Bananas on the Moon - Week 90. Serving in Sarrat

Hey guys. Sorry but I have a little less time to email this week as I had to do the reporting of our zone numbers. This was a great week though. On Monday we found this guy named J. He's our barangay captain and now we are teaching him. We are still teaching the R family as well. On Monday we taught them about the restoration of the priesthood and how it blesses families. They loved it.

Tuesday was so-so. We had few appointments so we did lots of finding but had little success. The only guy we taught other than our appointments was a guy who has no job. He just sits at home and reads and drinks. All the other religions are teaching him too so we thought we'd jump in as well. He got up halfway through our lesson and went inside and took a shot and then came back out and sat down.

On Wednesday we had our Zone Leaders Conference. Before hand, we went to the palengke and I got some souvenirs - some really good ones. I'll decide whether to bring them or send them home. One thing I might do is what's called a balik bayan box. The pinoys that send stuff home from other countries send it or bring it in these huge boxes that are all taped up.

Zone Leaders Conference was sweet. It was all on chapter 9 of Preach My Gospel. For practice we went out and did an hour of finding. We taught the ex-mayor of Laoag. He was so nice. He said that the first vision is "spectacular". Conference training was sweet. President told us that there has been a 300% worldwide increase in missionaries. Don't how that works but still pretty cool. He said that they are going to put 4 missionaries in every unit but they will not put new missionaries in an unproductive area, so if you want your unit to get better, then you have to get your area doing better and then you can get two more missionaries. That's our goal for Sarrat.

Wednesday night we slept in my old apartment above the office. I had fun with my old companions, Elder K and Elder M. The next morning at about 5:15 the three of us went to M and E's. They were all sleeping and we woke the parents up when we got there. Funny thing is they didn't go back to sleep they all wanted to come and talk with us. They were so excited. It was really nice to see them. We chatted and joked with  M and E and it was just like it was before.

After Zone Leaders Conference, we went home and started to apply what we were trained on. The standard now is 8 new investigators a week. We got 17 this week! We taught a jewelry maker. He was really angry with us at first and very staunchly catholic. We just stayed calm and eventually we were able to teach him. Funny things is he LOVED the apostasy! We are going back.

Saturday we taught an old man who asked us to come over this week. He's the only member who asked us to teach him. He was sooooo nice (way fun too). I asked him how he was able to snag his wife (sounds better in Tagalog) and it was really funny - love at first sight. Then he said he's the lucky one. He asked us if we would help him and his wife get to the temple. They don't seem to have any issues as they are active members. I just don't think any one has ever helped them and they don't know what to do. They may have just fallen through the cracks.

One of our investigators told us she doesn't want us to come over anymore which really took the wind out of our sails. But teaching that guy and his family really made it all better.

On Sunday after church, a bunch of youth and young adults came and asked if they could work with us. That was great! I took the youth and the YSA went with Elder O. We taught Brother K the Plan of Salvation. I tried to get the youth to help me teach but they seemed to know very little about the Plan of Salvation. I think it woke them up to realize how much they suck (in a nice way). Bro. K told the youth that they don't know anything (SLAP!). So after the lesson I taught them. In the lesson I told them about myself and how I had been a bit like them. Then I pumped them up and also told them that if their generation goes away from the church then the church goes extinct from their country and plunges back into apostasy. It woke 'em up.

At one appointment we were teaching at, I mentioned the Terrestrial Kingdom and how it is compared to the brightness of the moon. The man went on about how scientists say it's cold on the moon but it's still good enough to plant stuff. He told me that they plant bananas on the moon. I really had to control myself and stop from laughing and peeing.

Anyways, things are going really well here. This is the best I have ever felt and also the most progress I have ever seen in myself or my area. We are really building from the ground up and it really helps us improve ourselves too.

So things are good. I miss you guys. Have a great week!
Elder Dustan

What? Dogs Setting Off Fireworks?? - Week 89. Serving in Sarrat

 On New Years Eve, after I emailed you, we were helping with some transfer stuff and we almost ran out of time for me to be able to teach M and E one last time - it was really frustrating. But it worked out and I got to see them. Apparently they wrote me a letter which I should get this week.

