Monday, February 18, 2019

Classifying Kind Statue: Updated Communication in the Marginalized World

Overall, this week has been another of good work. Lessons were taught, people helped, and mango graham shakes were found.

Monday - 

It was actually Elder Areola's birthday and our branch mission leader organized this weird party thing for him. There just ended up being a bunch of YSA members and people outside our house on our porch thing. There was some noodles and stuff prepared too. So it was pretty fine for a birthday on a mission I guess. They did more than we did on my birthday out here. It was pretty fun and he had a rice cake. Which really was just a big mold of rice that was cooked in a pot.

Tuesday - 

We had our district meeting and then went out and taught 3 lessons. It was a pretty decent day with some pretty decent work.

Wednesday - 

On Wednesday we went out to our far area called Fugu. We taught a lesson to our new investigators called the Bauno family. The dad is usually pretty drunk but friendly and emotional (and also he wasn't drunk on this specific visit), and this is the nanay that is missing one of her feet because she has diabetes. We were able to teach them a pretty good lesson and resolve some concerns. We also ended up finding 9 new people.

Thursday -

Another day with a pretty good amount of work. During our proselyting we walked past an elementary school. I kinda joked with Elder Areola about how none of the kids were in their classes and they were just messing around outside like usual and then he told me about his elementary school experience back home. He told me that back at his home it's exactly the same and that in elementary school basically no one goes to class and they just mess around and do whatever they want the whole time. He said when he was in elementary school he never went to class. It was kinda funny to hear that from him because I didn't know if that was just a weird Ballesteros thing, but he's from a more populated area in the Philippines and apparently it's pretty typical. Overall, we ended up teaching 4 lessons.

Friday - 

We went out to Fugu once again and taught some lessons. We also met some new investigators. They're the Umblas family. So the mom of the family is a sister of an active member. We talked to them and taught them a lessons and it was really awesome. You could really feel the spirit and they immediately said they "want to become Mormons." Later while we we walking around and finding more new people I got hooted at by another bakla like usual, but it was a weird exchange because I couldn't understand what they were saying at all out our fellow shipper responded to them.The conversation went a little like this 
"Hey is your companion there gay?"... "No, he's not.".... "I think he is, the way you're walking together is gay." 
And that was the end of the conversation. I asked why I couldn't understand his Tagalog and our fellowshipper said "He was speaking in the gay language" whatever that means. It was a strange exchange for sure.

After our lessons in Fugu we started walking home, which we've never tried before because Fugu is really far away, and it took forever. Once we were probably about 3/4's of the way home an ambulance stopped by us and gave us a ride. It was weird that and ambulance was just allowed to stop and pick us up. The interior of the ambulance is kinda what you'd expect out of a ambulance here. There was one dirty stretcher, one oxygen tank, and then a small shelf with almost nothing in it. 

Once we returned back to centro Ballesteros and met up with the other Elders, Elder Prusse and Mamauag were excited to tell us that they saw a lifeless person earlier in the day. Apparently in the middle of one of their lessons there was a gun shot and then when they headed out later they saw a big group of people gathered. They walked up to the group because they thought it was a party or something but it just turned out to be the result of the gun shot. Also, from the information we heard the criminal wasn't caught. Once we all got back to the apartment I asked Elder Mamauag how he felt about it, and he said "Normal. Ballesteros has always been dangerous even when I grew up here. That's why everyone goes inside at night so early." But from my  5 months in Ballesteros so far, I think it's been alright, or we're at least we've received divine protection. I've never felt in major danger at any point, just a little uncomfortable when drunk guys hug you.

Saturday - 

On Friday we basically had a branch "fireside" the whole time. This consisted of us missionaries just doing missionary work role plays to help "teach" our regular fellow-shippers (who everyone in our ward mistakenly calls branch missionaries because they don't understand that they need to be set apart in order to be a branch missionary) how to share more effectively. We also heard the good news from a member that we can now video call our families every p-day. That got us super pumped and it was awesome. On top of that, we found this new place that sells mango graham smoothies. which are actually delicious. There's not many places that ever sell legit good food (even the "legit" food we have is still not as desirable as mediocre food back home) but these new shakes are fantastic. So basically, with the good news and delicious shakes, we had a very good day.

Sunday -

We did some missionary work.

Pictures -



Elder Areola's birthday party, picture of me from my package from home,  some pictures from proselyting, a picture with a pig, a picture form inside the ambulance, the "fireside", some investigators that came to church.















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