"And if it so be that you should labour all your days...and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" - Week 87. Serving in Laoag

Hey guys! Weird that I will be talking to you in two days. We've been busy cleaning everything up after Christmas zone conference. One of the elders had a little trouble when the mission vehicle they were driving was hit by a tricycle (don't worry, no one was hurt. Actually the elders ended up teaching the woman who had been a passenger in the trike!). So we have had less work and lots of distractions. Saturday was our first "full" day of work. We decided we would go around and visit every single focus family we had as well as our recent converts. If they weren't home,  we left a note of encouragement inviting them to church.

We really wanted everyone to be there for the last Sunday before Christmas. We felt so good about our work. Not a lot of lessons but we still met most of the focus families and we felt like our letters to them were really good. We stopped by M and H's too. Elder M and I had taught them earlier in the week and committed them to be at church on Sunday (they have struggled with that lately). They said they would and then M said, "Actually Elders, I might be busy. We are doing our uling and I have to be there on Sunday." (uling is Tagalog for charcoal. They make a huge fire under ground and then when it's done they sell all the charcoal). Then E got way mad at him and said, "What's more important - God or uling?" When we dropped by Saturday night, they both said that they wouldn't be able to go because they had no pamasahe (money for travel). So we told them that we would meet them at their house at 6:30am and walk with them. It's about an hours walk to the main road that goes to the bridge that goes to Laoag Centro. They were surprised that we would do that. So we met them and walked to the main road and then they had just enough to get a jeep from there. It was a long walk but they are so fun to be with that it passed quickly. I gave E that toy rubber pig with the eyes that pop out when you squeeze it (the one you sent in the Christmas  package) and she thought it was the best thing ever invented. I have never seen someone laugh so hard.

We visited a family on Saturday night that is preparing to go to the temple but they have been MIA for a while. We walked by and saw the tatay with a beer bottle sitting with some other guys drinking. It was so painful to see. They didn't notice that we walked by. We were so discouraged. Once we got to church on Sunday (after walking with M and E), not ONE of the focus families that we visited came to even one minute of church. I felt really drained, like I just got tired of putting my all into everything and getting no results. We were really disappointed in those that said they were going to come for sure. But the upside was, remember that tatay we saw drinking? He was there with his whole family! So we got multiple proverbial kicks in the head but there was also some reward for our efforts.
Anyways, can't wait to talk to you guys. I love you lots.
Elder Dustan

"...and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love..." - Week 86. Serving in Laoag

Happy huwebes p-day! It feels really weird to be having p-day right now. I feel like we need it though since we have been going saging (bananas) trying to get things ready for zone conference and running on little sleep. The week has kind of passed in a blur so I will have to stop and think what has happened.

Maybe I will just start with most recent. We had zone conference. It was a pretty good one. There were two zone conferences with the mission split into two groups. TONS of people were there. We were the lucky ones assigned to help out with BOTH conferences. We also had dozens of elders sleep in our apartment... so messy.

We got very little teaching in due to running errands for zone conference. I'm proud of Elder K and I though. We managed to get some key lessons in even with all that. Every chance we got we would go out teaching. We had a great lesson with P and his wife, She has kind of stopped progressing. Whenever we would teach, P would just steal the show and go on and on talking in English about deep stuff. S would just look off into space and look bored. Then this past lesson we went over and spoke with P a little bit alone. We said that we wanted to teach S some basic doctrine with no stories or additions,  just pure doctrine. We played Jenga to start and they loved it! Then we related it to the apostasy and did the simplest clearest apostasy lesson ever. S was loving it.

For zone conferences we did service at the provincial hospital. It's way more sketchy than the other hospital where that guy died beside us. I wrote up the proposal letter to the hospital and then we went there and did a total of 4 hours between the two groups. We weeded, painted and cleaned. We even got to wear those cool yellow Helping Hands vests that the church has for service projects. While we were there, we met the parents of one of our less actives. They said that their grandson (the less active's son) was just admitted to the hospital with a really high fever. We are teaching the man and his girlfriend to help them get married and for her to be baptized. They asked for help so we went to give a blessing. There is a senior couple here so Elder K asked if the senior elder would like to join us for the blessing. He said he would love to and came with us. Good thing too because we had no oil with us but he did.

The mother and baby were in a room on the far end of the hospital. It looked like a ghetto hospital. The windows were partly smashed in, the washroom was a pit and everything looked filthy. We gave the baby a blessing and we felt really good about it. The mother  is pretty cool. Her boyfriend is so nice and loving. She has generally been pretty quiet as we are still kind of new to her so teaching there sometimes feels a little awkward. The last lesson we had there though, was so good. We taught about the Restoration. Usually teaching that lesson here is a little tough because we get so excited about it and most people we teach it to don't really seem to care. I'm still trying to figure it out. So what we did is we drew pictures as we talked and linked it more to why we needed a restoration rather than just telling them that it happened. She really loved it and understood it. She has a baptismal date now and is really excited about it (it's way off in March though, so that they have time to get married).

After service at the hospital we went carolling. We went to the house of the family with the son in jail and the daughter who just gave birth. They are so poor - the poorest I have ever seen. We carolled there with about 20 missionaries. We also brought them a few kilos of rice and some other Christmas foods.

The next thing we did at zone conference was musical presentations by zone. The other zones were really good. Laoag zone (us) did three songs put together into one and they were all reggae songs and sung in a reggae choir style. It was pretty cool. Then President wanted each zone to have special numbers outside of their regular zone presentation. He lent me  his guitar (it's a fairly new, well built classical guitar) and told me to play a song because he heard that I can play. I fooled around on the guitar a bit the week before the conference but I still had no idea what to play. So I left it to last minute and ended up playing Redemption Song by Bob Marley (went with our zone theme I guess) as it was one of the only songs I remembered how to play. I got two polynesians to sing with me.

Yesterday we turned left in a place where you aren't supposed to and we got pulled over. Elder M was driving. We all just spoke straight English to the police officer. He tried to speak English and struggled really bad and then got another policeman to come over who was equally bad at it. We were returning chairs to the chapel at the time and were to meet the bishop there. So we told the police that we were in a hurry and needed to bring the chairs to the bishop, at which point they let us go. Drop the word bishop and you can do pretty much anything here. But afterwards we all felt bad so later we went back to where we were pulled over. We were only going to apologize and pay the fine but they seemed scared to see us (especially elder M - I don't think they realized how big he was when he was sitting in the truck the first time) so they kind of started running away. We caught up to one of them and apologized and then asked if we could pay the fine and he said not to worry about it and said we could go (I think he was still scared).

Anyway, that's my week. Thanks for the emails, AND I got your packages! Thanks so much, you are the best - I love you all tons.
Maligayang Pasko
Elder Dustan

ps- I think I will be transferred this time so I am way excited for that! I feel like I am in my teaching and speaking prime right now and it feels great, so I am excited to get more time to do that.

So That's How They Get the Milk in Those Bags! - Week 85. Serving in Laoag

This week feels like a full month it was so long, but lots of stuff happened. There was no crazy weather here. It just rained for a bit (my first time getting soaked in a while. I kind of miss it).

Monday we got called to go to Batac to help the sisters there withdraw their money as they said it wasn't working. I have been there but haven't driven around there much. It was way nice. It's the birth place of former president Marcos and they have monuments and stuff. The sisters got in the back seats of the truck so we rode in the bed of the truck. It was really funny to see people almost crashing from staring at us.

