Week 9: Teaching Lessons versus People, Information versus Why, and Hopes for a White Christmas

Greetings Elder Watkins' blog-goers! Thank you for your love, support and prayers during this anxious time for us! We have been buoyed up and comforted. Even though the missionaries in the Angeles Mission were instructed by the mission president to email home to let parents know they were safe, our email arrived two days after Typhoon Yolanda. I like to think that Elder Watkins was so involved in serving, he didn't think it was too important to email us. We did know that he was safe, but after hearing from him we were relieved. Yet there was still no news from my mother about her sisters and their families. I searched the internet and submitted inquiries on my aunties, I looked for lists of survivors, I searched Facebook for my cousins even send a message to a person who might have been my cousin. Nothing still, but I still had hope. Then on Tuesday, a great miracle! I tried Facebook again using the same searches I had used previously. I found and connected with my cousin Oliver who I had heard of, but have never met! Oh, the tender mercies of the Lord and the power of prayer! We have been sending messages back and forth, getting acquainted with each other. 

Last week's recordings included a description of the service project they did last week (there is a pic in last week's post of Elder Watkins and Elder Gomez with some serious tools) clearing debris from a house after a typhoon (before Yolanda). It took quite a few missionaries to clear the debris outside the house and also in and around the house. Elder Watkins is really not fond of spiders. Of course, there were a ton! But even though he worked long and hard, and encountered many of those many-legged creatures, Elder Watkins declared how great it was to serve others. It blesses their lives, as well as his. 

Hey Family!
It's great to be able to have some time to write to all of you. For those of you who listen to the recordings, I'm sorry but due to the typhoon we had a power outage and had to go to a different city to use computers. For some reason my recorder isn't compatible here...so next week double recordings I guess! haha

I specifically apologize to Mariah because I had a really long one for her birthday but she'll have to wait to receive it...hope it was great Mariah :) watch out for them boys...

Oh and I'm alright from the typhoon. No serious damage. Just intense rain and wind which makes power go out. The rain and wind actually make the work even more fun. As we run around from place to place trying not to get soaked it is pretty sweet. It is also fun when power goes out at night because it goes pitch black for like 10 seconds while we run and you can't see anything. So we just wait till it comes back on. It is quite the adventure.

So this week we changed some things in our teaching. Elder Gomez was talking about the lack of success in this area. He has been here for almost 4 months now. There was one baptism in that time, and one month the goaled for a total of 10 investigators to attend Church! All four weeks! That is so low! But they didn't even reach it. We changed our approach from teaching lessons to teaching people, which is a really important fundamental in the mission field. Instead of trying to teach information of the restoration, or information about faith, we now teach why restoration, why faith. How do these things apply to your life? How do these things help you and why are they important? It really worked out well. We had 7 investigators with baptismal dates as well. We officially have 15...but 3 have had them for years...so really we have 12...but we are really going to do our best to have as any as we can be baptized in December. We will have one on November 30, and then hopefully a lot on December 28th :). Right after Christmas! We are trying to get the members excited about missionary work because there is no enthusiasm for them to grow in the ward. We are trying to get across that baptismal clothes are white and we want a flood of people dressed in white for Christmas. What better gift can you give than the Gospel of Jesus Christ?! And Baptism! The way that leads to Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven.

I am really excited about the work and am getting over the homesickness. I have been praying so hard to lose myself in the work and forget about home. I want to become that missionary who doesn't want to come home. I miss you guys and all, but I want to give everything I have to the Lord and these people. I owe it to them and especially Christ. John 15:13. Bitters wrote me and said one way he is losing himself is making the work fun. He tried trading a Book of Mormon to a guy for his car!...Sounds like Austin! I am starting to look at every opportunity to talk as a fun thing. Instead of every single time I talk to someone they need to feel the need to be baptized and if they don't it is failure. I a also becoming more patient with myself so that has relieved a lot of stress. All in all I am doing great; much better than the first week. Thank you so much for your love and support. I doubt many Elders are as blessed as I am when it comes to families. I love you all so much. I miss you too! but I know the Lord will protect my family while I am gone.

