Week 8: Sometimes, it bites

Called to serve, but in the process and bunch of crazy stuff happens, some good some bad. To begin we have just had a colossal storm hit Manila, which has halted proselytizing until even now in some areas, but not for me because I am on the island. The worse we get is just a lot of rain plus the usual brown outs – when the power goes off, it happens quite often here and even more in the rural areas. Yesterday it started off looking pretty, but the rain came and it was dense. We walked out of a house we visited down by the water and a blinding flash bolted near us (I have no idea how near) followed by thunder that seemed to start not 50 feet above us and then gradually got quieter as if it was jumping away from us through the clouds.

Besides that I was also attacked, and maybe the worse kind of attack, an aso (dog). That is right, kinagat ako ng aso sa paa ko (I was bit by a dog on my leg). It was barely a scratch so I did not care, however, apparently everyone hear knows just how unclean dogs here are so I was potentially going to get 14 shots. This is how it happened:
We went to teach Ann at the Gadinao’s house and they have nine annoying dogs that on one occasion hit my companion’s shoe. We waited out at the gate for them to invite us in while being heralded by all this lazy egocentric animals. They let us in and a suspicions dog was walking next to me nonchalantly and no longer barking because, hey we were in there now if they liked it or not. Well as I neared the safety of the front door the daft mutt snipped at my calf and then just as quickly retreated from my reach. I stop and said “Dang, the dog just bit me.” MonMon, our ward mission leader, quickly looked at my leg and I almost let it go like it was nothing, because I could see no blood, but a second or two later the blood swelled to the surface of my tiny flesh wound that was nothing more than a scratch except for the fact that it came from a dog. Appropriately or not, MonMon used a choice word and later explained that I am about the tenth victim. My thoughts on this are, “Why was there even a second or third, the mutt should have been killed or better yet eaten after the first – but not by me because as a missionary I cannot eat dog right now.” I have not yet decided if I will kick it the next time I see it. I did have to spent an hour of my P-day getting about three shots. To throw gas on the fire, I was wearing my freshly tailored pants for the first day!

I imagine that I will live. They did say that the dog was up to date on shots. I did get some cool pictures of me in the hospital.

Being a missionary has to be the greatest job in the world. Everything that happens is just awesome plus the anticipated blessings after just add to it. We have an elder that is dying soon (mission slang for going home after two years): Elder Redfern, and man is he trucky (mission slang for anxious to go home) but not to excessive. We just watch the “Work and Glory” which is the only not church produced movie we can watch on our mission, and it was so funny watching that show with as bunch of missionaries, as a missionary, with a missionary leaving soon. I never noticed all the kissing and romance in the movie. It was fun, but mainly it reminded me that we are all just normal people, living average lives, doing the greatest work the world has know.

The work truly is marvelous, but it is the people that make it so. We were lead to this family and I am not sure what will come of it, but they are so wonderful, I have my hopes, the Planesa family. I wish I could tell you that they have all coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon every day, but they are not… yet. We shall see next week. There are numerous wheat stocks matured and ready for the picking, the field is white, but there is also so many tare stock or undeveloped wheat. We just have to find them through our diligence and effort. I plan to commit my all to this unparallel work and I just hope that I am able to hold up notwithstanding all my flaws. I have to try and I know that reward wont be my own, but still oh so worth it!