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