Thank you for all the birthday recordings! Dad says I have to wait till my birthday to listen to them. I look so young though. Everyone is like, "What 18?! Almost 19?! Crazy!" I need to stop telling people my birthday because they always invite us for dinner haha. Anyways, have a great week family! I love you so much and because of the mission my love and appreciation for each of you increases every day!
Mahal ko kayo! Love you!

Elder Watkins

p.s. remember when Mariah and I called Dan 'Bobo'? Why is that? The word for older brother is 'kuya'. I asked a native what 'bobo' meant and they laughed and replied 'stupid'. So we were calling Dan stupid all those years?! What the heck?!

Lol When Dustin was little, I tried to teach him to called Dan kuya, Mindy ate (older sister), my mom and dad lola and lolo (grandmother and grandfather). It didn't go over very well and didn't stick. Dustin's pronunciation of brother was bobo. And, there you have it haha

An Earthquake, a Typhoon, and Unshaken Faith

Although this blog is about Elder Watkins' work in the Philippines, many have asked how he is doing after the recent earthquake and typhoon; many prayers have been offered in his behalf. We have a deep appreciation for your love and faith. I felt it was appropriate to provide the following update on Elder Watkins and my feelings about his mission...

As you may have heard, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded typhoon Haiyan hit central Philippines last Thursday. This is just couple of weeks after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked the same area. We have had many inquiries about Elder Watkins, as well as prayers in his behalf. Our family is grateful for your concern and especially for your prayers. Elder Watkins is in Cabanatuan, which is about 600 miles north of where Haiyan hit the Philippines. President and Sister Martino (Elder Watkins' Mission President) posted that Angeles Mission would not be in Haiyan's path. We heard from Elder Watkins last night via email that he was doing well, except the bug bites. He continues to serve faithfully. 

Some of you who are not familiar with our faith or sending a young son or daughter on a mission might wonder, "Why would you choose to send your child away for two years when the only contact you have with them is a weekly email and a phone call on Mother's Day and Christmas? Why would you allow someone you don't know to choose the place your child will spend two years of his life? Why would you allow your child to stay in a place filled danger, poverty, and human suffering?" First of all, this was not my choice as a parent to send him on a mission; this was Elder Watkins' choice to serve a mission. My choice is to support him. "Why?" you may ask. My answer is simple - Faith. Faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith in Elder Watkins' testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his eagerness to share the glad message! His missionary scripture is Alma 29:1-2 "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." 

I also have faith in the 'someone' who chose where Elder Watkins would serve. Even I don't know him personally, I know he is a chosen servant of Jesus Christ, ordained with the priesthood of God. When I sustained him during General Conference, that means I support him in his calling as prophet, seer, and revelator. By supporting him in this calling, I support the mission call he extended to my son. I know the Lord had a reason to send my son to the Philippines. 

Oh, how I love my missionary! And I do miss him, and worry about him, and I cry a lot (especially lately). My tears are a mixture of joy, relief and the strengthening of my faith. Joy in the sanctifying work Elder Watkins is doing which strengthens me and our family. I would not want him to be any where else other than where he is right now. This is what keeps me going; this is what keeps me strong. I'm not saying this is not difficult, because it is. The refiner's fire always is. I try to look at the eternal perspective and know that the work Elder Watkins' is doing will help others, maybe some family members living and deceased, to embrace the Gospel. Just yesterday I emailed a friend who just sent out her first missionary, "...being a missionary mom comes with a great peace. I think Heavenly Father gives us this tender mercy because he knows what it is like to send a son on a mission. I especially rely on my faith and this tender mercy to be at peace when I hear about what is happening in the Philippines the past couple of weeks. I know that Dustin is in His hands, and He will not drop him."  

While Elder Watkins' is safe, I am still worried about my mom's family. They live in the area that was hit by the earthquake and the typhoon. My mom has not been able to contact them since the earthquake. We are hoping to hear something soon. Your prayers are as always welcome. Thank you for your love and concern. 

Week 8: Pictures :) Service, Machete, and Fried Fish

 

Elder Watkins is still missing home (especially his mom), but doing better in the field. He did not have time to write a family letter because he was emailing his family; but he did send pictures! We received some recordings, however, at the time of this post I had not had the chance to listen to them yet. I will update this post, or make a new post after listening.

