Bananas on the Moon - Week 90. Serving in Sarrat

Hey guys. Sorry but I have a little less time to email this week as I had to do the reporting of our zone numbers. This was a great week though. On Monday we found this guy named J. He's our barangay captain and now we are teaching him. We are still teaching the R family as well. On Monday we taught them about the restoration of the priesthood and how it blesses families. They loved it.

Tuesday was so-so. We had few appointments so we did lots of finding but had little success. The only guy we taught other than our appointments was a guy who has no job. He just sits at home and reads and drinks. All the other religions are teaching him too so we thought we'd jump in as well. He got up halfway through our lesson and went inside and took a shot and then came back out and sat down.

On Wednesday we had our Zone Leaders Conference. Before hand, we went to the palengke and I got some souvenirs - some really good ones. I'll decide whether to bring them or send them home. One thing I might do is what's called a balik bayan box. The pinoys that send stuff home from other countries send it or bring it in these huge boxes that are all taped up.

Zone Leaders Conference was sweet. It was all on chapter 9 of Preach My Gospel. For practice we went out and did an hour of finding. We taught the ex-mayor of Laoag. He was so nice. He said that the first vision is "spectacular". Conference training was sweet. President told us that there has been a 300% worldwide increase in missionaries. Don't how that works but still pretty cool. He said that they are going to put 4 missionaries in every unit but they will not put new missionaries in an unproductive area, so if you want your unit to get better, then you have to get your area doing better and then you can get two more missionaries. That's our goal for Sarrat.

Wednesday night we slept in my old apartment above the office. I had fun with my old companions, Elder K and Elder M. The next morning at about 5:15 the three of us went to M and E's. They were all sleeping and we woke the parents up when we got there. Funny thing is they didn't go back to sleep they all wanted to come and talk with us. They were so excited. It was really nice to see them. We chatted and joked with  M and E and it was just like it was before.

After Zone Leaders Conference, we went home and started to apply what we were trained on. The standard now is 8 new investigators a week. We got 17 this week! We taught a jewelry maker. He was really angry with us at first and very staunchly catholic. We just stayed calm and eventually we were able to teach him. Funny things is he LOVED the apostasy! We are going back.

Saturday we taught an old man who asked us to come over this week. He's the only member who asked us to teach him. He was sooooo nice (way fun too). I asked him how he was able to snag his wife (sounds better in Tagalog) and it was really funny - love at first sight. Then he said he's the lucky one. He asked us if we would help him and his wife get to the temple. They don't seem to have any issues as they are active members. I just don't think any one has ever helped them and they don't know what to do. They may have just fallen through the cracks.

One of our investigators told us she doesn't want us to come over anymore which really took the wind out of our sails. But teaching that guy and his family really made it all better.

On Sunday after church, a bunch of youth and young adults came and asked if they could work with us. That was great! I took the youth and the YSA went with Elder O. We taught Brother K the Plan of Salvation. I tried to get the youth to help me teach but they seemed to know very little about the Plan of Salvation. I think it woke them up to realize how much they suck (in a nice way). Bro. K told the youth that they don't know anything (SLAP!). So after the lesson I taught them. In the lesson I told them about myself and how I had been a bit like them. Then I pumped them up and also told them that if their generation goes away from the church then the church goes extinct from their country and plunges back into apostasy. It woke 'em up.

At one appointment we were teaching at, I mentioned the Terrestrial Kingdom and how it is compared to the brightness of the moon. The man went on about how scientists say it's cold on the moon but it's still good enough to plant stuff. He told me that they plant bananas on the moon. I really had to control myself and stop from laughing and peeing.

Anyways, things are going really well here. This is the best I have ever felt and also the most progress I have ever seen in myself or my area. We are really building from the ground up and it really helps us improve ourselves too.

So things are good. I miss you guys. Have a great week!
Elder Dustan

What? Dogs Setting Off Fireworks?? - Week 89. Serving in Sarrat

 On New Years Eve, after I emailed you, we were helping with some transfer stuff and we almost ran out of time for me to be able to teach M and E one last time - it was really frustrating. But it worked out and I got to see them. Apparently they wrote me a letter which I should get this week.

 That evening we were in lock-down and had nothing to do and there were some people there for early transfers so we got the flood lights out and set 'em up and then each of us put on a football jersey (we have a surplus - even I have two! One I bought because the name on the back is Harrison) and had a two hour game of football. Then we got cleaned up and went to bed but couldn't sleep with all the explosions. Fireworks are readily available here and not illegal so everyone and their dog was setting them off all over the city. At around 11:30 we went down to the parking area and watched. People were shooting really powerful fireworks all over the place like bottle rockets. They would also put them in the middle of the road and light them and then people driving by would just barely miss being blown up. It was really fun. Then we took in some pinoy tradition and had a midnight feast (President's idea, and they fed us).

On Tuesday we did transfers. I did my last driving in the Philippines and then they took us to our area. I left the office at noon and started working here that afternoon. There were only two light bulbs in the apartment (it's a very nice place though) and everything was a mess. We studied and set up an appointment with the branch president and then went out to do some finding until the appointment. Everyone told us to go away.

