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,