You Don't Know Squat... Till You Squat - Week 65. Serving in Laoag

Hey guys! The internet is up and running after being down multiple times this week. When you have numerous unscheduled brown-outs, it really takes a toll on computers. This week has been good. We are keeping busy. We taught P last Friday. He framed "The Family, a Proclamation to the World" and put it up on the wall in the place where he does all his business (water station). Wish you guys could meet him, he's a great guy. He has all the seminary manuals, the standard works of course, missionary library, and he reads them all.

People here respect us. It's funny, there will be a crowd of rowdy guys yelling at each other and then we walk by and they all just say, "Good evening brother!"

 Saturday we went to one of our less active member's houses. She was busy but we went and talked to her sister who was cleaning bottle caps. The place where they live is a little house with a huge dirt front yard and a couple of trees on it. There, they dump all the recyclable materials they collect, sort them, clean them, and then they take them somewhere and re-sell them. Our less-active was putting old bottles in a side-car and we asked if we could help but she said that she didn't need any help so we washed bottle caps with the other sister. The little kids all came over too and squatted with us at this big plastic laundry bowl full of laundry soaped water and bottle caps. We all washed bottle caps for a while and the kids were loving it that two white guys would do such a thing. On one hand that makes me laugh and on the other I feel terrible that everyone thinks that I don't know how to work because I'm "rich". Anyways, they appreciated it.

Later we got punted a bunch and so we went to another less active of ours. She just had a baby a few weeks ago. She was washing dishes when we got there (which also takes place in a squatting position by a big bowl). She told us she had a bad fever so we just squatted down and washed her dishes. You may not realize how monumental that is. No Filipino has EVER let me wash their dishes! This woman must have been really sick to allow us to do it. Afterwards she asked us for a blessing so we went inside and administered to her. Her sister was there visiting and she looked a little confused.

 After we gave the sick lady and her baby a blessing, as both had gotten sick, the grandma said, " I want one too", so we gave her one. Then the sister said, "Me too!", so we gave her one. My priesthood muscle was sore afterwards. It was a good experience.

We then went to another member family that is preparing to go to the temple in December. I love them, they are so sweet. Tatay is so humble. He runs his own piggery. They live in the piggery too. They have multiple cement pens for the pigs in a big bamboo barn and on one side, they have their kitchen and "living room". Weird thing is that it doesn't smell in there. They keep it so clean that if you didn't see the pigs or hear the squeals, you would never know there are over a dozen pigs in there.

We lifted some feed sacks for them (they were 50kg!) and then we went with tatay as he fed them. The one nanay pig gave birth days earlier and the little piglets were running around in the pen trying not to get stepped on by the mother. I stood and watched them for a little bit and this one piglet just went around headbutting the others. I named him Stamplet (Stampy from the Simpsons mixed with piglet). I found it fitting.

On Sunday E and M said they wouldn't be able to come to church. We were down about that and then halfway through Sunday School, they both walked in! I love those two. Later that day we brought the sacrament to an old tatay who is sick. He speaks only a little Tagalog but more English. He's pretty funny though. We asked him how he was feeling and he looks off to his right and says in pure English, "well, I feel drunk". He's got new meds and isn't feeling well at all. We taught him and as we were doing so, a big storm came up out of nowhere. The wind was crazy and it was raining sideways! People were running in the streets to get back to their houses and there the three of us are, sitting calmly administering the sacrament! We even got to use bread this time (last time I did that, it was an apple, as that's all they had).

After our bagyo sacrament was done, tatay started crying and pulled down the peak of his baseball cap to hide it. He's such a sweet guy. We told him we would be back next week and we would give him a blessing if he feels he would like one. So that was a good experience.

We walked through the rain and taught one more lesson. When it rains hard there is no point in using a payong as you are going to get soaked anyways. But when you don't use one EVERYONE freaks out. When you walk by, people shout "Basa na kayo" or "You are wet"!

We walked by a birthday party and there were about 15 kids on the porch area. One little boy saw us and ran to the edge of the porch and started yelling and then all the other kids followed. It's exciting for them to see a couple a crackas. On the way back they did the same thing.

Elder M and I went and picked up some desks in the truck on Tuesday and then delivered them to another area. Then on Wednesday, President B invited us into his office and told us that we would be getting another companion. President told us, "Show him how to serve the Lord. Teach him to love the people. Teach him how to learn the language", so that is what we will do.

