Sprechen Sie Tagalog? - Week 84. Serving in Laoag

Hey guys. I don't think I have anything really eventful to tell you from this week. Not too much happened. Lots and lots of office work to catch up on and getting everything back on track after being away, so less teaching this week.

 We are teaching this one family - the tatay is the one who got a kidney stone and was diagnosed with diabetes all at once and was way sick. They live in a little house with their junk shop right on the side of the highway going to the airport (right down the street from the mission home). The one daughter has a little boy who just turned 2 years old. He runs around everywhere with the kind of goofy run that little kids do where they stamp their feet with every step. He also puts both arms out any time he runs. He never walks but only runs no matter where he is going. Anyways, he doesn't speak yet. He's way talkative but it's just pure gibberish. Fluent gibberish. I did decide however, that the little boy probably speaks fluent German. Someday a German scholar will walk by and hear this little child speaking the most fluid German and saying the most profound things.

We had a sweet lesson with M and E. They had kind of lost the excitement they had when we were teaching them before and they hadn't been to church in a few weeks. We had one lesson where we played a game that only Elder K and I knew how to play. It had a bit of a secret to it that they didn't know. So we demonstrated it and asked if they wanted to know how to do it. They were way excited and said yes. Then we taught them how and they were so excited that they learned how to do it. Our lesson was on the purpose of missionaries and church attendance.

They both said some pretty profound things. E answered questions perfectly and you could tell she meant it. Marvin, when asked what he would do if no missionaries were coming to his house any more said that he would need to go to the scriptures and to church more diligently to find the word of God. He also asked about going on a mission. We taught them that we and the teachers at church share the doctrine of Christ which is the way to return to live with God. The only way it works is if you USE what is taught to you. They loved that point. Anyways, they are doing well. I love those two.

We found and taught a man from China this week. He is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, and English. He has a HUGE house and yard and he wants to sell it and move to Manila to retire. He asked if we could help him sell it. We told him we aren't allowed to do that but that we are here to teach and not to sell. He gave us the measurements of his house and yard anyway and told us that if we find someone who will buy it he will give us five percent commission! So I could be raking in the pesos, haha!

When I first got to Laoag we taught a young less active guy. A while back he had gotten his mission call, went to the MTC but then came home . After that he went a little less active, mostly from being shy and from work. When we taught him he was so nice. Then he went away to Cagayan in Santa Teresita. Just before I came back from Manila he showed up at church with a girlfriend who was pregnant. I sat beside him and chatted with him. We also went to visit him and turns out his girlfriend gave birth. So we visited and then explained to her who we are and what we do and why we do it. Then we asked if she would like to be taught and she said yes. She's way nice. The next week at church we said,"See you Saturday!" Then he said, "I was hoping you could come on Tuesday too. Can you just come twice a week instead?" We're really excited about them.

I love you guys tons!
Elder Dustan