This week, Elder Boligao and I were walking out to Brgy. Buhi, which is this tiny village to meet with this Sister who we had just met. So were just walking on this dirt road between the rice fields. We were just talking when we see a tricycle coming up behind us, so we move to the side of the road. And it goes by and almost clips me! and then Elder Boligao was walking in front of me, and it actually clipped him. The guy just looks back and then keeps driving. We both look down at his leg and notice a tear in his pants... about the size of a quarter, but we see blood underneath. So, I was like, well, that's not cool. So, Elder Boligao pulls up his pants to look at and his cut was huge. It was so nasty. There was like fat and muscles hanging out. It was so deep. Like, I could see white stuff. So, as soon as he sees that he just starts to panic a bit, and to be honest, so did I. I thought for sure he.. or I... was going to pass out from the blood. So he's just sitting there with his hands on his knees kind of groaning. I kept asking him if he was alright, but he didn't say anything. Eventually, he just says. We need to go to a hospital... So, I gave him my tie to wrap around his cut. It just so turns out that it was my really nice yellow paisley one two. Nanay Ortega, the member who does our laundry, shes super awesome by the way, tried to wash it after, but yeah, that tie is done haha. We hailed a trike and then it took us about ten minutes to get to an emergency room. Somehow, and I don't know how, there is an emergency room in Culasi. But wow, was that hospital sketchy.... WOW. haha. I just laughed. We are standing at the enterence, which is a big arc, and all the lights are off, then we just see this doctor emerge from the darkness. So, you can imagine what my first impressions are. So, he turned on all of the lights. In the first, main room there are like 3 ancient hospital beds with metal oxygen tanks next to them. The lights are flourenct tubes, and they are all flickering and stuff. I mean, this was like straight out of a horror movie. haha. But we go into one of the side rooms. The room itself was pretty big, but all there was inside was a small wood cabinet, a sink, a surgery table, like for the tools, and an ancient hospital bed which was really dirty and had a lot of dried blood on it. haha. The paint of the walls was half flaked of. There were ants everywhere. It was poorly lit. It was sooo sketchy, but anyways they stitched up Elder Boligao, 5 very large stiches. My favorite part was that the bill was only 300 pesos, for everything! That's like less than 10 dollars! I coudn't believe how cheap it was compared to America. After the hospital, we went to the police station to file a crime report. We just talked to the police about what happened, and then we actually went with them to Buhi to try and find the driver that hit Elder Boligao. Yes, I got to ride in the back of a Philippine squad car. It was ridiculous. Hanging from their mirror was a scenty thing that was a girl in a bikini, and also a little poster that said YOLO. They were also blasting pop music. They are just way less official than American police. It was pretty funny though. Everybody was just pointing at the white guy riding in the back of the squad car. So, we actually found the guy without searching long. We stopped him and got out to talk to him. He was pretty old and said that he was really poor. He said that he made most of his money by selling a type of bread that goes for one or two pesos a piece. Which is like one cent. He had also had a stroke this last year. He gave a huge apology to Elder Boligao, so it was kind of hard to be frustrated with him. he said he thought he hit him, but it looked like it didn't hurt, so he kept going. It is so weird, the police just let Elder Boligao decide what the punishment would be. I'm pretty sure that if he would have asked them to cut off his finger, they would have, but Elder Boligao just wanted him to know that he hit someone and to be careful. But yeah, the day after we just hung around the apartment and studied and watched church videos, which brings me to my next crazy story.
