It's a Tough Life For Sisters & Monkeys - Week 46. Serving in Camalaniugan

So another transfer begins! And my companion and I noticed something weird. Next transfer....is our HUMP DAY! That is messed up! Can't believe it.

We got some new elders in this past week. I haven't met any of them yet but I got a text from our DL (a filipino) in the other district when he got back to his area that read,  "We are back in the apartment, gandang hapon (good afternoon) Elder Dustan, and my son is Canadian". Strangely worded but awesome nonetheless. We are going to both District meetings this week as we have a lot of business and it's just nice to do for a new elder's first district meeting.

This past week I just kept thinking about what the new elders were doing and where they were. I also kept thinking and remembering when that was me - my first night in the field, in Vintar, my first lesson. It was really a week of reminiscing. Still can't believe it's almost a year!

 I'll get back to the happenings of the week. Three elders including my trainer, from when I was in Vintar, along with a short term from Ilocos who is back home now and waiting for his real mission call, stayed at our

apartment this past Monday.

On Tuesday there was transfers and we were exhausted! We waited a little at the church for a bus to arrive and I fell asleep on the pew on the stand with a hymnbook for a pillow. Poor Sister A was stuck with a bunch of elders for the whole day as her companion was transferred. She is a really great person and I realized that sometimes I/we as elders have the tendency to be a little insensitive.

After everyone who was transferred got on the bus, we studied together at the chapel. After studies we all shared

a little of what we learned. We all had good stuff but Sister A bore her testimony and talked about what she learned from the past transfer. I was impressed with how she is learning from every experience whereas a lot of elders sometimes learn nothing from a whole transfer! I also thought it was funny in district meeting when she was talking about Sister O coming to inspect their apartment. She likened it to the Second Coming! She was terrified because she felt she wasn't prepared. That was both hilarious and a bit of a wake up call for me. So this week I have been focussing on stuff that is not in order. Our apartment is going to get a huge clean today.

We have been eating well. We have been punctual and dedicated. We also started working out again. It's way fun, and they're really intense work outs too. We make it fun.

We were walking down an old path that runs along the bank of the irrigation canal and we met two old nanays and one of them had a little monkey! It was cute but also freaked me out (monkeys are scary... they didn't even write their own songs!!). It hung from my companion's pant leg and made some strange noises.

She also had a little puppy and it started "playing" with the monkey... it was more like an orca playing with a sea lion. It bit the monkey and tossed it around like a toy and the monkey got angry but didn't seem to get hurt. We suggested to the nanay that she'd better watch that monkey doesn't get eaten. She said, "No, don't worry. They are friends".

On Friday we went on splits with the branch mission leader and members. On Saturday we got punted all day and one less active member went back to her boyfriend who forbids her to go to church.

 Another of our investigators said that she had a dream. She saw Christ and there was darkness on his left side and on his right side was light and snow and white sand and Christ only went on the light side and wouldn't got in the darkness. We talked about that with her.

There have been so many of our investigators and less actives that have had dreams. One less active had a dream that a missionary kept trying to give him his socks and he wouldn't accept it because he had his own socks and the missionary got really sad. Then eventually he realized that the socks the missionary was offering were way better than the ones he had and eventually took off his socks and accepted the ones the elder gave him. That was fun to interpret.

 We fasted yesterday for a number of people in the area who are struggling. One family who is going to be baptized in soon ran out of money for their kids to go to school. They are such good people. They fasted too, so I know they will get help soon.

 I started studying Isaiah - I've read one chapter and it's blowing my mind! After reading yesterday I was literally exhausted so I had to go lay down. It's amazing. I'm getting lots out of the scriptures and loving my mission as always.

 We are going to Laoag tomorrow for Zone Leader Conference and then we have two district meetings on Thursday and then District Leader Conference on Saturday as well as the district leadership correlation. Busy week.

 Love you all lots. Take care of yourselves.

