October 20, 2018 - DapDap, Stayin' Alive

Hello everyone!
Yes i am still alive!:) haha. Yep there was a pretty big typhoon that hit our mission, so all of sunday and all of monday we were stuck in our apartment, and let me tell you....it was BORING haha. Pretty bummed we didn't get to go to church and take the sacrament or work on Sunday because we had a really great day planned.  But we are safe, and our new apartment's location was pretty safe because it is on pretty high ground so that was good.  Our new apartment is better except for one thing....we don't get running water until like 9 pm haha.  So every night we have to manually fill up drums with water so that we have enough for the next day so that is a little bit annoying, but i guess when you are in Dap Dap everything can't go your way.  Heaven forbid everything goes right in Dap Dap;) haha.  Dap Dap is a weird place but i still am enjoying it. 

This Saturday we did have Sandra's baptism!!!!!!!!!!! This baptism easily competed with John and Simmy's because she was quite the project haha.  She was very very happy at her baptism and is doing great.  It was sad to move apartments a little bit because before she was our next door neighbor, so we saw her all the time and were able to help her and stuff and i became really good friends with her.  Even though i don't speak Tagalog, everything just seems to be clear and easy to communicate with her and i was able to become really close friends with her.  It was so awesome baptizing her.  And her friend and daughter came too and they are excited to get baptized in November.  I baptized Sandra in Tagalog (I memorized it).  That was cool, but i had to baptize her twice because the first time her hair came up, so i had to redo it but it was okay.  She is kind of a bigger lady so am glad i am not completely weak haha:)  It was an awesome experience.  Only thing is she wasn't confirmed on Sunday because there was no church on Sunday but it will just have to be this week.  Yeah I loved Sandra's baptism!

As far as Baby, she is supposed to get baptized this week but she wasn't able to attend her fourth sunday because of no church, so we still aren't sure if we will have to move it back another week.  but hopefully it can happen this week, then we can confirm both Sandra and Baby.

We got a referral from some new members who recently moved here into our branch, and it is their 20 year son that loves basketball.  so we taught him lesson 1, committed him to baptism in november so we are seeing some great things happening here.  We played ball with him on Saturday before sandra's baptism and that was pretty fun.  Except the basketball here is crazy.  It is jungle ball haha.  No one plays defense and cherry-picks hard haha, it is kind of frustrating but my comp loves it so i will play it once in a while for him haha.

My comp is good.  We get along well and talk ball and work hard so that is good.  He is getting a little bit better about talking in lessons so that is good.  But anyways, interesting week but pretty good overall.  

My ponderized scripture of the week was Alma 41:3.

It is pretty interesting though because during the day i am able to stay focused and not think about going back to india, but then at night as soon as the day is over, i miss it like crazy.  It is funny because quite honestly i miss india more than i have ever missed home.  I absolutely love that place with all my heart and really want to get back there as soon as possible.  I seriously can't wait to take you guys to India. 

As far as the typhoon, there was super strong wind and rain for two straight days and we even had a tiny tiny little earthquake here in Dap Dap last night.  It wasn't anywhere else, was but we felt it.  I was sitting on my bed and it began to shake and rock, and Elder Neri mentioned it too so i wasn't crazy haha.  Tiny earthquake and giant typhoon.  Pretty awesome right??? Man am i having a crazy cool/weird mission or what? haha.  Typhoon should be over though.  Wasn't TOO worried i guess.  It was pretty strong but when you are serving the Lord, not too much to worry about as far as safety because he will keep you safe as much as he needs.  The only thing i was worried about was not having water haha.  But every night right before going to bed, we got water haha.  Not too terrible damage.  Rubbish everywhere, trees down, some roofs torn off etc.  We might be helping clean up some of these the next few days.

So there is your update from me.  Hope you are all doing well also! Probably nothing too crazy there.  I feel like i will find America boring haha.  Heck i find the Philippines boring sometimes because of India.  India is just so different.  I absolutely love it to death.  Well Love you all!

Love, Elder Ball