the Law of Chastity, he dumped his three girlfriends. He's really awesome and everyone in Laoag knows him. He went out with the AP's one day to find new investigators and would just walk into peoples' yards and say, "We're going to teach you now." and they would teach a lesson! He also brought so many people to the baptism of Sister Jackie (who is a really awesome single mom that's only my age and has a really strong testimony) on Saturday that there were as many people as we have at church on a regular Sunday (102 adults). His ex-girlfriends are coming to church and I went on splits with the APs and taught one of them about chastity. Shes only 16 and when she learned about it, we expected all kinds of questions but all she said was, "Can we still be forgiven?". We knocked that one out of the park and she's going to be baptized on Sept. 10th. Lastly about JonJon - his frat used to use the chapel as a hazing ground and to shower by unscrewing the cap at the bottom of the mini water tower of the chapel. That's all stopped. He said he'd bring 80 people to hear the discussions at the church on Saturday coming. The AP's said they might need our help, but either way I'll let you know how it goes.
Things here are going well. We have around 90 investigators. We also fed balut (a Filipino delicacy of pickled duck eggs with the fetus inside) to a monkey. Tatay Balut is the old guy that bikes around Vintar everyday after lunch until 9pm selling balut. He's so diligent and he must be 80 years old and half blind. We felt so bad for him one day that we bought two eggs from him, but the day before, Sister Odgers had specifically told me not to eat it until I've been here at least a year, so there's a monkey in a cage on one of the street corners and we just gave him the bag. I have some pictures and a video. He loved it.
Thanks Pa for the awesome talk by Hugh B. Brown! I loved it. I read it three times, and to my companion and to an investigator with minor translation.
I'm loving the rice here. I can't eat a meal without it or I don't feel full and I get grumpy. I'm told I'll have rice withdrawals when I get home so you better have some good stuff waiting for me. No Uncle Ben's - he's not even Asian!
We went to the palenke in Vintar this morning and I got a knife. It makes Crocodile Dundee's look puny!
I love you guys and miss you lots. The homesickness is going away a little and, oddly enough, I feel closer to you as it does. Tell me all about your upcoming camping plans too Pa. I wish I could go with you but I'm doing a perma-camp here.
There are lots of cats here but 90% of them have no tails and are realllllly gross but even the dirty dogs here are still cute to me. Dogs are the best. (Hi Duncan!)
Stay safe, and I love you sooooo much. Ignatpo
It has rained everyday for the past week. Vintar was on the verge of flooding. All the ditches were inches away from the top. It didn't just rain, it RAINED! A real downpour. I never heard thunder like this back home. It shakes the house and everything! My waterproof shoes were a good investment. No false advertising. My feet have been dry all week except the day I wore my other shoes and the one time it rained so hard it bounced off the road onto my pants and soaked me until my socks got wet. I do use an umbrella though. I got a huge one at the palenke in Laoag. Only 4 bucks.
I use my filter bottle everyday and drink only from it. We have filters on the taps in the apartment but they can't be trusted. The other elders make fun of elder Crandel (my "grandpa" in that weird elder family thing) and I because we're the only ones that use them. But that's probably why so many missionaries have been getting sick.
Our investigators are doing well. Sister Demma (our neighbour who is the older lady with lots of jewellry and trinkets and makeup but is really kind), has softened a bit. She would never go to church with us as she's the choir leader at the Aglipay church. But she started coming. She even stood up in Church and said, "We need to not send our kids to church - we need to bring them to church". Well put and true. We were bold with her in our last meeting. ('bold' in Tagalog means 'naked'). My companion reminded me not to say 'pwede ko po magbold sa inyo' (or, "Can I be bold with you?"). Good thing, because I was about to say just that.
We found a less active family too. They are very quiet. We talked to the mum on the phone as she's in Manila and she was screaming with excitement that the Church is back in Vintar. I often wonder what it was like for the branch in Vintar to close. It seems like a lot of people just went to the meeting house one day and realized it was gone. So sad.
The AP's (Assistants to the President) started teaching a guy named JonJon (unusual names here too, like 'Bethlehem Kalsada', which translated is 'Bethlehem Street', and 'Lovely' is a common first name here). He's the leader of a frat in Laoag. He was quite a party animal. He is now down to two smokes a day from two packs plus no drinking or other stuff. Once he learned about the Law of Chastity, he dumped his three girlfriends. He's really awesome and everyone in Laoag knows him. He went out with the AP's one day to find new investigators and would just walk into peoples' yards and say, "We're going to teach you now." and they would teach a lesson! He also brought so many people to the baptism of Sister Jackie (who is a really awesome single mom that's only my age and has a really strong testimony) on Saturday that there were as many people as we have at church on a regular Sunday (102 adults). His ex-girlfriends are coming to church and I went on splits with the APs and taught one of them about chastity. Shes only 16 and when she learned about it, we expected all kinds of questions but all she said was, "Can we still be forgiven?". We knocked that one out of the park and she's going to be baptized on Sept. 10th. Lastly about JonJon - his frat used to use the chapel as a hazing ground and to shower by unscrewing the cap at the bottom of the mini water tower of the chapel. That's all stopped. He said he'd bring 80 people to hear the discussions at the church on Saturday coming. The AP's said they might need our help, but either way I'll let you know how it goes.
Things here are going well. We have around 90 investigators. We also fed balut (a Filipino delicacy of pickled duck eggs with the fetus inside) to a monkey. Tatay Balut is the old guy that bikes around Vintar everyday after lunch until 9pm selling balut. He's so diligent and he must be 80 years old and half blind. We felt so bad for him one day that we bought two eggs from him, but the day before, Sister Odgers had specifically told me not to eat it until I've been here at least a year, so there's a monkey in a cage on one of the street corners and we just gave him the bag. I have some pictures and a video. He loved it.
Thanks Pa for the awesome talk by Hugh B. Brown! I loved it. I read it three times, and to my companion and to an investigator with minor translation.
I'm loving the rice here. I can't eat a meal without it or I don't feel full and I get grumpy. I'm told I'll have rice withdrawals when I get home so you better have some good stuff waiting for me. No Uncle Ben's - he's not even Asian!
We went to the palenke in Vintar this morning and I got a knife. It makes Crocodile Dundee's look puny!
I love you guys and miss you lots. The homesickness is going away a little and, oddly enough, I feel closer to you as it does. Tell me all about your upcoming camping plans too Pa. I wish I could go with you but I'm doing a perma-camp here.
There are lots of cats here but 90% of them have no tails and are realllllly gross but even the dirty dogs here are still cute to me. Dogs are the best. (Hi Duncan!)
Stay safe, and I love you sooooo much. Ignatpo
-Elder Dustan
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