I'm going to start off by answering some questions! because they make great conversation,
1. How 'bout those mosquitoes? Are they bad? Do they eat you alive? Or are you used to them by now? Have you purchased yourself a fine umbrella made for the Philippino rains?
Mosquitos! I don't really know about mosquitos, I've definately had some bites, which take a lot longer to heal on my arms for some reason but it's not to bad, I've gotten pretty good at catching them in the air when they are around though! And the umbrella, oh boy, Philippinos and umbrellas are like pb&j, use them for sun or rain! Which makes sense but I don't have one yet. There were a few extra in the apartment when I came in, so I just used one of those. One day a member (your friend Sister Marie) let me borrow one, and i slipped on some mud on a bridge over a patubig and almost fell in and died! Biro lang but the piaw (umbrella) saved me life! It also broke at the handle. Luckily Sister Marie and I are good buddies. She just laughed at me.
2. I'm only allowed on myldsmail.net so i will have to send the flash card home. I think I can buy bubble mailers at the magic supermarket. Or if we have ebat ebang suggestions, I'm open.
3. How do you communicate within your mission? Does the house you live in have a phone ?
Ha thats a good question. ZL's and DL's have phones. I think and with the changes in the mission a lot more DL's were called, but we just kinda know what time we have to get up and take a trike on the days with meetings. Other than that we don't really communicate. Working with the ZL last week he told me about how much he did not like his cell phone "the electric leash" and was telling me how the sister missionaries text him all the time.
So this week has been wild and crazy! My new companion is Elder Lebataio (lee-batch-auw) from Jacobity (I think is the city I hear him say). He's a lot more wild than Elder Ramos. First thing he did when we got back to the apartment was rearrange our furniture! Ha I love him, he likes to sing songs and dance and he is so skinny it's wild! Right now I'm wearing one of his Philippino shirts, so I can feel Pinoy too, just kidding. But seriously I am, He's really bold and knows how to work! I'm going to learn a lot from him. One example was this past week we went to teach a recent convert and her inactive grandma was there and he guilt tripped her with "would you say the payment is to much if Jesus Christ were right here??" he's great.
Elder Cook also was great. Elder Fairbanks (comp from the MTC) and I scored some front row seats and were the 2nd and 3rd (me) people to shake his hand. He spoke on missionary work and how much of an effect it has on the lives of others. By using the example of the first foreign missionaries in England, and how blessed we are because of them. At least I know I am! He was great he had that fine Elder Cook grin. He gave us all an apolistic blessing, that was one of the most powerful parts. It wasn't anything special, just that we would have strength to do the work and build the kingdom. But it was amazing still. Conference was amazing too. I was excited all day. We took a jeepney into San Jose with ward two in Rizal. None of us got to see the Saturday session, so I'm greatly anticipating a Liahona! Also, the Priesthood session - I only saw 3 talks. The Harry Potter 70 guy and Elder Uchdorf, half of President Monson then we all took off to Tarlac city! Where I had McDonalds! I had a chicken sandwich. It rocked.
Right now in the Philippines it's kinda just the same as far as weather goes. Some hot days, some rainy days. I still don't feel all that hot or humidified though, but it's harvest! It's so fun to see so much rice everywhere! Just on the roads is where it gets put to dry out. It will be a change of scenery to see all the fields dead and brown but I'll have mangoes soon! Merry Christmas to Elder Hill.
One thing else I wanted to talk about is how the evil man teacheth a man not to pray! We have such struggles getting investigators to pray. (Sometimes) like last night, we went to teach Sister Lea who is a part member her mom and dad and uminom (drunken) brother are all inactive members and were all there last night for our lesson. We're still trying to find out what happened in their lives to get them to act the way they do about the gospel, like they miss it and don't want it at the same time. Last night we asked tatay to pray and he just kept pushing ot off to everyone else in the family and said he would next time. So we all knelt down to pray and uminom kuya was kneeling right next to me and repeating everything I would say. It was a fine experience!
It sounds like the harvest is happenin' back home too! Thats fun to hear about the salsa and grapes and family fun! This morning at our zone gathering, the senior couple made us this amazing breakfast of egg-potato-hash deliciousness and scones! All the Philippino Elders got full or just wanted to play more basket ball so the 4 Americans stayed and destroyed those scones as they were coming! They had jam and salsa and honey and great things!
Mom I wanted to ask if your could send me a recipe for no bake cookies, a sister made us some last week and I thought it would be easy to make. I've seen cocoa and peanut butter and have oats. But yeah, no bake, they're easy for heavens sake!
well, It's October. Lets rock it! rock it to the top, I love you talk to you next week!
-Elder Hill
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How neat to get an apostolic blessing.
ReplyDeleteThe new companion sounds like a lot of fun!
This week we watched an episode of "No Reservations" with Anthony Bourdain on the travel channel when he was in the Philippines and thought of Elder Hill and what he might be eating and seeing there.