 That evening we were in lock-down and had nothing to do and there were some people there for early transfers so we got the flood lights out and set 'em up and then each of us put on a football jersey (we have a surplus - even I have two! One I bought because the name on the back is Harrison) and had a two hour game of football. Then we got cleaned up and went to bed but couldn't sleep with all the explosions. Fireworks are readily available here and not illegal so everyone and their dog was setting them off all over the city. At around 11:30 we went down to the parking area and watched. People were shooting really powerful fireworks all over the place like bottle rockets. They would also put them in the middle of the road and light them and then people driving by would just barely miss being blown up. It was really fun. Then we took in some pinoy tradition and had a midnight feast (President's idea, and they fed us).

On Tuesday we did transfers. I did my last driving in the Philippines and then they took us to our area. I left the office at noon and started working here that afternoon. There were only two light bulbs in the apartment (it's a very nice place though) and everything was a mess. We studied and set up an appointment with the branch president and then went out to do some finding until the appointment. Everyone told us to go away.

My companion is in his fifth transfer so he's still learning Tagalog (he's pretty good though). The branch president showed us around. We taught some members and then went home. That Tuesday night I felt as homesick as I did when I first got in the mission. Don't know why but it felt awful. We had quite a bit of work this week and met some people in the branch (this place has been a branch for a long, long time and it's in the Laoag stake).

 We did some cleaning at the meeting house and then on Saturday we had  a baptism (a 9 year old  who should have been a child of record but was late getting baptised . It was Elder O's first time baptising and the poor guy had to do it 5 times because the kid's toes kept coming up.

This week was  exhausting. Being thrown right into a new area and leading the zone is way tiring. We had church on Sunday at 9am but no one really showed up until 10 so we had no priesthood class.

We have been trying to apply things directly and exactly as they appear in Preach My Gospel and it's been working really well. We have 4 people we are planning on baptizing this transfer and two of them we just found.

 I got a letter from a girl that did my ultrasound at the hospital in Manila. She had written her phone number on the back of the ultrasound report. I felt bad when she gave me her number as she would expect me to call her - which obviously I can't do. So I told her if she wants I'd send her a letter - so I did. I wrote all about myself and how I decided to go on a mission and about the gospel and she actually wrote back! I think it's kind of hilarious. I realize that she may be having other thoughts about it so my plan is to be more clear about that and that I am just a missionary and friend. She mentioned in her letter how sad the death of her brother and father was so the next letter will be about the Plan of Salvation. Most random missionary opportunity ever!

That's pretty much my week. I love you guys lots. Have a great 2013!
Elder Dustan

The Transfer Aint Over Till the Ostrich Dances - Week 88. Serving in Laoag

Yo padres! I'M-A GETTIN' TRANSFERRED! So, here's how I found out: we were sitting in Priesthood meeting yesterday (Priesthood is first, then Sunday School and then Sacrament meeting is last) and President called and asked to talk to me. He told me I was being transferred far (so my heart dropped a little because my hope was that I would be somewhere close still so there would be a chance of seeing M and E). He then told me that I would be a senior zone leader and would also be training a new zone leader, so I assumed we were opening a new zone and the only place that is "far" and has no zone of its own is in Abra. I was a bit worried because 2013 is an election year and in an election year, Abra has troubles (the New Peoples Army), so usually western people aren't allowed there in election years. But then he told me that I would be in Sarrat (close to where I am now). He told me that our assignment is to strengthen the Laoag zone.

My companion is fairly new. I was in the office when he came into the mission. All I remember about him is that he's Hawaiian and I heard that he always speaks Tagalog - even to non-Filipino people. I think it will be a good chance to kick my language up a notch before I leave.

I am a little anxious about our new assignment as I have never been a zone leader for president B and it's very different from when the O's were here. But when I was reading the Book of Mormon yesterday, I found some great ideas and received some revelation that was so clear.

