Just One Last Cast Elder... - Week 93. Serving in Sarrat

Hey guys! We just got back from Zone Leader Conference. It was great. They will be held on the first Monday of every month from now on. We had to be in Laoag at 7am Monday morning but we also had to attend our Stake Council meeting on Sunday night so we just stayed at the Laoag-2 missionaries' apartment. Monday we had all the training and then had lunch. Then we went and played games. We played rugby first, then baseball. We ended with football, which was the best part by far. we played "wrap ups" (where you have to bear hug to stop the play) but it quickly turned to border-line tackle.

This week has been so packed with stuff that it's hard to know what to write. Maybe I will just start with ZLC. The new thing is a new schedule which allows missionaries to prepare for lessons better. We also focused on chapter 2 of Preach My Gospel. We learned that there is a new dress code in place. The instruction from the area presidency is to find the learned and the well established people who can become leaders in the church. It's harder to do when you show up at their houses with ratty clothes and looking like a teenager, so back packs, vigan bags and "camel backs" (fancy word for fanny pack) are no longer allowed. Back packs - because we honestly look like high school students instead of missionaries. So to follow the instruction, Elder O and I went out this morning and got shoulder bags and I will look into getting a fancier watch and maybe a couple of shirts made. We also have some plans on how to find people who are more educated. We had some success with that in Laoag but here it's been more difficult, although we have had some success.

On Saturday we were walking after having been punted for most of the day - one that we had thought would be full of sure appointments. We were feeling a little down and then,  just as I was doing all I could to stave off pessimism and anger, we stopped and met a guy. He had been taught by the missionaries before and was happy to have us teach him again.

On Sunday we had the highest attendance at church that this place has seen in a long time. Awesome thing was that the members got way excited and kept saying "ELDERS! There are so many people here!" Then after church, a number of members asked to work with us and this week looks like it will be the week where the investigators really start progressing.

So often, our last lesson will end at around 7:30pm and then we are back near the apartment at around 7:45 with no one to visit. Finding at that time is really not productive. But we decided to stay out. I told Elder O about the last cast rule (how you often catch a big fish when you take one last cast - especially Dad at the pike quarry). He also shared some similar experiences. As we were deciding where we would go to find, we walked by a house, so we knocked at the door and a woman came out and told us to come in (unheard of at night here, EVERYONE says,  "It's late! You should have come earlier."). Turns out she was almost baptised in a different province but her husband died and the missionaries were moved out so it never happened. She asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon and asked if she could come to church. She was so excited for us to come back. It was such a direct blessing from God and such a strong confirming witness of faith that I almost couldn't take it all in.

We taught another guy for the second time. He was a little different this time and he started arguing with us. We reviewed what we had taught about apostasy and restoration and he seemed to get it really well. Then we asked if he believed the apostasy was real and he said no. So we asked, "Do you believe God calls prophets?
"Yes" he said.
"Do you believe so and so was a prophet in Old Testament times and that this prophet came after
him and this one after him?"
"Yes", he responded to all three questions.
"Then do you believe that Christ came to the earth and taught the people and established a church?"
"Yes."
 Then we asked, "Do you believe that God doesn't change and that he loves us and that's why he calls prophets?"
"Yes." So we asked, "Then who came after Christ and the apostles?"
 He said "....I don't know.....no one I guess." We asked, "Why do you think that is?" He replied "Well... I guess because of apostasy." Then the "TA-DA!" moment arrived when he realized he did believe what we taught him. It was great.

We also found a couple of sweet families. We taught them about the Holy Ghost and how it feels. It was the single most powerful lesson I have been in and the doctrine was so simple.

Elder T reminded me that we have only 3 fast Sundays left! I almost fell over with shock. Guys, I love you but I DON"T want to go home anymore! I am finally getting how to do this work and I don't want to stop.

Anyways, I love you guys tons and I miss you.
Elder Dustan

PS - yes Mum, I would eat balut again. It's less scary than bungee jumping!