First day out of the MTC and in the field with the other "Greenies"
 Angeles, Lipa, Philippines from Sis Martino's Fb page

Elder Gomez and Elder Watkins wielding mighty tools to clear out trees that fell into a lady's house, well shack...Elder Gomez is very enthusiastic; Elder Watkins is just posing, but also very enthusiastic. He said it was fun. Good thing his mother taught him to use a machete! Normal things that a child learns in his youth, right? Oct 30, 2013

Elder Watkins with some of his buddies at the MTC.  Oct 20, 2013

Elder Watkins sends his love and flowers to his mother! so sweet :) oh, and to the rest of the family. Oct 30, 2013

They were invited to stay for lunch at an investigator's home. Oct 31, 2013

Elder Watkins posing with a carabou (not sure of the spelling. that is what my parents always called them)
or water buffalo in the distance. Nov 1, 2013

Elder Finau and Elder Watkins at the Manila Temple.
 Oct 17, 2013

First Area: Cabanatuan! Teaching, Gift of Tongues, and Flying Rodents

Elder Watkins is in the mission field and having many great experiences! He only had time to make three recordings since he was busy packing, moving, unpacking, and settling in. Some things he mentioned in his recordings were: He loves President and Sister Martino! and thinks they are amazing; is fed by everyone they teach, usually fudge bars or Filipino twinkies and soda; lots of teaching! 

One of the funniest things he talked about was when he got to the AP's apartment - a bat flew in and started flying toward people! As everyone was taking cover, the AP took a broom and swat the bat mid-air! Elder Watkins was the first to dive onto the bed and take cover! haha

Family!!

Oh how I miss you all!!...not even kidding. Sorry about last week - not sending a family letter - we were so busy with leaving and packing I didn't have much time. But this week has been crazy. First week in the field and a lot of new experiences!

So my Zone is Cabanatuan and Area is Talavera. Here mainly the work is re-activating people. Tons of people are baptized but don't attend church. So a less-active return is basically just as important at a baptism here. A LAR is when they attend 4 consecutive weeks of church. We have 8 investigators with baptismal goal dates, but they also have to attend 4 consecutive weeks. We hope to be able to baptize this month, but one is questionable. The other 6 have a really hard time attending church. We only had 4 of the 8 investigators attend yesterday and of the 8, even though 7 said they would attend. The one who said he would not attend is Joey Gasbar He used to be a priest for the Catholic Church. He said he couldn't come but would try next Sunday. I appreciate his honesty. He believes Joseph Smith is a prophet, but he is having a hard time accepting that we are the only true church - which is kind of contradicting! but we will keep working with him :)

So the language is going well. Most people are surprised when I say that I've been here less than a week because I can speak a lot of Tagalog. The thing is they don't know that I have no clue what they are saying back to me. I just nod my head and say "opo" which means yes and laugh when they laugh! But I really need to work on conversational Tagalog cause that is a weak point as well right now. So the gift of tongues is awesome but I'm still waiting for the gift of interpretation :)

So this week I also learned that there is no toilet paper and no showers! So we have a bucket with a "tabo" that you wash yourself with. I never go to the bathroom in public places because there isn't even a tabo and you just use your hands! So that's exciting news. As far as our apartment goes, ours is considered really nice I guess. We have a water filter and fridge and a fan for each person which is amazingly nice. However, we don't have a lock on our apartment which is actually terrifying, but the Lord provides..my bed occasionally has bugs but for the most part it is nice :) My trainer is Elder Gomez from the Philippines. His is 19 and speaks perfect English. I initially thought he was American when he spoke but he said h learned how to speak from TV. He's been out 3 months which means he just finished being trained and is now training which isn't that common. So we are learning together. He's a cool guy and I like him. He's really smart and will e able to teach me a lot. Once I get things down I think we will be able to do some really good work together. We eat rice like every meal and a can to tuna or something with it and a banana. This week I plan on buying eggs to get some diversity. I thought I would be coming home skinny, but I might come back fat! Every lesson the people give you like chocolate or a version or twinkies and make you eat it! They occasionally give soda in a glass bottle that is rusted and you have to drink it! You can't refuse, of course, because it would be rude. So I'll be coming back fat! :(