Earlier this week we went to Fort Ilocandia to get some pictures for the departing slideshow. There was a zoo there that we didn't know about! There was an enclosure with two ostriches and when we were leaving we walked by it and one walked right up to the fence until it was a couple of feet away from me (he could have pecked my eye out!). Then it started dancing! It squatted down and shook its wings and then started swaying its neck back and forth over and over for like two solid minutes! I got it on video and I'll show you when I get home.

We committed M and E to come to church and they said they have money from caroling. So yesterday when they weren't there it really hurt as it was my last Sunday there. Then a trike pulls up to  the gate and a pogi (handsome) kid in a white shirt and tie gets out, and it was M. He looked so good in his new shirt and tie (AND he tied it himself). E was also well dressed. M passed the sacrament for the first time and did so well. I gave him a copy of Preach my Gospel and he read through it for a while - he was way excited. He's such an awesome guy. I told them both that I was getting transferred and E kind of got grumpy and didn't want to talk about it. M was sad but we talked and he said he would work with the missionaries once a week to help them. Then after church, I got a text from E and she told me that she would miss me so much and thanked me over and over again. I am going to miss those two soooooo much. We are visiting them my last time tonight.


We ate at an investigator family's house last night and they are sooo legit they remind me of being home. I am excited to see them progress here. I will ask Elder K for updates. Anyways, I have to get going. We have lunch at a member's with the whole zone. I love you all so much. It was great to talk to you all on Christmas.  It gave me a boost for teaching!
INGAT!
Elder Dustan

Then we received this email on New Years Day:

So we are on lockdown right now as it is New Years Eve here and things can get crazy (that's why we are all to be in our apartments at 6pm). earlier today we were helping with transfers and stuff. We got finished around 4:30pm and then went out to M and E's. We spent some time talking and joking with them, taught them a lesson and then I had to say goodbye. It felt the exact same as when I left you guys at the airport in Ottawa. So weird that I feel like that for two random kids in some place I had never before even heard of or thought about. It was so hard to say goodbye to them.

Anyways, I have to get going. I am way sad to leave here but I guess it will be a good experience for me. I assume that I will either finish in Sarrat or only be there one transfer and then train for my last two in a new area (20+ missionaries coming in the February batch. Oh, and this transfer is 8 weeks because of the extension).
Wish me luck in Sarrat!
Elder Dustan

"And if it so be that you should labour all your days...and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" - Week 87. Serving in Laoag

Hey guys! Weird that I will be talking to you in two days. We've been busy cleaning everything up after Christmas zone conference. One of the elders had a little trouble when the mission vehicle they were driving was hit by a tricycle (don't worry, no one was hurt. Actually the elders ended up teaching the woman who had been a passenger in the trike!). So we have had less work and lots of distractions. Saturday was our first "full" day of work. We decided we would go around and visit every single focus family we had as well as our recent converts. If they weren't home,  we left a note of encouragement inviting them to church.

We really wanted everyone to be there for the last Sunday before Christmas. We felt so good about our work. Not a lot of lessons but we still met most of the focus families and we felt like our letters to them were really good. We stopped by M and H's too. Elder M and I had taught them earlier in the week and committed them to be at church on Sunday (they have struggled with that lately). They said they would and then M said, "Actually Elders, I might be busy. We are doing our uling and I have to be there on Sunday." (uling is Tagalog for charcoal. They make a huge fire under ground and then when it's done they sell all the charcoal). Then E got way mad at him and said, "What's more important - God or uling?" When we dropped by Saturday night, they both said that they wouldn't be able to go because they had no pamasahe (money for travel). So we told them that we would meet them at their house at 6:30am and walk with them. It's about an hours walk to the main road that goes to the bridge that goes to Laoag Centro. They were surprised that we would do that. So we met them and walked to the main road and then they had just enough to get a jeep from there. It was a long walk but they are so fun to be with that it passed quickly. I gave E that toy rubber pig with the eyes that pop out when you squeeze it (the one you sent in the Christmas  package) and she thought it was the best thing ever invented. I have never seen someone laugh so hard.