Tuesday we went out to work early, at around 9am and then worked until lunch. We had no appointments that early so we just went finding. It was so fun. We went to one house and there was a cow standing in the yard just slowly chewing on a big clear plastic bag. When the person came out we started off with, "Is that what your cow usually eats?" and they were pretty friendly to us from the start.

On Wednesday we heard all about that typhoon that wiped out Mindanao and Palawan (one of our brand new sisters is from Palawan. Poor girl had her home wiped out). We were issued a warning too. As it left Palawan it went north and was headed straight for Laoag (I saw it on Google Earth - it looked like it decided to specifically hit Laoag). Then yesterday it was the supposed to make land fall. We waited and it never came. We were told that it had weakened. I looked on Google Earth again and the entire thing had just dissipated. I guess your prayers are working really well.

This week for was pretty sweet as far as teaching goes though. We got punted by everyone that knows us but found 13 new investigators! The other night we were walking by a BBQ stand in the middle of nowhere and they called to us. it was just two women and then there was a guy sitting in the back. Then once we started talking, the guy came over too. Then after a little bit they called their friends and family over so we taught the whole group. One girl there has a family of 15 and they live under the same roof with some of their extended family which makes them 24 under the same roof! We are going back on Wednesday and they are going to feed us!

We went out yesterday and got punted and then turned down this random road. It was all fields and shacks. We kept walking and all of a sudden we saw this HUGE house. We went over, talked to them, they invited us in and then we taught them. It was an older filipino man and  a white kid. This man lived in California and owned a place that takes care of orphans. The white kid was brought to his orphanage and he loved him so, at about 1 year old, he adopted him. He has blond hair and blue eyes and grew up in the Philippines. The kid was way excited to see other white kids (it was like Tarzan). He was a finalist in Philippines Got Talent and he sang us two songs. He's really good. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and have a return appointment.

Right after that we went to another house that we contacted a while ago and they were so excited to see us.  We talked with them for a while and they are one of the single coolest families I have ever met. They are Baptists but also said that they don't reject the word of God when someone tries to build on their knowledge. They also asked us if they could come to church. They were so excited to read what we left them and we are going back next Sunday. So this has been a great week for work. I feel like we are finding some people that are really prepared. I attached a photo of the family I just mentioned. They actually took a picture with us, each with an individual shot with us and then group shots where they did all different poses. It was so fun. There was no room on the bench and Tatay had nowhere to sit so Elder K jokingly patted his lap and said, "Right here Tatay!" He laughed and sat on his lap! It was way funny.

I'll let you know when I know about the Christmas phone call.
Love you,
Elder Dustan

Sprechen Sie Tagalog? - Week 84. Serving in Laoag

Hey guys. I don't think I have anything really eventful to tell you from this week. Not too much happened. Lots and lots of office work to catch up on and getting everything back on track after being away, so less teaching this week.

 We are teaching this one family - the tatay is the one who got a kidney stone and was diagnosed with diabetes all at once and was way sick. They live in a little house with their junk shop right on the side of the highway going to the airport (right down the street from the mission home). The one daughter has a little boy who just turned 2 years old. He runs around everywhere with the kind of goofy run that little kids do where they stamp their feet with every step. He also puts both arms out any time he runs. He never walks but only runs no matter where he is going. Anyways, he doesn't speak yet. He's way talkative but it's just pure gibberish. Fluent gibberish. I did decide however, that the little boy probably speaks fluent German. Someday a German scholar will walk by and hear this little child speaking the most fluid German and saying the most profound things.

We had a sweet lesson with M and E. They had kind of lost the excitement they had when we were teaching them before and they hadn't been to church in a few weeks. We had one lesson where we played a game that only Elder K and I knew how to play. It had a bit of a secret to it that they didn't know. So we demonstrated it and asked if they wanted to know how to do it. They were way excited and said yes. Then we taught them how and they were so excited that they learned how to do it. Our lesson was on the purpose of missionaries and church attendance.

They both said some pretty profound things. E answered questions perfectly and you could tell she meant it. Marvin, when asked what he would do if no missionaries were coming to his house any more said that he would need to go to the scriptures and to church more diligently to find the word of God. He also asked about going on a mission. We taught them that we and the teachers at church share the doctrine of Christ which is the way to return to live with God. The only way it works is if you USE what is taught to you. They loved that point. Anyways, they are doing well. I love those two.

We found and taught a man from China this week. He is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, and English. He has a HUGE house and yard and he wants to sell it and move to Manila to retire. He asked if we could help him sell it. We told him we aren't allowed to do that but that we are here to teach and not to sell. He gave us the measurements of his house and yard anyway and told us that if we find someone who will buy it he will give us five percent commission! So I could be raking in the pesos, haha!

When I first got to Laoag we taught a young less active guy. A while back he had gotten his mission call, went to the MTC but then came home . After that he went a little less active, mostly from being shy and from work. When we taught him he was so nice. Then he went away to Cagayan in Santa Teresita. Just before I came back from Manila he showed up at church with a girlfriend who was pregnant. I sat beside him and chatted with him. We also went to visit him and turns out his girlfriend gave birth. So we visited and then explained to her who we are and what we do and why we do it. Then we asked if she would like to be taught and she said yes. She's way nice. The next week at church we said,"See you Saturday!" Then he said, "I was hoping you could come on Tuesday too. Can you just come twice a week instead?" We're really excited about them.

I love you guys tons!
Elder Dustan

Experiences On a Plane, In a Prison and In the Temple - Week 83. Serving In Laoag

I've been back in Laoag since Thursday. The doctor cleared me to go back as long as I return to Manila in two weeks for an ultrasound. Then I talked to the MRC guy and tried to get the earliest flight to Laoag that I could. They told me that I would be able to go back on Saturday. So I went to the temple after that and was just walking in as the MRC guy came running up behind us and told us they had booked plane tickets for that night and we needed to leave now. It was Elder V, Sister F and I, going to the temple but Sister F had already gone in. I felt bad because when the sister was finished in the temple, she would come out and wait for a long time until she realized we had left.

Anyway, I went to the airport, got on a plane and got back to Laoag at 10pm Thursday night. On the plane I had a window seat and there was a couple sitting beside me. The woman was in the middle and she was having a hard time working the reading light. I was surprised when she asked me if I knew how to work it. Most people try to ignore an LDS missionary that they are stuck beside. After I helped her, she was taken aback that I speak Tagalog (she spoke English to me). Her husband started asking questions and we talked about beliefs - it was awesome. They were so nice. They were married last year and were going to Laoag and Pagudpud for a vacation. I had bought four hard cover triples while I was at the MRC for some of our families we are working with but I gave one to them and they were so thankful. The guy works at a call center in Manila and it turns out the call center is in the Mall of Asia which is exactly what I want to visit. So he said he would show me around if I can get there on my way home in May.

Speaking of which, there were a few changes while I was gone. One was that we don't use hotels here anymore. Missionaries leaving or arriving just stay in the mission home, office apartments or other missionary apartments, so when I arrived, our apartment was all in a disarray from the departing missionaries and also from thanksgiving feasts.

 Second is that the MTC change from the 9 week program to the six week program has caused all missionaries from February onward to have their release dates moved back by 3 weeks - point is I am no longer coming home at the beginning of May but I will now be leaving Laoag near the end of May. Sorry if you already booked time off. I also have to re-do every travel plan for missionaries leaving from February to May now which will take a while. I'm okay with it though.

