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