Today is transfer list day and some crazy stuff happened. Last night we had a brown out and it started around 7pm and went until 1 am. I would have been totally fine with that but the tag-araw (the summer time) has started! It was so cold here up until this week. I asked around and apparently it's now summertime and it's sooooooo flippin' hot.
Last night we were at the apartment for accounting as we do every Sunday night. We had no fan because of the brown-out and were tormented by mosquitoes. We couldn't shower before bed because the water pump uses electricity. We all went to bed but couldn't sleep. I finally drifted off at one point and woke up totally soaked and could hear the buzz of mosquitos all around me.
Finally at one a.m. everything just jumped on all of a sudden. I thought everyone else was asleep but we all cheered when it did (yay!). I had to sit in front the fan for a while to dry off before I went to bed again. Now I have to wash my sheets again. Laundry takes a long time because it's all done by hand in a pail with a washboard but it will be easier now as there will only be two of us in the apartment. Camalaniugan-2 is no more as there is just one big area now. My companion, Elder C is transfers tomorrow to Callaguip, a tiny little area by Laoag. It was actually Elder T's first area - he was there for four transfers! It's not much bigger than my home town of Morewood and it's been open to the missionaries for a long time. In most areas the people call us Brother, Brud, Pastor, Joe etc. But in Callaguip, everyone in town knows them as the elders, even non-members.
As for me, I am going to lead the zone and Elder T will become my companion and a new ZL. I was a little freaked out there as I am a brand new ZL and now have to show someone else what to do. I was a little confused about who the DL's would be but apparently we are the DLs too, so we are in charge of....everything. It's going to be a challenging transfer.
The other areas in our district are Lal-lo 1 and 2 and it's a well known fact in the mission that some of the most effective and attractive sisters are assigned those two areas right now. So we are going to be poked fun at a little for that. It used to be the same in Vigan and they started calling it the Relief Society district.
Yesterday, church was a little different. We usually have little to no members, investigators or less actives from our area attending. They are all from the other area. But yesterday we had all kinds of people show up. Even Tatay U, the less active member who is afraid of going to church because Satan always puts huge obstacles in his way when he tries to. He really knows the gospel too - he could just never overcome that. But he did yesterday!
Tons of others came too. I think I mentioned that last Sunday, a little old man was kind of hanging around outside the church and you could tell he wanted to come in but was shy. The members noticed and talked to him and he came in and attended all 3 hours. Turns out he speaks a dialect of Ilocano called Ifugu or something like that (he speaks no Tagalog). So as much as we tried we couldn't help him out - just smile and shake his hand.
Then yesterday, just after sacrament meeting we saw him moseying along the path up to the door. But then he turns around and leaves so some members run after him but he disappeared. Then I see a figure in the door window on my right, the one by the sacrament table (like back home) and he's standing there looking in. So the clerk ran over and opened it.
After church, we were walking to the apartment for lunch and there is all kinds of construction going on there. I accidentally kicked this huge piece of dicarded concrete at this old man with crutches who was sitting at a waiting shed (like a dilapidated bus stop made of concrete). It rolled across both his feet, and I felt soooo bad and apologized a bunch. The missionaries will have to work hard with that guy to get him baptized.
The other day I was reading parts of the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel and couldn't help but see the difference in their missions. Ezekiel and Daniel both served in kings courts. They, of course, both had trials and problems, but Jeremiah was left to teach the people - an in-the-trench type mission. He had times where he was almost overcome with his trials. He was even put in the stocks and was eventually stoned. But even when he was almost overcome, and even a bit angry with the Lord, his testimony was so well rooted that he almost couldn't help but preach the gospel. I loved that. We have had so many times here where we have been overcome because of stuff that happens on a mission (seeing people you teach make poor choices, getting sick, persecution etc) but even when I felt like I couldn't do it anymore - couldn't open the apartment door one more time, my testimony almost wouldn't let me give up. It's then that I turn to the Lord (I have almost made it a kind of habit, which is the best habit I have ever made) and without fail, literally in every instance, I received the appropriate help - help that is perfectly suited to that situation. It's pretty sweet. I also have to mention the great
stories that come from a mission, the hilarious things that happen are a huge part of me being able to keep going. Thanks for helping me get my testimony rooted on the foundation of Christ. I love you guys LOTS! INGAT
-Elder Dustan
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ReplyDeleteHey Harrison. Mosquitoes, yuck! Looks like you need a mosquito net to sleep under, you must be very uncomfortable. Just remember it's coming through the nasty parts to do the rewarding things that makes it memorable, builds character and makes you stronger, which I can tell you have become. It's awesome to see!
ReplyDeleteThis is why I love the principles of the gospel, when you (as in anyone in general) are down and thinking you just can't open that door again, knock on the next one, or walk that one more mile to an investigators house that you're pretty sure is going to dog you; just remember that the essence of faith is hope and hope and fear cannot exist in the same place. Hope is a positive and fear is a negative. The Lord knows that if we learn to live by faith, nothing can overcome us. So to any missionary that struggles I say, "open that door or knock on it, go that extra mile, put on a happy face when you're miserable because that's your job, you represent the lord, and you have hope to share - a hope not a lot of other people have, but one that will change their life forever." You *are* a disciple of Christ and that's the key to your salvation... and believe it or not, it's far easier to do in the field with the sweat, mud and mosquitoes than at home and for that be thankful you are where you are right now.
We miss you and look forward to seeing you again.