Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving! I( can't even mention that
it's thanksgiving to anyone here. All the Americans freak out and tell me it's not thanksgiving).
Well that's almost another transfer down. It's week 6 now and the transfer list came out this morning. I woke up around5:30
and woke Elder T. We came down to the office and checked out the transfer list.
The zones are all rearranged (Magapit zone is no more) and there are 4 new areas. With 16 newbies coming in, there was a lot of shuffling. I think there were maybe
only 4 companionships that didn't move. My companion, Elder M, is being transferred to Lal-lo (he better keep that place clean!). Elder P is also
transferred. He is going to the very southernmost part of the mission, Tagudin
Ilocos Sur right near Baguio
Elder T's new companion will be trained as the new finance secretary and you'll never guess who it is... my trainer, Elder S!! That flippin' guy keeps following me! My new companion is Elder K.
As I mentioned before, in our office meeting, President said he was going to change the office hours to 3-9 instead of 6-9. However, this week has been so busy with other stuff that we actually had less proselyting hours than usual. I'm feeling a little anxious lately because I'm realizing how little time I have left here and really want to do so much more - I'm not finished yet!
I remember one elder leaping for joy when he left and teasing us about how he'll never have to deal with the pork skin, the noise, the hairy-legged women and the "Hey Joe"'s. I imagined yesterday that I was on the airplane going home and I felt sick. I will really miss everything about this place.
We had a plan this week for M and E to work with us in teaching a less active family like they did before but this time they were to prepare a lesson and study for it and actually teach. We brought a big piece of paper and markers and we made a snakes n' ladders game. We were going to play it with the family but when we got there, the kids weren't home. We thought the game wouldn't be effective without them but we played anyways and Tatay was having so much fun! We played a round and it was just a fun game and then afterwards M and E talked a bit about blessings, trials, temptations and sin. Then we related it to the game - blessings being the ladders and the snakes were the temptations. We wrote some examples of blessings we've received on the ladders and then some examples of temptations on the snakes. Then we played again. It took a while but finally someone landed on the snake and they were about to go way back almost to the beginning. We stopped them and said, "Okay, this is a tukso (tempation)" (it happened to be breaking the law of chastity). We told Nanay (who landed on the snake) "you get to choose if you want to fall down the snake or not. It's up to you."
She was confused at first. We asked, "Do you believe the law of chastity is true?"
"Yes", she said. Then we asked her if she would like to follow it or break it. She said she wanted to follow it. So we said, "Great! You don't fall down the snake then!"
They were all excited and surprised. I think it really showed them how much control we have over our own destines . I love that family.
We had a Zone Training Meeting on Saturday morning and it was really sweet. The senior missionary couple who came to P's with us made a bunch of news lists: there is the unbaptised member list, the priesthood ordination list, the family/household list and the converts in the past 2 years list. I don't know if those are usual back home but that is a new thing to have here. Those lists are going to help us a lot.
After being punted all day Saturday, we went to teach P. It was really good. He had customers at his water station and he went over to one of them and asked if he would like to join us as we read the Book of Mormon. He came over and joined us. P was so great. Very easy going, not awkward, very straight up with the doctrine but still simple. The guy was really nice too. We read Mosiah 27 until he had to leave and then we discussed the reading with P and his wife, S. She told us that she is really excited to get baptised We asked her why. (I've heard a lot of people say, "Because it's what Papa Jesus wants me to do." They say everything is Tagalog or Ilocano except the "Papa Jesus" part). But her answer was, "Because I did what you said and prayed to God about it and he said yes." She is so awesome. We asked her how it felt and she couldn't really explain it except saying it felt good and kind of motioning to her chest with her palm.
I'm just realizing recently that I have not been using "Preach My Gospel" the way I should have been for most of my mission. I read Jacob 5 as well as "Preach My Gospel", chapter 8 and I realized that I have been doing many things my own way for a long time and that's why often things don't work out properly. I've seriously noticed that when I just do all I can to follow exactly what has been directed by the prophet, things work out.