After I got back to Laoag we told tales of our time apart. Friday is the day when the new missionaries get paired up with their trainers and go to their areas. We issue them their planners, training things, pillows, etc. However, while I was away, we had run out of pillows. We spent Friday trying to get everything in order and only got to teach one lesson. Then we went and bought some pillows and brought them to the few missionaries we could. It sucked that a bunch of the new missionaries had to spend their first night in the mission field sleeping with no pillow.

We visited one of the focus families on Saturday night. They have been evicted from their home and moved back to their old house that burned down. We went to find it and when we asked where they lived, we were pointed down a random alley way at the back in the ruins of a house. It had a tiny piece of sheet metal for a small roof that covers maybe a tenth of the house at most. And there was their daughter, a young mother, in this place not worthy to be called a shack, sitting on a "bed" with her new born baby. Cool thing was she still had a smile on her face. She is a really awesome girl. She still takes time to read the Book of Mormon but has to do it in a certain spot at night because that's where their neighbour's light shines as they have no light of their own.

 While we were there, two fights broke out on the street and I felt like I was truly in some ghetto. The nanay asked us to visit her son in prison so on Sunday we went to the Laoag prison to visit him. It was a weird experience. One of the members who came with us was wearing yellow and was told she was not allowed into the prison in yellow. Not sure why. We went in and got searched and had to show some ID. They let us in to a kind of courtyard and there he was.

He looked terrible. As we walked over, a bunch of guys behind some bars started yelling, "Hey Joe! Hey man!" We went over and found a spot to sit and talked with him. At first we didn't know what to tell him. We chatted a while and then finally he asked if we could teach him. We taught about Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. I told him that when we are faced with a trial, it means that God knows we can overcome it which is the only reason why he would let us have that specific trial. The bigger the trial, the more you are capable of. He never thought of that before and really appreciated it.

We told him that we would pray for him and if he was totally honest with everything, then things would all work out. We also told him to take the time to repent of anything needing repenting of and use the time to draw closer to Christ. We gave him a miniature Book of Mormon (which is now called a Jail Book of Mormon). We will go back next week to see him again. Funny that another member came over and said hi to us in the jail. He's imprisoned as well.

I has a really cool experience at the temple while I was in Manila. I was doing initiatories as I had done the day before as well. As I was doing them, I noticed a couple of errors for two of the names. I wasn't sure if it was even my place to say anything to correct it. I thought maybe it was just in my head, but no, I was positive that one thing was said wrong for one of the names, and the other one didn't receive the priesthood like he should have.

As I finished the names, I was wondering what I should do about it. I then felt prompted to just go and tell them. It made a bit of a stir with the workers and I had to explain the problem several times. As they were discussing what was to be done, this one temple worker came in who I had met before and who was a really sharp guy. So I explained it to him and he said, "Okay, we will just re-do those two names. So that's what we did.

I felt reallllly good as we re-did those two names. It was a feeling that can't really be explained - one that I have never felt anywhere else. So that was my cool temple experience.

The incoming missionaries were really great - some really good ones there. A new store opened yesterday in Laoag called Pure Gold. It's pretty much a  Pinoy version of Costco. We will be shopping there today. I will miss going to the palengke though.

So that was my week. As for my health, I feel okay. My side is still sore but I am taking the meds they gave me every night. Hope you are all doing well. I love you guys.
Elder Dustan

A Few Unexpected Days in Manila - Week 82. Serving in Laoag

The following is a series of emails received from Elder Dustan the first few days in the Missionary Recovery Center:

 I got to Manila around 12:30 and then got picked up and brought straight to the MRC (Missionary Recovery Center). They told me that they will take me to the hospital tomorrow.

So I am sitting here with a huge Tongan Elder and the brother of one of the missionaries currently assigned in Piddig right by Vintar. He is assigned to the Baguio mission.

A woman who works with the missionaries here just came in and introduced herself to me. She said, "Well Elder, it looks like you've got some feet problems."... man, my feet are fine but I will now be very self conscious about them! (we all wear tsinelas - flip flops - here).

Next day...

Hey kamaganaks. So I went to St. Luke's today and met with a doctor. He was way cool. So he hawakan'd my injury. Then he told me that what I need is rest (which I didn't get in Laoag because I honestly rested for a few hours and then went to work again which I think made it worse). So I am going to stay here until it is better - about 1-3 weeks. He gave me two kinds of pills.
 I love you. Get back to you soon.
Elder Dustan

I got to go to the temple yesterday which was way cool. It's sweet doing endowments for Filipinos. I also did TRC stuff. I got taught 4 times. The first two times I was a timid middle aged man who has a Word of Wisdom problem. The next two times I was a wealthy attorney. Both times I was a referral. It's so fun working in the TRC so I asked if I could do it again and they said I could go back on Saturday.

There are 5 of us here right now. Elder L, who is from San Diego and part Tongan (he is about to go home on medical release), then Elder V from New Zealand. He's Samoan. He has a nasty infection on the back of his neck. Then there is a return-missionary, Brother L who is here for a check up with something I don't know. Then there is Sister F who is from the Angeles mission.  The brother of one of our missionaries in Laoag was here till yesterday but he got picked up by his family. He was a nice guy.

There is a missionary couple here from Calgary that take care of us - the F's. They are very kind to us. We play cards with them every night after dinner. It's nice to be in a family environment. I got to play Monopoly, which no one ever plays with me! That was nice.

Anyways... that's pretty much it. I feel like Tatay P in his rest home. I love you guys.
Elder Dustan

Hey guys, I don't really have a whole lot to tell you. Not a whole lot has happened since I last emailed you.  We are to wake up at 6:30. Breakfast is at 7:30 which is prepared for us by sister D, a small Filipina lady.  She loves the missionaries and calls us her children. I wish you could meet her she is sooooo funny. The F's help too. We have a spiritual thought before we leave the breakfast table and then we are to study. Lunch is at 12. After that, there's not much to do until 6 when we have dinner. After dinner Elder and Sister F come and play cards with us until bed time. Sometimes I feel like I have been confined to an old folks home.

On Saturday, one of the missionaries had an appointment and we all went with him and then went to the American World War 2 cemetery. I got lots of photos. It was really great to see. In these huge rooms they have plaques on the walls that draw out exactly what happened in each battle in the Pacific. I got a photo of each.

Yesterday we went to the stake center here as it was stake conference. It was at the biggest chapel in the Philippines - three stories high!

I just read the transfer list this morning and I am still in the office. Elder T was
transferred to Narvacan and Elder I will replace him in the office with elder S, Elder K and I. I will have an appointment some time this week and then I can hopefully go back to Laoag.  

Love you
Elder Dustan

Flight's booked - already?? Week 81. Serving in Laoag

Hey family! This week was crazy. First off, I booked my travel stuff, same with Elders T and T2. It's a pretty random flight path. Usually they go through Hong Kong to LA and on from there, but we all go through Tokyo and Seattle. I was hoping to get one like I booked for Elder Z (from Scarborough, I think) who flies to Manila and then straight to New York City. But I guess it wasn't meant to be. I am still not terribly excited about it, I feel a little sick thinking I only have four transfers left.

We had a random exchange with the Claveria zone leaders on Monday because they came down early for ZLC (which was on Tuesday and Wednesday). So I worked with Elder A, who was Elder T's comp when we were four of us in Camalaniugan. It was fun. We taught this one nanay and her family who are one of our 15 focus families. I don't think she really likes white people. I would teach her in perfectly pronounced and perfectly structured Tagalog and she would sit and stare blankly and then after I was done, look at my companion and say, "What did he say?"