-Elder Dustan

Beards, Straw Hats & Princesses - Week 45. Serving in Camalaniugan

Hey guys! Transfer day today. No worries, I am here with my companion for at least 6 more weeks. President told us he would probably put two more elders into the area again next transfer when the big batch comes in. So chances are we will be here for two transfers or more.
This week was pretty cool. But first I have to ask some advice. In week 4 of this transfer we have zone meetings. We have to make up some games to play while the president is doing interviews. There will likely be about 16 people there so if you can think of any games, please tell us soon. I don't want to do any of the usual ones they do here so I need your help.

 I got your packages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks guys! You are the best. I loved them. Our fridge is FULL of stuff now. We have a little "play station" in the apartment now. We had bought cereal recently and they come with free hot wheels and now we have all the stuff from our packages too! I mean, we'll give it to kids eventually but.....not yet. We also made french toast with some of the cinnamon.
I gave out a couple of the princess rings (I assumed they aren't for me) and I wish you could see the little girls' faces. Soooooo cute! Huge smiles like I just gave them the best present of all time.
 All in all though, the highlight of the package was the decadent cookies. I forgot how amazing they are. Needless to say they are long gone. I am so spoiled.
So on to the rest of the happenings of the week. We taught an old man that I had mentioned before. His wife died way back and every time we teach, he tells us he wants to re-marry. Turns out though, that he thought it was a sin!!! We explained it's not. But I don't know if his motive is good. He said, "I want someone to cook and clean for me."
We had a brown-out last Friday - always on the worst day: weekly planning. It was soooooo hot! I also couldn't shave as we had no water so I went out and worked looking like a hobo. Worst part is we had a fireside that night (we were teaching about why and how to do home and visiting teaching) and I had to get up in front of everyone with a beard.
Now for a couple of stories about our investigators and less actives. We've been working with a family that has been struggling and Tatay never came to church but now he is hooked because of the Book of Mormon! He is like a changed man. He LOVES King Benjamin - rants and raves about the first chapters of Mosiah. He showed up at church yesterday with a nice white shirt on and a huge straw hat, clearly trying his very best to wear his best Sunday clothes. It was touching.
When I was on exchange, we taught one lesson with a less active member who is a returned missionary. I think I might have mentioned him before. I had thought that we may need to be bold with him but I realized, because of promptings, that we should be more kind and understanding. He really opened up. He struggles to find time to read the Book of Mormon. We decided we would go by every day and read with him for a little bit. While we were there I felt prompted to ask to see his mission pictures and he loved it. The spirit is a genius! He is really making some progress. He shares some great insights about the Book of Mormon too.
His daughter is the cutest little thing - little munchkin voice. She's only 8. I gave her a princess ring and it was
pretty much the best experience of her life.
I have been developing a stronger and stronger love for the people we are teaching. At our home teaching fireside we got everyone to practice teaching. Seeing them all do their best was so endearing. The spirit was really strong there.
Anyways, I have to go. I love you guys so much. Thanks for everything you do.
LOVE YOU LOTS.
Elder Dustan

Machetes and the Rodent Resurrection - Week 44. Serving in Camalaniugan

 Fast sunday is pretty exhausting in the hot filipino sun (oh, it got hot here again!). Great attendance at church though. I counted 140!!!!! Way good. A ton of our less actives came and a bunch of investigators too. Sunday School class was a bit odd as they got off topic and discussed whether or not animals would be resurrected.
We met with our young mother again (I mentioned her last week). She said she had a dream after we gave her a blessing. She said she was walking down a river and the water was shallow and she was with lots of people. They came to a fork in the river and they all went left (NO! - why would you choose left??) and as they walked the water got deeper and deeper and she was worried. It got up to her neck and then an old man with a beard who walked behind her said, "You should turn back", so she went back and went down the right way (that's better!) and then the water was shallow again and the dream ended. We discussed with her what it means to receive personal revelation and I shared a similar experience I had and how it was really special to me. She was really impressed with the whole experience and we made some progress with her in following the revelation she received. She then told us that things are starting to change. She had an answer to her prayers recently. We also got to meet her boyfriend for the first time. She seems happy.


