Balut - The Scrumptious Taste of Duck Fetus! - Week 80 - Serving in Laoag

Had some pretty good experiences this week. On Monday after we got punted a ton, we went back to the office and started writing our letter for the Governor. I stayed in my proselyting clothes for it because it made me feel like I was doing something much more important (or like I was on the West Wing writing a speech for the president).

Then on Tuesday morning we got in our suits and hopped on a Jeep (we decided not to take the car - feels a little too higher than the people). We got some pretty funny reactions though, being on a Jeep in our suits. When we got there, the receptionist we talked to last time told us to go to the administration office. We went over and they sat us down and this guy read our letter. Then he put a bar code thing on it and told us we would get a call. We asked him when and he said he didn't know. So we made a big deal and said we have no time. Then a woman came over and she called someone on the phone. It was the Governor's secretary who said that she was "too busy" to see us. She probably was but we pressed the issue and said we didn't have time to wait for them to process our letter. So the lady called another girl who is apparently the secretary to the secretary of the governor (named Girly - too many jokes, not enough time). She said they could send the letter up to her and she would process it. After Girly got off the phone we told them that we wanted to hand deliver the letter so they sent a guy with us and on the way upstairs he gave us a little tour of the capitol building.

We met Girly and gave her the letter and insisted she read it and passing it to the governor as soon as possible. She said the governor was about to go on vacation. We got her to give us the governors secretary's phone number (the actual secretary) except we got busy and forgot to call them. But at least our letter skipped a huge process and will be read by her soon if it hasn't already.

I went on exchange with Elder S (my trainer) this week which was fun. We went to teach G, the head nurse but just after we got to his house a bunch of people showed up for a dinner party. We awkwardly tried to get out of it. They started making pancit for us and wouldn't let us leave till we tried it. They said it was the best pancit ever. To be perfectly honest I hate pancit and would be happy to never eat it again (if only you knew how often it is eaten here!). They made it with the thin noodles and chicken gizzards and it actually wasn't bad. Then we got out of there.

It's tough - this G guy just wants to party with us. We are trying to help him realize how important and serious our gawain (couldn't think of the english word here,weird) is here.

 Halloween is All Souls' day - when they put a candle out and leave out some food for the spirits to eat. Apparently if you eat it, something bad will happen to your mouth. We shared Alma 40 a lot this week because of that holiday. The priest gets paid 100 pesos to bless one grave with holy water on that day.

On Friday it was the birthday of the A family's youngest son. They wanted to have a family home evening with us so we went over and did the game with the flour and the penny on top and you cut a piece away of the flour each and if the penny falls you get it with your mouth. It was fun. Afterwards we talked about the atonement. Some of their family that are not members yet were there. They were all ears and loved what we shared. Then we linked it to the apostasy and the 14 year old son who is usually very quiet and doesn't participate, started asking all kinds of questions. He is really coming out of his shell.

That night we bought 4 balut and brought them back to the apartment. Elder T was feeling sick already but he said even if he wasn't, he wouldn't try it. So Elder K and I tried it our first time and Elder Y and Elder S ate it with us. It smells gross and looks way gross. The juice tastes pretty good. Then there is the yolk with these vein like things and the white part that looks like normal egg white but it's super hard and rubbery. The yolk and the chick tastes pretty good actually. The white part was sick. Apparently that's what becomes the ducks bones so at least I got a ton of calcium. So I can check that off my bucket list - tried balut. Didn't get sick at all and didn't vomit either.

The highlight of the week was really Sunday though. We worked our guts out all week and put all we had into helping the people we are teaching. Then on Sunday, as usual, we stand at the front door and wait for people to show up. Sometimes it's a happy experience. Sometimes it's pretty frustrating. This time though, I didn't feel upset at all. It just felt painful to see no one come. It hurts to put all you have into helping people and then they don't help themselves.

So at first on Sunday it was sad and deflating. Then after church we got to go to ward council meeting. It was the first time in about two months, so we were excited. The whole ward council was there and then the bishop started off and said that there are too many members saying they need to work on Sundays and too many new members lost.  He wants to make a plan (he was very impressive actually). They had quite a discussion and it all came down to us getting the 15 focus families and re-teaching them and the ward council getting home and visiting teaching more consistent (we will be helping a little with that too). It was a great meeting and woke everyone up, I think, when the bishop pointed out that there has been no real growth in years.

After the meeting, the second counsellor in the bishopric pulled the missionaries aside along with the ward mission leader and talked to us. He said he is grateful for the work we have done and that they are prepared to do anything and everything to help the ward now and that they know we can all do more than we are doing. That was good to hear. Really got me motivated.

So that was my week.
I love you guys!
Elder Dustan