We had just finished watching 17 miracles. We were just in our kitchen talking when we hear this load noise. It sounded like a huge truck was driving past our apartment, and then house starts to shake. We were having an earthquake. I had no idea what to do, and I was kind of shocked that it was even happening because as you know, I've never been in one. I just looked at Elder Boligao. He kinda looked panicked to me and had fallen against a wall. But he got up and just ran outside. And trust me he paid for that later, but he said he didn't feel it at the time, as far as his cut went, but I just ran behind him. I just looked around when I got outside and the earth was shaking. It was so weird. It felt like turbulence, except I was an the ground. All in all, I think it probably lasted about 10 seconds, but it was weird. It went by so slow, yet so fast. We went back in when we were sure it was done. There wasn't any major damage at all, but a bunch of things had fallen over. Mostly just bottle and cans and stuff. The only thing that broke I think was a flashlight that fell off a cabinet. Oh and there was a book that kind of got ruined because it was on my desk and my waterbottle fell over on top of it. I apologized to Elder Anderson, because it was his book, but he totally understood. I apologized more as just a joke. I said "Elder, I'm sorry I ruined your book. I just didn't expect to get hit with an earthquake that would knock over my water bottle onto it." It was just kind of funny, but yeah, that was crazy. So, apparently it was a 5.8 earthquake and town was the epicenter or whatever you call it. Where it was the worst.
The other funny experience I had was the day after. I woke up, walked into the kitchen, when I heard Elder Boligao, scream from our study room, then this HUGE rat comes running out and almost slides right into my leg. I screamed too, and then Elder Boligao and Guzman run out chasing it. So, yeah. Apparently a huge rat was running our apartment was running around our apartment and they were on mission to catch it. I joined in, and it lasted about an hour. Eventually it made a run from out of the one closets into the bathroom and escaped out of the whole in our wall that our shower drains out of. So, they were kinda bummed that they didn't catch it.
I've really had a fun time this week though. Missionary work is so rewarding. The members here are so faithful.. Our investigators too. Once they realize that what we are saying is true. They just obey our every word, no questions asked. And they just soak up all the information we give them. It's kind of funny, some of our investigators, who we have only taught maybe 10 times, could easily be teaching us. But, yeah, I love the members. We had 58 at church this week, so about the same as last week, but 8 of those were investigators, so we were so happy for that. After church, we had a meeting about what we were going to do, as a group, for general conference this next week. Elder Boligao, lead the discussion. He encouraged them to just stay in Culasi, but almost all of them insisted that we rent a bus for about 7000 pesos, which is a ton of money for them, and go down to San Jose, about a 2 hours drive, just so they can watch it in a chapel. So, I was just like, wow, I can't believe this, so that's what it looks like we will be doing next week for general conference.
All of our recent converts are doing very well. We only have 1 or 2 less active family and one of them we have had at church the last two weeks, but basically everyone in our group is a recent convert because the area was only opened up maybe 6 months ago. But, it really is so impressive. These people. They are humble and faithful, and are so much fun. We had another Family Home Evening at a home in Elder Kimball and Elder Kellerstrass's area. We played the same game as we did for that other family home evening, where if you lose, you get charcoal rubbed on your face. I did much better though this time. I only had three marks by the end of the game! But, wow they are crazy when they play games. It is so funny.
For that whole day yesterday, we had 3 members with us. Two young men who are planning on serving missions in the next year, and a 15 year old sister named Jane. Then, the Blancia sisters joined us too after their recent convert lesson, so we had like an army with us. It was kind of fun. People just want to be involved with the work though. It's so great.
This morning, for P-day, we went to Malalisa, a small island of the coast of Culasi. Man, it was paradise, White sandy beaches on one half, and then coral beaches on the other side. We hired a guide to lead us around the island (It was actually much larger than it looked) ( I only judged that it was between .25 and .5 miles long, but nope) Yeah, but it was so beautiful, I'll upload some pictures.
And actually, you should look into something were I can just upload all my pictures, like a website. I heard of something called drop box..? Anyways, can you look into that? Ask Lisa what joselyn does. Because I'm running out of space to put my pictures on the camera. I'll definitely be good for at least a month, but eventually.
As far as learning Karay-a goes. Its pretty tough. Its pretty similar to Ilonggo gramatically, its just that about half the words are different. Also, the area that I'm in, the people are known around the island for being really fast speakers, so that's been fun as well. Without the spirit, I would be completely lost! And that is not a joke!
Anyway, I'm staying safe, and my health is great!
I miss you all!
Elder Robertson
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