Week 30...Cabugao Philippines

This week was faster.

Last Sunday, we did accounting, and our Zone Leader was talking to our District Leader, Elder Abonitalla on the phone, but then the zone leader wanted to talk to Elder Camero. So the zone leader whined to us about how our KI's were so low, despite the fact that we just transferred in and we are opening the area and we couldn't work on Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday because of transfers and district conference. So then Elder Camero told the zone leader to watch and wait cause we were gonna get 50 lessons the coming week and that's when I knew this week was gonna suck. 

So then we started working. All my comp could think about was teaching lessons. He was always trying to teach the lessons really fast and he always spoke really fast and I am positive that no one understood our message. We pretty much just found lots of people and then talked at them. It was the worst. I taught more lessons in a week this week than any other week on the mission, and it sucked, because we didn't help anyone. I just knew something was missing.  Finally yesterday at church, the fruits of our labors showed when not one of our investigators came to church. 

So that's the update on the work this week.

Update on the apartment situation, We just have to endure one more week. It didn't flood this week surprisingly so that was nice. President and Sister Andrada came to Lasam on Tuesday for quarterly interviews. The interview went well and I love President.  I learned that I need to direct my studies towards PMG, so I can become a master teacher like the Savior. President Andrada said we cant be perfect people but we can become perfect teachers.  Sister Andrada went with the other Elders to the apartment and they said she was speechless (because of how bad it was).  So then to our satisfaction, the APs showed up on Friday with mattresses and other stuff we needed so that was awesome.

Despite the bummer with the work this week, I am really excited about this branch. The leaders are awesome and super dedicated and the branch is super focused on growing so we can get a chapel here (Because our church here is just a tiny little meeting house.)

My challenge here in Lasam is trying to stay motivated and happy. All 4 us are having trouble waking up on time and focusing during study hour because our home environment is crap and we are all mad and homesick and unmotivated and tired. I know that's no excuse.  It's all about perspective and making the best with what you got. And I could probably cheer up and be happy and motivated if I willed it, but it's just hard man.  Hopefully I will figure it out this coming week. We all keep telling ourselves it will get better when we get the new apartment, but we'll see.

Hmmmmmmm. I think that's it for this week.

I love you all. Pray for us, and I will keep praying for all you guys. 

-Elder Andersen

Week 29 Cabugao...Philippines

Man. This has been the slowest week of my whole life.  I have way to much to talk about and I probably won't be able to remember every thing. It feels like an eternity ago that I emailed last Monday.

Mon:  After emailing, me and Elder Legaspi went home so I could pack my stuff.  It took me like 2 hours to pack and then we decided to stay in Cabugao because its closer to Laoag, Because I needed to wake up at 5 am the next morning to travel.  So I said goodbye to Good ole Santo Domingo and left for Cabugao.

Tues.  We Woke up at 5 and went to the Laoag bus station in order to bus to Cagayan.  Before I got on the bus to Cagayan, President Andrada came and told me I was opening the area in Lasam and stuff. So that's kinda scary.  Then I said goodbye to Elder Legaspi and got on the bus. I got to sit next to my MTC companion Elder Langeveld the whole bus ride, cause he was transferring to Cagayan as well.  WE talked a lot, especially since the bus ride was like 6 hours. 

