In the mission field, companions are portrayed as members of a family. Your trainer (1st comp, three months) becomes your father. If he has trained anyone else, they become your brother. And so it goes with uncles, grandfathers, etc. Once you yourself train, your trainee becomes your kid. Well, transfer announcements came on Saturday and on Thursday I'll be picking at the mission home picking up a brand new kid, fresh from the MTC. So I guess, in a not so literal sense, I'm pregnant.
It should be quite the humbling experience being with someone who has only had six weeks to somewhat learn Tagalog. As for me though, I have two excited bits of language news: First, my Rinconada (the local language here) is getting pretty decent. We had some ancient lady at a Family Home Evening last week who is so old that she never learned Tagalog. All she speaks is Rinconada. The last few weeks I've been writing all the Rinconada words I want to learn in a notebook, then when the time came with the old lady, I was actually able to have a nice little (and very broken) conversation. Second update: We were at zone training and my comp and I were assigned to practice teaching something to one of the couple missionaries. They don't speak Tagalog so we were confided to English. Turns out, English is really great to teach in! Made me excited to work with the missionaries when I get home (only 16 months wow!).
Had an on edge moment when we got a text from Sister Bliesner (Mission President's wife). We had District Conference this weekend (like Stake Conference but for Branches, not Wards) and on saturday was a training meeting for all of the leaders. Sister Bliesner kindly told us that the stinking Area Presidency (the three men who oversee the church in the entire Philippines) gave Elder Balanon and I a "special invitation" to go teach a twenty minute workshop to all of the leaders in the area. Considering our special guests who would be there (including our mission president), we devoted ourselves to make a great workshop. As it turns out, it went quite well. LUCKILY, they let us teach in Tagalog so everyone would understand. But what made that great for us, is that only one member of the Area Presidency understands Tagalog. That made it a whole lot less stressful. It was a great discussion and they gave us candy and a flower after.
Well, I couldn't say more (I could) about how great me week has been. I've been going about with a big smile and a happy heart. It was Elder Balanon and I's last week together and we had some awesome work and a wonderful time doing it. later tonight, we're going to Balanon's last FHE here, Tuesday is transfer day, Wednesday I go to the mission home, Thursday I pick up my new companion, Friday and Saturday will go by wuick, Sunday we'll go to church twice and give two talks, then on Monday.... I'll tell you all how it went!
Love ya!
Elder Shane Scully Brown
Also it's my parents anniversary on the 26th! (right?)
Pictures - The view place was where we went for our zone activity last week. The house destroying was a service project. (A fun one!). Also the first two pictures aren't there because the files were too big. Oh well. Also some pictures just don't want to load. At least you can read the description of what you would have seen!
1. A bunch of Baao Group after District Conference
2. Elder La'Ulu and I
3. Cool view
4. Being funky
5. View
6. Sitting down
7. Service project
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