This week we went to practice teaching with the zone leaders (zone leader conference is now held at the institute building in Centro). We were to pretend we were one of our investigators and then seriously practice teaching and the ZL's were to apply directly what they had just been taught. I was G, our investigator who is the chief nurse at the Laoag General Hospital. In the past he hasn't quite grasped why we were there, he kept wanting us to go to his parties and stuff. During the practice teaching I got a lot of revelation as to how we could help him. This week we went and taught him. We watched "17 Miracles" with him. Partway through, we doubted and thought, " Why did we show him this movie? Bad choice". But at the end we talked about why missionaries are sent through the world and after watching the sacrifices of the early saints, he was better able to understand. We told him we are not there to party and he understood. Then when we asked if we could come back and teach another time he, accepted. (crafty man set the date for the time of his nurse party... but still, I think he gets it now). He said he would go to church next Sunday.

Elder K and I are having some fun with finding people. We walked by a house and decided to knock it. It had a gate with a yard and then the house. We yelled "tao po" and then an old tatay comes out on the porch and has something in his hands (it was dark out). Then he put the thing on a table and pulled out a box. Then we realized what it was: a rifle! He was loading bullets into it! So we called over again and told him to come over and talk to us. He did and he left his gun on the porch. Then we explained who we are and asked to come in. He said that his son told him no one is allowed to enter his house. So we decided to just plant a Book of Mormon there. So as we were getting it out, we asked what he was doing earlier and he said cooking. We asked, "what's that over on the table?" He said it was a gun. So we asked if he was loading it and he said yes. We gave him the Book of Mormon. His wife came out at that moment and got REALLY angry at seeing us there and started freaking out and yelling. Then once Tatay had taken the book we asked why he was loading his gun and he just went off freaking out in Ilocano! So we left. It was a weird experience.

Okay, so I got a little news. We did some service work this week with the assistants in their area. On Thursday morning we went to a less active family's house and moved big logs for them. It reminded me of home a bit. Anyway  they were huge logs and we were moving them from the back of their house (which is forest, and the wood was down one of the trails) to the front by the road so they could load it into a truck. It was way fun, and a really good workout. But at one point when I was unloading a big slab of wood it slipped and fell on my lower abdomen on the left side. It hurt a bit but I kept going and the pain went away.

After we were done we went back to the mission home and played basketball a bit and I was still fine. Then after I showered and stuff I felt pain in my left side. It was pretty painful so I asked Sister B about it and she said I probably had a hernia and that I should get it checked and that I might have to go to St Luke's in Manila. So I went to the Laoag General Hospital and I was told not to work, so I rested the first day and then went out to work the second day... bad idea. It hurt so bad. Then I followed what they told me and went back and sat with my legs up and ice on the bruised area. Only we have no ice so I go this random old bag of refried beans sister O made way back, and have been using that. That'll make a good story.  So, yeah... I am going to Manila today. But I am fine.

Lesson-wise this week, we taught P and S and told S her baptism is postponed again. She has been wondering why that keeps happening and I think she finally got it - that it is not up to us but up to her. We told her the only thing stopping her is regular church attendance as a family. So yesterday, the whole family was there! The issue is that they are worried that their son will be noisy and disruptive at church. So we took it upon ourselves to keep him busy. We printed off some colouring pictures and I sat with him and coloured all sacrament meeting.

Also we are teaching a group of people in brgy Nalbo, not far from the mission home. One is the daughter of one of our other investigators but we met them separately, her brother-in-law, who we thought was a woman, (says he is a bakla or gay, and his long time friend - he is also a Bakla). He is really smart. We taught him the basics and then he asked if it is bawal to be gay. We told him first, that God loves him and nothing he could ever do could change that. We also told him that we teach everyone regardless of their beliefs and that we will always come back and teach the doctrine as long as it is accepted. Then we told him that God's first commandment is to go forth and multiply and that the Church of Jesus Christ is centred on families which is a man, woman and children. He got it right away. We told him that he may disagree right away but we asked him to not be offended and to keep listening. We are going to go baby steps with him, help him gain a testimony of each thing first and eventually our commitment will be to try to follow the law of chastity - fully.

 Pres Monson's talk at the last general conference was sweet where you see people as they could be. So I see him in a white shirt and tie and long pants with short hair and as a priesthood holder. He is actually really cool. No one has ever really respected him. Instead, people laugh at him for being a bakla.

So that was my crazy week!
 I love you guys!
Elder Dustan

Balut - The Scrumptious Taste of Duck Fetus! - Week 80 - Serving in Laoag

Had some pretty good experiences this week. On Monday after we got punted a ton, we went back to the office and started writing our letter for the Governor. I stayed in my proselyting clothes for it because it made me feel like I was doing something much more important (or like I was on the West Wing writing a speech for the president).

Then on Tuesday morning we got in our suits and hopped on a Jeep (we decided not to take the car - feels a little too higher than the people). We got some pretty funny reactions though, being on a Jeep in our suits. When we got there, the receptionist we talked to last time told us to go to the administration office. We went over and they sat us down and this guy read our letter. Then he put a bar code thing on it and told us we would get a call. We asked him when and he said he didn't know. So we made a big deal and said we have no time. Then a woman came over and she called someone on the phone. It was the Governor's secretary who said that she was "too busy" to see us. She probably was but we pressed the issue and said we didn't have time to wait for them to process our letter. So the lady called another girl who is apparently the secretary to the secretary of the governor (named Girly - too many jokes, not enough time). She said they could send the letter up to her and she would process it. After Girly got off the phone we told them that we wanted to hand deliver the letter so they sent a guy with us and on the way upstairs he gave us a little tour of the capitol building.

We met Girly and gave her the letter and insisted she read it and passing it to the governor as soon as possible. She said the governor was about to go on vacation. We got her to give us the governors secretary's phone number (the actual secretary) except we got busy and forgot to call them. But at least our letter skipped a huge process and will be read by her soon if it hasn't already.

I went on exchange with Elder S (my trainer) this week which was fun. We went to teach G, the head nurse but just after we got to his house a bunch of people showed up for a dinner party. We awkwardly tried to get out of it. They started making pancit for us and wouldn't let us leave till we tried it. They said it was the best pancit ever. To be perfectly honest I hate pancit and would be happy to never eat it again (if only you knew how often it is eaten here!). They made it with the thin noodles and chicken gizzards and it actually wasn't bad. Then we got out of there.

It's tough - this G guy just wants to party with us. We are trying to help him realize how important and serious our gawain (couldn't think of the english word here,weird) is here.

 Halloween is All Souls' day - when they put a candle out and leave out some food for the spirits to eat. Apparently if you eat it, something bad will happen to your mouth. We shared Alma 40 a lot this week because of that holiday. The priest gets paid 100 pesos to bless one grave with holy water on that day.

On Friday it was the birthday of the A family's youngest son. They wanted to have a family home evening with us so we went over and did the game with the flour and the penny on top and you cut a piece away of the flour each and if the penny falls you get it with your mouth. It was fun. Afterwards we talked about the atonement. Some of their family that are not members yet were there. They were all ears and loved what we shared. Then we linked it to the apostasy and the 14 year old son who is usually very quiet and doesn't participate, started asking all kinds of questions. He is really coming out of his shell.

