Tranfer With a Surprise! - Week 51. Serving in Camalaniugan

I'm here in the mission home right now using the President's computer (waaaay fast!). My companion got transferred to the office to be in finance. He will do great here, he's a smart guy. You will never guess who my new comp is. My trainer from my first city, Vintar! I will be showing him the ropes in being a super awesome ZL/DL here in Camalaniugan!
This past week I have realized that I love that place. I am so excited to help all those people I've been talking about. I love them so much.
We are ready for the baptism of a family we've been teaching - which is great. Nothing is even close to the power of the Atonement of Christ. In less than a year, obstacles have been destroyed by diligent fasting and prayer and obedience to prepare them for entry to the Kingdom.
 We also got to baptize a 20 year old girl. A dozen things went wrong at the baptism. The water was dark, dark brown, her name was wrong on the program, the person baptizing her on the program was wrong, and it was all wayyyyyy late even though she was on time. All of that didn't even phase her as she loves the gospel.
 Being offended is just a lack of trust in Christ and lack of understanding of the gospel. Things are turning out a little better and it is all because of faith, prayers and support, and fasting. I love the gospel and love you all so much.
-Elder Dustan

Tough Week But Great Lessons - Week 50. Serving in Camalaniugan

We went to  Laoag for Zone Leaders conference. For our activity, we went to the beach again and I loved it. It's possibly the most beautiful beach I have seen - nice sand, the Pacific ocean, bahay kubo (cottages) everywhere.

I am feeling great and am very happy but the week was a tough one. Monday, we got home a little later than we would have liked and had some laundry to do (remember that it's all done by hand in a tub.... I miss the washing machine). During the laba (laundry) session, we had another brown out (yay). So we couldn't rinse our clothes for a while. luckily it came back on but the prospect of sleeping without a fan and getting eaten by mosquitoes was not very inviting. Then after the brown out, (and don't ask me how) I managed to shut my EAR in the door!!!! It hurt so bad, I grabbed my machete but I couldn't find anything we could afford to cut. So we got to bed way later than we should have.
The next day is where things started unraveling.  We went and talked with one of our less active ladies. Then, on the way back,  we took the wrong path and got lost briefly and had to double back and walked for a VERY long time and were exhausted. We taught our only lesson of the day and rushed to the palengke (market) to catch a trike and saw the last one pulling out with a woman in the back of it. We stopped them and she asked,  "Where are you going?" When we answered she said,  "No, it's too far.", and got the driver
to drive off (nothing is that far here in a trike). So we walked all the way back and were wiped! We ran into a really nice young less active girl who we have been working with. She decided to tell us that she is getting baptized into another church. Her friends were all there laughing at our reaction like it was some sort of game and they had just scored a goal or something. On top of that, we were preparing for a zone meeting and the apartment is infested with ants.
Many other things happened but one day will suffice. Anyways, it was a tough week.

Then things started to turn around. On Friday we had our zone meeting. I met with the president and he shared some gems of wisdom as he usually does and I got a priesthood blessing. I realized that the reason I have been most upset is due to the pains I feel from seeing the people I serve suffer. It's a good thing that I feel that way, is what the president said. It's love. I felt that same love for all of those at the zone meeting. They are each so special and amazing to be around.
I got to work with the new Canadian elder in our zone. He is already much better at Tagalog than I was at that point.
On Saturday we had a baptismal interview for an investigator lady and she is very much ready. She is amazing. Sunday we had 27 less active members attend church - amazing too! It warmed my heart to see them walking up to the church doors. Another family will be baptized on the 28th and on may 5, the old gentleman we've been teaching will also be baptized.
Yesterday we played volleyball at the beach as well as rugby and I felt so attached to the missionaries I serve with.
 We taught one of our investigators with Sister O. She told us she's having a hard time with the Book of Mormon. We asked her why and she said she always starts crying whenever she reads it. The spirit just overcomes her.  The young less active girl who told us she's getting baptized into another church,  as it turns out, is being pressured and she says she knows it's not right and she feels it.
One of the elders put it into perspective for me on the bus yesterday and it really hit me. He asked, "What did Christ have in his hands feet and side when he appeared to the Nephites?" (marks or scars). He then asked me, "Do you not think you're going to have marks from your mission?"
 I guess it wouldn’t be fair for Christ to suffer the pains of the whole WORLD and I, as his servant, were to feel nothing. He also didn't complain once when he suffered. I learned a huge lesson this week.
I love my Saviour and He loves me. He will ALWAYS help me and there is nothing - no power in the universe, that can stop him. There is no depth I can sink to that he won't go to get me. All that could stop me is my own poor use of my agency. I wish I could find better words to express what I feel.
I love my mission. I love my Saviour and I love all those I serve and serve with because of Him. I love you guys too. Do all you can to use the atonement every day.
Elder Dustan

