Flushing Money Down the Drain, "He said he is asleep", Bong and Coconuts!

Kamusta Everybody!

  This week has been all over the place. There has been a typhoon most of the week so it has been awhile since I have seen the sun. And I’ve been able to lead because we have been on splits!

 To start the week we got a huge water bill! It was 1200 pesos! (or a little over $20) that doesn't seem like much but usually it is 170 pesos (or $4). We tried to figure out if there was a leak somewhere but we couldn't find one. We eventually found the issue and it turns out my companion had adjusted the pump on the toilet and didn't realize that he made it so that it was flowing 24/7. I told him that he really brought new meaning to the term "flushing money down the drain" I thought it was funny but he didn't get it...

  I also have started to really understand Tagalog more. One thing that is funny about the language is that people don't realize that what they are saying is a blatant lie. For example when you are repeating something a person said like "he said he is busy" you use the word "dou". So when we go to appointments and a person goes to see if the investigator is home, they will often come back with an answer like "tulog dou" or in English "he said that he is sleeping", or wala dou " he said that he isn't here".... I always want to ask them "if he is asleep or isn't here, how did you talk to him?" But apparently that's rude so we just let them know we will try back later. 

 For most of the week we have been on splits with two elders from India who are waiting on their visas. And they don't speak any Tagalog. So I have been essentially the senior companion for the week. Heavenly Father has definitely helped me. It has been amazing. All of the people that we have talked to understand me and I understand them! I speak simply but it works. We have found several new investigators and taught quite a few lessons. We had a really great spur of the moment lesson with one of the less active members named Bong. He was sitting in a little hut on the road to get out of the rain so we decided to go visit him. His friend named Wilbert is an investigator and is interested but is really shy. We explained to Bong about how he would feel if he could baptize his friend and it got him really excited. He said that next week he will bring Wilbert and his whole family to church.

  It has been tough the past week to talk to people on the street though because there has been a typhoon. It hasn't stopped raining since Tuesday. Some of the smaller back roads are flooded and the gutters are overflowing, which is really nasty. There is trash and all sorts of nasty things all over the roads and grass. But this week I got to try some really good foods! Discovered that young coconut is really good! You go to these people on the street and buy a green coconut from them and they cut a piece off the top. You drink all the milk inside (which is really good) then when you are finished they cut it in half and cut a piece of the outside that you use as a scooper to dig out the meat. It’s really cheap and a neat all in one snack! 

  That’s about all for this week! I hope everyone is doing great! I miss you all!

   Mahal Kita 

      Elder Hayden Merrill 

P.S. Congratulations to my cousin Brock on getting married this week!