Another week in Pagdalagan

This week we had a great service project! I noticed a big field behind one of our less active ward member’s house had a ton of litter and trash in it. This family lives in a compound owned by another church’s charity foundation. The landlord said to my companion and me, “We welcome all religions, but you aren’t allowed back here.” Hmmm…contradict yourself much? :)  Also, about the field, the owner of the field and all of his buddies call out, “Hey Barbie! Hey Sexy! Hey Baby!” when we walk by. So, by cleaning up the field we had two goals in mind. 1. Get back into the compound so that we could visit this family again. 2. Get those guys to stop calling us sexy and other names! Mission accomplished! The mom in the family saw us and came over and talked to us twice, and when we walk by the field now, the guys call, “Hey Sister! Hey Ma’am!” Much better. :) All of the Sevilla missionaries (Full time and ward missionaries) came and helped clean up so fast that we started a second field. Honestly, the best part of the whole thing was that we got to wear basketball shorts! Ha ha, just kidding. Bonding with ward members, talking to less active members and serving our fellow men…then basketball shorts. A very close 4^th.  :)

I got to experience a Filipino hospital this week for the first time! Really, it was nothing major, but the doctor’s offices here are super sketch, so if someone needs medical attention they go straight to the hospital. I had a really sore throat for 9 days, and it got so swollen that I started having trouble breathing. Sister Gerhards is a nurse and she said she knows where to stab me in the throat if I stopped breathing all together. (She told me that she didn’t think she could make herself stab me.) Good thing I got some very potent antibiotics at the hospital. The doctor I saw asked if I was a missionary. He didn’t charge me for the visit – just the medicine. So nice of him!

In addition to the local church pastor telling his congregation not to listen to us anymore, moms are training their kids to tell us they aren’t home. We actually heard Jovey yell to her kid who answered the door, “Tell them I’m not here!” Whoops! Caught ya! We yelled back, “Hi Jovey! We can hear you!” She’s a funny lady. Another mom has trained her 3 year old girl to tell us, “Mom’s not home!” every time we walk by the house. We stopped asking for her mom about a month ago, but she still yells, without fail, “Mom’s not home!” every time. So funny! What an obedient and diligent daughter.

My favorite lesson this week was across one of those sketchy bridges from last week. When I asked him if he would read 1 Nephi Chapter 1 before our next visit he said, “Yes. I won’t try, I will do it.” Wow! What great commitment!

Thank you for all of the letters and support! I really appreciate it. I wish I could describe my nervous anticipation at zone studies as they pass out the mail and then PURE JOY when I have a letter! Thank you for remembering me – and writing! Most of all, thank you for your prayers. I can really feel them every day. I have the best family, ward family and friends. I pray for y’all every day. 

Ingat! Till next Monday!