Little Corner of the Kingdom - Week 49. Serving in Camalaniugan

Had my first district activity today. We ate lunch at the church and then we played some filipino kids games,
one of which is a mix between cricket, tag, and bowling. It was fun.

General Conference blew my  medyas (socks) right off! I got more out of this one than out of all the previous conferences put together. We had to wake up early Sunday morning to go and round up some investigators that had wanted to come. It was pouring rain and we went over to Bantay (we scream it like a kamikaze pilot) where there is just a dirt/mud path. The dirt in Bantay is reddish. It's a really beautiful place. There, we picked up the young woman I mentioned last week who lived in Canada and then we got in the branch mission leader's jeepney. He very generously gives free rides and is always punctual. Then we went to pick up the elderly man that we've been teaching. He is the coolest guy.
We waited with a small group of members in the rain for the jeepney to come by and got in and on the way over I felt so impressed with all of them. I looked around and there were only about 12-15 of us, but I felt a strong love for them all and felt like they were all very elect people. They were all showing their faith to go all the way to the district centre in Appari to watch General Conference in a language they don't even understand.

As we drove through the rain to Aparri we stopped periodically at different peoples houses (members and investigators) to see if they were ready to come too. If they weren't, we had to leave them and it was a sad experience. If they were ready, my love for all of the people in the jeepney grew immensly.
 We had listened to a talk by President Eyring the day before conference (a talk from last conference) about his little branch in Jersey where he was the only deacon. It wasn't a well established branch but it was part of the Kingdom nonetheless. That's how I felt about our little branch here.

I got so much revelation in General Conference - not even things they said exactly but things that came to my mind as they were speaking. I wrote down many questions, ideas, things I need to improve on, etc. It was a really rewarding experience.

Filipinos do really really well at understanding the 'what' - they crave learning. I love them for that. But just like back home, some people just seem to struggle when it comes to understanding the 'why'. I've come to realize that I need to help them do that better.

As I said before, I feel comfortable with my Tagalog. But I now realize that that isn't good enough. I need to do more in my language study as well as personal and companionship study in order to be better equipped to explain the 'why' to those I teach. I figure this week is a great week to make some reforms in my life.

We have interviews with the president this week and will be working with him too, as we have a zone meeting. We have to give a 1 hour practical training (yikes!).
We went on a double exchange with the elders in Lasam. I felt the spirit very well there. In fact, the only time I don't feel the spirit is due to my own stubborness and failing to accept and trust in the Lord's help, but He can see exactly which path is the one that will bring me pinaka (the most) happiness.

 I had my first experience with the paparazzi in Lasam (it's way out there, so rarely do they see white guys). A man walked up to me with his cellphone and shoved it inches from my face and started following me. I asked someone what he was doing and he told me, "He's just excited to see an 'Americano'."

 Anyways, it was a pretty good week. We are going to be way busy these next two weeks too. I feel like I am getting the hang of being a ZL effectively now. But the president told me before, "Just when you get good at a calling or assignment, you get a new one! It does keep you humble though."
I have a feeling I won't be a ZL much longer. I feel like I have so much more to do and learn and study and I only have a year left.

I love you guys and am really happy that we are a family - and will be
forever. Have a great week!!!
-Elder Dustan

Ants In My Pants - Week 48. Serving in Camalaniugan

We had a pretty crazy week. Crazy meaning uber, uber, busy. We had two district meetings and then we went on splits twice. We had some really good work this week, I am really impressed. But now the problem is, that I don't have a whole lot of time to tell you about it, but I will tell you some highlights.

 I went on splits with the branch president. We went to an investigator family and as we get to the house I see a dog laying by the bench with its legs tied. I was pretty distracted during that lesson. They were going to have it for supper. That was my first time seeing that.

We had our district meeting in Lal-lo and we had been thinking lately that these meetings haven't been as spiritual as we would have liked so we taught about Christ and how to draw closer to him and to centre our teaching on Him. It was a really spiritual meeting and I was really happy with it.

