Philippines Ilagan Mission

BY GAVIN JOFFRION

I became fluent in Tagalog while I was in Ilagan. I still speak it to every Filippino that I meet, so I haven't lost any of my skills. When I was in Ilagan, I got to a point that, if you heard my voice, you couldn't tell if I was Filippino or American. Some Filippinos even asked me if I was born and raised in the Philippines! I talked to a blind lady once and didn't tell her where I was from. To this day (unless someone has told her) she still thinks I was Philippino.

It was kind of a challenge for me and some of the other American missionaries. We were kind of competing against one another to see who could become the most Philippino. We ate the food, followed the customs, and spoke the language. We tried to be Philippino in every way that we could. We found that as we came to understand, copy, and respect the Filippino, it blessed us in our missionary work. The native Ilagans were just tickled pick to have foreign missionaries who could speak to them in their native tounge. They also enjoyed feeding us because they knew we wouldn't turn up our noses to their food like some of the other inports.

Following their customs gave them great respect for us too. I find that most of the Filippino customs have to do with showing respect to other people. When we used those same customs to show respect to the people (like "mano" i.e. pressing your forehead to the hand of the old people) we found that doing these things made the people love us even more.

"Becoming Filippino" also helped us with our missionary work. I never had to go tracting in my mission, unlike the poor unfortunates who serve in the states. We never had any problem getting an appointment to someone's house. All I had to do was start talking to someone I met at the market or on the road. I would shock them so much to hear me speak fluent Tagalog that I would immediately gain their interest. What I said was unimportant. All I had to do was speak. Next thing I know they would be inviting me over for dinner. Me, a perfect stranger, and now I'm over eating at their house and playing with their kids, and everyone treating me as if I was one of the family. Like they had known me for years or something.

First discussions were easy. We followed Pres. Garganilla's (our mission president) advice and focused our first visit on B.R.T. He said "focus on becoming their friends and earning their trust first, for the spirit cannot resist entering a room full of brotherly love and trust". We didn't even have to ask them for a discussion, they would ask us. Eventually, their going to ask you why you, an American, have come to the Philippines to spend time with them. When you tell them you're on a mission and explain what it is, they naturally start asking questions about the church. You then tell them that you have six lessons that will answer most of their questions and you would like to come back at a later date to start on the first. We were always able to come back.

I find that as you stay reserved and allow them to seek the truth, they normally become more interested. Instead of pushing something on them that they're not ready for, you make them chase after the truth for themselves. If they are not interested, so what, you've now made another freind, plus you've paved the way for missionaries who follow you.

Pres. Karganilla was a great man. He was only 32 when he became our president and his wife was only 28. They were so young that, when we first saw them from a distance, we thought that they were other missionaries. But, once we got to talking to them and could feel the power of the spirit emminating from them, it became quite clear that they were the leaders of our mission. The man was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the gospel. Also, both of them were native Filippinos, so they understood the natives very well and knew just what was needed to help us win the hearts of the people. The Lord knew what he was doing, because the Karganilla's were just what we needed as mission parents. I had the most wonderful mission. It changed me, my attitude, my mind, and everything that I felt and understood. I can never be the same again and it will last in my mind as one of the most cherished of memories.