20 December 2010

Hey Family!


How is it going? For me, it's going pretty good. For my companion, it's going pretty good too. For the other Elders in my apartment, I'd say it's going pretty good. I will talk about the other Elders in my apartment real quick because they really crack me up. First Elder Reyes. I think I talked about him a little bit before. Throughout the entire time he has been here at the same time as me, he has always had a "catch phrase", here wait, I wrote them down.


Okay, so when he first was here I learned this phrase because he said it to Elder Bosotros when we left and I was going on splits with Elder Reyes. Chingkon! He just yelled it out and when I asked him about it, he just said it was his phrase. Then when I worked with him as we walked home he asked me about american movies and he asked if I knew who George Clooney was. And then he started cracking up and saying, "George Clooney, hahaha. clooney. haha" So that became his phrase for a while. Then a while later his phrase became, "Titi", I don't know why for that one. Then later it became, "SPRING!" And right now every time he sees me he calls me "Elder Burton, The Great Spring!" I am really honored. Actually I asked him why he called me that and he told me the story.


So one day he said he saw me walk into a room and as I walked in I just hit the spring with my hand and he heard it make a cool noise. Then he said, "ooh, I like that." So he walked up to the spring and hit it too. Now like every time he walks into a room he hits a spring then there is the "diong" sound and the he says, "Spring!" I do it all the time too just to make fun of him now. The funniest thing is I talk to him all the time about springs. Like we were talking about one of my investigators and I asked for an idea and he told me, "Tell him he needs to be flexible, like a spring." Then one time we were eating and he said, "You are my light! You are my life! And you are my spring!"


Sorry if that story seems weird. But it probably seems like that because it is. I'm not sure I understand yet the personality of Elder Reyes. Also Elder Reyes always eats spam every day. Spam and hot dogs, every meal.


Then Elder Bautista. He is a funny Elder. He's just like all these classic people on the streets the way the speak english. Like if we get home before them at night, and are doing planning, they walk up to the gate and then you hear elder Bautista yelling, "What's up man!?" And he does it all the time. "What's up man!" Then when he's in the shower, every time he pours the cold water out of the bucket on himself, you just hear him say, "Wooooo!" or "Yeah boy!" It's so funny. He really cracks me up.


So I want to talk about one investigator named Roberto Andrada. So we found this one family up in the mountain on the other side of a rice field named the Bermejo family. They own a tsangee (chungee) or like a store thats attached to their house where they sell like snacks and canned foods and rice and stuff. But as we were teaching them last week a man named Roberto Andrada came. He went up to buy some food from them and then saw us. His face was hilarious. And he was like, "oh?" I think he might of been surprised to see two Americans up there in the mountain but he just cracked me up and we invited him to listen to our lesson. The look on his face is beyond description, I wish I could do it justice in writing. So then last Sunday when I was on splits with some young men in our ward, Elder Eror and Ianjay found Roberto Andrada. He told me they taught Roberto Andrada, but it was a different Roberto Andrada. Sorry I'm writing Roberto Andrada a lot, I really like the name Roberto Andrada and the way Roberto Andrada says Roberto Andrada. Anyway, so this week I got to meet the new Roberto Andrada. He's hilarious, but its hard with him, because he was born here, then he lived in Manila for 60 years, then decided he wanted to come back here to die. (so he speaks Tagalog mostly, that's why it's hard) So he's really old, and somewhat deaf, but as we were talking with him I couldn't stop smiling. He just made me so happy. And as he talked his wife the whole time was just trying to not laugh. As we taught him the entire time he was like telling us all religions are the same and as we taught him a new principle he was like, yeah! that's correct! tama ina! Or whatever. So I wasn't sure. Then we led the discussion into the most important part! The commitment. We asked him if he would go to church and he like yelled into the sky! OO!!!! It was really loud and kind of like a "yes, obviously!" And then I asked him if he knew where it was, and he like jumped down from his chair and drew a map on the floor with banana leaves and in the dirt.


I guess I'll skip real quick to what happened on Sunday. Wait, Saturday first. So Saturday we visited an area with a couple investigators and they all said just visit us Sunday morning. So on Sunday morning we returned to that area again but those people all punted us again. Then we went to a former or slow going investigator on Sunday morning that we hadn't seen in two weeks as a back up. We taught him and committed him to go to church, but he said he was busy because he was going to go to "Philippines Got Talent" at a college nearby. His name is Ronil.


