Takin' Some Cues From the Old Man - Week 97. Serving in Sarrat

Hey guys. Thanks for the emails and the birthday wishes. Nothing really big planned today. An older couple in the branch invited us over for dinner but we have appointments and we also will be in Laoag getting food. So we'll just go out to eat. This week was great - well, actually we got punted from almost every lesson that we had planned this week, but when we were punted we were great at finding people to teach. For reals, we found some of the coolest people today.

One is a guy who speaks English fluently and worked abroad in Saudi Arabia but came back because he got sick. While he's here, he's just relaxing and recovering. On our first visit, he had a ton of questions but he was a little difficult to deal with. On the second visit, he had questions too but he was just really excited to learn. Turns out that he had prayed to find out why he had gotten sick, ("why me?") and then it hit him - God planned it so that he could receive the message we are bringing him that he would have never received in Saudi Arabia. He understood the first lesson really well and said he believes it but wants to read the Book of Mormon to be sure (perfect!). He is fun to teach and is a family guy too.

We also met a guy who is way prepared and smart and really good at English too. He used to give seminars at universities. Also, once when we got punted this week, we had a few minutes left and didn't know where to go, so we went up to a house and when they opened the door we just acted WAY excited and outgoing and really happy and when they let us in, it was like they didn't know what hit them. They were a beautiful family too! We actually have about 4 or 5 families we are teaching now which is amazing since it's usually hard to get complete families here. I feel really good about our work this week.

We taught this one girl that has a baptismal date now. We taught her about the Holy Ghost and she explained it back to us so well. She said that sometimes she wakes up in the morning just really happy and excited about the day and she is thankful for all that she has. Other times she wakes up and is annoyed and grumpy. She can tell when the spirit is with her. We are both feeling that now - we wake up every morning just so happy and excited to get to studies and to get out to work. I am so happy I didn't get transferred.

We heard that the southern-most stake/zone in our mission is going to be part of the Baguio mission, so Santa Maria will no longer be a Laoag mission area.

We worked with a couple of newer missionaries this week as they were in Laoag for transfers. It was really fun. They bring a lot of energy to the mission. Crazy to see just how outgoing and talkative these young guys are when they really can't even speak the language. It was also really weird to notice how they all look to me. Not that I am great or anything, it's just that they found out how long I have been out. In the last lesson, the four of us were teaching together and these two were just looking to me to see what I do. I remember being like that too - looking up so much to the veterans and the assistants. It feels like yesterday.

We have two areas in our zone that have been really struggling lately. We have been talking with the missionaries there about it and then discussed what they can do to improve things. Then this week they just went out and applied it all - all the things we said, all the trainings they received - and their work went WAY up. It's such a good feeling to see that, and know that they are feeling that sense of complete happiness and accomplishment. It's cool that my patriarchal blessing says that I will get joy from this work that I will not be able to get in any other way. It's so true - I am really feeling it.

Anyways, I gotta bounce. We have a lot to do. I love you guys and miss you lots.
Elder Dustan