This week has been flippin' nuts. We went to Zone Leader Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday. I hate that bus ride.
We always sit at the back of the bus so we can spread out more. Hanging on the back seats were some clothes. More specifically, a dirty old pair of briefs and a stinky pair of socks. Turns out they belonged to the conductor. After carefully making sure they didn't touch any part of our skin we moved the dirty clothes to another part of the bus and the conductor came back and asked where the pair of briefs and socks went!
The bus broke down and we waited a long time but still got there on time (way lucky there are no speed limits in this country).
We have President O coming to work with us on Wednesday!!! There is a zone conference in Claveria zone on Tuesday and then ours is on Thursday so he will work with us Wednesday..... just a little nervous. We are also in charge of conducting the zone conference and getting programs ready and assigning people to do stuff. I never knew that there were rules for conducting. Pres. Packer gave a great talk on it but I can't remember what it's called.
We had fun making the programs though. Who knew font styles were so hilariously named??? We settled on "Goudy Old Stout", but it was close. We almost went with "Wide Latin". That is something I will put on my resume: "Yes I speak Wide Latin".
We have a baptism this Saturday. The little daughter of the 1st counselor in the branch presidency. She should have been a child of record baptism but her previous three baptism attempts didn't work out. She is afraid of water. She is sooooo cute though - it's all I can do not to pinch the cheeks off her little face! She's so shy too - Possibly the shyest person I have ever met. So I will keep you posted on that.
We had to sleep in Aparri on Wednesday night last week. It was fun. One of the Elders there is terrified of spiders. I saw one of the biggest I have ever seen in their apartment. They were going to kill it but I stopped them. I just hate seeing such a big creature getting killed. It's clearly very skilled at bug killing because it has gotten so flippin' big (it might be eating small dogs too though) so it makes no sense to kill it. Turns out it's a really jumpy little guy and was really hard to catch.....in that we didn't... in that it ran into their bedroom and hid in the floor boards and they were both really mad at me for keeping it alive. "Shelob" will be back for them!
I slept on the half-couch-thing there as mattresses here tend to give rashes and little red bites. The couch was pretty bad though too. Aparri is right on the ocean so it was really windy and cold and I had no blanket so I was in and out of sleep most of the night.
I was called upon out of nowhere to give a talk on Sunday. A little nerve wracking. I also got mail!!!! I got THREE letters from TB. She is way flippin' masipag about writing. It was good timing too as I had a long bus ride ahead of me. So as soon as I have a spare minute I will write back.
We have been a little stressed with all kinds of new meetings and responsibilities but it's crazy how our past experiences prepare us for the future and also just how specific the promptings of the spirit can be. So simple but when you really sit and look at the in's and out's of it, it's so crazy! Like dad taking me home teaching when I was younger was a great preparatory experience that I didn't even realize until my mission.
I finished the Book of Mormon for my 3rd time. I felt again that it's true. I'm finding that a mission is giving me a great opportunity to learn about some of my strengths and I realize that I have recognized and added upon those strengths because of the things I have gotten from the Book of Mormon. It also helps me see my weaknesses and that is so important as I know I need to keep getting better. If you do what you always did you are going to get what you always got.
I am still enjoying my mission even if I am more tired than I have ever been before. Thanks for your encouragement as well as from the whole stake back home. I always feel loved.
I love you lots.
-Elder Dustan
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
"Where's Elder C?" - Week 40. Serving in Camalaniugan
This week was possibly the craziest other than the night a fight broke out at Franks (I haven't eaten there since). It was my first week as a senior ZL and being a DL at the same time in a new huge area.
Let's start with Monday night. After P-day ended, the other elders came over and then we went out to work. I was nervous for Elder C to leave. He's a very fun guy and speaks just enough Ilocano that they all love him. So it seemed we spent the whole week going to the people we are teaching and hearing them say, "Where's Elder C?" and then being visibly disappointed when they found out it is just us two now.
On Tuesday we ran out of propane (no ovens or anything, just those propane camping stoves). Then we got our electric bill. It's a 5 week month so we only got to withdraw today so I had very little money last week. I, at one point, had only 9 pesos left - all coins. It's like paying in quarters for everything you buy. Our area is now huge and as we were a little short on money till today, we walked A LOT (my legs feel like death!). As a result, we were out a little later and then got to bed late from doing laundry so this week was a little rough.
On Tuesday (transfer day) we took everyone to the junction. All those in the areas around here being transferred go to the junction (in Magapit) where the buses come by. As zone leaders, we are responsible for overseeing the transfer of missionaries to and from our zone. We waited for a bus and then waited for the others to arrive on another bus.
We had a crazy day Saturday!! We have been getting punted all week. We were out in Fusina, a far but beautiful area and after getting punted, went to see D who is the coolest investigator. She is so prepared. She is 19, loves reading the Book of Mormon and really thinks things through.
On Our last visit we taught about our relationship with Christ and it was a reallly good lesson. Then on Saturday, her uncle and his family were there so we taught them all. We started talking about the Book of Mormon and even though we were just trying to see if she had a testimony of it yet, she ended up testifying of it's truthfulness to her family. It was amazing!
Her uncle is wayyyy cool (he has a handlebar mustache!). He has never tasted alcohol before and never has smoked. He has been wondering lately about his relationship with God. He was doubting that God loved him at all but lately he has been trying to find answers and blessings have been coming. He was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and loved that he has his own copy now.
I had a huge realization as never before of the power of the Holy Ghost, the truth that God has a specific plan for each of us and that as long we follow those simple promptings of the spirit it will all work out for good.
