Teach it to the Marines! - Week 70. Serving in Laoag

This week we taught P and he committed to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year (4 pages a day starting last Monday). Wish you could meet him, he is so awesome.

We had M & E's baptism! We got there at 5 (start time was 6) and got everything set up. We had met a member the day before at the mall who is from our ward but moved to Hong Kong to work. She came back to get her patriarchal blessing (they told her to do it in her own country so that the language would be better understood). We invited her to come to the baptism. She was really nice. She is a ward missionary in Hong Kong and works pretty often with the missionaries there.

E texted us around 5:50 and said they were running late for the baptism. Then at 6pm I texted and asked where they were and she said they were still at the house. President B and the stake President and I went to get them as we found out that their little motorcycle ran out of gas. On our way there they texted and said don't worry we got a trike after all. So the baptism all started at around 6:30-7ish. Not bad for a filipino event. The baptism was good. E was really nervous and was afraid that Elder S would keep her down in the water (before they went into the font she said, "Elder, don't kill me!" She's hilarious). All went well. After the baptism we drove them home with President B.

Once we were back at the mission home we made... CHILI NACHOS! Yep, it was a great night. We fasted Sunday and it was a great day. Fasting always seems to do that. Church went well. M was so excited to get the gift of the Holy Ghost. I love that guy.

When church was done, we saw the girl from Hong Kong there. She looked really sad and told us that she goes home on Tuesday and that she still had not been able to get her patriarchal blessing. We went and got the bishop and asked him to help her. He called the patriarch who agreed to see her (his ward is right after hers so they would be at the chapel at the same time anyways) . She texted us later to say thanks. She said that she got her blessing and  it was incredible and answered a lot of the questions she had been having at the time.

Yesterday we found out one of our less actives who initially told us not to come back is in the hospital with some serious medical issues. We visited and they were happy to see us. I hope that they will humble themselves so that God can help them . They are sweet people.

We met an ex-marine who lives two houses down from the mission home. He's really nice and served with a church member before and wants us to help him find him. He apparently was married in the temple in Houston Texas. We are going to his house today to do some service for him . He has a huge Rottweiler and I played with it yesterday. It's so cute.

Four new missionaries arrived yesterday and they go to their areas today. I can't believe how long ago that was for me. Eight months is all I have left. I don't know where it went. Anyways, I love you guys and can't wait to hear from you again.
Elder Dustan