My companion is in his fifth transfer so he's still learning Tagalog (he's pretty good though). The branch president showed us around. We taught some members and then went home. That Tuesday night I felt as homesick as I did when I first got in the mission. Don't know why but it felt awful. We had quite a bit of work this week and met some people in the branch (this place has been a branch for a long, long time and it's in the Laoag stake).

 We did some cleaning at the meeting house and then on Saturday we had  a baptism (a 9 year old  who should have been a child of record but was late getting baptised . It was Elder O's first time baptising and the poor guy had to do it 5 times because the kid's toes kept coming up.

This week was  exhausting. Being thrown right into a new area and leading the zone is way tiring. We had church on Sunday at 9am but no one really showed up until 10 so we had no priesthood class.

We have been trying to apply things directly and exactly as they appear in Preach My Gospel and it's been working really well. We have 4 people we are planning on baptizing this transfer and two of them we just found.

 I got a letter from a girl that did my ultrasound at the hospital in Manila. She had written her phone number on the back of the ultrasound report. I felt bad when she gave me her number as she would expect me to call her - which obviously I can't do. So I told her if she wants I'd send her a letter - so I did. I wrote all about myself and how I decided to go on a mission and about the gospel and she actually wrote back! I think it's kind of hilarious. I realize that she may be having other thoughts about it so my plan is to be more clear about that and that I am just a missionary and friend. She mentioned in her letter how sad the death of her brother and father was so the next letter will be about the Plan of Salvation. Most random missionary opportunity ever!

That's pretty much my week. I love you guys lots. Have a great 2013!
Elder Dustan

The Transfer Aint Over Till the Ostrich Dances - Week 88. Serving in Laoag

Yo padres! I'M-A GETTIN' TRANSFERRED! So, here's how I found out: we were sitting in Priesthood meeting yesterday (Priesthood is first, then Sunday School and then Sacrament meeting is last) and President called and asked to talk to me. He told me I was being transferred far (so my heart dropped a little because my hope was that I would be somewhere close still so there would be a chance of seeing M and E). He then told me that I would be a senior zone leader and would also be training a new zone leader, so I assumed we were opening a new zone and the only place that is "far" and has no zone of its own is in Abra. I was a bit worried because 2013 is an election year and in an election year, Abra has troubles (the New Peoples Army), so usually western people aren't allowed there in election years. But then he told me that I would be in Sarrat (close to where I am now). He told me that our assignment is to strengthen the Laoag zone.

My companion is fairly new. I was in the office when he came into the mission. All I remember about him is that he's Hawaiian and I heard that he always speaks Tagalog - even to non-Filipino people. I think it will be a good chance to kick my language up a notch before I leave.

I am a little anxious about our new assignment as I have never been a zone leader for president B and it's very different from when the O's were here. But when I was reading the Book of Mormon yesterday, I found some great ideas and received some revelation that was so clear.

Earlier this week we went to Fort Ilocandia to get some pictures for the departing slideshow. There was a zoo there that we didn't know about! There was an enclosure with two ostriches and when we were leaving we walked by it and one walked right up to the fence until it was a couple of feet away from me (he could have pecked my eye out!). Then it started dancing! It squatted down and shook its wings and then started swaying its neck back and forth over and over for like two solid minutes! I got it on video and I'll show you when I get home.

We committed M and E to come to church and they said they have money from caroling. So yesterday when they weren't there it really hurt as it was my last Sunday there. Then a trike pulls up to  the gate and a pogi (handsome) kid in a white shirt and tie gets out, and it was M. He looked so good in his new shirt and tie (AND he tied it himself). E was also well dressed. M passed the sacrament for the first time and did so well. I gave him a copy of Preach my Gospel and he read through it for a while - he was way excited. He's such an awesome guy. I told them both that I was getting transferred and E kind of got grumpy and didn't want to talk about it. M was sad but we talked and he said he would work with the missionaries once a week to help them. Then after church, I got a text from E and she told me that she would miss me so much and thanked me over and over again. I am going to miss those two soooooo much. We are visiting them my last time tonight.


We ate at an investigator family's house last night and they are sooo legit they remind me of being home. I am excited to see them progress here. I will ask Elder K for updates. Anyways, I have to get going. We have lunch at a member's with the whole zone. I love you all so much. It was great to talk to you all on Christmas.  It gave me a boost for teaching!
INGAT!
Elder Dustan

Then we received this email on New Years Day:

So we are on lockdown right now as it is New Years Eve here and things can get crazy (that's why we are all to be in our apartments at 6pm). earlier today we were helping with transfers and stuff. We got finished around 4:30pm and then went out to M and E's. We spent some time talking and joking with them, taught them a lesson and then I had to say goodbye. It felt the exact same as when I left you guys at the airport in Ottawa. So weird that I feel like that for two random kids in some place I had never before even heard of or thought about. It was so hard to say goodbye to them.

Anyways, I have to get going. I am way sad to leave here but I guess it will be a good experience for me. I assume that I will either finish in Sarrat or only be there one transfer and then train for my last two in a new area (20+ missionaries coming in the February batch. Oh, and this transfer is 8 weeks because of the extension).
Wish me luck in Sarrat!
Elder Dustan