 E and M came and worked with us last night. It was awesome. I love those two.

I love you guys and can't wait to hear from you next week.
-Elder Dustan

What's in a Name? - Week 64. Serving in Laoag

The internet is down in the office so I am emailing from a computer shop once again. I know a ton of stuff happened this week but I didn't bring my planner so I will have to rely on my memory. Monday morning I woke up to Elder A standing in the doorway with the transfer list (we get to see it before anyone else). So I jumped off my bunk and landed on the couch and read it. Usually it's a crazy, exciting and surprising thing. No changes in the office though and the majority of the missionaries I have come to love weren't on there - to be expected though, while a new president gets to know his missionaries.

I was pretty sick on Monday. I felt all hot and my muscles hurt all over. I took the pills I would usually take and drank heaps of water.

We taught a woman that night who is pregnant. We talked about names for babies. We pitched a bunch of ideas. I pitched Josef Stalin and the girl's nanay LOVED it. "It sounds like Josef Stylin' ". Good thing I had the heart to finally tell them who he was.

Then we turned to the scriptures and read about the sons of Helaman and why they had their names. We discussed how the way a parent acts creates a "name" for the children - like how Nephi could say he was born of goodly parents. It was a good lesson.

I told her how I am happy that I am part of a family with a good name and that my mga ate (older sisters) married men with good names as well (albeit adjectives). She just opened up after that and talked all about how she wants to go back to church.

People here seem to think that North America is a dream land where all things are good, no hard labour, no money problems etc.

 We took E and M out to work with us. They loved it. We got punted by a nanay and as she is telling us why we can't come in, M just pipes up and says "Nanay, we just want to share the gospel with you, that's all." He is legit. We didn't teach any lessons with them but they are excited to come out and work next week. It will really give them an idea of what missionary work is about instead of just the view of an investigator.

They asked us what we wear when we go to bed and thought we just sleep in our proselyting clothes. When we showed them pictures of us in our p-day clothes they freaked out. They are both so interested in missionary work and love that we don't get paid (of course, everyone here thinks we do).
We are going to get them involved in a service project before they are baptized (August 25th is their date for baptism). We gave them the idea of cleaning the beach and they loved it. Then they said, "When would you like us to go and clean the beach elders?" - they didn't realize we would be coming with them and were ready to go by themselves! I love those two. You can't even know how much they make us soooo happy!

 We just got a new batch of missionaries in yesterday. They seem pretty solid.
That's all I can think of today. I love you all tons and will write to you again soon.
Elder Dustan

"Helmet on Your Head, Not on Your Elbow" - Week 63. Serving in Laoag

I can hardly remember what happened this week, it went so fast! One thing I can tell you is that evening shenanigans have risen by like 90%. Last Saturday night I decided to jump rope before I went to bed (I am working out my legs since I am not walking as much here in Laoag). Elder T walked by and decided that seeing if he could do double dutch would be a worthy pursuit. So we spent a half hour or so trying to fit two grown men into the same Filipino-sized jump rope (bye, bye masculinity). In the end we got pretty good at it and it turned out to be a pretty intense exercise.

Elder P got a package from his parents. There were several elastic band guns in it and there have been a couple of nights where heated battles ensued. I find elastic bands in my pockets, in my shorts, they are everywhere. We discovered that you can load multiple bands on the same gun which calls for some fun when you can pull one little trigger and spray a hailstorm of deadly rubber at someone.

Last night we found a stress ball in the apartment and before we knew it, there was a game going of hitting each otherwith the ball... sounds retarded but when you sit in the office and meetings all day, you take ANY chance you get to have some sort of physical activity.... and I pegged Elder M pretty good.

I have been noticing that in this area and during this transfer, I have not been paying as much attention to mission stats. I used to be quite the opposite, not that numbers were my reason for working, but it was very satisfying to see a high work percentages at the end of the week. But now, without really thinking about it, I have just stopped caring so much about the numbers. I realize why we have them in the mission - because if you have goals and you are organized, you are more likely to be effective in the work. But this past Tuesday we had only one lesson in our three hours of work. I have worked with missionaries who rush lessons and don't answer questions just to fit in the number of lessons they wanted.

