Testifying Off the Grid - Week 59. Serving in Laoag

This was a pretty eventful week. We have our Sunday meetings at the stake center in Laoag (we are in Laoag 1st ward). We got invited to share our testimonies in sacrament meeting as we are three new elders (I will get to who the third one is in a bit).
Elder P went first and bore his testimony and then I was up. As I got on the stand and was walking towards the pulpit, the power went out!! So I kind of walked backwards a little and forwards again to see if it would come on as I knew all the filipinos would get a kick out of it. I had to speak really loudly which was good because with no microphone, everyone listened harder. Then as I was closing my testimony, the power came back on. Everyone loved it and told me that I must have powers. Some of them said that satan really didn't want me to bear my testimony.  Oh yeah, President and Sister O are in our ward! Sometimes they travel to other branches and wards but often they are in ours, which is pretty sweet.

On Monday I went with Sister O an drove in the Philippines my first time. I started on a back roads and then we went to Robinsons mall (it's the only real mall in the mission. It felt weird to be driving to a mall after walking through rice fields for so long but I don't need to tell you which one I prefer). Then we went over the Laoag bridge to Centro which is bananas! But don't worry,  I am positive that driving here is safer than back home. Road rage is rare here and people seem to drive slower.
Here are some of the rules we follow: Assume that everyone will do the opposite of what they are signaling to do (most of them don't signal actually. Sometimes they will wave their hand one way and sometimes they will just turn randomly). Drive very, very defensively. Don't go over 80km/hr. Use the horn (the horn is not rude here). When you pass someone, you need to beep twice like the roadrunner beeps, and then pass. The single beep is kind of rude. It just means get out of the way. Watch the sides of the road because there are motorbikes, trikes, dogs, kids, chickens, cows, water buffalo, etc. everywhere. People here actually have as much right to the road as any vehicle.
On Wednesday, I actually drove quite a bit. We took a new fridge (here they're called refs) to Candon, which is past Narvacan and Santa Maria. Myself, an elder from Fiji and an elder from Manila took the truck while Sister O and another elder took a car. It's cool to see so much of the mission. I am used to driving now. I have yet to see an accident here too, so really don't worry at all. People here are less crazy than the people that are on the road in North America.

There are 6 office elders now and two assistants to the president. There is the elder from Fiji - he is only a transfer old. I chatted with him all the way home from Candon. He told me all about fiji, his rugby career and his schooling (he is studying to be a doctor). Then there's me (travel secretary and president's personal assistant), Elder M, my companion (records and vehicles), Elder P (supplies and mail) and his comp, Elder T (finance). Then there is Elder Mc who has been here the longest. He pretty much shows us all around the office and does stuff for Sister O. His comp is the new elder I mentioned from Fiji.

Apparently this is the second most efficient and disciplined mission (fewest sent home etc.) in the Philippines so I find this structure of things works well. We will see what the new president thinks though. In two week they come in. President and Sister O only have dinner with them and then President O does a one hour overview with the new president and then they leave. It's going to be really sad. The movers come next week. I had an interview with the president yesterday (he does one extra interview with the office elders because, he says, if they are doing well, then the mission will do well) - my last one with him.

 I am trying to gain weight right now. I had lost ten pounds in Cagayan and now I am trying to get back to what I was before the mission. It's coming along well. I do a great work out every morning at 6 and then eat a huge
breakfast. I have already gained 5 or 6 pounds. I saw my old companion, Elder S on Tuesday as they were here for ZLC and he was waaaay skinny. He was wearing a shirt I left behind and he used to be two sizes bigger than me! Cagayan syndrome I guess. All that said, Cagayan is my favourite part of the mission which shows you how amazing it must be. All LBM's aside, it is so beautiful.

I think I have run out of stuff to say and we have to get going and do some studies. I love you guys so much.
-Elder Dustan