My favorite lesson this week was last night. We taught sister Mari Corpus in her house. She has a house of sticks the size of our main floor bathroom with a dirt floor and small bed. We taught with a candle for light and it was so humbling. It was really great, and my first lesson I led. She was so humble and still happy. It just made me feel so happy, and made me realize how fortunate we are. I love being here even though I miss home like crazy. This was the hardest week for me by far because a lot of thing reminded me of home. thinking about you all was really hard, but I really need to stop. It makes me so sad, and while I was chatting with mom and dad earlier on email, I just broke down here in the small shop of computers...I really miss you all and love you all, but I know this is what is best for me and I need to help people like sister Mari Corpus. I LOVE being a missionary! and I love you!

Have a great week family!
-Elder Watkins

Elder Watkins with President and Sister Martino

Elder Gomez and Elder Watkins

Week 5 MTC: Last MTC correspondence

Unfortunately, we did not get a family letter this week :( but fortunately we did get pictures! No, Dustin still has not received the packages we sent which included his camera cord; but he was able to figure out how to download some pics to send! So this week we received recordings and pics. I can't believe that he will be leaving the MTC already and truly be in the mission field! His P-Day will be on Mondays so we won't receive an email until October 28th.  We didn't receive any information on who is in the pictures, but I do have dates. He hasn't changed the date on his camera, but he is 14 hours ahead of us so the dates might seem off. 

He mentioned in the recordings that he was called "tall" twice this week!  

Sept 23:  Elder Watkins with Elders at the MTC 

Oct 17:  Elder Watkins on splits in Manila. 

 Sept 13:  Pet monkey or...?

Sept 13:  Elder Watkins first day at the Philippines MTC

Sept 13:  Elder Watkins doing great at the MTC! Always smiling :)

Sept 23:  Elder Finau, Elder Waktkins, Elder Latu - Roomies!

Sept 23:  Elder Howlett, Elder Watkins seated in front.

Sept 23:  

Oct 7:  Elder Howlett and Elder Watkins in front

Oct 18:  Elder Finau and Elder Watkins at the Manila Temple

Oct 18:  Elder Latu and Elder Watkins at the Manila Temple

MTC Week 4: Manila, Proselyting, Faith, and the Spirit

Almost daily Dustin records messages to the family and emails them to us on P-day (Preparation Day is the one day a week he has to take care of personal things. These include answering and writing emails, doing laundry, weekly shopping, attending the Temple, etc). His letters are getting a bit shorter, but his recordings are super fun to listen to! Hearing him laugh on the recordings is the best! He still has not received the two packages we sent; but we are still hopeful!

Hey Family!!
So hopefully everyone was able to listen to the recordings and listen to what's up and what's not. I'm listening to the recordings and Cambri!! "I'm doing bad in school?!" What?? haha I'm sure  you're doing great :) and Wow Coops! ten bucks and spelling cat - that's awesome Bud! Super smart! Following in your uncle's footsteps...and what - scored a goal! Wow Bud! And Cambri please don't cry, that made me sad :(

So let's see what happened this week...

Highlight was going to metro-Manila this week and proselyting for 4 hours. The experience was mind blowing...I can't believe it. The poverty shocked me. They have huge buildings, but then all the houses in between are in 3 feet wide streets and full of water and mud. The walls of some houses are just fences of metal and the roof is a metal sheet but it only covers like half the house. This one house I was in had a cement floor and all wet inside because it had no roof. They had a little boy and he asked me what my name was; it was the cutest thing ever. The kids were the only ones I could really talk to. Everyone else talked too fast and in long sentences.

