Week #7: Naga Philippines!

Hello from the Naga Philippines! I am currently in an internet cafe dying of heat. I feel so moist all the time. I don't know how else to explain it... But that is ok! Because I'm a missionary! Right?... Anyways, it is so good to hear from everybody. I can honestly say I'm surprised how much support and encouragement I've received from everybody.

I need to start this off by apologizing to my parents and other family members for complaining on road trips and asking every 20 minutes how much longer it would be till we reached our destination. You will be happy to know that I did not ask anyone "Are we there yet?" The last time I did that, the family played a huge practical joke on me for a week. I think I learned my lesson... And this trip tops off the longest trip of my life by far. I know some are interested in how I got here so here's the shpeel. We took a shuttle, front runner, then trax to the Salt Lake airport, flew from SLC to Seattle and that was about 2 hours, Seattle to Tokyo Japan and that was the longest 10 hours of my life. I had a row of seats to myself and I napped and when I wasn't napping, I read almost the whole book of Alma. True story. Oh, and Japan is absolutely beautiful! I wouldn't mind serving there, then again, because Heavenly Father and I made an agreement before I got my call and I told him I wouldn't Japanese, Mandarin, French, or Russian. Too hard of languages. I just didn't want to learn a new alphabet. I'm stubborn. I don't know why I included that. Kudos to those who serve in those wonderful places and are a lot more humble than I am. Anyways, then we flew from Tokyo to Manila which took 4 hours and stayed the night in a hotel. The next morning, we flew from Manila to Naga and it only took an hour. When we arrived at the mission home, we met President and Sister Reeder and I just absolutely LOVE them! I was so nervous my mission president would be really intimidating. He is so kind and reverent but he knows when to be firm with us. We stayed the night in their home (7 of us from the Provo MTC) and the next day met our companions! I have the cutest companion, Sister Ganzagan. She is a sweet Filipino from northern Luzon (The big north island that the Philippines is composed of). She speaks really good English and I have to remind her to speak in Tagalog/Taglish in our apartment so I can learn the language. But she pushes me when we talk to people and I'm starting to pick up some more vocabulary.

I'm surprised I'm taking pretty well to the food here. Thank goodness I love rice! I don't even think twice when we have rice for breakfast. We really do eat rice with everything. I'm still trying to get over the fact that the people throw the whole entire animal, usually excluding the head, but not always, in a pot and cook it. I've learned not to ask what something is until after I've eaten it. And I just don't really look at my food when I eat it. hahaha Oh my. It's definitely an adventure! We also eat with a spoon in our right hands, and scoop with a fork in our left hands. Why don't Americans eat like that?? It's actually a lot easier! Ok, the first time I tried in the mission home and I scooped everything into my skirt. Whoops. After the second or third meal I was actually used to it. Yay! It's the little things...

Well Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in America! I keep forgetting it's the holiday season because I'm so used to snow. Even if there are Christmas decorations everywhere because the Filipinos LOVE Christmas. I don't blame them. It's a good holiday, di'ba? We are having a Christmas party with all the missionaries in a few weeks and I'm excited because the WHOLE mission is getting together! So I get to meet more of the missionaries. My district leader is Elder Nebeker, and his brother was actually in my zone in the MTC! His companion is Elder Young. He totally reminds me of the Elder from the RM. He's tall and blonde and has these Harry Potter glasses that are bright green. I love it! He talks to everyone and that companionship has gotten so many investigators in just this past week! Then there's Elder Robles who has been in part of this area for 6 months. His companion is Elder Snyder and he is one of the nicest Elders and he just got here one transfer ago. Really small district. Oh yeah. Sister Ganzagan and I just opened up a this new area! We are in Calabangan. We spent most of our Friday going over teaching records. Such a long day. We finally went tracting on Sunday, and we met a family who we didn't even have to commit to come to church! They asked us if they could come on Sunday. I just sat there in the lesson and I didn't contribute much because of my lack in the language, but as Sister Ganzagan taught about the restoration and I bore my testimony, I was just overcome with the spirit. Heavenly Father reminded me that He is there. That He loves His children and that the spirit is a universal language, and even though the people don't really understand what I'm saying, they can still feel the spirit. It was a witness to me that I will eventually learn Tagalog if I keep doing my part. And the Lord will help me with the things I cannot do. It was so incredible! Right after, I thanked Heavenly Father for that little tender mercy.

Saturday night we had a missionary coordination meeting with the Bishop of the Calabanga ward, and Elder Nebeker volunteered me to speak in sacrament meeting. He likes to give me a really hard time with the language and I just wonder if he remembers what it was like to learn Tagalog. I don't think so because he just laughed. So guess who spoke yesterday? I spoke about the Atonement mainly because that's the only thing I'm ok at talking about in Tagalog. Nah, I actually felt like that was a topic that the ward needed to hear. So I hope I got my message across. And church isn't even in Tagalog! It's in Biccol! haha So I get to learn Biccol in a few months when I'm better at the first language I'm learning. So many dialects here! Also in the meeting on Saturday, the Bishop asked me something, and I didn't understand him (of course), so in Tagalog I asked him what he said and he was taken aback because he didn't know I could speak a little bit. Everybody just laughed and I'm the only one that doesn't find these things funny. It's frustrating not knowing what anyone is saying! It will come though. I know it will. With hard work, faith, and diligence. I just need to remember to laugh at my mistakes. :)

Hm, I have so much to say, but I can't remember everything. Oh, there are A LOT of bugs here. Like, weird looking ones that are huge. I used to be freaked out by them, but now it's second nature to squash them. Hahaha Random. So I don't mind the bugs. Except they like to eat me. We have screens in our windows in our apartment though! And benadryl cream is one of the best inventions of all time. Also, we have a shower head! So no bucket and pail for bathing this transfer! Even though the toilet is in the shower. It's the weirdest thing... Also, my companion laughs at my attempts to get used to the heat. This morning I just stood in the fan and squirt my self with water. After doing this for about 15 minutes she was just like, "Just take a bath!" So I usually shower twice a day. haha

This morning was the first time I've ever washed all my clothes by hand! Even though it was work, I thought it was a lot of fun. I don't know. I just try to find the joy in the simplicity of life here and learn to value hard work. I'm so grateful for parents who taught me to work hard! So many rewards come from working your hardest, and I hope I can continue to apply what I've learned to missionary work.

I love you all and I love hearing from you! Hopefully I'll actually have more spiritual stories to share next week. Mahal ko kayo! :)