That night we bought 4 balut and brought them back to the apartment. Elder T was feeling sick already but he said even if he wasn't, he wouldn't try it. So Elder K and I tried it our first time and Elder Y and Elder S ate it with us. It smells gross and looks way gross. The juice tastes pretty good. Then there is the yolk with these vein like things and the white part that looks like normal egg white but it's super hard and rubbery. The yolk and the chick tastes pretty good actually. The white part was sick. Apparently that's what becomes the ducks bones so at least I got a ton of calcium. So I can check that off my bucket list - tried balut. Didn't get sick at all and didn't vomit either.

The highlight of the week was really Sunday though. We worked our guts out all week and put all we had into helping the people we are teaching. Then on Sunday, as usual, we stand at the front door and wait for people to show up. Sometimes it's a happy experience. Sometimes it's pretty frustrating. This time though, I didn't feel upset at all. It just felt painful to see no one come. It hurts to put all you have into helping people and then they don't help themselves.

So at first on Sunday it was sad and deflating. Then after church we got to go to ward council meeting. It was the first time in about two months, so we were excited. The whole ward council was there and then the bishop started off and said that there are too many members saying they need to work on Sundays and too many new members lost.  He wants to make a plan (he was very impressive actually). They had quite a discussion and it all came down to us getting the 15 focus families and re-teaching them and the ward council getting home and visiting teaching more consistent (we will be helping a little with that too). It was a great meeting and woke everyone up, I think, when the bishop pointed out that there has been no real growth in years.

After the meeting, the second counsellor in the bishopric pulled the missionaries aside along with the ward mission leader and talked to us. He said he is grateful for the work we have done and that they are prepared to do anything and everything to help the ward now and that they know we can all do more than we are doing. That was good to hear. Really got me motivated.

So that was my week.
I love you guys!
Elder Dustan

A New Approach to Missionary Work - Governor Contacting - Week 79. Serving in Laoag

Hey guys! Good week this week.
On our last P-day we did most of our shopping at the palengke which I miss a bit. As stinky as it is, you get some real stuff and it's actually cheaper. On Tuesday we had some free time to go do some street contacting (although we are not supposed to go door to door any more  we can still go to a few doors as prompted and also talk to anyone on the street). In our finding efforts we decided to try something completely different each time. One time will be straight Tagalog, another straight English. For a few, we just get way excited when we contact people and usually our excitement is just so contagious that they listen. Anyway, our finding time is pretty fun.

We met with P this week and gave a really sweet lesson about living within our means and provident living. It seemed like it really helped him. We worked with our assistant ward mission leader this week too. He is so fun. He has been back a year now from his mission in Hawaii. He told us about some of his spiritual experiences on his mission and also how he became converted. It was a cool experience and I really love that guy a lot more now. We are teaching their part-member neighbours now and their daughter is to be baptized in November.

On Thursday we received some specialized training from President B. It was really good. A lot of things have changed now. Before, missionaries would go out and just find less actives all over town and teach a pool of maybe forty of them. But because there were so many, they only taught each one a couple of lessons and none of them really progressed. The new thing is that we only teach 15 less actives that the ward council prays about and gives to us (we use the nine step process for working with the ward council. When everyone does their part, it works so well).

So, we are only to focus on our investigators, on the 15 focus members and on our recent converts. It's pretty sweet because it makes us more effective and when you get to a new area, you have some direction so you don't have to create a new teaching pool. It also gives us time to find investigators. This week we met a ton of new people and taught some sweet new investigators.

As I mentioned before, Governor Marcos lives in my area. We asked her security staff (who we taught before) if we could contact her house and they told us to go to her office in Centro. So we asked President if we could. He said yes and that we could use his car. So we put on our suits, got a folder and put some stuff in it that we could talk to her about and then got in President's car and went down town to the government building.

No one said "hey joe!" to us in our suits - they all looked terrified of us. We talked to the secretaries there and they said that, before you meet with the governor, you need to write a letter to her and then she has to approve a meeting. We looked at them sternly and told them we don't have time for that. We need to speak with her. So we got them to set up an appointment on Tuesday (tomorrow). I'll let you know how it goes.

We had an appointment with G, our investigator who is the chief nurse at the hospital. We were kind of disappointed that there were no fellowshippers to go with us. We went to his house not knowing what to expect because he kind of wants to party with us all the time. He made it sound like it might be a party. When we got there he had a few friends over and we were bummed because we thought it was a party after all but then they just started moving furniture around and stuff. Then as we are standing there trying to determine if we should leave or stay, we look over and there is our assistant ward mission leader! I was so surprised to see him since he has never come to that house with us before.

As it turned out, the friends were only there to help move stuff for and then they left. Then it was just us, P, and our fellowshipper. P had bought pizza for the three of us too. Turns out that our fellowshipper (assistant ward mission leader) had heard from his brother who had overheard us talking as we walked by, that we might be there, so he went to G's house, hoping to help us teach him.

Sister B's family are here for three days, staying at the mission home. There are like forty of them - her six brothers and sister, their asawas and their kids as well as her parents. Yesterday our attendance at church nearly doubled thanks to them.

We were teaching some of the classes on Sunday. I taught the young men. They were almost all my mission president's nephews. All I taught was how awesome a mission is and told stories of both fun and spiritual things that happened to us.

Things are going well here. I am feeling well and the work is great. Tell everyone I say hi and I love them. Take care.
Elder Dustan

Not a Big fan of the Stones - Week 78. Serving in Laoag

This week was really good. My studies are great and I am grasping things better and applying things better too. We have been getting up at around 5:50 every day and jogging. We haven't measured the area we jog in yet but apparently it's about one and a quarter miles. We started with one lap but got to two laps last week. Today we did three laps and it felt great. It used to be that after jogging we would kind of all split up and do our own work out but now it just ended up that we all go to the assistants' room which has become the weight room. I usually try to do sit ups with Elder Y who is actually way jacked. Anyways, I am really enjoying that and feel great.

We are still working with S (P's wife). We read Alma 17 (I love reading that when people are having a hard time getting into the Book of Mormon) and that has been the focus of all our lessons this week.

 The E's (senior couple missionaries) dropped by and told us that they were going to visit P. Elder E met with him and gave him some tips (he's an accountant). Turns out a lot of people here don't realize that you have to sell something for more than you paid for it. Turns out P's water was the best price in town but the price was barely more than it cost him.

At Stake Conference this week, P was presented to be ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood! That was so nice to see. As well, President  B had a few minutes to speak at conference. He talked about missionaries and told everyone that he saw two elders walking to an appointment and he was really sad to see that they were alone, just the two of them -  no fellowshipper. He said (like he said in our ward before), "Work with the missionaries. They are here to help you. Use them. If you don't use them we will take them away." That day we got 4 people asking to work with us. It was great!

We visited one less active family that we never know what to do with because they just say that life sucks and is hard and then won't do anything to change it. We asked if there was anything we could do for them and he said, "You could come to the market with us at 3:30am and carry big sacks of veggies up to the top floor."
 He said it kind of in a 'my life is harder than yours' way which we often hear. We agreed and texted President right away to see if we could and he said yes! Tatay was a little hesitant.

At 3am we woke up and went over to his house and waited for him to come out. He was way happy to see us as he didn't think we would come. He said he didn't know we woke up at that time. Then he said he was going to Bacarra that morning (out of our area) but we could help another time. Then he told us he loved us and his wife even smiled (she usually has a frown stuck on her face).