 Last Tuesday our one lesson was with E and M. We taught them about repentance and, to be honest, it was in my top five funnest lessons of all time. We answered their questions, we read with them, we joked and chatted with them and I know they understand how to repent and why. We got punted at the next two places we went to but at the first, we chatted with the family, set up a time when we could come back, got to know them a little bit and then moved on (they were cooking and eating). Then the last place we went to, we had a less active RM tell us about his mission, show us his pictures and he taught us a little object lesson thing. We didn't teach a lesson as there wasn't really time, but I know and feel that just by helping him remember the excitement he felt on his mission, we fulfilled our purpose. When we got back to the apartment we both felt really good and couldn't stop telling Elders T and P about how great our night was.

This week we taught a nice little family. We chatted with them and I really loved Tatay. He was hilarious. His son had a hockey shirt on. He has five kids and I asked where they all were. He named them off and where they were - one of them being in Cebu for school. As he is talking, a teenage girl walks behind Tatay (whom I was was facing). She waves and smiles at us and goes up the stairs (yeah, they had stairs!). I asked him who it was. He says with a surprised look, "Oh... I thought she was in Cebu!". (FYI, Cebu is very far away).

We taught them about how we are children of God. He was genuinely surprised. Everyone here knows that "we are God's children" but the actuality of it is lost on them. He was kind of excited and said, "I never saw it that way". I explained how a baby carabao will become like its parents - a full-grown carabao. I used the example of his kids (the bunso with the hockey shirt). I asked his son how old he was and was planning on saying that he will grow up to be like his dad and he answers me in a deep, deep voice, "10". We all had a good laugh about that one. That was a fun family to be with.

We had an FHE at P's house and it seemed like half the ward came - it was sweet. He made spaghetti and it wasn't the Filipino spaghetti but real spaghetti. It was a good night.

 One the way back from there we saw something on the road ahead (it's kind of a built up area with street lights and paved road) and as we went by in the truck we saw that a man had crashed his motorcycle. He was on the ground and trying to get up (no medical workers anywhere and about 20 people standing and watching). He had crashed and skidded on his face. It's a rule here you have to HAVE a helmet when you are on a motor (that's what they call any motorcycle or scooter - just a motor). The rule does not say you have to WEAR the helmet (genius!). There is a sign I read at the licensing place in Batac that said, "Helmet sa ulo, hindi sa siko" or "helmet on your head not on your elbow" (that's where they hang their helmets here). As he slowly staggered to his feet there was of course, a helmet hanging from his elbow. That was a crazy thing to see but I can still count the accidents I have seen on one hand.

Right now, my companion is showing me the pictures of his brother's demo derby. He got plowed by some car and got knocked unconscious and they had to take him out with the jaws of life and send him to the hospital. I was shocked and then realized my companion's expression was one of excitement and being deeply impressed with his brother. His brother was fine. He has a picture of him in a neck brace and he is giving the thumbs up. Looks like he just won the lottery. It's crazy the difference in culture just half a continent away (Utah).

 My companion and I get along really well. I love him a lot. We both love ska and agree on a lot of old punk bands.

Anyways, that's my week thus far. It's about to get way busy as transfer list comes out tomorrow.
I love you guys sooooooo much  Tell Grams I love her like the Vintar monkey loves punching missionaries in the head.
-Elder Dustan

The Cracka Returns - Week 62. Serving in Laoag

This week has truly been papayas. We had a new senior missionary couple  come in last Saturday. They are from Utah. We gave them some of the supplies they need and then sent them with the other senior couple for the time being.

We went to teach M and E, our 18 year old investigator and his 13 year old cousin (we originally thought they were brother and sister). She had puffy eyes and looked really upset. She told us her dad had died the night of the storm (Thursday) and it actually happened while we were teaching her. Her family lives in Vintar (in Surong valley which I never got to go to because it's really far - two and a half hours away from the apartment). Apparently her dad got pneumonia and died.

We sat down with them and started talking. We asked if they had any questions about their reading. They asked where we go when we die. We taught the entire Plan of Salvation to them in one lesson. She stopped us at one point and asked, "So I will get to see my dad again?" We told her she would and that it wouldn't just be seeing him, but she could be with him forever. Just like that, she was back to her old self as if nothing had happened. She has amazing faith to be able to see things like that at her age.

