New Companion!

September 16, 2013

My new companion is freaking awesome!  Seriously, my prayers were answered!  In my prayers I asked for an American but at the same time I asked for a Filipino because I wanted to learn the language.  I got the best of both worlds!  He's a Filipino but he acts like an American!  He is a strait up stud and is really hard working!  I tell you more about him later.

Last lesson with Elder Guevarra!

On Monday, P-day, the last day with Elder Guevarra we e-mailed til 6 and then went to a dinner appointment here in Alicia.  The dinner appointment was with 6 other missionaries and we had to leave early because we had to go back to our area to an FHE we had planned!  We ran a good 3 blocks or more to find a tricy to get back to our area to teach!  It was cool to see my companion running on his last night of being a missionary.  I hope my last night of being a missionary I’ll run to lessons!  When we finally got to the FHE the Nanay was sleeping but she woke up and let us give our message and then they fed us.

At the best tasting restaurant in the Philippines!

The next morning on Tuesday we got up and headed to Cauayan for the departure fireside. The fireside was really good and it was cool to hear the testimonies of missionaries who were about to go home!  I said good bye to my companion and then went on splits that night with the zone leaders.  On the bus ride back to the zone leader’s apartment, we stopped at a restaurant called Momma Mia's.  Let’s just say that it was one of the happiest times so far on the mission!  I ordered a Hawaiian pineapple pizza and I was literally smiling while eating it!  It was so good my mouth is watering just writing this.

The next day we headed to Cauayan again, to the transfer meeting.  When I got my new companion I already knew he was a stud from what everyone was telling me.  Everyone was telling me that he is really good at basketball and that he is a good missionary.  He is super good at basketball!  The other day a member was watching a basketball game on T.V. and my comp tells me that that is where he plays and that's his league!  It was a stadium as big as the Utah Jazz!

My new comp with some fellowshippers

I never really knew if my last comp was trunky but it turns out he was.  With Elder Rumbaoa as my new companion, we have taught more in just 3 days than I did in one week with my first comp!  I don't know if it's because I am leading the area now or not but the work is going good.  We don't have too much going on in our area right now but we do have a new investigator.  She said that she was a Roman Catholic but stopped going to church because she read in the Ten Commandments to not worship idols or statues but they worship Mary statues.  We only talked with her, we didn't open up a lesson because there was a full grown man walking around in his really tight tighty whities  10 feet from us pumping water and staring at us.  It was way uncomfortable and super super creepy.  

Mom and Dad, I can't remember exactly how old you are but I know you're in your 50's. Please take care of yourselves because when the people here tell me that they're 50 I think they are lying because they honestly look like they're over 100 years old.  I know you don't look that old but the people here honestly look like they are on their last leg at 50 years old!  So take good care of yourself. The lifestyle here is a lot different though but still it scares me to see these people saying they are younger than you but look a thousand years old.

Anyways......  Everything is going great here in the mission!  My new companion is a strait up stud and is helping me a lot!  I honestly hated the Philippines at first but it definitely grows on you!  It'll definitely never be as good as the good ol' United States but it's still pretty freaking awesome!

The mission is seriously so awesome!  I think it got a little better because the new group came in and now they get to experience what I experienced and I have a little bit more seniority.  Thanks for everything!  Thanks for pushing me little by little to go on a mission!  It's been already one of the greatest experiences of my life!  I love you all!  

Mahal kita,

Elder Tribe