We went to teach another family. Some of the family had been drinking but at first we didn't realize it so we sat at the table where we usually study with them. Then a drunk older guy came over and started arguing with us, yelling, "What is it that you white guys know that we Filipinos don't?" Then the dad came over and yelled at the old guy and made him leave but then he started yelling at us and started throwing stones!!! Second time being stoned on my mission. None of them hit us though, they kept hitting the roof. He doesn't drink like that often though so don't worry. We also were prompted to stay there and nothing dangerous really happened.

I did two baptismal interviews yesterday and that was a great experience. We also went to a home of a young mother who gave birth a day or two ago and she was sitting in a room with no fan and in a long sleeved shirt. I asked her why and she said for 18 days it is cultural to wear long sleeves and have no fans on and not to bathe except with a sponge (and only on the neck and face). They also take warm coals from a fire and put them on the mothers thighs and stomach. I was so confused as to why they do that and she told us that it is how they get thin again here.

Anyways, things are going very well here and the ward is progressing. We are going to try balut next week as it's no longer bawal.
I love you guys,
Elder Dustan
ps. I got your package! THANKS, it was the best! Haggis and custard what more could I ask for!

132 Dog Night - Week 77. Serving in Laoag

Last p-day we went to Centro to check out the new stores . Here in Laoag there are more stores moving in. We ate at a place called "Hap Chan" which is a Chinese restaurant. Funny because P and F are interchangeable here and "tsan" (pronounced chan) is Tagalog for stomach. So it means "half stomach" here. And that's all it filled too... small portions.

When we went out to work, it was mostly a good bye kind of thing for Elder M as he was being transferred. On Tuesday we had to go to Buguey, which is farther than Camalaniugan, to sign a contract for a new apartment out there. We also had to quickly learn how to do records and supplies secretary stuff before elders M and P left. So we spent 10-15 minutes trying to learn what they learned in a whole transfer and then we packed some stuff in the truck to deliver to the Ballesteros apartment. We left at 8am. We stopped a couple of times and I got some sweet pics of the Bangui windmills which are really beautiful while Elder T drove.

After many hours, we got to Ballesteros. With the new transfer, there were several new zone changes and one was the making of an entirely new zone so the Ballesteros area is now a zone leader area. The elders for a nearby area called Abulog will share the same apartment. When we got there the landlady was inside cleaning and she was not happy because the elders had left that morning and hadn't cleaned but had left clothes and old food on the floor. We chatted with her and apologized and then she loved us. We then helped her move some of her stuff.

We left Ballesteros again and headed to Magapit Junction and dropped Elder M off there. Elder T and I dropped Elder M's bags at Lal-lo apartment (it's not as clean any more sadly...) and headed to Aparri to pick up the zone leaders there as they were to be assigned in Buguey as the Gonzaga zone leaders. Then we got their stuff and headed to Buguey.

We chatted with the landlord of the new apartment there. He was a funny old man who speaks a little English  We all sat down and reviewed the contract. He was very particular and careful. He was very wary of being taken advantage of so he scrutinized every word. He had been given a form that we used for paying landlords but he saw that it said "vendor" on it and thought it meant he was to sell his house so he had given it back to President B a while back. We didn't know this and without that form, we would have to take another twelve hour round trip to Buguey. So I stepped out and called the office.

Problem was, the assistants were out dealing with transfers, Elders M and P had been transferred out, so the only ones left in the office were Elders S and K who had just been transferred in and wouldn't know what to do. Elder S answered the office phone with a weak "h-hello???" It was tough to explain what we needed - especially with someone brand new in the office. He had to go and get a the form from a certain folder in one of the drawers of a cabinet and scan it and email it to us. After a while he found it. The only problem was that there is not computer shop with a printer in all of Buguey! It was getting late, so we got in the truck and went to Camalaniugan. By this time it was around 6:30 and we hadn't eaten since 6am so the zone leaders went and got food while we printed the form off.

We ran into H outside the computer place! I had been hoping to see someone I knew from my old city and was just thinking that it wasn't meant to be and then, BANG there she was! She's way cool. when I was in Camalaniugan, we taught her family a lot and she's still very active too. She was so excited to see us. We chatted for a couple of minutes and then the topic turned to General Conference. I told her she could go on a mission soon. She looked surprised and said "Me?" I don't think it had ever crossed her mind. I think that's why we were to run into her. We told her she would find out at conference. Then we booked it back to Buguey again.

 We picked up the beds and stuff from the old apartment and as we signed the contracts, the zone leaders moved themselves in. The old guy gave a little speech before he signed. My favourite part was, "It is my wish that your mission will be a success here in Buguey, in the Philippines and ARRRRRRROUND THE WORLD!" Epic... (he did a little 'around the world' arm movement as well). Then we got it signed and went outside to the truck and he saw that they were already moving in and was way impressed. We set up an appointment with him and the missionaries before he goes back to Sacramento.

By then it was around 8:30pm and we had the choice to head home for the 5-6 hour drive or to stay at one of the apartments till morning (it would probably be Lal-lo or Claveria). We asked President if we had his permission to break curfew and drive straight home and he said it was fine so that's what we did. We made the trip in under 5 hours - left at 8:35pm and got to the mission home at 12-ish! Didn't speed either.

Driving at night in the Philippines is nuts, especially in the Claveria hills. We turned one corner and, hey, there was a HERD of cows in the road and no fields anywhere near by! We counted dogs on the way home to stay awake and had the windows down the whole way. We also decided that if you saw a cat or counted something other than a dog then you had to slap yourself in the face. It kept us awake. It reminded me of home, driving home late from YSA activities. Anyway, we started counting an hour or two into our trip home and counted 132 dogs roaming the streets... number 100 almost got hit and 116 was dead when we counted it ...so many dogs here. See what crocodiles could do for this country!?

So that was transfer day. We drove from 8am until midnight. In the morning (Wednesday), we came down to the office and it looked like it exploded! Almost the whole mission was transferred and usually there are people in the office on transfer day but not this time. It was a mess and took a while to get things in order.

We only got seven and a half hours of proselyting in this week! Between Tuesday and Saturday we got around three. We had a ton of errands to run - getting supplies for the huge batch of sixteen new missionaries. We also had to move the sisters assigned in Sinait into a new apartment (they had been living in another area and commuting). We took some stuff from an apartment nearby which had missionaries pulled out this transfer. The stair case was so small that the beds wouldn't fit down it, so we had to put them out the window and down the roof. I was the lightest so I had to stand on the roof... scary! The whole day was like a mix of Tetris (moving stuff) and Grand Theft Auto (the driving in the Philippines and standing on roofs etc).

General Conference was amazing! I didn't write much of what they said exactly but instead, just wrote straight up personal revelation. I read over my notes today and it is amazing what listening to the voices of prophets can do for you.

Here in our mission, the president trains the zone leaders at zone leader conference. Then the zone leaders train their zones on exactly what he trained. Then for the next month, that is the focus of the mission, every training given by district leaders is on that topic (oh yeah, I'm a district leader again so I have to deal with training again. We are literally called the "Office District". It's just us four. I always get "The Office" theme song stuck in m head when I think of it).

I decided I'd follow the same pattern for General Conference: until April, the things they said at this past General Conference will be my focus personally and then by that time I will have internalized it all.

General Conference made me miss you all even more (the President Eyring wood carving story reminded me of dad... just a tad homesick but I guess that's good once in a while). Take Care. I love you
Elder Dustan

Snakes 'n Ladders - Week 76. Serving in Laoag

Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving! I( can't even mention that it's thanksgiving to anyone here. All the Americans freak out and tell me it's not thanksgiving).