Anyways, I am doing well. this was a bit of a rough week, but we still had tons of fun, laughed lots (not gonna lie, some of those were by myself...). My companion is way nice and we are getting along well. Still loving my mission - no change there. Tons of crazy experiences and tons of lessons that would take me years to learn if I wasn't here. Serving a mission is honestly just common sense.
I am also feeling really comfortable with the language. I feel like I can get by anywhere here in Tagalog and can see the progress now. Language study is something I really look forward to every day - can't wait to learn a new word. Also we were worried we would get really low numbers this week (which we actually did) as we got punted a ton and are both new and the area is too. But on Sunday we had 29 progressing less active members at church, while the average and a respectable number to have, is around 8 or 9. We owe every bit of it to just going out and doing what we should, having fun while we do it, following the spirit, and specific, sincere prayers. For reals, I have seen so many specific answers to my prayers this week, it's crazy.
Anyways, I love you guys lots.
-Elder Dustan
Let's start with Monday night. After P-day ended, the other elders came over and then we went out to work. I was nervous for Elder C to leave. He's a very fun guy and speaks just enough Ilocano that they all love him. So it seemed we spent the whole week going to the people we are teaching and hearing them say, "Where's Elder C?" and then being visibly disappointed when they found out it is just us two now.
On Tuesday we ran out of propane (no ovens or anything, just those propane camping stoves). Then we got our electric bill. It's a 5 week month so we only got to withdraw today so I had very little money last week. I, at one point, had only 9 pesos left - all coins. It's like paying in quarters for everything you buy. Our area is now huge and as we were a little short on money till today, we walked A LOT (my legs feel like death!). As a result, we were out a little later and then got to bed late from doing laundry so this week was a little rough.
On Tuesday (transfer day) we took everyone to the junction. All those in the areas around here being transferred go to the junction (in Magapit) where the buses come by. As zone leaders, we are responsible for overseeing the transfer of missionaries to and from our zone. We waited for a bus and then waited for the others to arrive on another bus.
We had a crazy day Saturday!! We have been getting punted all week. We were out in Fusina, a far but beautiful area and after getting punted, went to see D who is the coolest investigator. She is so prepared. She is 19, loves reading the Book of Mormon and really thinks things through.
On Our last visit we taught about our relationship with Christ and it was a reallly good lesson. Then on Saturday, her uncle and his family were there so we taught them all. We started talking about the Book of Mormon and even though we were just trying to see if she had a testimony of it yet, she ended up testifying of it's truthfulness to her family. It was amazing!
Her uncle is wayyyy cool (he has a handlebar mustache!). He has never tasted alcohol before and never has smoked. He has been wondering lately about his relationship with God. He was doubting that God loved him at all but lately he has been trying to find answers and blessings have been coming. He was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and loved that he has his own copy now.
I had a huge realization as never before of the power of the Holy Ghost, the truth that God has a specific plan for each of us and that as long we follow those simple promptings of the spirit it will all work out for good.
Anyways, I am doing well. this was a bit of a rough week, but we still had tons of fun, laughed lots (not gonna lie, some of those were by myself...). My companion is way nice and we are getting along well. Still loving my mission - no change there. Tons of crazy experiences and tons of lessons that would take me years to learn if I wasn't here. Serving a mission is honestly just common sense.
I am also feeling really comfortable with the language. I feel like I can get by anywhere here in Tagalog and can see the progress now. Language study is something I really look forward to every day - can't wait to learn a new word. Also we were worried we would get really low numbers this week (which we actually did) as we got punted a ton and are both new and the area is too. But on Sunday we had 29 progressing less active members at church, while the average and a respectable number to have, is around 8 or 9. We owe every bit of it to just going out and doing what we should, having fun while we do it, following the spirit, and specific, sincere prayers. For reals, I have seen so many specific answers to my prayers this week, it's crazy.
Anyways, I love you guys lots.
-Elder Dustan
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Tag-araw is Here! - Week 39. Serving in Camalaniugan
Today is transfer list day and some crazy stuff happened. Last night we had a brown out and it started around 7pm and went until 1 am. I would have been totally fine with that but the tag-araw (the summer time) has started! It was so cold here up until this week. I asked around and apparently it's now summertime and it's sooooooo flippin' hot.
Last night we were at the apartment for accounting as we do every Sunday night. We had no fan because of the brown-out and were tormented by mosquitoes. We couldn't shower before bed because the water pump uses electricity. We all went to bed but couldn't sleep. I finally drifted off at one point and woke up totally soaked and could hear the buzz of mosquitos all around me.
Finally at one a.m. everything just jumped on all of a sudden. I thought everyone else was asleep but we all cheered when it did (yay!). I had to sit in front the fan for a while to dry off before I went to bed again. Now I have to wash my sheets again. Laundry takes a long time because it's all done by hand in a pail with a washboard but it will be easier now as there will only be two of us in the apartment. Camalaniugan-2 is no more as there is just one big area now. My companion, Elder C is transfers tomorrow to Callaguip, a tiny little area by Laoag. It was actually Elder T's first area - he was there for four transfers! It's not much bigger than my home town of Morewood and it's been open to the missionaries for a long time. In most areas the people call us Brother, Brud, Pastor, Joe etc. But in Callaguip, everyone in town knows them as the elders, even non-members.
As for me, I am going to lead the zone and Elder T will become my companion and a new ZL. I was a little freaked out there as I am a brand new ZL and now have to show someone else what to do. I was a little confused about who the DL's would be but apparently we are the DLs too, so we are in charge of....everything. It's going to be a challenging transfer.
