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
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