Well that's almost another transfer down. It's week 6 now and the transfer list came out this morning. I woke up around 5:30 and woke Elder T. We came down to the office and checked out the transfer list. The zones are all rearranged (Magapit zone is no more) and there are 4 new areas. With 16 newbies coming in, there was a lot of shuffling. I think there were maybe only 4 companionships that didn't move. My companion, Elder M, is being transferred to Lal-lo (he better keep that place clean!). Elder P is also transferred. He is going to the very southernmost part of the mission, Tagudin Ilocos Sur right near Baguio mission. They have the smallest toilet in the mission.

Elder T's new companion will be trained as the new finance secretary and you'll never guess who it is... my trainer, Elder S!! That flippin' guy keeps following me! My new companion is Elder K.

 As I mentioned before, in our office meeting, President said he was going to change the office hours to 3-9 instead of 6-9. However, this week has been so busy with other stuff that we actually had less proselyting hours than usual. I'm feeling a little anxious lately because I'm realizing how little time I have left here and really want to do so much more - I'm not finished yet!

 I remember one elder leaping for joy when he left and teasing us about how he'll never have to deal with the pork skin, the noise, the hairy-legged women and the "Hey Joe"'s. I imagined yesterday that I was on the airplane going home and I felt sick. I will really miss everything about this place.

We had a plan this week for M and E to work with us in teaching a less active family like they did before but this time they were to prepare a lesson and study for it and actually teach. We brought a big piece of paper and markers and we made a snakes n' ladders game. We were going to play it with the family but when we got there, the kids weren't home. We thought the game wouldn't be effective without them but we played anyways and Tatay was having so much fun! We played a round and it was just a fun game and then afterwards M and E talked a bit about blessings, trials, temptations and sin. Then we related it to the game - blessings being the ladders and the snakes were the temptations. We wrote some examples of blessings we've received on the ladders and then some examples of temptations on the snakes. Then we played again. It took a while but finally someone landed on the snake and they were about to go way back almost to the beginning. We stopped them and said, "Okay, this is a tukso (tempation)" (it happened to be breaking the law of chastity). We told Nanay (who landed on the snake) "you get to choose if you want to fall down the snake or not. It's up to you."
She was confused at first. We asked, "Do you believe the law of chastity is true?"
 "Yes", she said. Then we asked her if she would like to follow it or break it. She said she wanted to follow it. So we said, "Great! You don't fall down the snake then!"
They were all excited and surprised. I think it really showed them how much control we have over our own destines . I love that family.

We had a Zone Training Meeting on Saturday morning and it was really sweet. The senior missionary couple who came to P's with us made a bunch of news lists: there is the unbaptised member list, the priesthood ordination list, the family/household list and the converts in the past 2 years list. I don't know if those are usual back home but that is a new thing to have here. Those lists are going to help us a lot.

After being punted all day Saturday, we went to teach P. It was really good. He had customers at his water station and he went over to one of them and asked if he would like to join us as we read the Book of Mormon. He came over and joined us. P was so great. Very easy going, not awkward, very straight up with the doctrine but still simple. The guy was really nice too. We read Mosiah 27 until he had to leave and then we discussed the reading with P and his wife, S. She told us that she is really excited to get baptised  We asked her why. (I've heard a lot of people say, "Because it's what Papa Jesus wants me to do." They say everything is Tagalog or Ilocano except the "Papa Jesus" part). But her answer was, "Because I did what you said and prayed to God about it and he said yes."  She is so awesome. We asked her how it felt and she couldn't really explain it except saying it felt good and kind of motioning to her chest with her palm.

I'm just realizing recently that I have not been using "Preach My Gospel" the way I should have been for most of my mission. I read Jacob 5 as well as "Preach My Gospel", chapter 8 and I realized that I have been doing many things my own way for a long time and that's why often things don't work out properly. I've seriously noticed that when I just do all I can to follow exactly what has been directed by the prophet, things work out.

 I'm excited to get started on this next transfer. Our ward mission leader is not renewing his contract at work (which makes him work Sundays) and he will be at church every Sunday. We are about to finally get our 15 focus names from the bishop to give us some direction in the area. There are a bunch of young mission-age priesthood holders coming to church now too. The Philippines has different high school ages so they finish around 16-17 years old. They usually have too much time in between high school and a mission so they end up studying and then don't want to stop until they finish and by the time they finish, they are often less active and don't go on a mission. The government is also just starting to add more years to high school so that they will graduate at 18. So now they will be able to serve a mission right after school if they are ready! It really was inspired.

Things are going well and I am way excited for General Conference! I wish I could be there with you guys at thanksgiving. Have a great turkey dinner. I get to eat adobo instead so I can't complain. I miss you lots!
Elder Dustan

One Impressive President! - Week 75. Serving in Laoag

We had an exchange with President B on Saturday. We were really wondering what it would be like to work with him and it was a really fun experience. He's very perceptive. We only got two appointments in because we had a ward activity to go to at 6. We were teaching a young less active guy. He's 17 and is very shy and quiet. We taught him about the priesthood. Before we were finished a tricycle pulled up outside and a man got out and started moving stuff around and we heard some pigs screaming, which is a pretty usual thing so we didn't pay much attention. Then out of nowhere President stops the lesson and says, "Is that your tatay outside?" and the young man says yes. Then he asks, "Are you supposed to feed the pigs?" and he kind of nodded awkwardly. Then President said we should end the lesson. So we committed him to come to church and help a new deacon to learn to pass the sacrament and we left. As we were leaving we saw the boy rushing outside to the pig pen. President told us that the son is expected to help the tatay feed the pigs and that the young man was just too shy to mention that to us. I was way impressed that President picked up on it.

We found out that S (P's wife) really likes stories. So we gave her 1 Nephi 4 to read. When we went back we asked her how her reading went and she said, "Oh it was really good." We asked what happened and she says, "Well, Nephi took Laban's own sword and cut off his head with it." We asked if she had any questions about that (EVERYONE asks about that one) and she said no. We said, "Really? Usually we are asked why he killed someone when the commandment is 'Thou shalt not kill'." But she just very plainly says, "Well it's because God told him to do it. And, "..it's better that one man should perish than a whole nation should perish in unbelief'."  I was very impressed with her.

There is a 14 year old less active girl who is in the same class as E. E has been concerned for her because she saw her drinking and smoking. Then we went to teach the M family and this less active girl joined in, as she and her siblings live right behind the M family's house. The M's are a really active and an awesome family who also live the furthest from the chapel but go every Sunday.

We did an object lesson on agency - when you pick up one end of a stick you are also picking up the other end. We weren't sure if it helped her at all. She came to church a couple times and then didn't a few times. Then on Saturday we had a ward activity. We found out it was a fellowshipping activity and when we got there everyone asked us why we didn't bring any investigators. We had just barely found out about it. It was funny - they seemed to think we have a harem of investigators at all times.

Anyway, this young woman came and she was chatting with President B. She told him her life story. She and all of her siblings were abandoned by their parents. They now live with their Grandma. While she was telling her story, we chatted with her neighbour a girl from the M family who is the same age. She's a really cute little girl. She is kind of shy but still very confident and she goes to seminary and never misses a class (three nights a week for them). Then after seminary she stays up late and does all of her school work. When we got to the chapel she was doing family history work! How cool is that!? This girl mentioned that her less active friend has changed a lot lately. She dropped all of her bad friends at school and is no longer drinking or smoking. It was a really good thing to hear.