The other areas in our district are Lal-lo 1 and 2 and it's a well known fact in the mission that some of the most effective and attractive sisters are assigned those two areas right now. So we are going to be poked fun at a little for that. It used to be the same in Vigan and they started calling it the Relief Society district.
Yesterday, church was a little different. We usually have little to no members, investigators or less actives from our area attending. They are all from the other area. But yesterday we had all kinds of people show up. Even Tatay U, the less active member who is afraid of going to church because Satan always puts huge obstacles in his way when he tries to. He really knows the gospel too - he could just never overcome that. But he did yesterday!
Tons of others came too. I think I mentioned that last Sunday, a little old man was kind of hanging around outside the church and you could tell he wanted to come in but was shy. The members noticed and talked to him and he came in and attended all 3 hours. Turns out he speaks a dialect of Ilocano called Ifugu or something like that (he speaks no Tagalog). So as much as we tried we couldn't help him out - just smile and shake his hand.
Then yesterday, just after sacrament meeting we saw him moseying along the path up to the door. But then he turns around and leaves so some members run after him but he disappeared. Then I see a figure in the door window on my right, the one by the sacrament table (like back home) and he's standing there looking in. So the clerk ran over and opened it.
After church, we were walking to the apartment for lunch and there is all kinds of construction going on there. I accidentally kicked this huge piece of dicarded concrete at this old man with crutches who was sitting at a waiting shed (like a dilapidated bus stop made of concrete). It rolled across both his feet, and I felt soooo bad and apologized a bunch. The missionaries will have to work hard with that guy to get him baptized.
The other day I was reading parts of the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel and couldn't help but see the difference in their missions. Ezekiel and Daniel both served in kings courts. They, of course, both had trials and problems, but Jeremiah was left to teach the people - an in-the-trench type mission. He had times where he was almost overcome with his trials. He was even put in the stocks and was eventually stoned. But even when he was almost overcome, and even a bit angry with the Lord, his testimony was so well rooted that he almost couldn't help but preach the gospel. I loved that. We have had so many times here where we have been overcome because of stuff that happens on a mission (seeing people you teach make poor choices, getting sick, persecution etc) but even when I felt like I couldn't do it anymore - couldn't open the apartment door one more time, my testimony almost wouldn't let me give up. It's then that I turn to the Lord (I have almost made it a kind of habit, which is the best habit I have ever made) and without fail, literally in every instance, I received the appropriate help - help that is perfectly suited to that situation. It's pretty sweet. I also have to mention the great
stories that come from a mission, the hilarious things that happen are a huge part of me being able to keep going. Thanks for helping me get my testimony rooted on the foundation of Christ. I love you guys LOTS! INGAT
-Elder Dustan
Last night we were at the apartment for accounting as we do every Sunday night. We had no fan because of the brown-out and were tormented by mosquitoes. We couldn't shower before bed because the water pump uses electricity. We all went to bed but couldn't sleep. I finally drifted off at one point and woke up totally soaked and could hear the buzz of mosquitos all around me.
Finally at one a.m. everything just jumped on all of a sudden. I thought everyone else was asleep but we all cheered when it did (yay!). I had to sit in front the fan for a while to dry off before I went to bed again. Now I have to wash my sheets again. Laundry takes a long time because it's all done by hand in a pail with a washboard but it will be easier now as there will only be two of us in the apartment. Camalaniugan-2 is no more as there is just one big area now. My companion, Elder C is transfers tomorrow to Callaguip, a tiny little area by Laoag. It was actually Elder T's first area - he was there for four transfers! It's not much bigger than my home town of Morewood and it's been open to the missionaries for a long time. In most areas the people call us Brother, Brud, Pastor, Joe etc. But in Callaguip, everyone in town knows them as the elders, even non-members.
As for me, I am going to lead the zone and Elder T will become my companion and a new ZL. I was a little freaked out there as I am a brand new ZL and now have to show someone else what to do. I was a little confused about who the DL's would be but apparently we are the DLs too, so we are in charge of....everything. It's going to be a challenging transfer.
The other areas in our district are Lal-lo 1 and 2 and it's a well known fact in the mission that some of the most effective and attractive sisters are assigned those two areas right now. So we are going to be poked fun at a little for that. It used to be the same in Vigan and they started calling it the Relief Society district.
Yesterday, church was a little different. We usually have little to no members, investigators or less actives from our area attending. They are all from the other area. But yesterday we had all kinds of people show up. Even Tatay U, the less active member who is afraid of going to church because Satan always puts huge obstacles in his way when he tries to. He really knows the gospel too - he could just never overcome that. But he did yesterday!
Tons of others came too. I think I mentioned that last Sunday, a little old man was kind of hanging around outside the church and you could tell he wanted to come in but was shy. The members noticed and talked to him and he came in and attended all 3 hours. Turns out he speaks a dialect of Ilocano called Ifugu or something like that (he speaks no Tagalog). So as much as we tried we couldn't help him out - just smile and shake his hand.
Then yesterday, just after sacrament meeting we saw him moseying along the path up to the door. But then he turns around and leaves so some members run after him but he disappeared. Then I see a figure in the door window on my right, the one by the sacrament table (like back home) and he's standing there looking in. So the clerk ran over and opened it.
After church, we were walking to the apartment for lunch and there is all kinds of construction going on there. I accidentally kicked this huge piece of dicarded concrete at this old man with crutches who was sitting at a waiting shed (like a dilapidated bus stop made of concrete). It rolled across both his feet, and I felt soooo bad and apologized a bunch. The missionaries will have to work hard with that guy to get him baptized.
