We had zone conference yesterday so p-day is today so it's different this week. We just got back from Laoag and here I am. This week has been nuts, I tell you what! I'll start with yesterday. We went to Laoag for 7am (up wayyyy early). Zone conference started at 9 but Elder S is the District Leader so we had to be there early. The conference was GREAT. It's so hard to explain but when President O speaks, I honestly feel like things that will benefit and affect me eternally are being said. Can't explain it. We were all exhausted afterwards just from the spiritual feast.
After the conference, Elder S had leadership training so I went with the office elders (the ones at the mission home that handle finances etc. They only get 3-4 hours a day to work outside.) and did an exchange. We studied and I went out with an Elder A from Utah. He's from the same town as Elder C, my "lolo", who I also exchanged with this past week in Laoag. Elder A has been here for 5 months (only three more than me). We went out and got punted (term used when a person isn't home after you've made an appointment to visit them. We also accept "shafted" if it was a really bad punt) so we tracted. He couldn't believe how well I could speak. It was weird because I always think I'm terrible but I guess I'm only ever with a Filipino companion so I don't know how others are doing. Of course, I still have a lot to learn as I'm not anywhere near satisfactory yet, but it was a really big, and much needed confidence boost. We also taught a lesson to a Californian girl. I did it in English and at first I couldn't speak right because I was thinking in Tagalog. So it's coming slowly but surely (and don't call me Shirley....or Slowly for that matter!). I only know a handful of Ilocano words. We need Sister O's approval to start learning it but you pick some up just talking to people because they speak a mix of the two.
I stayed at the mission home last night. I got absolutely soaked again as I still have no payong. I haven't had time to get one. Weird how I can now deal with being soaked. It's just the way things are here. We woke early today and played basketball ( I know, but at least it was good exercise). Then we ate in the mission home and I had cereal for the first time in a long while. Then we studied and for language study we sang Tagalog hymns together accompanied by the piano, as they have one there! It was so fun and uplifting. And the hymns in Tagalog are sometimes better. Like "There is Sunshine in My Soul Today" and "In Our Lovely Deseret" (or, Doon sa Aming Deseret!).
So the typhoon......it was nuts! My payong got tied in a knot and the little one we had is now gone too so we've been soaked on a regular basis. The river overflowed at one point and flooded Brgy's 1 and 2 and a little of 3 (we were fine). We did have a leak, but of a different kind. Turns out it's not a rat but a huge cat that lives in our ceiling. We figured it out once it had kittens and their meowing drove us nuts. Then one day the ceiling started leaking in one spot and it smelled kinda.....uriney? Yeah, cat pee leaks are no fun.
As I mentioned, last week I exchanged with Elder C and it was great. He's so good at speaking the language and training too. He would say in the lesson, "..and my companion will now explain this." and then I'd know exactly what to talk about and if I started failing, he would jump in. I learned a lot that day.
We taught a guy in this random house a little ways in the forest. They had no electricity so we never saw his face but he was well prepared for us. We also taught an old, old tatay who sat there stroking his machete the whole lesson so we prayed with one eye open and ended it pretty fast (freaky).
We got fed a lot this week -liver and noodles with shrimp and egg cakes. It was good. We got it from a funeral as a funeral is like a huge party here. There's a least one every week and they stop the whole street in front of the house for it. They sometimes even have a marching band come through the streets to start it off.
I realize even better now how sacred tithing is. Everyone sacrifices and does what they can and then everyone is blessed for it. Its such a beautiful law and one of the many reasons the Church will never fall.
I did my laundry that got wet in the typhoon and there were slugs on my clothes. So gross - everything molds. Everything! My other shoes are green right now from mold, all my ties too.
We walked down a street this week and there were about 20 kids there under 10 years old. They all swarmed around us and started yelling and touching us and prodding, pulling on our arms and hands, and they did it for the whole street till we ran away. It was even mildy scary. It was like being the Beatles. (The Mormons- bigger than the Beatles!)
A few more names for you guys. We met twins - Twinkle and Winnie (I kid you not), and Mac and Excel and Apple! I almost asked where PC was at.
We went to the "Awesome Family" this week. When we got there, they were crying. There is a lot of contention in their home. They yelled and cried and fought with each other. We got them to calm down and sang them a hymn (Abide With Me, 'Tis Eventide) and had quiet time and talked about family and love and never using harsh words. We then kneeled and prayed as a family. I offered the prayer, and again, I felt words that weren't mine, coming out of my mouth. It was a great night. Amazing too that the day had been so bad - many of our appointments fell through. We went to 24 investigators' homes, walked all over town and got only 4 lessons - all while fasting, but just when things were the worst, the Lord gave us that great experience and we went home brimming with the spirit. This is the single greatest experience ever. If I had decided not to come here I would have regretted it and lived in sorrow for the rest of my life. Thank you so much for all your help in getting me here. I love you and thanks to all the others who helped me. I love them too. I will always have the help of my Saviour no matter how hard this experience gets (we have 8 more typhoons coming, is the word around here!). Take care of yourselves. I ask Heavely Father for blessings for you guys every day and I ask him to help all those back home who don't know of the supreme joy of the gospel to find it somehow. I love you lots and I miss you. Talk to you soon.
-Elder Dustan
No comments:
Post a Comment