Rice and Ulam

Rice is the main thing we eat here. We have a word for things that go on rice; that word is Ulam. It doesn’t really matter what it is that goes on the rice, it could be soy sauce, vegetables, or meat – or any combination of anything. That is Ulam.

This week has been a pretty strong learning experience for me. I have realized the power in teaching with Unity. Some of the lessons that my comp and I have taught this week have been the best lessons we have taught ever; and it is all because we both open our mouths and work off what the other says. 

We went to the temple today, as is standard of P-days, and it was a wonderful learning experience as well – you learn a lot there.

Today all of the RTMs, or “Regular Training Missionaries”, left; along with the Senior Batch (those that were here when I arrived and were learning the language). That means that for the next week the two language training missionary (LTMs) districts are the senior batch. It is a humbling feeling knowing in three weeks I will be out teaching for real.

Then again, I go proselyting tomorrow for the first time. I will be out with a senior companion for about 4 hours. I am excited, humbled, and crazy nervous all at the same time. We get a new batch of LTMs this Friday and I will do my best to impart all of my wisdom to them – not that I have much to give.

This week I have learned how to teach and bring the spirit into a lesson quickly. In order to truly open the doors of someone's heart, to understand why this message is important, first you have to love them and then identify their needs. The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ applies to all, and He calls us to follow Him. It is my job to show people why it applies to them and be a catalyst for feeling the Holy Spirit in their lives. 

There are only about 14 people learning at the MTC until Friday when everyone else comes in. I am one of them... I also, just the other day, got called as a Zone Leader. I am no longer a district leader. I was called to a calling that involves me and my companion. Together, we will be the zone leaders over all of the Language Training Missionaries in the Philippines MTC. We will be there to assist them in all their problems and establish order when there is little to be found. Let me just say I have no clue if I am ready for such a thing; but I welcome the challenge and the opportunity for God to qualify me for such a calling.

I think possibly the best thing I did this week was starting "Best Part Worst Part" with my district. Every day, we say the best and the worst parts of our day. Everyone has to listen to everyone else’s sharing. I think it has been a huge blessing to be able to open up to the people we spend so much time with. 

I am learning an insane amount here, not even including the language. I realize that the more I focus on feeling the spirit and obeying the schedule and the rules, the more my language study is blessed. 

The Tagalog lesson of the day is about verbs, because in my free time I write down verb conjugations. Turns out that my French teacher in High school was right about that one, some day I would do that for fun (and out of necessity), but just not in French.

Anyways, this is how you conjugate regular MAG- verbs in Tagalog (MAG- means that the infinitive form starts with MAG):

1. Take the verb base (we will use "basa" which means "read")

2 Add MAG to form the infinitive we now have "Magbabasa" which means "To read"

3. Past tense: Change that M to an N you now have "Nagbasa" which means "read" (past tense)

4. Present Tense: double the first syllable of the base you now have "Nagbabasa" which means "reading"

5 Future Tense: Change that N right back to an M you now have "Magbababsa" which means "Will read"

Now you know, whenever you don’t know the actual Tagalog base just add MAG or NAG to the beginning of the English word. For example: Magexplain. The weird thing is Filipino people actually do that with that exact example above when they can’t think of the Tagalog word fast enough. They do it all the time and it is ridiculous to try to keep up.

Anyways, I am very much out of time. I love you all.

Elder Faulkner