The other day I was reading parts of the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel and couldn't help but see the difference in their missions. Ezekiel and Daniel both served in kings courts. They, of course, both had trials and problems, but Jeremiah was left to teach the people - an in-the-trench type mission. He had times where he was almost overcome with his trials. He was even put in the stocks and was eventually stoned. But even when he was almost overcome, and even a bit angry with the Lord, his testimony was so well rooted that he almost couldn't help but preach the gospel. I loved that. We have had so many times here where we have been overcome because of stuff that happens on a mission (seeing people you teach make poor choices, getting sick, persecution etc) but even when I felt like I couldn't do it anymore - couldn't open the apartment door one more time, my testimony almost wouldn't let me give up. It's then that I turn to the Lord (I have almost made it a kind of habit, which is the best habit I have ever made) and without fail, literally in every instance, I received the appropriate help - help that is perfectly suited to that situation. It's pretty sweet. I also have to mention the great
stories that come from a mission, the hilarious things that happen are a huge part of me being able to keep going. Thanks for helping me get my testimony rooted on the foundation of Christ. I love you guys LOTS! INGAT
-Elder Dustan
Monday, January 30, 2012
Good 'Ol Chubbs! - Week 38. Serving in Camalaniugan
Yesterday I was at zone leaders council. We have it in week one and week five of every transfer. It was great. The president introduced the new transfer focus. It had been "Sanctify Yourselves" but now it's "Avoid All Appearance of Evil".
We had sweet food that Sister O prepared for us and we also got to go to the beach and played cricket and rugby. I am not a huge fan of playing rugby with two really competitive and big Samoans but it was a good change of pace. The beach was beautiful. Weird that usually I am on the east coast of the Philippines and on Monday I was on the west. It's right in Laoag.
Sister O asked if we had been drinking enough water. We are told to drink around 3 or 4 litres a day which sucks when even your filtered water still doesn't taste very good.
Last Monday we cleaned the apartment and did our usual p-day chores. Tuesday we had an exchange with the Lasam elders. I was with Elder. L (who I exchanged with in Piddig while I was in Vintar) and we stayed in my area, Camalaniugan 1. We got punted all day though.
On Wednesday we waxed the floor after getting our district reports from Aparri. The floor looked great and sister O was very impressed with it.
We were walking back that night from an appointment and some drunk guys threw a beer bottle at us from across the street. It landed at my feet and shattered. We stopped and then they started shouting some pretty profane english words at us. One guy even shouted "I'm gonna kill you Joe!". And then this big guy in a Rolling Stones shirt started running over to us. Turns out he was running over to see if we were okay. Then he asked us to wait and went over to the drunk guys and then he came back and said, "Oh that's just Chubbs. He's kind of drunk". Well, I guess if it's just Chubbs it's okay...
We learned that our cool fellowshipper might not serve a mission anymore. It was his biggest dream and he would sometimes even take our name tags to wear to look like a missionary. He says he might join the army instead. He said it's a hard decision. I thought about that and realized it's not at all.
Anyone who understands the doctrine of Christ and His Church knows the answer to, "Should I serve a mission or should I -blank-?"
It's just overcoming pride and acting on that knowledge. He'll have to figure that out for himself - just like I did. We fasted for him.
We had interviews with the president on Friday during district meeting. My interview with the president was awesome! It always is. It was nearly an hour long. Those interviews do amazing things for the missionaries here. He's a great man.
On Friday we had a correlation meeting with the District Presidency and we needed to be there. It was a little frightening as it was my first time and I am fairly new. It was a huge growing experience for me. I also had to make the reports for the meeting and then present them and it was way tough, but I trusted that I would be helped and the Lord absolutely helped me. That's what a mission does- stretches you, gives you new experiences and shows you how the Lord can help.
There was also a new guy at church who had been hanging around outside and the members saw him and invited him in. He went to all three hours.
The ride to Laoag was way too long as usual. The worst was that they played four Stephen Segal movies in a row! It was terrible. I even hated those back home.
I am still absolutely loving my mission. No doubts there. I am eternally grateful I came. Thanks for your help.
I love you all soooo much. Take care of yourselves and each other.
-Elder Dustan
We had sweet food that Sister O prepared for us and we also got to go to the beach and played cricket and rugby. I am not a huge fan of playing rugby with two really competitive and big Samoans but it was a good change of pace. The beach was beautiful. Weird that usually I am on the east coast of the Philippines and on Monday I was on the west. It's right in Laoag.
Sister O asked if we had been drinking enough water. We are told to drink around 3 or 4 litres a day which sucks when even your filtered water still doesn't taste very good.
Last Monday we cleaned the apartment and did our usual p-day chores. Tuesday we had an exchange with the Lasam elders. I was with Elder. L (who I exchanged with in Piddig while I was in Vintar) and we stayed in my area, Camalaniugan 1. We got punted all day though.
On Wednesday we waxed the floor after getting our district reports from Aparri. The floor looked great and sister O was very impressed with it.
We were walking back that night from an appointment and some drunk guys threw a beer bottle at us from across the street. It landed at my feet and shattered. We stopped and then they started shouting some pretty profane english words at us. One guy even shouted "I'm gonna kill you Joe!". And then this big guy in a Rolling Stones shirt started running over to us. Turns out he was running over to see if we were okay. Then he asked us to wait and went over to the drunk guys and then he came back and said, "Oh that's just Chubbs. He's kind of drunk". Well, I guess if it's just Chubbs it's okay...
We learned that our cool fellowshipper might not serve a mission anymore. It was his biggest dream and he would sometimes even take our name tags to wear to look like a missionary. He says he might join the army instead. He said it's a hard decision. I thought about that and realized it's not at all.