Finally after arriving to Allacapan Cagayan, I got dropped off and was met by Zone Leader Hoopes and Valenton. Also My companion Elder Camero was waiting there, and also the other 2 Lasam Elders, Elder Whitrod and Abonitalla.  Elder Camero is a big Filipino from Leyte. He is not super good at English but it's all good.  Elder Whitrod is a super tall and goofy Australian, and he is almost going home in 2 transfers. He is really funny. Elder Abonitalla is our district leader he is chill.  We are all staying in the same apartment.  We took another hour and a half jeepnee ride up to Lasam, which is up in the Mountains, then we got to Lasam and it's so pretty up here. It's different then Santo Domingo. It's up in the mountains and it's really thick jungle and stuff.  We went to the apartment and that's when everything really started to suck. It's really big, and has 2 floors, but it's really old and dirty and lots of mosquitoes.  The floor is really muddy inside because it floods twice a week from irrigation.  The fridge is broken and irreparable so we cant buy food in bulk.  We have 4 elders but only 2 mattresses, and we have 1 cabinet for clothes, and we are all sleeping in this one tiny room that is clean and doesn't get flooded.  SO we are all living out of our suitcases and tripping all over each other and 2 elders are sleeping on the floor, and their is millions of other problems, and yah its just bad.  So Later we all went and met the branch president in his cubo hut. Cool dude.  Sleep was really not fun. Plus there are even more mosquitoes than there were in my last area.

Wed: Worked in the morning with my new companion. He knows 4 languages including Ilokano, and he is super diligent and good at teaching. I think we are gonna do well here as far as the work goes.  The people are way different here as well, they are nicer and willing to listen.

Thursday:  We worked and also we got permission to look for a new apartment, so we did that.  

Friday:Woke up to a flood, and that really ticked us all of so we went and Looked for apartment and worked.

Saturday; Woke up and the flood was higher than before. Uhhhggg. We went to Balisterros for district conference. WE met a lot of members and they are way cool here.  Lots of priesthood and fellowshippers here, and the members are way nicer to the missionaries.  District con was good, we met the rest of the missionaries in our zone, and President Andrada spoke, and also Elder Raul Villanueva from the Philippines area presidency was there.  We worked and slept in Allacapan that night because we had to go to the rest of District con on Sunday.  I talked a lot with Elder Hoopes, our zone leader.  He has 6 months left. He is crazy and told me some crazy stories, pretty cool guy though

Sunday:  We went to Ballisterros again to finish District Conference.  Good stuff.  Then we returned to our crap apartment out that was lame.  We worked though and the fellowshippers and the members are awesome here.

Yah Its been a long and frustrating week. I'm pretty tired and homesick and annoyed.  All because of the apartment. We found an apartment though, but we have to wait at least 2 weeks before it is done. So I guess we have to endure.  Also I will have to learn to wash my clothes by hand Filipino style so I'm excited (not really) for that.  But The work has been great so far, on the bright side.  We have already 7 baptismal dates and 4 investigators went all the way to Ballisterros to go to church. I think me and Elder Csmero will do pretty well here. I'm exited. The only thing is the terrible apartment.  Were miserable, you guys have no idea haha. We have a hammock though haha. 

Long week, Hard week, Miserable week. 

Thank you all for your support and your prayers. I probably won't be able to send pictures again this week. the Computer I'm using is barely working. So sorry bout it.

-Elder Andersen

Week 28...Santo Domingo Philippines

Weird. 

So All this week I was expecting to get transferred, but Saturday came and the APs didn't text us, so I thought I had another transfer and a total of 6 months in Santo Domingo.  I just opened my email, and I'm actually getting transferred to LASAM CAGAYAN!!!!  It's out in the boonies and its like a million hour bus ride away!  It's almost Cauayan mission!  Look on the map.  I'm freaking out right now, especially since I have to go home and pack now.  Geeze, lamo APs didn't text me!  

So yah, now the whole branch will be surprised to know that I'm gone. Seriously I'm freaking out.  

Also I'm sad now to leave Elder Legaspi. I'll miss this guy.  So unexpected seriously.

CRAPPPP. Guys I am trying to send pictures right now, but my computer is being a noob.  I'll probably run out of time before I can send pics, so I'm really sorry. Next week na lang.

Also I can't really organize my thoughts right now because I'm getting transferred actually.  I'm sorta freaking out!

Work was better this week but still sorta slow. We had ZTM and went on exchanges in Cabugao on Thursday, and that was fun.  The APs came to our meeting and then we rode in the pack of the truck all the way to Cabugao, and that was pretty sketchy in all truth, but it was fun and we debated about which super heroes were the best.   We worked and then we went to the general hospital and gave priesthood blessings to these 2 sick members.

