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
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
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