Sunday was the O's last Sunday here. Being a fast and testimony Sunday they got up and bore amazing testimonies and had everyone in tears. Elders M, Mc and myself had opened our fasts with President O the night before as we were all fasting for M & E. On Sunday we gave them both blessings. It was a great experience.

 President and Sister O stayed in a hotel Sunday night and came to say bye just in case that was the last chance. It was sad. President and Sister B arrived that night. On Monday they had a 3 hour training with each other and then that was it. We took pictures together. It was weird calling President O Brother O and seeing him without a nametag. As soon as the new mission president sets foot in his assigned area, the old mission president no longer holds the keys.

We took the Escape to finally install the new brakes and then we went on exchange with the zone leaders (we are in the San Nicolas zone). I worked with elder C - it was great. On Tuesday we worked in the office and President and Sister B and the assistants went to Cagayan for two zone conferences. I had already typed up the schedule for their first 3 weeks under Sister O's direction - an hour by hour schedule of what they needed to do so they know what's going on. The assistants are helping to bring them up to speed as well. They come back today.

We taught M & E and they were wondering about what they need to do to be ready for baptism. We reminded them of some of the things they had been taught and with just a little mention from us, they would explain what the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity were. It's sweet to see that they understand it all so well.

Wednesday was a normal day and then we got a phone call for one of the missionaries in Vintar. He had a family emergency and needed to call home right away. So I had an emergency exchange in VINTAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooooooo excited for that part. So I stuffed some things into a bag and went to Vintar. I worked with an elder there that was born in Kurdistan (part of Iran I think?). He moved to Australia as a baby. He looks like he won't speak any English and then speaks with a crazy-thick Aussie accent. It's pretty neat. He was excited because everyone in Vintar has kind of built me up because I am the first cracka (white guy) they can remember so he thought he was exchanging with a legend (poor guy is so misinformed).

 We got punted everywhere in the rain. We did get to teach R (the man we baptized while I was there). He has a little 6 or 8 month old boy now and he is really cute. He was really excited to see me . Demma also flipped her lid when she saw me and made me give her my number and address. Next year in August she is going to visit her siblings in Montreal and she said she would come and visit us. That would be hilarious! You guys would love her, she is so funny.

I woke up Thursday morning (it was sooooo weird to wake up in Vintar -  like a dream or something), got ready and the other elders picked us up in the truck, which was loaded up with 5 desks. We left straight from Vintar and went up north to deliver desks all day. Left at 8am and got back at 6:30pm. It was a long day of driving. Went all the way to Alacapan. Some of the road ledges were damaged from the storm so it took even longer (they blocked them off and there were some detours).

Anyways, that's my week so far. President and Sister B are great - we love them a lot. He can speak pretty good English and told us to only speak English in the office so that he can get better at it. Sister B is really sweet and wanted to feed us so bad so they ordered pizza from one of the few real pizza places in the mission and we ate tons. They can speak a little Ilocano as they were assigned to a part of Cagayan for a year or so as CES coordinators or something like that.

 I attached some photos too: Me with President and Sister O, them with President and Sister B, and a pic from Vigan (went there with Sister O and Elders M and Mc a couple of weeks ago). All cobblestone! There are also photos of the mission compound in the rain. The part on the right is the mission home, the left one is the office but the door facing the camera is the entrance to upstairs where we live. Also one of the Laoag hollywood-style sign you see as you cross the bridge, and a kuliglig packed with kahoy (wood).

Love you guys lots!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Taki ak terupam
-Elder Dustan

"Do You Remember the Shire, Elder Frodo?" - Week 61. Serving in Laoag

 My second signal-2 bagyo (typhoon) hit yesterday. Didn't last very long though. We were expecting a senior couple to come in yesterday but their flight had to turn back. Because of the storm we were cooped up in the office all day. Poor elder T's office got flooded as the painters didn't seal off the edges of the air conditioner when they put it back in place and the water just cascaded through the cracks. President and Sister O didn't want us to go out proselyting in the storm so we had to stay in and organize our area books. Except that it was our night with the truck so we begged Sister O to let us teach one lesson - which she did. We went and taught the 18 year old guy and his little sister again.

When we came back, President asked if we wanted to watch a movie. So we all sat and watched the Prince of Egypt! It was weird to be watching a movie. President does that from time to time. I'm going to miss him.