Saturday was the day we were supposed to know if we were getting transferred or not and also President Andrada told us that this would be a huge transfer day, so everyone was expecting a transfer.  So after work on Saturday, me and Elder Legaspi bought huge tubs of ice cream to celebrate our companionship, because we were both sure that I was getting transferred.  So I ate half of it. then no transfer news came. SO I was sorta surprised and disappointed. But I was okay with it.

The we went to Vigan after church on Sunday for the Philippines are presidency broadcast by the are presidency for 2016.  And so then the whole zone was talking about transfers and who was leaving and staying and all that. SO yah, the whole zone thinks I'm not transferring haha!

So now I have no time to pack and I'm getting on an 8 hour bus ride tomorrow morning haha,

I'm almost done with Jesus the Christ. It's amazing. I cant put it down.

Elder Andersen

Vigan's streets

Goodbye Leonard

Leaving Santo Domingo...

Week 27 Santo Domingo Philippines

Tuesday: Work is hard man. The people are just partying hard right now.  But we did teach this super magaling nanay.  She accepted a baptismal date after lesson one and told us she felt the spirit while I recited the first vision!  On the way home we got chased by dogs and I tried to bike away really fast but then my chain broke and the pedal slammed my calf and that hurt and My leg was all swollen and shtuff.  But the dogs ran away haha. They are all pretty much cowards, all bark but no bite.  Sucks though cause then we had to walk home cause the bike broke, and it was like a 40 minute walk. But Me and Elder Legaspi had some good talks.

Wednesday: Slow work still. But we got our bikes fixed and now they are way better than before.  I reading Jesus the Christ! It's so good and it brings the New Testament to life and explains stuff that might seem weird or confusing.  Also I learn lots about the culture of the times back then when Jesus was on the earth, and it just makes so much sense. 

Thursday:  Last day of 2015 what what what.  Had to go home at 6 pm cause the people are crazy and drunk and loud. There were tons of fireworks all night, and I mean ALL NIGHT! Hard to sleep haha. Also they kids all have these crazy home made air guns that they shoot and the sound is so loud and it sounds a lot like real guns. It scares me sometimes. It has sounded like a war zone 24/7 every since the people started celebrating Christmas.  

Friday: DAY 1 of da 2016!  We taught a les active, Tatay Tagelo. He is sad and drinks himself to sleep, and His wife and lots of his kids left him (cause he is mean when he is drunk). and so He was real sad during these holidays. He loves when we teach him though!  One of the members fed us and they were watching the new Maze Runner movie. Haha. ZOMBIES? REALLY? ANOTHER ZOMBIE MOVIE? 

Saturday:  We biked and biked and biked and got punted, punted punted.  But the nanay we taught on Tuesday remembered everything we taught her!  Even about priesthood and apostasy and dispensations!  

Sunday: Fast Sunday.  One of my favorite people surprisingly came to church! Tatay Gallardo!! He is an LA and maybe I'll tell his story another time. But YES. We have been trying to get him to come to church for ever since I arrived in Santo Domingo!  So then I sliced my finger somehow. Another owie.  And also we tried to teach one of our RC's, but her dad came home before we could start, and he was drunk as can be. (He is also a member but super less active cause the District President and him got in a fight way back, and now he is less active.) Like He could barely walk.  He came over to us, and was babbling in English, and he tried to steal my bag, and then when we tried to leave I shook his hand saying we were leaving and he gabbed my hand and didn't let go for like 5 minutes, and he was holding super tight, and it was the hand that I sliced my finger earlier, so that hurt. HAha. Finally we were able to leave, and me and Elder Legaspi laughed about it. It was really funny, and sad, and a little scary haha.

So that is my week. 

I love you all and wish you all the best for 2016. Remember the Lord in all things. Church is true. Book is Blue.

-Elder Andersen

Eat dat Jolly Bee DER

I eat dat Jolli bee even more dan hem

owe

cewl