We went to Lasam this week for a baptismal interview. It is way out in the mountains. The jeep that took us there was the sketchiest vehicle I have ever laid eyes on in my life. The windshield was smashed and TAPED together again. There was only a little spot in front of the driver where you could see clearly but he had to sit up and lean close to see out of it. The front right side was separating from the rest of the jeep and there was a huge rusting crack under the bench on both sides where we sat and I could not tell what was holding it on (besides the collective will of everyone on the jeep!). I was ready at all times to move in case the seat fell through the floor. It was packed with people and the lady beside me had a bag with some brine and fish in it and it REAKED! There was also a bag at my feet that was moving. I was told there was a dog in it. She told me to be careful because it would bite me.
I have been meaning to tell you for a while that we have a huge problem with mice and rats in the house. No rat sightings yet but the footprints on the walls are huge! I have seen the rats outside though. They climb trees and they look like racoons - dirty raccoons. But I didn't want to use poison on them because there is a room in the house that is always locked where the landlady keeps her stuff so if one went in there and died it would smell.
We have a pretty good extermination system going though - my machete. I have killed four so far. The first one I just stunned and then finished it off with a rock outside. The second two, I lopped their heads off (for reals!  My aim is pretty sweet!). The  fourth I got a little sloppy with and cut it in half and the front half crawled away from the back but didn't get far. Don't worry they WILL be resurrected! 
Back home I would have felt really bad - still do a little, but one thing is different now:
They are POOPING IN MY RICE!!!! You never poop in a missionary's rice! So now it's personal.
We taught a lesson in a motorcycle shop this week. Elder B and I were on exchange in Gattaran. The movie the guy was watching was Anaconda 5 - what's been going on in the movie industry since I've been gone?? It wasn't hard to compete with so the lesson was pretty good.
We got caught in a freak storm that day which ended up with us going to that motorcycle shop. We were being given a ride by a fellowshipper as our investigator was pretty far away. He had a motorcycle with a little side-car thing, usually used for carrying pigs. You just put a slab of wood across it and then you're good to go. I was sitting on the wood and then out of nowhere - dark clouds, cold wind, thunder, lightning and crazy rain. The rain really hurt too.
That was mostly what happened this past week. Today we bought some real meat at a nice place in Aparri called Monterey Meats so I won't have to eat hairy pork from the market this week. Yay!!
Our district is the best. We brought a box to the training meeting and they asked what was in it - was it food? The training was about overcoming fear. We told them that we caught a mouse alive that morning and it was in the box (they have rats crawling on them in their house at night and we have discussed many times our individual rodent problems so it was more believeable). We explained that whoever was brave enough could come to the front and grab the mouse with their bare hands and give it a kiss. They all freaked out (they are all Filipina sisters). It was hilarious! Then Sister A said, "Well you know, I have touched a hamster before so I'll try it!"
She got up and opened the box and saw that we had just put a computer mouse in it. She still played along though and acted grossed out and the others all freaked. Then she pulled the computer mouse out and kissed it and they all laughed. The training was great!

We had two visitors to our district training - the guy we blessed with President O who is going to serve a short term mission and a young single adult girl named M. She was less active but she had a strong spiritual experience at church and has been active ever since (I will tell you about her experience another time). She wants to serve a mission now!


This was a great week. I love my mission and am receiving personal revelation in my studies as well as for our area and those we teach. I read about the definition of the "elect" this morning and something sister O said came to mind. She said we will be surprised with who actually attains celestial glory and who doesn't. I realized that it is true. There are a lot of members who are content to float by - not excel but keep the commandments to the bare minimum. I realized what it means to be one of the elect of God. One sentence stood out the most: that they try with all their hearts. I am going to do all I can to be what God wants me to be here and when I go home. I pray and hope you will all do the same.
I love you all so much and am so grateful and happy for all you do for me. Hope you have a great week. Ingat!
-Elder Dustan