We visited a family on Saturday night that is preparing to go to the temple but they have been MIA for a while. We walked by and saw the tatay with a beer bottle sitting with some other guys drinking. It was so painful to see. They didn't notice that we walked by. We were so discouraged. Once we got to church on Sunday (after walking with M and E), not ONE of the focus families that we visited came to even one minute of church. I felt really drained, like I just got tired of putting my all into everything and getting no results. We were really disappointed in those that said they were going to come for sure. But the upside was, remember that tatay we saw drinking? He was there with his whole family! So we got multiple proverbial kicks in the head but there was also some reward for our efforts.
Anyways, can't wait to talk to you guys. I love you lots.
Elder Dustan

"...and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love..." - Week 86. Serving in Laoag

Happy huwebes p-day! It feels really weird to be having p-day right now. I feel like we need it though since we have been going saging (bananas) trying to get things ready for zone conference and running on little sleep. The week has kind of passed in a blur so I will have to stop and think what has happened.

Maybe I will just start with most recent. We had zone conference. It was a pretty good one. There were two zone conferences with the mission split into two groups. TONS of people were there. We were the lucky ones assigned to help out with BOTH conferences. We also had dozens of elders sleep in our apartment... so messy.

We got very little teaching in due to running errands for zone conference. I'm proud of Elder K and I though. We managed to get some key lessons in even with all that. Every chance we got we would go out teaching. We had a great lesson with P and his wife, She has kind of stopped progressing. Whenever we would teach, P would just steal the show and go on and on talking in English about deep stuff. S would just look off into space and look bored. Then this past lesson we went over and spoke with P a little bit alone. We said that we wanted to teach S some basic doctrine with no stories or additions,  just pure doctrine. We played Jenga to start and they loved it! Then we related it to the apostasy and did the simplest clearest apostasy lesson ever. S was loving it.

For zone conferences we did service at the provincial hospital. It's way more sketchy than the other hospital where that guy died beside us. I wrote up the proposal letter to the hospital and then we went there and did a total of 4 hours between the two groups. We weeded, painted and cleaned. We even got to wear those cool yellow Helping Hands vests that the church has for service projects. While we were there, we met the parents of one of our less actives. They said that their grandson (the less active's son) was just admitted to the hospital with a really high fever. We are teaching the man and his girlfriend to help them get married and for her to be baptized. They asked for help so we went to give a blessing. There is a senior couple here so Elder K asked if the senior elder would like to join us for the blessing. He said he would love to and came with us. Good thing too because we had no oil with us but he did.

The mother and baby were in a room on the far end of the hospital. It looked like a ghetto hospital. The windows were partly smashed in, the washroom was a pit and everything looked filthy. We gave the baby a blessing and we felt really good about it. The mother  is pretty cool. Her boyfriend is so nice and loving. She has generally been pretty quiet as we are still kind of new to her so teaching there sometimes feels a little awkward. The last lesson we had there though, was so good. We taught about the Restoration. Usually teaching that lesson here is a little tough because we get so excited about it and most people we teach it to don't really seem to care. I'm still trying to figure it out. So what we did is we drew pictures as we talked and linked it more to why we needed a restoration rather than just telling them that it happened. She really loved it and understood it. She has a baptismal date now and is really excited about it (it's way off in March though, so that they have time to get married).

After service at the hospital we went carolling. We went to the house of the family with the son in jail and the daughter who just gave birth. They are so poor - the poorest I have ever seen. We carolled there with about 20 missionaries. We also brought them a few kilos of rice and some other Christmas foods.

The next thing we did at zone conference was musical presentations by zone. The other zones were really good. Laoag zone (us) did three songs put together into one and they were all reggae songs and sung in a reggae choir style. It was pretty cool. Then President wanted each zone to have special numbers outside of their regular zone presentation. He lent me  his guitar (it's a fairly new, well built classical guitar) and told me to play a song because he heard that I can play. I fooled around on the guitar a bit the week before the conference but I still had no idea what to play. So I left it to last minute and ended up playing Redemption Song by Bob Marley (went with our zone theme I guess) as it was one of the only songs I remembered how to play. I got two polynesians to sing with me.

