So I saved Elder Baldwin this week and took over the area and started leading all the lessons and the area. This area is probably my hardest so far though. It is really influenced by Cebuano because it is so close to the border of the Cebu mission. So I'm still learning Ilanggo and having to pick up Cebuano words as well PLUS we have one investigator who is Tagalog so I guess you could say I am trying to learn that as well.
There was a huge festival in Sagay this week and so it was really hard to meet with investigators and to even get out of the city! We made a really bad decision one day trying to get to our area and we went over to the terminal to get out of the city but it just so happened to be right in the middle of the festival so here we were two white guys standing in the middle of a huge crowd of Filipinos while a crazy parade was going down the street. haha
We picked up a could new investigators this week and because of Elder Baldwin's last companion this area was left dry. Meaning no teaching pool or anything so we are changing our direction this week and going to a new area and contacting a bunch of Less Actives and former investigators. Because of this whole situation there isn't going to be any baptisms the rest of this month.
It took me 7 months to realize that this really is where I am supposed to be. Really it took me that long. And I think it was just a mixture of everything that has happened this week. I realized it is easier for me to talk to people that aren't really my own kind. Or own race for that matter. And then we ran into this big drunk Swedish guy this week and he was making fun of us the whole time but Elder Baldwin wanted to talk to him so we did. He was making fun of what we were wearing and saying that back in Sweden if you are gay you wear a tie. And then he told us the only Ilanggo he knew "Ambot sa imo: which is basically "I don't know about you" or "I don't get you" He got up right in our faces and really smelled like liquor. I guess he was a boxer and we left before he did anything stupid... Before my mission I always wanted to go to Europe but I realized after talking to him that I don't think I could have done it and that I really am supposed to be here. It just feels right.
The language is always a struggle but it is a huge blessing to be able to understand people and to be able to teach and communicate just fine.
I really am learning a lot and it is pretty nice to be a trainer, besides the stress it really pushes you to learn and grow.
I always run out of stuff to say even though I feel like there is still a lot more I need to say. But that was my week this week and hopefully things here will really start to pick up.
Palanga taka
-Elder Warnick
 |
| Elder Baldwin and Elder Warnick |
No comments:
Post a Comment