So the last guy we taught was my favorite and best lesson. He said he could kind of understand English. I started speaking in English then changed to Tagalog because I could tell he didn't understand me. Then I started talking pretty smoothly and it was pretty good! I felt the Spirit and he understood what I was saying. It was good! But just cool how you need to show faith, just open your mouth, take an action, exercise that faith, jump and the Lord will catch you. It's amazing. I knew how fortunate I was to live in the home with the family I have. But now I wonder why I am so fortunate. I just want to share with everyone here. I can at least share with them the happiness of the restored Church. They can know that they have a loving Heavenly Father and  a Savior who know exactly what they are going through, exactly how they feel, and He loves them. He can comfort them and heal them. He loves us enough to call a prophet and direct His church. At least I can share that message with them.

Funny of the week: There are always funnies but I'm drawing a blank. The farting story!! Oh I may have talked about it in the recording...idk... So Elder Howlett and I were walking down the hall and there are two sisters behind us like 10 meters or so I'd say. Then I farted and it was so loud!! I turned immediately to Elder Howlett and was like, "Dude!! What? There are sisters here!!" and he just started laughing...so they totally thought it was him, and every time we see them they just bust up laughing. He tries to blame me and I just laugh. The sisters are like "Come on, Elder Howlett, just admit it was you." So he's just burying himself deeper :)

Every day something hilarious happens and it really relieves the stress. It helps that I love my roommates and companion. They are all funny guys and we get along. But there are a lot of hardships too. A sister companionship in the district is still having major issues and I talked to one of the sisters for an hour and a half the other night, and finally got her to see the MTC President. But its hard to see them struggle so much with each other. She asked for a priesthood blessing because she has been so stressed and she vomits 3-4 times a day because of it. Elder Howlett gave her a blessing; it was his first time exercising the priesthood and he did a good job. I was so proud of him :) He thought it was a good experience and after said he was so nervous but glad he got to try it.

Anyways love you all so much! Thanks for the love and support. I leave the MTC in a week and a half :)

Elder Watkins

MTC Week 3: Boxing, Blessings, and The Spirit

Elder Watkins has not been able to send us any pictures because his camera cord did not make it into his luggage :( We sent it off in a package today; hopefully he will receive it. He has not received a package that we mailed on September 6th, but we are still hopeful it will arrive :). We are fortunate to receive digital recordings via email. Hearing his voice each week is reassuring and lifts our spirits!

Hey Family!

So this week has actually, now that I'm looking back, gone by really fast! I feel like I was just here writing you guys! But during the week it feels a lot slower...Anyways, we got fed some more fish and rice; I'm not sick of the food, however, I feel bad for the sisters here. Well, at least the sisters from America!

Funny of the week: uhm I'm not sure which ones I said on the recordings, but Elder Finau and Elder Faamusili were air boxing. Elder Finau Actually hit Elder Faamusili square in the face and floored him! It was hilarious! I was in tears! Everyone in the room was laughing, except Elder Finau; he was holding Elder Faamusili and trying to get him to stand up. Elder Faamusili had a huge bump on his eye the next day :) sooo funny :)

Spiritual of the week:  We were in the middle of district meeting when a sister asked for a blessing. I asked what the issue was and she said that she gets really irritable and has a hard time feeling the Spirit cause she always wants to hit people... It was pretty awkward cause the district all heard and we are the ones she associates with so she probably is referring to us when she wants to hit someone. So I gave her a blessing and I only remember saying one thing about anger and controlling those feelings, and the rest I don't remember! but after she came up crying and said she was more worried about those other things I said but she didn't want to bring them up in front of the district. I just smiled and said it was the Spirit, cause in my head I'm like thinking, "Uh, what did I say?" but I know the Spirit was able to touch her heart and it's so powerful. I'm grateful for the priesthood and the power it has.

This week my companion Elder Howlett is improving. He can basically read anything and sounds a lot better now - not too white - but still having a hard time retaining the information. He knows the words but gets a little confused which word is which, but we're working on it :)  He bore his testimony for the first time in a visit which was awesome! So definitely progress there :)

So this week I talked a lot on the recording! So that's why the emails are shorter and I outlined how I'd like the emails to be sent. But its alright cause Mindy and Dan are the only ones from the family who wrote me! [Theirs are the only emails he received, not the only ones who wrote!]. It's ok, still love you all :) At the end of the recording I tried bearing my testimony in Tagalog so don't judge..

Love you all! :)  Talk to you next week!

Elder Watkins