I'm excited to get started on this next transfer. Our ward mission leader is not renewing his contract at work (which makes him work Sundays) and he will be at church every Sunday. We are about to finally get our 15 focus names from the bishop to give us some direction in the area. There are a bunch of young mission-age priesthood holders coming to church now too. ThePhilippines
Things are going well and I am way excited for General Conference! I wish I could be there with you guys at thanksgiving. Have a great turkey dinner. I get to eat adobo instead so I can't complain. I miss you lots!
Elder Dustan
Well that's almost another transfer down. It's week 6 now and the transfer list came out this morning. I woke up around
Elder T's new companion will be trained as the new finance secretary and you'll never guess who it is... my trainer, Elder S!! That flippin' guy keeps following me! My new companion is Elder K.
As I mentioned before, in our office meeting, President said he was going to change the office hours to 3-9 instead of 6-9. However, this week has been so busy with other stuff that we actually had less proselyting hours than usual. I'm feeling a little anxious lately because I'm realizing how little time I have left here and really want to do so much more - I'm not finished yet!
I remember one elder leaping for joy when he left and teasing us about how he'll never have to deal with the pork skin, the noise, the hairy-legged women and the "Hey Joe"'s. I imagined yesterday that I was on the airplane going home and I felt sick. I will really miss everything about this place.
We had a plan this week for M and E to work with us in teaching a less active family like they did before but this time they were to prepare a lesson and study for it and actually teach. We brought a big piece of paper and markers and we made a snakes n' ladders game. We were going to play it with the family but when we got there, the kids weren't home. We thought the game wouldn't be effective without them but we played anyways and Tatay was having so much fun! We played a round and it was just a fun game and then afterwards M and E talked a bit about blessings, trials, temptations and sin. Then we related it to the game - blessings being the ladders and the snakes were the temptations. We wrote some examples of blessings we've received on the ladders and then some examples of temptations on the snakes. Then we played again. It took a while but finally someone landed on the snake and they were about to go way back almost to the beginning. We stopped them and said, "Okay, this is a tukso (tempation)" (it happened to be breaking the law of chastity). We told Nanay (who landed on the snake) "you get to choose if you want to fall down the snake or not. It's up to you."
She was confused at first. We asked, "Do you believe the law of chastity is true?"
"Yes", she said. Then we asked her if she would like to follow it or break it. She said she wanted to follow it. So we said, "Great! You don't fall down the snake then!"
They were all excited and surprised. I think it really showed them how much control we have over our own destines . I love that family.
We had a Zone Training Meeting on Saturday morning and it was really sweet. The senior missionary couple who came to P's with us made a bunch of news lists: there is the unbaptised member list, the priesthood ordination list, the family/household list and the converts in the past 2 years list. I don't know if those are usual back home but that is a new thing to have here. Those lists are going to help us a lot.
After being punted all day Saturday, we went to teach P. It was really good. He had customers at his water station and he went over to one of them and asked if he would like to join us as we read the Book of Mormon. He came over and joined us. P was so great. Very easy going, not awkward, very straight up with the doctrine but still simple. The guy was really nice too. We read Mosiah 27 until he had to leave and then we discussed the reading with P and his wife, S. She told us that she is really excited to get baptised We asked her why. (I've heard a lot of people say, "Because it's what Papa Jesus wants me to do." They say everything is Tagalog or Ilocano except the "Papa Jesus" part). But her answer was, "Because I did what you said and prayed to God about it and he said yes." She is so awesome. We asked her how it felt and she couldn't really explain it except saying it felt good and kind of motioning to her chest with her palm.
I'm just realizing recently that I have not been using "Preach My Gospel" the way I should have been for most of my mission. I read Jacob 5 as well as "Preach My Gospel", chapter 8 and I realized that I have been doing many things my own way for a long time and that's why often things don't work out properly. I've seriously noticed that when I just do all I can to follow exactly what has been directed by the prophet, things work out.
I'm excited to get started on this next transfer. Our ward mission leader is not renewing his contract at work (which makes him work Sundays) and he will be at church every Sunday. We are about to finally get our 15 focus names from the bishop to give us some direction in the area. There are a bunch of young mission-age priesthood holders coming to church now too. The
Things are going well and I am way excited for General Conference! I wish I could be there with you guys at thanksgiving. Have a great turkey dinner. I get to eat adobo instead so I can't complain. I miss you lots!
Elder Dustan
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