Anyone who understands the doctrine of Christ and His Church knows the answer to, "Should I serve a mission or should I -blank-?"
It's just overcoming pride and acting on that knowledge. He'll have to figure that out for himself - just like I did. We fasted for him.
We had interviews with the president on Friday during district meeting. My interview with the president was awesome! It always is. It was nearly an hour long. Those interviews do amazing things for the missionaries here. He's a great man.
On Friday we had a correlation meeting with the District Presidency and we needed to be there. It was a little frightening as it was my first time and I am fairly new. It was a huge growing experience for me. I also had to make the reports for the meeting and then present them and it was way tough, but I trusted that I would be helped and the Lord absolutely helped me. That's what a mission does- stretches you, gives you new experiences and shows you how the Lord can help.
There was also a new guy at church who had been hanging around outside and the members saw him and invited him in. He went to all three hours.
The ride to Laoag was way too long as usual. The worst was that they played four Stephen Segal movies in a row! It was terrible. I even hated those back home.
I am still absolutely loving my mission. No doubts there. I am eternally grateful I came. Thanks for your help.
I love you all soooo much. Take care of yourselves and each other.
-Elder Dustan
Search & Rescue Unbaptized Men! - Week 37. Serving in Camalaniugan
Thanks for all your emails - I loved them! Right now there is a high school kid behind me that is reading everything I type but like phonix reading and it's wayyyyyy funny!!!. Every Sunday night every area texts their key indicators to the DL and then the DL's send them all to us. Along with the Key Indicators are goals to improve them and an action plan. Most of them are natives and the reports are in English. This makes it difficult for those not strong in English and makes me wonder how we must sound in Tagalog. We got the best one ever last night. It said "Goal: 8 new investigators. Action: We request form. In our clerk. And search and rescue unbaptized men." Elder T & I got a kick out of it.
We taught one of our new investigators named R this week. He's really nice. We teach him in his friend, B's house who was, until recently, not active in the Church. He has recently been to the temple. He has overcome some difficult problems and now everyone knows and respects him so much.
We helped him with his lesson for Sunday. He speaks Ibanag, a language that lots of people in our area speak. It almost sounds like birds chirping. There is Ilocano too but mostly Ibanag. We can only say a couple things in Ibanag though. Sometimes they speak both and then mix in a little Tagalog as well so we don't get half of what they say.
Anyway, R shows up just after we finish helping B with his lesson and we start teaching him. When those two are together though, they start telling stories. One story was about a guy who got bitten by an ahas (snake) in the bukid (rice field) and died. Then they killed the snake and ate it.
Our toilet has no seat and is really small with no flushing capabilities except pouring water down it. The best part is that the light in the CR (for "Comfort Room") doesn't work so we have to do our business in the dark.
We did training on Wednesday for both districts. The AP's and the president were at the second one. It was a little nerve wracking as it was only my second ZL training but I think it went well. Turns out that some missionaries in one area were having some difficulties and the president heard about it and decided to cancel his appointments and take the 6-7 hour drive here and meet with them. That's the kind of guy he is.
We meet with a less active member way far from here but still in our area. He is so cool - nicest guy ever. His story is pretty amazing too - he prayed to God for answers to questions that had been troubling him. He said he was thinking about the different churches he knew about and remembered seeing the elders a few days earlier. He told God that if the elders knocked on his door that day, he would know it was a sign and be baptized. Minutes after his prayer, the elders knocked on his door so he told them he wanted to be baptized. The elder who baptized him told my companion that they were really far form his house but he felt a really strong prompting that they should go to that barangy that day.
One day last week, after our visit with him, he insisted on taking us back to town. As he started to drive us back he saw a man walking past his house - it was another less active member. So we stopped and said hi and then he said, "Hey, come to church tomorrow!" So he came and participated too!
We also had a leadership broadcast from Elder A of the Seventy about the new focus and the different roles within it.
Anyways, it has been an exhausting week but we are both so happy.
We've been putting our own words to the song "Chop Suey" by System of a Down lately and it's hilarious - just anything we want to say to each other. It all started when we heard a Tagalog version of that song and it was great!
I am just realizing that the Church and the gospel really make life so much easier. We see that too, with the members here that are fully converted. Even though they work in the bukid everyday and may never have a vacation from it and neither will their sons and their sons' sons, they are still able to have incredible joy in their lives.
Some people we teach can't summon up the faith to do what we ask as they fail to see that the gospel isn't another burden for them but helps lighten all other burdens in life.
I am so happy in the Lord's work and will forever be happy as long as I choose his "yoke". I just love how the gospel helps me infinitely. It helps the richest man and the lowliest bukid worker. I'm grateful to you for helping me realize the importance of the gospel. I love you each so much.
-Elder Dustan
We taught one of our new investigators named R this week. He's really nice. We teach him in his friend, B's house who was, until recently, not active in the Church. He has recently been to the temple. He has overcome some difficult problems and now everyone knows and respects him so much.
We helped him with his lesson for Sunday. He speaks Ibanag, a language that lots of people in our area speak. It almost sounds like birds chirping. There is Ilocano too but mostly Ibanag. We can only say a couple things in Ibanag though. Sometimes they speak both and then mix in a little Tagalog as well so we don't get half of what they say.
Anyway, R shows up just after we finish helping B with his lesson and we start teaching him. When those two are together though, they start telling stories. One story was about a guy who got bitten by an ahas (snake) in the bukid (rice field) and died. Then they killed the snake and ate it.
Our toilet has no seat and is really small with no flushing capabilities except pouring water down it. The best part is that the light in the CR (for "Comfort Room") doesn't work so we have to do our business in the dark.
