Typhoons - Field Week 7

 TYPHOON(S)

Ever since I told Elder Gamot that I've never experienced a natural disaster before, God has just been making sure I could never say that again. This week we got hit with two typhoons. Luckily for us, the second typhoon was in the Luzon area, so we only really got some light wind and rain, but the first one hit us pretty hard. Our apartment is thankfully on a hill, so there was no flooding, and no damage to our apartment. They turn off the water and electricity during these things, so we didn't have those for the whole next day, but it all came back on the next night. Again, we got super lucky. There were a lot of missionaries having to climb onto their roofs because their apartment flooded, and they lost all of their stuff. We were walking one day to check up on our area, and we saw places that were once walkways and are now ditches, and places that were once ditches are now filled. When we were walking, a guy yelled out to me and said, "My friend! Look at my car. It's dead!" with the biggest smile on his face. There had been a landslide and cars were piled up on each other in a river. Overall, super lucky and grateful that we didn't feel any effects, but for some reason I'm feeling some guilt with that, but it's ok. Also the mall we used to go to every p day was flooded up to the second story, so RIP SM, you will be missed. 

SERVICE PROJECTS

With the typhoons, we have been doing service projects left and right. We helped one nanay, whose house was completely under water, evacuate to the church. And we helped another nanay, whose house had a tree fall on it, clean up all the mess, and set the pieces of her house into piles. While we were there, I was talking to this one sister from America as well, about how it is just such a crazy thing to experience, and how its been making everyone homesick. And I said that at any point we can make a call, and be on a plane going to a nice safe home, but these are their homes. And so right now, all I want to do is just help as many people as I can clean up, and at least feel a little bit of fresh air. 

TRANSFERS

I did not get an American companion, but I'm ok with it. My companion now is Elder Llanos. He is a native bisaya speaker, and doesn't know much English. So most of the time he speaks to me in bisaya and if I speak to him in english, he doesn't understand a lot. So it is really cool and I am so happy, because my last comp only spoke to me in English. Speaking of my last comp, I do really miss him. We had a really good relationship, and since my comp doesn’t really speak much English, I don't know what our relationship is going to be like throughout the transfer. He's a chill guy though, so I think it will be ok. I also got a new kabalay in our apartment, which I am so excited about because he replaced Elder Toyogon. Elder Toyogon was sweet, but I just about threw hands with him so many times. He had no self awareness at all. For example, he would walk in the room at 11:30 at night when everyone was trying to sleep and turn on the lights and start laughing super loud at videos on his phone. Super frustrating, but Elder Raquiño replaced him, and he is super cool. I actually really enjoy him a lot, and would be glad to have him as a comp one day. With Gamot being transferred, I have to lead the area. I have always prided myself in being able to go somewhere one time and always remember how to get there, but this place is the craziest maze, so it took me a while. Luckily I got it down. The only thing with Elder Llanos is that he is supposed to be training me, but he keeps asking me how to do things or what to do. And he's almost going home, so some of the things are crazy to me. Besides the language and teaching, it almost feels like I am training him. 

WEEKLY THOUGHTS

This week after transfers, I had the thought that it seems like every time I want something, God gives me the opposite. It always ends up working out, but it made me wonder if I could get to a point where I can align myself as close as possible with the spirit, and with God's will so that what I want ends up being the same thing that God had in mind for me. So I have been trying to think about ways that I can do that, and I think that in doing so it will also allow me to feel a lot closer to Christ. So I am excited to start working on that.

Missing ben 10,

Elder Lewis