Tuesday -
So Tuesday consisted of two main parts. First of all, we had service all morning in my far area called Fugu. This was at the home of our investigator that had one of her feet amputated because of her diabetes. Our service consisted of pulling out lots of weeds and helping make a ramp up to their house that is more accessible for her wheelchair. It was pretty enjoyable and a lot of work seemed to get done. Once it was the afternoon Elder Butler and I headed back to Ballesteros Centro on exchanges in order to do some work in both of our areas. We first went to Elder Butler's area and taught a lesson to an investigator that didn't previously want to be baptized. The lesson really went pretty well and I was impressed by both the Tagalog of Elder Butler and my own Tagalog. At the end of the lesson this investigator actually decided that he wanted to be baptized. I don't think this is necessarily because of our specific lesson, but it was cool none the less that he changed his mind.
After that, we headed into my area and taught a lesson about the Gift of the Holy Ghost to my recent convert. For some reason it did not go as well as the previous lesson and our Tagalog wasn't as great, but it was alright.
Wednesday -
We actually did some normal missionary work. We went to Fugu again and just taught to all our investigators there. Also, we did like a miniature service thing where we helped this nanay pump and carry some buckets of water up the hill. It was funny because she basically said "No don't let the white one carrry it or he'll get sick! It's too hard." This is kinda thing is funny but typical. They think because we're white and from America we have never done anything physically difficult in our entire lives, so instead of letting that belief remain I intentionally acted like I couldn't understand her Tagalog and then carried all the buckets myself. It was funny cause she didn't expect it. During that day we taught four pretty good lessons to our investigators.
Thursday -
This whole day mostly consisted of service as well. We ended up just chopping a whole bunch of trees with machetes. We then used that wood in order to make charcoal. I think it's kinda funny how we haven't moved passed using machetes to something as simple as an ax to cut wood. It was an alright experience and my hands got super blistered, but it's okay because everyone here told me it's because I'm a "very hard worker." After that, we ate a pretty gross meal consisting of peppers, tomatoes, rice, and this weird mashed up vegetable that kinda looked like gruel. Of course, we ate it to avoid offending people.
Once we got home we were greeted to some Dunkin' Donuts. We actually gave some money for donuts to a member who was traveling to the further bigger city called Tuguegarao. I was expecting a delicious delight, but we were greeted to below average donuts. I'm not sure if they're lower quality because they're Dunkin' Donuts of the Philippines, or if it was just the fact that Dunkin' Donuts is not Krispy Kreme.
Friday -
The apartment was deep cleaned during the extra time we didn't use for weekly planning. We also went out and taught four lessons.
Saturday -
More service. We helped build up the destroyed roof of a guy who had a stroke and has only half of his body functioning. We also met a lady that had lived in Texas for 20 years and talked to her in English for a while which was cool. Later Elder Butler and Vaea had a baptism. The one baptism took four tries which was kinda funny.
After that, we hung around the church because we were invited to get food from the district YSA Valentines Party. After that, on the way home we saw tons of people gathered. We ended up finding the biggest event and group of people gathered that I've seen so far here in Ballesteros. We investigated and found a huge event that ended up just being a bakla pageant. It was literally just a huge competition for gay people and basically the whole community gathered to support and watch. It was very strange.
Sunday -
We had to give our testimonies in our branch because they knew we are being transferred. Then we had missionary work. Then we had a kind of farewell party thing at the house of our friend and fellowshipper Renz San Juan.
Pictures -
ramp making service, the sky, the cat that got stuck under our gate and screamed a whole bunch and tried to scratch us when we tried to help it, wood chopping service, coconuts, meal on palm leaves, Dunkin' Donuts, YSA Valentines dance, cows on basketball court, roof making service, valentines dance creep shot, bakla pageant, random picture
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