We did training on Wednesday for both districts. The AP's and the president were at the second one. It was a little nerve wracking as it was only my second ZL training but I think it went well. Turns out that some missionaries in one area were having some difficulties and the president heard about it and decided to cancel his appointments and take the 6-7 hour drive here and meet with them. That's the kind of guy he is.
We meet with a less active member way far from here but still in our area. He is so cool - nicest guy ever. His story is pretty amazing too - he prayed to God for answers to questions that had been troubling him. He said he was thinking about the different churches he knew about and remembered seeing the elders a few days earlier. He told God that if the elders knocked on his door that day, he would know it was a sign and be baptized. Minutes after his prayer, the elders knocked on his door so he told them he wanted to be baptized. The elder who baptized him told my companion that they were really far form his house but he felt a really strong prompting that they should go to that barangy that day.
One day last week, after our visit with him, he insisted on taking us back to town. As he started to drive us back he saw a man walking past his house - it was another less active member. So we stopped and said hi and then he said, "Hey, come to church tomorrow!" So he came and participated too!
We also had a leadership broadcast from Elder A of the Seventy about the new focus and the different roles within it.
Anyways, it has been an exhausting week but we are both so happy.
We've been putting our own words to the song "Chop Suey" by System of a Down lately and it's hilarious - just anything we want to say to each other. It all started when we heard a Tagalog version of that song and it was great!
I am just realizing that the Church and the gospel really make life so much easier. We see that too, with the members here that are fully converted. Even though they work in the bukid everyday and may never have a vacation from it and neither will their sons and their sons' sons, they are still able to have incredible joy in their lives.
Some people we teach can't summon up the faith to do what we ask as they fail to see that the gospel isn't another burden for them but helps lighten all other burdens in life.
I am so happy in the Lord's work and will forever be happy as long as I choose his "yoke". I just love how the gospel helps me infinitely. It helps the richest man and the lowliest bukid worker. I'm grateful to you for helping me realize the importance of the gospel. I love you each so much.
-Elder Dustan
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Rubber Shoe Club is Calling - Week 36. Serving in Camalaniugan
Good PM family! (a few filipinos here use "good PM" as an evening greeting... way funny).
I had a bit more of an eventful week this week. I got the package the M's sent me! It was sooooo great. I had the hot chocolate one night when I had had a bit of a rough day and it really cheered me up. They also gave me little shoe polish wipes that are great.
I got new shoes here as it's always so maputik (muddy) and rainy that I needed to get the dreaded "rubber shoe". All the native elders wear them. They look like a dress shoe but they are all rubber and kind of ugly. I used to make fun of my trainer for using them but now I have joined the club. They are cheap too - 200 pesos. Anyways, please thank the M's for me and tell them I love them lots too.
We also bought Martinelli sparkling grape juice my last day in Santa Maria and I thought of them. That was just before the Big Brouhaha... it was a real melee! (see week 34).
I exchanged with the DL in Magapit, Elder M, and he is wayyyy cool. He's fluent in English but we spoke in Tagalog the whole time which was a great confidence booster for me. I loved the area and the apartment was a nice wooden house that was so homey. I could see it back home, complete with a wood stove. It has running water too but you have to get up at 4am and turn it on and then turn the pump off an hour later or it floods the house.
The next day (Wednesday), we exchanged with the AP's and I was with another elder M. The other AP, Elder P, went home after his call was extended an extra transfer (he was soooo cool), and now it's Elder M from Tonga, who I remember vividly from the MTC. I was so impressed with him in the MTC. He wasn't cocky but he was still very confident in his abilities. He was only a batch ahead of me which seems so strange to me. We had a good exchange too. I didn't understand much of what he said in English so we nagtagalog'd most of the time.
The AP's mentioned to us that Sister O would be inspecting our apartment this week and that we should clean it up one day. We had already been frustrated by how messy it was and were already planning to clean a lot. So we didn't work on Thursday - just cleaned every inch of the apartment, which hadn't been really cleaned in two years. It was a long day and I touched some pretty gross things. We moved a big cabinet that was in the way and were going to put it in a different spot. It was reallly big and we had to lift it over a railing. We got it over but it was a huge struggle and just as we got it in place, the whole top part of the cabinet broke off and smashed on the ground. We then tried to put it together again and it looked so pitifully crooked. But when Sister O came and inspected, she was so impressed and said it was one of the cleanest apartments she's seen.
With them was an Elder M, an area authority who was speaking at our district conference. He was really impressed too and he and President O found my machete sitting on my desk and they were playing with it, making jokes about how it was used to motivate the elders. Anyways, I feel "sanctified" - that's what our transfer focus is. It's from Joshua 3:5.
"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
The president says if your apartment isn't clean you can't be ready to teach either. It's all a reflection of your life. I remember Mum saying that about my room one time - how if it was messy, it reflected the way I was living. Now I realize that's so true.
Now, on to the E family. I met them once a couple of weeks ago. They're really receptive - a whole family and they all make sure they drop whatever they are doing to listen when we come over.
We also got punted quite a bit this week. I got pretty sick with a really bad cold (which is getting better now) and then one day my payong (umbrella) broke in the wind and I got angry and tossed it in the ditch, littering and later felt bad.
Once my payong broke I was just done, just really fully annoyed and once we got back to the apartment, I went into the bedroom and prayed until I felt better. The best part is, I did feel better. I always do. Actually, I think it's just a natural cause and effect occurrence for everyone. If you pray sincerely to Heavenly Father, you will always feel better afterwards.
Pretty cool that since I was a child I have had the knowledge of being able to cure myself of anything that troubles me. I have always known how to pray. It really is a panacea (oooooo, nice word use!).