Those Blessed Mosquitoes! Week 43. Serving in Camalaniugan

Hello! lalala!
I am doing really well. This week was pretty sweet. We gave a training to our districts. It was about love. We got up without our name tags on, no ties, one shoe off, all disheveled and gave a terrible lesson (most of which was scriptures from Songs of Solomon - that's a flippin' weird book). Elder T and I read from it in an uppity British accent. You should try it.
They were all confused and either were afraid that it was our real training or that they really weren't understanding what we were saying.
Most of the filipinos caught on that it was a joke but this one elder raised his hand and asked where the scripture was again! Then we discussed how the training sucked because some important things were missing. We shared how love is a requirement for the work. I felt a greater love for the people here this week.
We taught a young mother (she is 20 and has two kids - one of which is 3!). She is the sweetest girl I have ever met and is way smart too.  I felt a great amount of love for her and her kids and we sat and discussed ways to solve a problem she has. We asked if she had gotten a blessing before. No one had ever told her that before! So we all fasted and then yesterday we blessed her and it was a great experience. We got eaten alive by mosquitoes while we stood still for the blessing though.
 I changed a door knob this week. I, like the genius I am, locked myself out of the apartment and so we broke the old knob, bought a new one and replaced it using my pocket knife, a broken screwdriver and a big stone. We also did all the reports for the district.

 I have been studying lately on the duties of the priesthood and am loving it. Now I have a better knowledge of what I should be doing. I never knew how serious and important certain things are - the little things really make it all.
 It's soooooo good to hear from home and I don't think that will ever wear off. I very much love my mission. 
Anyways, I love you guys very much and look forward to hearing from you next week. Take care of yourselves.
-Elder Dustan

Hail To The Chief! - Week 42. Serving in Camalaniugan

 Haaaapy family day!
 Zone conference was great. As zone leaders we didn't have to do much but announce the mission business which was pretty much a list of common sense rules and practices that missionaries are supposed to follow. Apparently a surprising amount of doors in the mission are being kicked in because missionaries are locking themselves out - proof that the Church is true or it would have crumbled long ago in the hands of us fine missionaries.
Working with president O was great. We taught a less active family and he gave them a picture of the temple and said that they need to prepare to go there. They were all really excited about it. They are a great family. They have been coming to church for a few weeks now and the tatay got called as Sunday School President.
As a joke I introduced President O as the president of the United States and I guess it was more believeable than I thought, as at the end of the lesson, I asked them if they had any questions or anything they would like to say and one nanay said "I just feel really blessed to have the president in my home, all the way from the United States. We are just so blessed." - Oops!
I don't know how the president does it but he knows exactly what we are teaching and adds upon it perfectly even though he doesn't speak Tagalog. In teaching he speaks English and we don't translate for him but the spirit is there so strongly that they seem to get what he is saying.
The last appointment we had was with a 19 year old who has really wanted to serve a mission since he was 15 when he joined the Church. He is the nicest guy and quite amazing but then his dad pushed him to join the army a while ago.
We discussed it with the president and then talked with him and offered him the opportunity to serve a short-term mission first - right here in the Laoag mission. He kept telling us that his military training is in March so he can't. Then the president told him we would all fast and pray for him and gave him a priesthood blessing and left.
The next day, after zone conference, the president and I went to the chapel to have a correlation meeting and the young guy was there. He told us he couldn't believe it - his training was delayed until December! Sweet. So now he's going to be serving a short-term mission on april 3 and I think that once he gets into missionary life, he will just bail on the army and serve a full time mission.
 Anyways, it was amazing. The president is such a spiritual man and so nice - and fun too! Elder D couldn't believe that I got to go on two exchanges with the president. Last Wednesday we exchanged with him, but for an hour the president and I split off and taught someone while the others taught someone else. Then, after correlation, the two of us and the district president went out to teach for 2 hours. It was a great two days.

We had a baptism on Saturday. It was at 5pm so we went an hour early and discovered that the water was a thick brown colour and that there was only one pair of baptismal clothes. We tried to fix all that and then beat it over to the home of the little girl who was to be baptized. It was pouring rain and we got soaked. We went with them back to the church and the baptism went well. She is so flippin' cute.
It's pretty cold here right now. I am not even using my fan at night anymore and I wear my long sleeved shirt in the house.
 I am so happy I have you guys. Love you lots, and I think about you always.
-Elder Dustan