A New Companion (January 18, 2016)

January 18, 2016

A New Companion

New companion: Elder 'Ete'aki
From: Tonga
Size: Big
Family: 16 brothers and sisters
Money: low (I'll tell you about that next week)
Funny: yes
Good companion: so far

The Pied Piper of Pamplona (January 12, 2016)

January 12, 2016

The Pied Piper of Pamplona

So, as the subject line suggests...

I feel like the pied piper.

Seriously

We had three consecutive days, where we went to three different areas. In each area it was like...

first we saw one young kid, then he saw us

then we had one kid following

then we saw two more, then they saw us

then we had three kids following

then we saw a group of five, then they saw us

then we had eight kids following.

And everywhere we go they follow

EVERYWHERE!

They tried to follow us into investigator homes!

And the whole time they are grabbing our hands, holding our arms, marveling at the fact that hair grows on our arms. Ohhh, that's the worst. First one kid notices, then he feels my arm, then he exclaims, then all the kids are feeling my arms because they are hairy.

But are they content with that?

No. They have to make sure it's real hair, so they start PULLING ON IT!

Ouch!

We go up to someone to start sharing a gospel message, just OYMing, it's called, but I can't focus, because these kids are noisy too!

And then we go into an investigator's house, and teach a lesson. So we think the kids are gone.

NOPE!

30 minutes later they are still sitting right out there waiting for us.

We of course talk to them as we are walking. 

If Elder says we are going to McDonalds, they sing it everywhere we go! 

"Pupunta tayo sa MacDo! Pupunta tayo sa MacDo!"

If Elder says we aren't American, but we are Filipino, they tell that to everyone we pass.

"Pilipino po tayo. Pilipino po tayo. Pilipino po tayo!"

They almost followed us right out of their area, their neighborhood!

Super fun.

We also did have some good Spiritual experiences. One was pretty cool:

We were out doing finding, or trying to find new people to teach, so we were choosing doors to knock on. 

Elder told me that I should lead, so I just kind of freaked out and then chose a direction. 

As we were passing a house, we both just stopped. We looked at the gate and said, why not?

We knocked on the Gate and immediately someone came out. He readily welcomed us in.

Afterward he told us that he had been sitting and thinking that it would be great if some nice people came to talk to him. Then he saw us outside, and said to himself that we looked like pretty nice people, so it would be great if we just happened to come to talk to him. But of course, he thought, that won't happen. Then he saw us stop and knock on his door. Though surprised, he was very happy to be able to talk to us. He seems to have a lot of potential, and our second visit is this week.

I'm also getting thinner. At least that is what everyone we meet says. 

Of course, the culture here is such that getting thinner usually isn't congratulated. Usually people think you are sick or something, and they don't understand why you are getting so thin. Some people grab you by the shoulder and just laugh, because they know it's something Americans like, but they think it's silly. I've also been told that I looked cuter when I was fat. Why?

Because they said I looked like a cute, cuddly hamster...

http://wfiles.brothersoft.com/f/fat-hamster_89745-1440x900.jpg

I may be getting hungrier however, so hopefully I'll even out and then maintain a healthy weight. I am happy, however, to be thinner. When you have to poke extra holes in your belt because it doesn't tighten as thin as you are... Your shirts get huge on you... your pants would fall off without a belt...

You start feeling better.

Finally, my companion will be changing this week. Elder McQuarrie is going to become a zone leader in the most rural part of our mission, southern Palawan, or as the area is called, Narra. I don't know who my companion will be, but I will remain here and lead the area with whomever it is. I'll find out tomorrow.

I brought my camera, but it's not showing up on the computer for some reason, so... no pictures...

And that's all

With Love,

Elder Streeter

Chaos, Losing Teeth, and Gaining Peace (January 5, 2016)

January 5, 2016

Chaos, Losing Teeth, and Gaining Peace

Yes, I know I didn't email on Monday, but I am alive...


surprisingly...


We had a pretty fun New Year's Eve actually. So, you know how there are about 10 million people in Manila?


I'm pretty sure that all 10 million of them decided that 12:00 midnight on New Year’s was the best time to light as many fireworks as they could...at the same time.
Yes, they had been throwing virtual grenades all New Year’s Eve, but luckily I avoided those fireworks which were really just bombs. You know, it makes a whistle sound but doesn't go anywhere, and then it blows up, right there, ground level, where livings things could be killed. Yeah, they do that.
But I got home safe and thought that was the end of it. I went to sleep with the comfortable sound of rain hitting the roof.
Then something woke me up. Or rather, everything.
12:00 midnight I wake up to what is either a thunderstorm, earthquake, World War 3, or some combination thereof. All I can hear is crashing, exploding, bursting, bashing, rumbling, popping, and the like. The room is flashing from time to time with light, and the walls just barely seem to be vibrating. 

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vkRg4unO6SlYw24ILUuHhqZVa0ptp_PSq3uB-_N9PNru9O8ulpwRdJuq-6mlqOhu_1io-9mDSXS0TEi4q4HS-AAxJ3aGVZOzn62k39rrY3ZkC5XQgF5pphtOkfWn1BVBJFD2fJc1yHs/s1600/fireworks-manila-ny-2015.jpg)
Yes, it turns out that even with the restrictions recently put on bigger fireworks, the fact that it was raining, and that we aren't in a super populated area, it was still ridiculous the chaos that was Manila sky that night. Needless to say, sleep did not come easy.
But of course, that was fun.

I opened the camera, but I don't have it with me at this moment which means I can't send you anything yet. However, I chipped my tooth this week, we think on a piece of uncooked rice or something, and because of that visited the mission nurse. According to her it's no problem, just like the tip came off, and since it doesn't hurt, and it looks small, then we probably just need to go to a dentist to get it filed smooth. According to her it'll be reimbursable too, since it was an accidental occurrence, and not a preexisting condition. Either way, we'll see about how and when that happens...
But since we went to see her, she took our picture, so if you go to the Philippines Manila Mission moms Facebook, or whatever it is called, you should find it there. 


My camera, by the way, does not have a view screen. It also, when set to the highest quality and lowest compression can store a grand total of 24 photos. Therefore, I am not to be blamed if when I send photos, they look ugly, or are misshapen, or have part of me missing or whatever. But again, I don't have it with me right now, so...


I had a great amount of peace that came on New Year’s Day. Suffice it to say that a particular question has been troubling me in large amounts, and so I prayed that by the time I finished the Book of Mormon, I would receive the answer, the feeling I was seeking. Well, I finished the book of Mormon for the first time on December 31st. Through one of the stories in there I received my answer January 1st. And I finally felt peace, a letting go, a stress release. It was really awesome.


But now stress is rising again...because 12 weeks is coming to an end and that means a change of companion. Not only that, but I will likely stay in the area, which means even though the following companion will be my senior, I will have to lead the area. And so I am becoming more irritable, getting more upset, feeling more down, etc. etc. 
So it's good that mama sent me what she did, and it's good that I had a temple trip.
Ahhh....


I'm almost out of time, but I will say that someone actually came up to me in my ward and said "You! You are Elder Streeter! My sister-in-law talked about you! She's in Bahrain and said your parents are there and that you are on a mission! You are here! Wow!"
Thus a picture was taken, and doubtless was related to the same person Papa was talking about. 


And I'm about out of time, so that'll be all. I'll try to write down more stuff to send next week. I love you all, and so does Heavenly Father, so does Jesus Christ, and (here's the cool one) so does the Holy Ghost. Open your hearts and minds to feel their love, pray for it, read scriptures to find it, go to church to share it and experience it more fully with the sacrament. 


And that's it.


I'm out,


Elder Streeter