To just quickly translate the above statement, it looks like I only have two weeks left here in Kalikid. The transfer is probably 95% most likely to happen. One of the APs told me a few weeks ago that I am probably going to transfer, so I guess we'll see. I feel like this week happened way too fast. I don't really remember much that happened. We are still teaching EJ right now, and he's a stud. He's really excited for his upcoming baptism on the 14th of April. (Ugh, if I am transferred I will miss it, but that's okay.)
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| Jordan and Elder Talento with Sister Alonis |
I have enjoyed great success here with many of our investigators, less actives, and recent converts. There have also been, alas, some growing pains along the way. I am feeling a bit reflective, so here we go. The hardest times have been: 1) Those occasions when I am reminded that I still often have little clue about what's going on; 2) Investigators who really don't care to listen to us, or they make but do not keep commitments; and 3) Some less actives who we've been working with for weeks have yet to come to church. On the flip side, the greatest times have been: 1) Having less actives have come to church two Sundays in a row; 2) Giving temple goal dates for our recent converts; 3) Wonderful, loving, helpful members; and 4) while the language is challenging, I continue learning a little bit more each day and feel the Gift of Tongues assisting me along the way. I have learned a lot about faith and patience through the challenging of speaking the language. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, but we have to choose to work our way towards it. Some people look at the light and give up, thinking: "That's way too far. There's no way I can get up there. There are so many obstacles in the way." The people who continually work their way and keep climbing up to the light will think: "Man that's far, but look at how high I've climbed!" I don't know where that thought came from, but I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't let trials and afflictions hold you down and keep you away from your goals/happiness. I guess you can relate that somehow to what I said. haha segi patuloy.
We had companion exchanges on Friday night with the Bongabon Elders. I worked in Bongabon with Elder Corpuz, while Elder Talento worked here with Elder Quilaquil. We taught a lot of lessons while I was there. We actually taught four different lessons in the same house for four different people! That was interesting - but hey, it gets work done. I don't know what it is about exchanges, but I find that my Tagalog is always better when I am on them. I can't believe how much my Tagalog has improved since I first got here. Elder Corpuz, a Filipino native, arrived at the mission home with his Filipino batch at the same time we did (we have been out the same amount of time). I could not understand a single word that he was saying to me that entire time. Now, three and a half months later, I was able to have a conversation with him in Tagalog and understand him. Speaking of the Gift of Tongues, Elder Corpuz definitely has been blessed with it. He knows at least seven or eight languages. He grew up speaking Iocano, but then learned other Filipino dialects, Muslim, and English. He grew up the south island of Philippines, and I guess Islam is pretty big down there, so that's where he picked that language up. I didn't sleep so well that night, because the mattress that I slept on was about as hard as the floor. I guess I shouldn't be complaining since that may well be the area where I am next assigned. Overall though, it was a pretty fun exchange.
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| Jordan and the elders enjoying a March visit |
So here's a crazy story for you guys. I was brushing my teeth Thursday night and just walking around the apartment, when I saw something white on the ground in the corner of my eye. I looked down and saw that it was a cat. I just yelled to Elder Talento: "Elder! There's a cat in the house!" The cat then ran under his bed. He was just completely shocked and scared. Elder Talento came to help me eradicate the varmint. I got a broom and tried to force the cat out. I was trying to brush him out from under the bed and he was just meowing all sad like to get some sympathy, but I eventually got him to run into the other room. I chased him and was eventually able to push him out the door with the broom. We didn't know how in the heck that cat got in the house. We just assumed that he must've came through the door while it was closing. I figured that was the end of the story. But, there’s more. Saturday night after we finished working, we came home and found that Elder Talento's stuff on his desk had been knocked over. We just thought: "How the heck is he getting in?!" We found the cat in the same spot under the bed, and again I chased him out with the broom. It didn't go as smoothly this time, because the cat was completely freaking out. He tried to get out of the windows that had screens on them and found he couldn’t leave. I chased and hit him with the broom for a good minute before he finally left the house again. We had to figure out where he was coming from. We found that one of the screens on the window was missing a screw and was loose, and that's how he was getting in every time. We closed the window, so we'll hopefully have no more problems with that cat. (I wonder if they sell cat traps like mouse traps that we could use?) In other news, I was able to save myself from losing the March Madness series on Friday. I pulled off with a win to make the series 2-3. So game six will be happening this week.
I think that's about it for me. No Mom, General Conference for us isn't until the week after. And yes, it will be in English (at least I hope so). Mahal ko kayo! Hope everyone is doing well! Ingat!
Elder Jordan “Cat Terminator” Royal
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