We explored a bit of a new area on Sunday and found this one house where they have a little fish pond in their back yard. The family was squatting over some bins and gutting dozens and dozens of fish. Then we came across a house which looked like a house from back home. It had shingles and a porch, and a pick-up truck outside in an actual driveway, and a nice fence and real windows. The field beside it wasn't a rice bukid but a dirt field with some sort of vegetables growing in it. It felt so weird - this little area just seemed like a hole in time and we could walk back into North America and see a farm house. No one was home though.

We taught Tatay P. He was too sick to go to church (a member is now dropping by on Sunday mornings to pick him up when he is up to it). He showed us a letter he got from the missionary who baptised him a LONG time ago. The elder was from Texas and the letter was written in pure Ilocano! He was so excited about it too. I'm planning on writing this guy a letter. It's crazy that he was fluent in Tagalog and Ilocano. I just started learning Ilocano. It's very difficult.

In our office meeting Sunday night, President told us about some changes in the office. We used to be in the office 8am-6pm but now President has changed it so everyone goes out to work at 3pm. President said, "Go out at three. You are missionaries commissioned to invite others to come unto Christ. You need to be out working as much as possible." I'm excited about it. This week, though has had all kinds of random events and errands that weren't planned for, so we have yet to enjoy a full week of 6 hour work days. He also changed our P-day to Monday! Used to be that we were in the office all Monday in case someone called but President asked the area presidency and they said, "Even we are not in the office Monday -  it's P-day!"

President asked me if I am happy here in the office. I told him I would be happy wherever he sends me. He asked me if I will be grumpy if he keeps me here next transfer. I told him as long as he doesn't send me home I'll be fine.  (I think I would die if I stayed here the rest of my mission. I don't want to spend my short time in the Philippines trying to live like a North American). So I think I will likely be staying here another transfer. Elder Smith goes home next week. That's my second companion to go home.

P has started up his Buko Juice stand. Buko is just young coconut. He mixes it with some other stuff including corn and blends it. It pretty much tastes like real milk - it was the first time I've tasted it. Can't taste the corn though. We went to his house yesterday with the missionary couple serving in Laoag Centro. They are very nice people. Elder E was an accountant so he talked to P about his business and it was really helpful. We were the first people to buy at his buko juice place. He also has some appetizer type things that are really good.

 Anyway, that's pretty much our week. We have to move missionaries into a new apartment next week as well as help coordinate transfers and have 16 new missionaries come in! Busy week.

There's a parade going by right now (basically a dump truck or bus loaded with a bunch of drummers with huge drums, a few xylophone players and some tricycle drivers with balloons attached to their vehicles). It's the third one this morning! There is seriously a parade every day here. I love this place!

Anyways, thats all I've got. I miss you guys lots. Enjoy conference!!! I'll be watching it next week on the re-broadcast.
Elder Dustan

My Mansion to Prepare - Week 74. Serving in Laoag

This week has been a really good one. After I emailed and P-day'd (yeah, I just verbed that word) last week, we went and taught M and E and then the A family. The A's pigs are getting big, and I couldn't help it so I pet one. They are pretty cute.

Saturday was a great day. We were all excited for it because, for once, we had nothing else to disturb our work so we were to get a solid 5 hours of work in. Right off the bat we got punted over and over. But we met lots of people that we could teach other times. We spent 10 minutes just explaining to a group of people near the house of one of our less active families, who we are and what we do . Turns out one of them is their cousin and we are going back tomorrow.

We went out to Gabu, the farthest barangay west in our area. It's right out by the ocean and is where the airport is. We get yelled at a lot in Gabu.  It's kind of a scary place. We then found out that the member we went to visit there moved to Cagayan (farther than Camalaniugan). Our next plan was to visit a less active member. Brother T is an returned missionary and served in stake callings before. He has a really nice little family and he does fairly well for himself. He served in Quezon City.

Brother T is very kind to us but never ever opens up about what's really bothering him. We went out and just chatted at first. I found a talk here in the office from Elder Clayton M. Christensen from a YSA Summit on August 6, 2011 at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion. It really changed the way I see things in the church. He talks about establishing the church and that a religion that doesn't require the sacrifice of all things can't produce the power sufficient to provoke and provide the faith necessary to gain salvation. He talks about how often we tell people, "You need the church. You need it to be happy" etc., when really it is more effective and  also very true that the
church needs them.

He gives examples, like when his dad was assigned as home teacher to a man who would never let him in and would always kick him out of his yard. But every month he went back and tried to home teach him. Then one day a storm hit and blew the roof off of a local church building. This guy was a roofer, so the home teacher went to him and (before he could get kicked off  the front step) said, "We just need your help."
 He invited him to supervise a group of members and help them fix the roof. Paul agreed and afterwards said that he hadn't felt that good in years and he came back to church. Now Elder Christensen thinks, "How can I help the church need this person?" That hit me so hard.

So when we went to the T's, where in the past we have tried to get them to prepare to go to the temple (again, because they NEED the blessings of the temple), we just said, "Brother, we need you to help inspire the youth to serve missions. They don't realize that the blessings of a mission are a reality to Filipinos too - not just foreigners. Then we asked if his wife could help the young women too. They were taken aback a little but also a little flattered, I think. Brother T didn't come to church. But he did tell us exactly what has been stopping him - which is a HUGE step, and all because we, through the spirit, showed him how needed he is by the church in a very specific way. That was the only lesson we got in during those 5 hours of work - a day which would be called a failure if you look at the key indicators but that one lesson was such a huge step.

We found a new part of our area that is where the really rich people live. It's kind of hidden, but just off the highway is a huge neighbourhood full of mansions. MANSIONS. There was one guy with a house that is at least 3 mission homes big and he has a porsche!!!! He couldn't talk because he was on his way to a meeting with the mayor.

We gave out 11 copies of the Book of Mormon on Saturday. We also found the house of the governor of Ilocos Norte! She was in Manila so we chatted and shared with her three security guards! We gave them each copies of the Book of Mormon and left a copy for the governor as well. Her guards were really nice guys.

Our ward is doing well. The numbers are going up, people are progressing and we have 2 young men about to send in their mission papers. We had a half-day mission on Sunday after church. A bunch of members met at the mission office. We shared a quick thought (which came from that same talk I just told you about) and we split into groups. I went with the M family and we taught a recent convert about the priesthood and committed him to pass the sacrament this Sunday and then we taught a less active family and found a few other less actives. It was a great day.

When we got back to the mission home, President and Sister B had made spaghetti for everyone and had them all go inside and eat. President watched the kids while we all went and worked and I think he enjoyed it even though he was exhausted. It was really touching to see how excited everyone was about missionary work. They all said, "We should do this every month!" There were about twenty members that showed up for it.

We got caught in a HUGE thunder storm on Tuesday. We can see the storms on Google Earth and it was the tail of typhoon Jelawat which was a super typhoon that barely missed us and is now going to smash into Okinawa. It did hit Cagayan though).

We knocked at one house and a 30-40 year old guy came out and, in pure English, chatted with us. He was way nice and invited us to come back some other day at an earlier time because he was just going to bed... but then he didn't stop chatting. Then finally he said, "Do you guys want to come in?" So we taught him about the Book of Mormon. Turns out he lived in LA since 1998 and then came back last year. He is now the chief nurse at the hospital down the road from us.

We went to a bakery yesterday and got some bread and after I ate it, I found a bugs leg stuck in my teeth! The bread was good though.

 Anyways, that's my week. Really good week, and very rewarding. Take care everyone. Love you!
Elder Dustan