I am realizing now that when we teach people to pray that we give them the same ability to solve problems and lift their spirit. Sweet eh?
We stopped by at another investigator's and they had some fish in a bucket. Pretty big too - like my walleye. They had three of them. They then told us they caught them in the bukid (rice field)! Apparently the river floods once in a while and then the fish get into the fields and can't get out. They live in there for a long time (at least three weeks as I haven't seen the river flood since I've been here). So while they work in the fields, they also catch fish. I can't wait to learn how they do it though.
I forgot to tell you that at ZL conference I got some presents from the members from Santa Maria! I couldn't believe it as I didn't think I had made much of an impact there. Turns out, some thought I did and they couldn't believe that I was transferred so soon. That was really touching.
I also learned I don't really sweat that much (I used to think I did). Two filipinos have told me that, "You
don't sweat like the other white guys."
".......thank you?" I said.
I paid to get some pants made here in Aparri. 400 pisos! It's reallly hard to think in dollars now. Something will be 50 pesos and I'll say, "No, that's too mahal." (expensive) but really it's just over a dollar!
My area in Camalaniugan is good. People here are really nice but they rarely see white people here so we get hey joe'd a lot more.
Many people here are really poor too. I actually find myself trying hard to dress down a bit as I will be telling people that God will provide for them and if I am wearing an expensive tie while doing it, I feel like a tool.
Anyways... I think that's mostly it for now. As I was writing this though, Elder D yelled to me that his mom was reading the blog and was asking if he knew the one who got in a fight in Narvacan.
It's so good to hear from you guys every week. I love you all so much.
But will somebody let me in on what's up in the hockey world? I'm dyin' here!
All the others just chat about basketball and they all get updates. Just saying, elder or not, I am still very much a hockey fan.
Enjoy your week! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Dustan
I had a bit more of an eventful week this week. I got the package the M's sent me! It was sooooo great. I had the hot chocolate one night when I had had a bit of a rough day and it really cheered me up. They also gave me little shoe polish wipes that are great.
I got new shoes here as it's always so maputik (muddy) and rainy that I needed to get the dreaded "rubber shoe". All the native elders wear them. They look like a dress shoe but they are all rubber and kind of ugly. I used to make fun of my trainer for using them but now I have joined the club. They are cheap too - 200 pesos. Anyways, please thank the M's for me and tell them I love them lots too.
We also bought Martinelli sparkling grape juice my last day in Santa Maria and I thought of them. That was just before the Big Brouhaha... it was a real melee! (see week 34).
I exchanged with the DL in Magapit, Elder M, and he is wayyyy cool. He's fluent in English but we spoke in Tagalog the whole time which was a great confidence booster for me. I loved the area and the apartment was a nice wooden house that was so homey. I could see it back home, complete with a wood stove. It has running water too but you have to get up at 4am and turn it on and then turn the pump off an hour later or it floods the house.
The next day (Wednesday), we exchanged with the AP's and I was with another elder M. The other AP, Elder P, went home after his call was extended an extra transfer (he was soooo cool), and now it's Elder M from Tonga, who I remember vividly from the MTC. I was so impressed with him in the MTC. He wasn't cocky but he was still very confident in his abilities. He was only a batch ahead of me which seems so strange to me. We had a good exchange too. I didn't understand much of what he said in English so we nagtagalog'd most of the time.
The AP's mentioned to us that Sister O would be inspecting our apartment this week and that we should clean it up one day. We had already been frustrated by how messy it was and were already planning to clean a lot. So we didn't work on Thursday - just cleaned every inch of the apartment, which hadn't been really cleaned in two years. It was a long day and I touched some pretty gross things. We moved a big cabinet that was in the way and were going to put it in a different spot. It was reallly big and we had to lift it over a railing. We got it over but it was a huge struggle and just as we got it in place, the whole top part of the cabinet broke off and smashed on the ground. We then tried to put it together again and it looked so pitifully crooked. But when Sister O came and inspected, she was so impressed and said it was one of the cleanest apartments she's seen.
With them was an Elder M, an area authority who was speaking at our district conference. He was really impressed too and he and President O found my machete sitting on my desk and they were playing with it, making jokes about how it was used to motivate the elders. Anyways, I feel "sanctified" - that's what our transfer focus is. It's from Joshua 3:5.
"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
The president says if your apartment isn't clean you can't be ready to teach either. It's all a reflection of your life. I remember Mum saying that about my room one time - how if it was messy, it reflected the way I was living. Now I realize that's so true.
Now, on to the E family. I met them once a couple of weeks ago. They're really receptive - a whole family and they all make sure they drop whatever they are doing to listen when we come over.
We also got punted quite a bit this week. I got pretty sick with a really bad cold (which is getting better now) and then one day my payong (umbrella) broke in the wind and I got angry and tossed it in the ditch, littering and later felt bad.
Once my payong broke I was just done, just really fully annoyed and once we got back to the apartment, I went into the bedroom and prayed until I felt better. The best part is, I did feel better. I always do. Actually, I think it's just a natural cause and effect occurrence for everyone. If you pray sincerely to Heavenly Father, you will always feel better afterwards.
Pretty cool that since I was a child I have had the knowledge of being able to cure myself of anything that troubles me. I have always known how to pray. It really is a panacea (oooooo, nice word use!).
I am realizing now that when we teach people to pray that we give them the same ability to solve problems and lift their spirit. Sweet eh?
