Hi!!! It's Elder Espiritu straight outta Cagayan province and into the wonderous Ilocos Sur area. Lots of changes and lots of updates. Lots of things seen and remembered from past experiences, and lots of great people. It's been an interesting week and I'm gonna make it a little fun this time by telling you what's the difference in my last area vs now.
The apartment: I'm moving from a dusty half outside yellow water apartment to a lot nicer wood/concrete apartment in a little neighborhood. It's pretty nice being out of the other one, but just like always still as hot as ever.
The District: I'm now in a district of 8 Elders, 4 of us from Cabugao (Elder Durbin, his trainee Elder Estrella, Elder Cabasal and I) and 4 from Sinait (Elder Wells, Elder Santillan and my beloved zone leaders Elder Bordeos and Elder Petty), and it's the bomb. Everyone gets along and is super obedient. Being a district leader will be fine and dandy.
The area: This one was quite a change. First the enviornment's way different. I'm going from pretty small and humble concrete/ bamboo houses with dirt floors to several legit nice looking/big houses. A lot of people in our area are called "Balik-bayans" which means they've lived outside the country and eventually came back. We met someone from California the other day, and there are several like that.
Now when you're in the Cagayan province for the most part everyone is very friendly and lots of people are willing to talk to you. I totally forgot that in the nicer areas sometimes it's a little harder. The first time we went tracting here I had several people hide. How do I know that they were actually there?
So in the Philippines when people are home, they leave the door wide open so you can see inside. So one time we went to a house with the TV on and when we knocked the TV mysteriously turned off and there was no one home. Another time we saw a woman and said hi, and she closed the door and walked away. Then with the other one I saw the person and asked if I could ask a question, and then they got up and just ignored me. To be honest every time that happened I just laugh. I know it's not them personally rejecting, and it's just not their time. So it'll be an interesting experience.
What Elder Cabasal and I are doing is called an "open area" where both of us are new so we legit have no clue on where anyone is or where to go. Luckily we have a good resource.
The members: It's only been a week and I think the members here so far are awesome. Almost every day we have had people work with us so they could show us where the previous missionaries used to go. If it weren't for them we would've been lost. Not only are they helpful but they're all really fun to be with and I felt comfortable around them right away.
It's really a blessing because usually when you are in a new area it can be slightly overwhelming when everything's new, but I feel fine which is great. Also one of the things that Cabugao is famous for is feeding missionaries. One member says that every missionary is her "anak" (child) so she feeds us on a regular basis, and she's not the only one. The YSA (young single adults) are cool and everyone's just really friendly.
So that's the basis of the area, and like everyone told me I am enjoying it so far. The work is slower because we don't really have much to build off of, so we're almost starting from scratch. However, there is one amazing soul that the previous missionaries have prepared that we get to help reach the gate of baptism, which should be this week! It's going to be awesome!
We didn't even get to go to church in our own branch cause we had a district conference in Vigan! I never thought I was actually gonna go back to Vigan but now here I am in Vigan zone.
Cool fact: After the Sunday session a member came up to me and said he wanted to talk to me. He was a middle aged gentleman who told me that when he was in Primary he had a missionary that he remembers would always come to his house on P-days and do activities like riding water buffalos and stuff. That missionary was Elder Espiritu, my dad! I'm so blessed to be serving so close to where my parents served and I love it.
Everyone tells me I'm nearing the finish line of my mission, and it's almost 100% positive that this will be my last area. So I gotta do everything I can to give it all I got before I leave.
I get to paint my own picture here and though it'll take some work, we can do it. No matter where I am assigned, I know there are people ready to receive the message of the Restoration. If I don't give it my all I may never find them.
This church is true and growing everywhere! That's all for this week! Love you all!
Elder Espiritu
**you can email Elder Espiritu at joseph.espiritu@myldsmail.net
Elder Cabasal and I with the Members
Pictures of the Apartment
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