After that we ate lunch and then went to invite people to come to church before it started. Everyone we tried to go with punted us or made up some excuse. Which was depressing. As we walked to church, slightly disappointed, we said to each other, "At least Roberto Andrada is going to come". We waited outside the gates again but no one came! And the time came we had to go inside. When we went inside there were no investigators but there were a lot of less-actives and all of our recent converts :D. So I was still happy plus it was the primary program was going on. So I decided I would be happy and I still felt pretty good. Then about 5 minutes later someone tapped me on the back and guess who it was? That's right, Roberto Andrada! Our 75 year old investigator who is the farthest investigator we have from the church. But he managed to come. He sat in and watched the primary program and I just couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe it and I was just so happy. I seriously tried to not smile but I couldn't, I just was too happy. Then about 5 minutes later Ronil walked in and said he just felt he should come and miss the other activity. So he did and he stayed for Sunday school and priesthood. I seriously couldn't believe it. I was too happy. And for our primary program too. It was funny because like 1/3 of those primary kids were there because of people I had been a part of teaching, maybe half. But they did good. I liked it when the kids bore their testimonies and read their parts and scriptures more than the singing because they are just so cute. Especially when they read scriptures in English. I love it!!


So Christmas is pretty crazy here in Roxas. On about Tuesday night people started to be caroling. It started first as we were walking home. Like 3 little kids around 8-10 came up to me and said caroling kami. So I asked if they liked caroling and I started singing for them. Then they said no no we are the ones who are caroling. (Okay, maybe that's weird but here in the Philippines you feel a lot more comfortable with singing. Even if you have an ugly voice like I probably do nobody judges you here for your singing. People will always just sing for you or make us sing. confidence eh? oh when I get back I'll just be even more awkward than I already am) So then they started caroling for me. They sang, or chanted, this one song in Tagalog and I thought it was pretty good. One kid started sitting down during it. Then I saw one of the kids tap him on the shoulder and said, tindog tindog, or stand up. So he it and then the kid said "1 2 3 4! and then they did like a perfectly coordinated dance and all sang and I was impressed. Afterwards I asked them who taught them that and they said they taught themselves. Then I said goodbye and wished them a merry Christmas. After that from Elder Bautista I learned that I was suppose to give them money because they were caroling for me. I thought they were just spreading Christmas spirit! The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Right? Anyway I felt kind of bad but I did sing to them for free so it's okay.


So that's what keeps happening here every night while we are planning. People just come up to the gate and sing until we come out and bring them money. Haha. A couple people who have sung actually deserve it. They go all out. It's funny too because a bunch of kids made these like marching snares out of bamboo so they can walk and drum at the same time. They are sweet! Actually they are just like 4 pieces of wood tied together in a square shape then they use a string going from the sides and around the neck to hold it up. But they are cool. These kids followed us down the street like 10 minutes just playing their drums.


Next week is going to be crazy. Everyone is really excited about it, especially on the 23rd is our Ward Christmas party. The ward is really working hard and they gave us a list of less-actives that they want us to give a Christmas message to and invite them to go to the Christmas party. Bishop said he's planning a reactivation talk so it's really really important we get a lot of less-actives to come. I'm really excited. We also have a lot of investigators who committed to come so it should be great for fellowshipping, fun, games, food, and labi na gid, remembering the birth of our Saviour and his life. And then we have a lunch appointment and 2 dinner appointments Christmas. And I get to call you! I think it's going to be a really good week and really productive too for missionary work even though a lot of people are busy. But, right now, especially as a missionary, you don't get as lost in all those things that distract you from remembering the true meaning of Christmas, even with dinner appointments and food that I'm excited for, I am excited to see how everything happens up in this place! But instead I really get to remember those things and try to help others too. Nami gid kaayo! And I am really excited for things to come this upcoming week.


I'm excited to talk to all of you. I will probably call around maybe 9am my time if that's cool. If not, I won't know because I won't email again before then. I hope everything is going swell I guess I'll hear in person! If I'm confused with how the Skype thing works I might email you first but I guess we'll figure it out then.


Well, I love you all so much and I hope you have a good week. I also hope that your snow is good and Jared doesn't break himself. ^^ Anywho, halong kamo!
-Elder Burton