Week 50: I've Lost My Identity, But I Know Who I Am

Homes and Rice Fields

This week I went from thinking I know everything to thinking I know nothing and back up to being pretty confident with my knowledge, to add to the fact that my new Zone Leader (the guy that is helping me and my companion Sister Bustarde take care of the missionaries in our area) is Batman. I thought he was Bruce Wayne but no he is batman. Then I took a turn for the crazy and became an interpreter for the day… or two. Then I lost my identity and found out who I am. That about sums up this week.

        So… Let’s start with last Tuesday. The brgys (or communities) here all have very confusing names like “Quimmarayan” and “Lusoc” and I have no idea who lives where but once we get into the lessons that is when I know what is going on. It’s pretty incredible but I basically always know what is being said in the lessons… unless they go off in Ilocano, and if I don't know what is going on then I just defer them to sister Bustarde! Hahaha she hates that but she loves it too. We have also started speaking English on even days and Tagalog on odd days (not in lessons) and she is very sneaky about it. I will forget its English and she will just go off in Tagalog and i'll respond in Tagalog until a few minutes later I catch on. It’s nice to finally understand what is going on (for the most part.)

        Batman, or Elder Jones, in all honesty when I first saw him- I didn’t like him. He just looked disobedient and he didn’t bother speaking in Tagalog, just straight English. So at first I was a bit of a jerk to him, but then I actually listened to him and it turns out he is one of the most obedient missionaries, he just lets everyone think he is disobedient.

        I ran into another elder who gave me the whole run down on how the ZL is Batman and how the AP (assistant to the president), Elder Ernest, is Superman. It makes sense but I don’t think I can explain it. However something stood out to me yesterday as we attended a Missionary Leadership Council (MLC) and I looked around I realized something about leadership. There are the people who are simply born to lead, like yours truly (I'm kidding!!), and then there are people who are put into leadership positions not because they are good at it but because it will make them better. For example. I would never get up early and cook food unless I knew I needed to do it for someone else. There are a lot of things, good things that I would not do if not for someone else. I honestly don’t know if I'm in a leadership position because it’s just what I was born to do or if I need to shape myself up, but I know that I will learn from it. And that what it’s all about *clap clap*

        In church I ran into a deaf young girl who was having a hard time expressing herself to the members and the members who were speaking very loud and slowly to her (like that will magically help her hear.. but they were trying which is what  matters) so I translated for her, however. I know ASL, American Sign Language, and she knows TSL, Tagalog Sign Language, so we kept getting confused. Their word for Jesus is different than our sign for Jesus and so we really just ended up passing notes. So I was a slight translator. I also translated some Tagalog words to English for my Filipina companion which both weirded us out.

Sister Bustarde: “What is Partake in Tagalog?”

Me: “Tumangap”

Sis B: “…”

Me: “Why do I know that and not you?”

I also lost my name badge on my first day in my new area. I have packed all my things up and unpacked them and tried it again… but nothing. I borrowed sister Bustarde’s extra name badge for a while and that really confused the members and the people we were teaching so I taped some lined paper on with my name written down and that was tacky fun. Elder David A Bednar (one of the modern 12 apostles) is coming to meet with us on Saturday and I have a tacky name badge. Yay… But I was able to get my name printed out so now it kinda looks official instead of tacky it's just strange. I’ve already ordered a new one but I’ll get it in March.

I'm very excited as I might see some of the YSA from Batac at the face to face with David A Bednar, and I know it's gonna be awesome. There will be an official Church Magazine Photographer so we were all told to ‘dress spic and span and smile and participate’ if we wanted to end up in next month’s Liahona. So you know this beautiful face is gonna be in a magazine! Hahaha

From the sister who is lost  (I have no idea where I am) but is found (I know who I am)

Sister Eldredge

My Nephew Has Arrived!! Born February 6 at 1:27 am.He's 9 pounds 13 ounces, William Michael Eldredge. One week old now! If any of you are familiar with Ranger's Apprentice then you know where the 1st name comes from. i'm so proud of my nerdy brother.

We have the same pictures on our scripture cases!