Week 11 Recording: Conspiracy Theory, Meeting Oliver, Pig Rats and Tapeworms

Elder Watkins was really busy this week so we only had one recording this week, but it was filled with lots of fun stories. The first was more information about the man he and one of his roommates met at the market. This American left the States 20 years ago and moved to the Philippines, believing that the whole world was owned and controlled by 13 people. There was no way to get any job that paid above minimum wage unless you have connections to one of the 13. He also claimed that he was the only one in the whole world that could prove there is a God using scientific facts. Elder Watkins thought this man, his conspiracy theories, and his Tagalog were entertaining.

My cousin Oliver was at a seminar in Manila for work and wanted to go to Cabanatuan to meet Dustin. Oliver's mother and my mom are sisters; we have never met any of our relatives on my mom's side of the family, and this would be the first contact between our two sides of the family. I couldn't give Oliver an address or phone number for Elder Watkins because I don't have one; actually he doesn't even have a street address. All I could tell Oliver was that Elder Watkins would be at the LDS Chapel in Talavera on Sunday between 9 and noon. Did I dare to hope? I told Dustin that Oliver was going try to visit him while he was in Manila. I guess he tucked that little tidbit of information away...

Elder Watkins was sitting in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday and one of the members came up to him and tried to tell him something; he had to repeat himself 4 times and Dustin still didn't understand! Finally, the man said "cousin mo" which means "your cousin" and Dustin thought he meant "my cousin" which is "cousin ko". It sounds like the man who was telling Dustin that Oliver was looking for him was so frustrated that he just walked away. A few minutes later, someone came in and shook Elder Watkins' hand; the light bulb went off - he finally figured out that the man was telling Dustin that HIS cousin was looking for him! and he remembered that I told him that Oliver might come to see him. Oh, I wish I could have been there! Oliver stayed for the rest of the block and then spent part of the afternoon with them. Elder Watkins said Oliver is AWESOME! He wanted to spend more time with Oliver...

Elder Watkins, Elder Gomez and Brother Gershon (member of the bishopric) ate dinner at a member's house. Elder Watkins said the meal was pretty good, but didn't know what kind of meat was being served. Afterwards, Brother Gershon asked Elder Watkins what he thought of the meat; he said it was different. At that point Bro Gershon shared that the meat was rat, going on to say that it wasn't rats that eat garbage; these were wild field rats (which the locals call 'pig rats') that eat rice and other organic things....well, that makes it all better then! NOT!!! Bro Gershon went on to say that the other meat was dog, so it might be a possibility that a tapeworm or two may have taken up residence in his digestive track. After noticing the green shade of Elder Watkins' face, Bro Gershon said he was just kidding about dog meat...but didn't say 'just kidding' about the pig rats. 

Elder Watkins is enjoying his mission and loves everything about it; the only thing he doesn't like is the mosquitoes.