We stopped by at another investigator's and they had some fish in a bucket. Pretty big too - like my walleye. They had three of them. They then told us they caught them in the bukid (rice field)! Apparently the river floods once in a while and then the fish get into the fields and can't get out. They live in there for a long time (at least three weeks as I haven't seen the river flood since I've been here). So while they work in the fields, they also catch fish. I can't wait to learn how they do it though.
I forgot to tell you that at ZL conference I got some presents from the members from Santa Maria! I couldn't believe it as I didn't think I had made much of an impact there. Turns out, some thought I did and they couldn't believe that I was transferred so soon. That was really touching.
I also learned I don't really sweat that much (I used to think I did). Two filipinos have told me that, "You
don't sweat like the other white guys."
".......thank you?" I said.
I paid to get some pants made here in Aparri. 400 pisos! It's reallly hard to think in dollars now. Something will be 50 pesos and I'll say, "No, that's too mahal." (expensive) but really it's just over a dollar!
My area in Camalaniugan is good. People here are really nice but they rarely see white people here so we get hey joe'd a lot more.
Many people here are really poor too. I actually find myself trying hard to dress down a bit as I will be telling people that God will provide for them and if I am wearing an expensive tie while doing it, I feel like a tool.
Anyways... I think that's mostly it for now. As I was writing this though, Elder D yelled to me that his mom was reading the blog and was asking if he knew the one who got in a fight in Narvacan.
It's so good to hear from you guys every week. I love you all so much.
But will somebody let me in on what's up in the hockey world? I'm dyin' here!
All the others just chat about basketball and they all get updates. Just saying, elder or not, I am still very much a hockey fan.
Enjoy your week! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!
-Elder Dustan
Like Eating Shoe Leather! - Week 35. Serving in Camalaniugan
This week we went to Laoag for a Zone Leader Conference. It took forever to get a bus. There are no real bus stops. You just wait somewhere on the side of the road and wave a bus down and if it's full, who knows how long it will be till the next one comes. I felt a little sick on the bus and Elders C and D felt realllly sick on the bus.
We finally got to Laoag and then we went to Robinson's Supermarket. That's the place everyone wants to shop at here as it's like a real mall from back home.. kind of.
They don't have shaving cream in Camalaniugan so I got some in Laoag. I was shaving with soap and my face was so sore. Then we went to the mission home and we had training from the AP's and President and Sister O. It was amazing.
At ZL conference we were told that eating cow skin is bawal (off limits). That was embarrassing (when Harrison phoned home for Christmas, he told us he had gotten sick after eating cow skin at a dinner appointment).
After ZLC, we tried to get a bus back and all the seats were taken on the last bus to our area! So we had to go to Claveria and sleep at the ZL apartment there. It was fun. We got to work there and it's a great area. We finally got back home on Thursday afternoon. We were gone 20 hours in all with ZL Conference and travel. Time goes so much slower when you're not working, that's why this week seemed to drag by.
I taught a newly endowed member and he was telling me about a dream he had in which Christ appeared in his house. It was an amazing dream and he was asking us what we thought it meant. I shared the scripture in Joel that dad showed me:
Joel 2:28 - "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:"
Then I told him that, as the head of his family, God will give him direction through the Holy Ghost to guide his family. I believe that's what his dream was for as his family is less active and he wants so bad to be sealed to them in the temple! That was a rewarding expeience.
People here are just so much more believeing than back home and I think that's why they are more susceptible to spiritual things.
We almost hit a Carabao (water buffalo) when we were in a jeepny. It was terrifying but once again, preserved by divine intervention!
We did nothing for New Years. We stayed inside from 6pm until morning because lots of people here go a little wild on New Years. We just sat around and told stories.
Thanks for all of your emails. I loved each of them! I love you and miss you all so much but this is a pretty sweet experience I get to have right now so we'll just have to wait to see each other again.
Take care of yourselves! Love you lots!
-Elder Dustan
We finally got to Laoag and then we went to Robinson's Supermarket. That's the place everyone wants to shop at here as it's like a real mall from back home.. kind of.
They don't have shaving cream in Camalaniugan so I got some in Laoag. I was shaving with soap and my face was so sore. Then we went to the mission home and we had training from the AP's and President and Sister O. It was amazing.
At ZL conference we were told that eating cow skin is bawal (off limits). That was embarrassing (when Harrison phoned home for Christmas, he told us he had gotten sick after eating cow skin at a dinner appointment).
After ZLC, we tried to get a bus back and all the seats were taken on the last bus to our area! So we had to go to Claveria and sleep at the ZL apartment there. It was fun. We got to work there and it's a great area. We finally got back home on Thursday afternoon. We were gone 20 hours in all with ZL Conference and travel. Time goes so much slower when you're not working, that's why this week seemed to drag by.
I taught a newly endowed member and he was telling me about a dream he had in which Christ appeared in his house. It was an amazing dream and he was asking us what we thought it meant. I shared the scripture in Joel that dad showed me:
Joel 2:28 - "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:"
Then I told him that, as the head of his family, God will give him direction through the Holy Ghost to guide his family. I believe that's what his dream was for as his family is less active and he wants so bad to be sealed to them in the temple! That was a rewarding expeience.
People here are just so much more believeing than back home and I think that's why they are more susceptible to spiritual things.
We almost hit a Carabao (water buffalo) when we were in a jeepny. It was terrifying but once again, preserved by divine intervention!
We did nothing for New Years. We stayed inside from 6pm until morning because lots of people here go a little wild on New Years. We just sat around and told stories.
Thanks for all of your emails. I loved each of them! I love you and miss you all so much but this is a pretty sweet experience I get to have right now so we'll just have to wait to see each other again.
Take care of yourselves! Love you lots!
-Elder Dustan
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