Got Milk? Don't Make Me Cry! - Week 106. Serving in Sarrat

This week was a little rough but it had some good highlights. We had a lot of good appointments set up but we got punted like mad. Worst time of the year to get punted because it's so ridiculously hot out and our water supply is still pretty low. Fasting was tough yesterday as 24 hours without water is not easy - makes you really appreciate it more at the end of the day though and you get to end your fast. We talked about how good we have it back home and how, when we get home, we will probably fall down in front of the fridge and cry. Seeing milk again will really be a tear jerker.

I went on my last exchange in Vintar this week. It's too bad that D wasn't there as she went with the youth to youth conference. It was still so good to be there. We found some pretty cool investigators and also got to teach the U's. I don't know if you remember that family. Way back at the beginning of my mission I went and taught them. It was my first time away from my trainer, Elder S. The church members of our ward in Laoag had a missionary work day in Vintar and I went with a bunch of them. It was an awful experience where no one helped me teach and I couldn't speak the language yet. Well, we taught them and they are so cool. Tatay, whom I met once before but ran away from us, is now in the new branch presidency. He was at work when I went there but Nanay and all three kids saw us and came out with their copies of the Book of Mormon and sat down. They are way fun too. They get the missionaries to kneel down and pray with them at the end of each lesson, even though it's just a dirt floor. You can feel the spirit so strong with that family.

We taught a Muslim man in Vintar. He is from Iran. He met and married a Filipina when he was working in Dubai, He had a business there but it tanked with the rest of the economy in Dubai so they moved to Vintar and started a store, which was where we taught them. He was way nice to us. He doesn't speak Tagalog or Ilocano at all. We taught about how God sends the Holy Ghost to guide all his children, no matter where they are from. We taught from Galatians 5 and he loved it. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he was way excited. Ayways, they are going to continue to teach him which is pretty cool.

We are still teaching S and we finished lesson 3 with him. He loved it but then he got back onto,  "Why is there a need for the Book of Mormon - is the Bible not enough and the complete word of God?" We had already previously  explained all that but he has a hard time with it. So we explained it again. He responded, "Are you telling me the Bible is not complete?"
"Yes", we said. Then he started putting words in our mouths and said,  "So you are saying that anyone who does not have the Book of Mormon has no relationship with God?" We assured him that we are not saying that at all. We tried to explain again but he was deciding to be offended and then told us he wanted to tell us his story. He said that he was a bad person before with anger problems and addictions but then he started reading the Bible and it changed him. "But you are still telling me I don't have a relationship with God!" he said. We calmed him down and tried to explain it yet again. We went back to him yesterday though and he wasn't as friendly to us. So we hope he is not done with listening. We have a good lesson planned to help next time though.

We met the coolest family!!!!!! They are so fun to talk with and they joke a ton but they really want to listen. After the lesson their daughter asked us at what age a girl could go on a mission and seemed really interested in it. The mother is really cool too and really wants her family to listen to us and set up the appointment for us and said, "I will make sure they are here." The tatay had a stroke over a year ago and still can't talk and isn't able to move his one arm. Nanay said he is usually really shy but he came out and shook our hands which really showed her that he is really good with us being there. We will teach them again later.

Yesterday all the youth (they were all at church too!) got up and bore their testimonies! They loved youth conference. It had a missionary theme and they all got temporary name tags and went out and actually taught people two by two. They LOVED it. They all got up and said how much they want to serve a mission. Our potential missionary pool (which was 1 when we got here) has now increased to about 7. We are planning to do a monthly missionary fireside for the youth to keep the fire alive. M, our recent convert, went to youth conference and loved it too. It was his first time using a shower as he has bathed in the river for all 15 years of his life. He also stayed in an air conditioned room for the first time as well as his first time in a swimming pool.

Things are going well here. Thanks for the emails. Even though I have only three weeks left, it is still way nice to hear from you guys.
Love you guys!
Elder Dustan