Elder Joseph Espiritu: Short and Sweet Reunions, New Beginnings

I have to admit, this was definitely one of the happiest weeks I have had in awhile. It's really great to catch up with people you've come to love, and start a new beginning with ones you will come to love.

So for those of you who remember last week, at the end of my email I told you I was going to train a new missionary! So last Tuesday, I traveled down to Laoag. Once I got there I got to see who all the other trainers are. I was excited to see that 4 of my batch are training. I was happy to see that my first companion ever Elder Odermott was training too! I started talking to him and asked him what area he's going to be assigned in. I was extremely excited for him when he told me he was going to Laoag 5, my last area. I started trying to tell him all the great things about the area. I knew that all the trainers for that week got to split with all the other missionaries in Laoag until the trainees came, so I jokingly told him I'd go show him around Laoag 5. To my surprise, that's exactly what President Andrada had in mind!

I never thought that I would have such an awesome opportunity to go back to my previous area for a couple days, with my first ever companion Elder Odermot. It was such a blast getting to catch up with him, and we talked a lot while we were together, updated each other with our lives in the mission and even outside the mission. His apartment is now only a 2 man apartment, so it was just him and I at the apartment for a couple days. I felt really old, like I was actually an adult and this was a college apartment or such.

We had a blast those couple days. I was also grateful that I got to show him all the people I came to love and I'm sure he will come to love. I decided to show him all the people that were willing to help him out with his area, because he now has the whole area instead of half like I did. After visiting a couple other members that were great, we went to search for them. To our luck, they were all at one house, getting ready for an upcoming YSA conference. It brought me joy seeing their faces light up when they saw I was back. It makes me happy to know they actually liked and missed me. All the people I went to were disappointed that I wasn't returning again, but it was nice to see all of them.

At the bishop’s house of course my friend Dianne was happy and the bishop’s wife, because I got really close to them. I was pretty surprised to see that their 2 little kids actually remembered me. Sister Florez talked to me about how sometimes they would grab the phone and ask to talk to Elder Espiritu while I was gone. When I had to leave the last day, Rance got really sad and wouldn't let me leave, so we had to tell him that I was coming back the next day. The last thing they said to me was "Bye Kuya Elder!" (Kuya means big brother).

The reunion was great, and I miss them again, but hey, now I got a child of my own! So when I say child it means my trainee, :). On Friday I finally got to meet him! I opened my letter to see who he was and I am happy with who I get to train. His name is Elder Yranon, and he's from Sanmanuel Pangisinan under the Urdaneta mission. He's 24 (which is an honor that I'm his mission dad cause I'm still 18) and already speaks Ilocano (which I still have very little knowledge of). He's a little quiet but I understand cause he's new.

It's interesting to be a senior companion, but becoming a senior companion has showed me how much I really do know about missionary work. With my last companion he took over a little bit which I was okay with. But now I get to lead!

So far, Elder Yranon's challenge is a little different from mine, just because he already has the language down. I had a schedule for the first day and the schedule and what we were going to teach totally changed. He wasn't ready to randomly switch but he did well. He also really wants to work on building trust in the people we teach by talking to them a lot. It's just things that will take time! But so far I'm enjoying it with him. He's obedient, willing to listen, and a good guy. I think we will get along great.

So far I can see he will be a hard worker. Every day we've come back exhausted so that's a good sign that it will be good. So of course, it's going to take a little time to adjust to this new life, but so far, it's fun.

I know it's going to be a challenge but I know this is the best way to grow! I know the Lord qualifies those he has called, and I can do this! Next week will be our first full week plus mission tour (more details next week) and it's going to be great!

Elder Espiritu

**you can email Elder Espiritu at joseph.espiritu@myldsmail.net