 Anyways, I had better start with the beginning of the week before I get you all confused. Last Saturday we had a driving safety guy from the church office in Manila come in and do a driver safety lesson with us. It was pretty much him showing pictures of car accidents and then saying don't be dumb. Then we each had a driving test and we all passed - even though the test was done in a huge Starex. Weird to drive a boat like that on these tiny streets.

 On Sunday I ended up teaching the investigator class. The lesson was on the fall and I enjoyed teaching it. I also got to pass the sacrament with President O. After church we taught a new investigator. She said, "Sorry I haven't really read the Book of Mormon much." Then when I asked her what she learned from what she had read. She said, "well, I never knew that Mormon is Moroni's tatay, and that Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith in 1823." It was pretty cool. We also had a less active working with us there who explained things to her sooo well.

On Monday we delivered some beds to two apartments. That is the kind of stuff that we do as they are too heavy for Pres. and Sis. O to do by themselves (actually, they are both pretty strong).

 On Tuesday I went with Sis. O and Elders M and Mc to the province of Abra. I had never been there before. There are only three cities in it and it's a very beautiful place. It looks like it's straight out of a movie - like it's the Shire or something. Some of it also reminds me of driving around Palmyra. We went and got 5 beds there and stacked them all on the back of the truck. I also saw the house of a man who has named himself the duke of the town! A DUKE. I got a picture of it. Abra is also the hottest place I have ever been.

We drove the whole day and dropped some beds off at some apartments and then Elder M and I got to squeeze a lesson in at night. We taught the 18 year old guy and his 13 year old sister again. She was so excited to tell us her story. She had prayed at the start of her school test like we had taught her to (she did it secretly which had her really tickled for some reason). The test was on 50 countries in Asia. They handed out a blank sheet and she just had to list them in order from northernmost to the south. She got 50 out of 50! She was soooo excited. She was saying, "It worked!" It was great to see.

 President and Sister B arrive on Sunday evening. President and Sister O leave this coming Monday for New Zealand. It will be rough seeing them go. This next week is going to be a crazy one. I feel like I have a hundred other things to tell you about but I am rushed right now and can't think of anything.

I got a package from Mum and from Grams! THANKS!! Canada Day will be great now! Thanks for the Senators towel - I waved it over my head as soon as I got it! I love you guys heaps and miss you like crazy.
-Elder Dustan

Yes! (We Have No Bananas) - Week 60. Serving in Laoag

This week has been straight up papayas (I'm sick of bananas). There have been some pretty solid storms that have rolled in. Rainy season is just hitting so it rains daily now. Not all day... just around the time we leave to proselyte.
On Tuesday we had an exchange with President. It was great. It still amazes me how he can talk with these people and they understand each other even though he doesn't speak the language. The Spirit is way magaling.

Before the exchange though, my companion and I had to deal with getting some repairs done on the vehicles. We needed new brakes for the Escape and its window fixed (I think a rock must have hit it at one point as it totally shattered. Every time you shut the door, a little bit more glass falls out), a tire rotation for the truck and two doors replaced on the Toyota.

The way the cars work here is we can have the truck 2 nights  a week for working (which is good because our area is huge). The same goes for the other office companionships. The assistants have the Starex all the time and Pres. and Sis. O have the Escape. There is also a little Toyota here because of a senior couple serving in Vigan (the Elder actually is the one who baptized Pres. O's Mum way back and now they are called here with President O on their mission! Cool eh?). We can take any of the cars if we need to but usually just the truck.

 On Wednesday I went to Pagudpud with Sister O to deliver beds. It was a nice drive by the ocean and we talked about all kinds of stuff. She has had some incredible experiences. On the way back, President texted us and told us to go to a district meeting that was going on to meet with an elder who had been feeling sick. We got there and I sat outside while he met with Sister O. I was invited in to give him a blessing. It was a great experience.

 We worked with the president on Tuesday and we committed the people we were teaching to fast and then we would return on Thursday and give them blessings. President felt particularly attached to them so he worked with us last night as well! Two nights this week - it was a great treat.

I studied Isaiah 58 about fasting and realized I haven't been doing it quite properly. I feel it is key to finding the answer to any concern or issue - even more so with missionary work itself as it says in verse 12, I shall "..raise up the foundations of many generations". I LOVE that chapter.

I wish I could share all I learned from talking with President and Sister O Anyways, I love you guys heaps and
miss you like an old lady misses stop signs!
-Elder Dustan