Ok so lets start off with the MTC. We are finally out of that place and I'm so happy. It took me legit 6 weeks to adjust to it and then we left right as we got all adjusted. Kind of funny. Anyways I had a really touching goodbye with elder Hendry. He will be going home due to his depression. He left the same day as us and he told me how thankful he was for my words and most for just being his friend. Not going to lie, but it was hard at the beginning to adjust to each other but I made a goal because he was so hard to work with I wanted to just be someone he could call a friend. Because he had depression and was so dependent I didn't study as much as I probably could have but I really accomplished helping his life. President said if I didn't learn anything in the MTC but helped him it would be a success and I actually was able to learn and more importantly help him. I will not forget how hard it was but its true that you see the blessings after the trial of your faith. Saying goodbye he gave me a tie to remember that I can do hard things on hard days. Hard day, just put on that tie. He also said something that helped me and I wrote down cause it was good. He said, When times get rough, don't worry, you know what to do, you've always known what to do. I like that. Be confident and trust in god. Rely on what you know.
I also got to trade some ties with some guys at the MTC and that was cool. One little guy named Elder Igot gave me one of his basketball jerseys and left me and elder Wood speechless when we asked him if he was home sick and he said no cause he knows god is taking care of his family and that hes here to serve god. What an inspiration! I too know god is watching over my family and that he is helping me out here. Not gonna lie though, still a little homesick. Not bad, but its hard to leave the people you love so dearly. A mission is hard, but god is with me and all of us and provides a way for all that we do.
We had balut again and it wasn't as bad the second time, the mental stuff was mostly gone and it just tastes like a hard boiled egg, not bad. Saying good bye to family at the MTC is weird to have family member for only 6 weeks and then probably never see them again. Weird right? I'm thankful for my eternal family sooo much. I know i will be with them forever/ Walangg hanggan pamilya
SO we left and drove the crazy roads to the mission office and building. Pretty cool to meet real missionaries who have been out working instead of in a dumb classroom all day everyday.
You can tell I'm grateful to not have to go to class for ten hours a day now. It's all good though cause I learned and it taught me lots of things. I will forever be grateful for that experience even though it was hard.
Anyways we got there and had orientation and all that jazz and had a meeting with pres, one on one and that man is amazing. He's a man of god and I've been excited to meet him. He has a very calming authoritative voice and he doesn't mess around. When he was talking to all of us he said that if you told him you wanted to go home, then unlike other presidents, he wouldn't tell you to stay, he would tell you to go home. Hes here to work and not babysit. Which is good, cause I'm here to work. I've been waiting to actually work.
Pres and his wife are awesome.
Everyone talks of Baliwag and the rural part of the mission like a beautiful paradise, I never wanted to get my hopes up though so I never expected to go there. I got my comp, E. Mangandi and hes a Philippine- my area is called tonsuya and its in the caloocan zone. I was nervous to have a native comp. We had lots of business stuff learning how stuff works and money and the mission and seminars and then went with the APs to our apartment. Oh its nice cause elder Wood and Hoover are in my district so we played ball with them this morning and will see them tomorrow for zone training.
Got to the apartment and it looked messy and there was stuff everywhere and its small. But so is literally everything here. So small. I was nervous but I accepted it and went forward just trying to be loving and ready to work. I'm in the lords hands so nothing will be that bad. My room is small and I put all my stuff where is goes and luckily I packed one suitcase in another so I'd have more space which helped. Small and crammed but as times gone up its gotten easier and I have learned to adjust. That's something you learn on a mission. To adjust. So we share the apartment with the zone leaders and my comp is the district leader. Way nice! They all speak good English and help me when I get a little nervousness or frustrated with language stuff or whatever. They are good to talk to. Tonsuya and caloocan are hard areas. The hardest in the mission and the ZLs told me that all the trainees here were especially hand picked to come here by pres. Reasons are unknown, but that makes me feel good. Literally thrown into the belly of the beast in a sense. Just kidding, its not that bad. Our area is great and there is a really good ward mission leader who absolutely loves the missionaries and he goes out with us every day so far to members and lessons and stuff. He rocks and is a big reason our ward is so good. We had 5 investigators at church this Sunday and my comp believes more in smart missionary work so we don't go tract all day but set up appointments with investigators and we visit members,.
My comp is good and helps me with anything I ask. Hes a patient man and if you ask him he will let you know that he is disobedient. He listens to music with head phones and stuff like that but hes not bad at all. The ZLs are super chill and I asked a lot of questions at the beginning about where to go and what to do but its really up to us. They are good hard working missionaries and are very successful. Its been weird to see things I would do different but I am just trying to learn all I can so things are great in that area. So here's my daily schedule.
Wake up and work out and its nice cause we have 1 30lb dumbbell! Wahoo! Thats the most workout stuff I've seen in forever!
Wake up 6:30 and then work out and shower and eat breakfast. These guys I'm with all cook rice and some meat or something for all the meals, so fun fact- I haven eaten out here yet. Only stuff from members or these guys. Its nice and saves money. so we eat then plan at 8:30 and study till 12 then 12-1 is lunch and then study more till 2 and then we head out at 2.
Studying on your own is difficult but its good and hard and I do tons of stuff. We have like personal study doing reading or doctrine, up to you and then we have comp study which is usually lesson practice on transitions and me learning how to teach in Tagalog. language study where I read and talk and do all I can to learn the language. Then lunch then a little more study on the language and then head out and meet members or teach lessons to investigators or do whatever we can. First stop is always to pick up bro Edu first though. Hes a big help.
Heres some more daily life stuff.
The house is dirt and hot. Holy moly- I have accepted the fact completely that I will sweat all day every day. AC is a blessing. I shower day and night and we are one of the lucky houses to have a working shower. Always cold water though. Cockroaches are all over and I've seen 3 in the apartment. So funny to kill them -haha. We eat lots of rice here. I soak a handkerchief every day here. No joke, soak it multiple times. Our area is more city and lots of houses. The streets are so small and the walk ways are tiny. I am constantly watching my step for some kind of animal poop and constantly ducking my head from wires. Its crazy. All the houses are soooooo small too! I have hit my head on multiple multiple things. The people are accepting of my broken Tagalog and also speak English a little so that is very helpful and they are all so friendly and feed us or give us a drink whenever we stop by to say hello. more to come! ask questions please if you have them!!
Lots of animals and stuff here and just trash filled rivers and our place is very stinky. I have adjusted well to all of it and will continue to adjust. But I really am enjoying it. I get homesick a tad or a little down when studying and stuff but God answer's my prayers by inspiring me to read scriptures that are amazing or he touches me whenever I feel down. I love my father in heaven. He is helping me for sure. I love everything though and have no complaints about my living conditions or the heat. Not complaints but I'll tell you all how it is. Hot and stinky and hard. But good. Good to serve the lord. Hard to learn the language but not impossible. God provides a way for us to do hard things. Love you so much!!! Love,
Elder McAllister
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