Yesterday we turned left in a place where you aren't supposed to and we got pulled over. Elder M was driving. We all just spoke straight English to the police officer. He tried to speak English and struggled really bad and then got another policeman to come over who was equally bad at it. We were returning chairs to the chapel at the time and were to meet the bishop there. So we told the police that we were in a hurry and needed to bring the chairs to the bishop, at which point they let us go. Drop the word bishop and you can do pretty much anything here. But afterwards we all felt bad so later we went back to where we were pulled over. We were only going to apologize and pay the fine but they seemed scared to see us (especially elder M - I don't think they realized how big he was when he was sitting in the truck the first time) so they kind of started running away. We caught up to one of them and apologized and then asked if we could pay the fine and he said not to worry about it and said we could go (I think he was still scared).

Anyway, that's my week. Thanks for the emails, AND I got your packages! Thanks so much, you are the best - I love you all tons.
Maligayang Pasko
Elder Dustan

ps- I think I will be transferred this time so I am way excited for that! I feel like I am in my teaching and speaking prime right now and it feels great, so I am excited to get more time to do that.

So That's How They Get the Milk in Those Bags! - Week 85. Serving in Laoag

This week feels like a full month it was so long, but lots of stuff happened. There was no crazy weather here. It just rained for a bit (my first time getting soaked in a while. I kind of miss it).

Monday we got called to go to Batac to help the sisters there withdraw their money as they said it wasn't working. I have been there but haven't driven around there much. It was way nice. It's the birth place of former president Marcos and they have monuments and stuff. The sisters got in the back seats of the truck so we rode in the bed of the truck. It was really funny to see people almost crashing from staring at us.

Tuesday we went out to work early, at around 9am and then worked until lunch. We had no appointments that early so we just went finding. It was so fun. We went to one house and there was a cow standing in the yard just slowly chewing on a big clear plastic bag. When the person came out we started off with, "Is that what your cow usually eats?" and they were pretty friendly to us from the start.

On Wednesday we heard all about that typhoon that wiped out Mindanao and Palawan (one of our brand new sisters is from Palawan. Poor girl had her home wiped out). We were issued a warning too. As it left Palawan it went north and was headed straight for Laoag (I saw it on Google Earth - it looked like it decided to specifically hit Laoag). Then yesterday it was the supposed to make land fall. We waited and it never came. We were told that it had weakened. I looked on Google Earth again and the entire thing had just dissipated. I guess your prayers are working really well.

This week for was pretty sweet as far as teaching goes though. We got punted by everyone that knows us but found 13 new investigators! The other night we were walking by a BBQ stand in the middle of nowhere and they called to us. it was just two women and then there was a guy sitting in the back. Then once we started talking, the guy came over too. Then after a little bit they called their friends and family over so we taught the whole group. One girl there has a family of 15 and they live under the same roof with some of their extended family which makes them 24 under the same roof! We are going back on Wednesday and they are going to feed us!

We went out yesterday and got punted and then turned down this random road. It was all fields and shacks. We kept walking and all of a sudden we saw this HUGE house. We went over, talked to them, they invited us in and then we taught them. It was an older filipino man and  a white kid. This man lived in California and owned a place that takes care of orphans. The white kid was brought to his orphanage and he loved him so, at about 1 year old, he adopted him. He has blond hair and blue eyes and grew up in the Philippines. The kid was way excited to see other white kids (it was like Tarzan). He was a finalist in Philippines Got Talent and he sang us two songs. He's really good. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and have a return appointment.

Right after that we went to another house that we contacted a while ago and they were so excited to see us.  We talked with them for a while and they are one of the single coolest families I have ever met. They are Baptists but also said that they don't reject the word of God when someone tries to build on their knowledge. They also asked us if they could come to church. They were so excited to read what we left them and we are going back next Sunday. So this has been a great week for work. I feel like we are finding some people that are really prepared. I attached a photo of the family I just mentioned. They actually took a picture with us, each with an individual shot with us and then group shots where they did all different poses. It was so fun. There was no room on the bench and Tatay had nowhere to sit so Elder K jokingly patted his lap and said, "Right here Tatay!" He laughed and sat on his lap! It was way funny.

I'll let you know when I know about the Christmas phone call.
Love you,
Elder Dustan

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