The best part of the week was when on Saturday, we got punted really bad
by both our fellowshippers and by our appointments. Then we had no clue
what to do so we decided to mosey on over to a members house  in the middle of nowhere. When we got there, no one was home. But then we talked to the neighbours and they were so excited to listen to us. They are a young couple, just married about a year ago. Just after they got married the wife had an accident and now suffers from a blood disease. She was a missionary for another church and served in China, Thailand AND TORONTO! She lived in Canada for a year! Her husband now works in the bukid (rice fields). They are soooo sweet and they wanted to know EVERYTHING. We started at the
beginning of the first lesson and finished it all in ONE lesson. That
is rarely done. We gave them a Book of Mormon and they are just so excited. We felt the spirit so strongly after that and the day was just great. We are praying hard for them. I have never seen anyone soak up doctrine and ask so many inspired questions. That was so exciting. Sorry, I can't quite explain what it felt like but it was almost an Ammon teaching King Lamoni kind of experience.

 We finally burned our trash this week and I felt stinging all over my legs and realized I had been standing on an ant hill while I was doing it!!! Little jiggers bit me reallly bad.
Sorry it's a short one this week. I gotta get going. I love you guys lots.  Take care!!!
-Elder Dustan

An Awesome Old Man - Week 47. Serving in Camalaniugan

This week was really intense. I have never been this exhausted in any week of my whole life, including the time our stake youth broke the Guinness record for the longest choral recital, and any week of late school projects.

 We had Zone Leader Conference, two district meetings, a district correlation meeting and a district leaders council meeting this week.

We left way early for Zone Leader Conference on Tuesday morning (got up even earlier to do our intense workout). The bridge is out though so we had to take a jeep to the bridge and go underneath and catch a bus there (there's no water under that bridge for some reason). The jeep just flew. The driver was loving it - like it was a need for speed or something but in a huge old jeep that wouldn't pass any emissions test in the world. There were two teachers with us on the jeep and one told me to marry her daughter and take her to Canada. When I paused to think of what to say she sensed I was hesitant and added, "You don't have to stay with her, just get her there, you can divorce her after." We turned it into a joke though and laughed about it.
 We got to the bridge that was out (it's been under construction for two years and even when it was okay to drive over it wasn't finished and looked a lot like a roller coaster). As we pulled up, there were crowds of people everywhere and they mobbed us and started grabbing our bags. It freaked us out for a second but then we realized that they just wanted to carry our bags down the sketchy straircase that went from the top of the bridge. It looked like a scene from a disaster movie! It was crazy. We got 'hey joe'd' like crazy too.
We got on an old rickety bus because we were told they were leaving before the air conditioned bus. We sat down at the back of the bus and one of the elders (his first ZLC) found a homemade  knife in the seat. One time we found underwear, a towel, now a knife. I then saw the air conditioned bus was about to leave so we switched buses and got to go to Laoag in style...kind of.
ZLC was great. When we got back to our zone, I met the new Canadian elder at their district meeting. Nice guy.

 On Friday we split with the branch president and another member. We taught a wonderful old man. He is such a sweet man. The member translated for me as he only speaks Ilocano. I asked about his reading and he has read all but the last two pages of the Book of Mormon!!!!!!!!!!!!! He told us before that he can't understand the book as the Ilocano is really deep. But I guess the Spirit helped him as he actually understands what he read. At the end I decided to bear my testimony to him in English and after a couple of seconds he closed his eyes. I finished and thought to myself, "I wonder if he feels sick or something." Then he responded in Ilocano but in exact response to what I said!! He got it! I love that man. He lives in an old trailer that has been stripped of everything and he sleeps on an old house door with a blanket.

On Sunday at church, it was raining. It's been way cold here: 18-20 degrees with cold, windy rain!!! We switched weather! Just after sacrament I looked out and saw the old man I mentioned above walking down the walkway to the chapel with a HUGE payong - like a patio umbrella! What an entrance!

We bought some BBQ sauce in Laoag and we made "Sprite chicken". You cook chicken and potatoes in BBQ sauce and Sprite with onion and garlic and it was REALLY good.

 Anyways, those are my stories for the week. I am way tired and still loving every minute of it!
I love you guys lots and will always pray for you. Listen hard to General Conference. You're lucky to get it a week earlier than us!!!
Take care of each other!!!!
-Elder Dustan