Alright this week was pretty sweet!

On Monday we had Family home evening with the A. Family. They are the best we played games, ate candy, and had a lesson on tithing. Way fun!!

Tuesday we had district meeting in the morning and then had lunch at 12 steps of Rome. All you can eat pizza and pasta. Except the pizza's weren't like american pizza's hah they were like a cracker with cheese on it. It was still way good and only 99 pesos (like 2 bucks). Our first lesson that day was with a woman and her daughter at the church. It went way well! She was way receptive and had a huge desire to learn about the Book of Mormon. This lady has a ton of faith, she used to be rich, but then she realized that something was missing in her life, so she prayed to be poor. She got what she wished for hah, but we can tell she is way ready for the gospel in her life. Last week we went to the hospital because one of the member's little girl was sick. We went to the hospital and gave her a blessing, and when we visited her this day she was all better. The mom told us that right after we left the hospital the other day she started to feel better. She said that the doctors thought she took some magical medical herb or something hah. When we went back to the apartment that day a member brought some dunkin doughnuts and Balut. First time eating Balut! Wasn't as weird tasting as I thought it was going to be, but the texture was gross. I could taste the cartilage, the beak, and the feathers of the baby duck. It tasted like a normal egg tho.

Wednesday we were way busy. We taught 7 lessons all around our area.

Thursday we taught some recent converts who are struggling with a lot of trials in their lives. Sometimes it's way sad to see such great people have such big trials, but I know that it'll be for their good in the end, and they're going to come out stronger if they endure it right.

Friday we did service at a members house. We took out weeds in the front of their house. When doing that it felt like I was taking a shower with the amount of sweat dripping down my body. Well worth it though. It was another way busy day, but it's nice that everyday is completely different than the one before.

Saturday we were getting punted everywhere. A lot of our lessons got canceled so we went around tracting. It was cool though cause we found a really sweet family with potential. We also ran into a crazy lady that had the most random questions. I got to eat chicken intestines for the first time. Not too bad if they are drenched in barbecue sauce.

Yesterday was stake conference and we went with the A. Family. It was a blast. I feel like they enjoyed it. We had a couple of appointments that night, but we had to give a paper to one of the leaders in the ward and spent most of the night trying to find his house. Addresses here suck.. They don't help at all haha. We found the house eventually, but they weren't even home. We just left the paper on the gate and then went to a members house.

Today did laba (laundry) By hand... (still trying to get used to this) and played football!! Way fun! One of the Elder's got a package from home with a football, so we got all the missionaries in our area and played. Finally something American :) It was a good way to get stress out after a long week!

Everythings great! Can't wait till Halloween!!

When we arrived in Manila we got our luggage and stuff and then went out to the terminal. I felt like I just took a shower! The humidity and the heat hit me like a brick wall. I have never sweat as much in my entire life. Outside of the airport all of us were super confused. There was no one there to pick us up and everyone was speaking Tagalog. We stood around for like an hour till finally someone came picked up our bags and loaded us in a car. It felt like a James Bond movie or something. When we got to the hotel that's where I met Lola, auntie rowena, Jimbo, and Kim. That was a crazy experience. I didn't really know what to say haha we just took a ton of pictures and then they left. After that we just spent the night at the hotel and got dropped off at the Manila airport to fly to Iloilo.

When we got to Iloilo we met our President and his wife and went to the mission home. President and Sister Pagaduan are amazing people. They are both so nice and treat each one of us like their own kids. Sister Pagaduan cooked us lunch the first day there. She cooked us lumpia, adobo, chicken curry, and some fruit smoothie. It felt like I was home again with all the awesome filipino food! I was way excited. After lunch we just hung around and caught up on rest. That night was our first night out teaching people. I went to lessons with Elder Opoc and Elder Advincula (both filipino elders) they took me to a couple of houses outside the city. First experience riding Jeepney hah. I was pretty stoked about that. We taught an 20 year old the first lesson and then a family on the next one. It was way fun, but everyone kept talking to me in Tagalog or Illongo or whatever it was I couldn't understand anything they were saying. I just kept saying Oh Oh. That night we ate at a Chow King, not really my favorite place to eat here hah.

The next day we had orientation the whole day. Nothing to special happened.

On Friday we met our trainers and found out our areas. I was almost positive I was going to get sent out to the bukid, but I didn't!

My trainers name is Elder Thayne, and guess where he's from?? Rexburg, Idaho. Haha it was awesome that we got put together. I actually didn't know him growing up, but were pretty darn close now. Our area is Mandurrio its a little outside Iloilo city. We cover the rich part of the city and then some of the poor parts. Our apartment is one of the nicest in the whole mission, so I lucked out on that. It has a working shower and a toilet that flushes.. Thank heavens for that haha. But not using toilet paper has been taking some adjustment. The first day teaching people in our area was way fun. The thing is that most of the people we teach have so little.... basically nothing. They live in a cement hut, if you could even call it that. It was definitely a humbling experience.

Saturday was conference day. We watch General Conference a week after because the Philippines has to wait till it gets on dvd. That was fun meeting all the members in our ward. During the break in conference one our investigators came and we taught her a lesson at the church. (I forgot to say this, but during my first lesson I was kind of freaking out.. We're really teaching real people now. It was eye opening for sure) Anyways, I'm doing a lot better now. We taught her the lesson and it felt like she was really receptive. She stayed for the rest of conference and we teach her again next Sunday. After conference we taught some more families. Each family we teach have the most awesome kids!! I love the kids because those are the only ones that can understand my broken Illongo haha. They are so much fun, they are more outgoing and independent than the kids back in the states, and like anything you do impresses them. It's a blast mom you're going to have to adopt some filipino kids!!

Sunday was the end of conference. After conference we studied and then went out teaching some more. Our schedule was crazy because we had a lesson on one end of our area, one in the middle, and then another one at the other end of the area. It was a lot of jeepney and tricycle rides haha. The first lesson with the A. family was my favorite lesson since I've been here. This is our Golden family its the mom dad their two sons and their little daughter that are taking the lessons. They already love the church so much, and are willing and ready to be baptized. When I taught they're little daughter, Shine, kept making fun of me because I was saying some words wrong haha, but then she helped me out. Like I said the kids are awesome. During the lesson I invited them to get baptized, and they said YES :) They're getting baptized on November 17. The next lesson we went to in the middle of our area the two sons weren't home.. So we had to post pone it till Tuesday. After that we visited a family that we visited the day before. The S.S. family are awesome. The nanay reminds me of my nanay haha. Everytime we go there she cooks us food and is just way happy to see us. She has two daughters and a 12 year old boy. My companion and his old companion have been teaching this boy for a while now, and on saturday he passed the baptismal interview. So on sunday we just checked up and prepared his baptismal service. He get's baptized this Saturday :) it's going to be my first baptism! And guess what his name is? Jeremy. Pretty awesome diba? Today was our P-day. Mom your going to be so proud of me. I washed all my clothes by HAND haha. It was a blast let me tell you :/ after washing clothes we went to the biggest mall on the island call SM (super mall) it was nuts!! It's like a mall in the U.S just bigger haha. I had to get some shower sandals, and we were looking for rubber shoes. We couldn't find any tho. Anyways that was cool to see that huge mall oh and we also ate at mcdonalds there! First mcdonalds in months!! Felt like heaven. I think it's funny that you can by chicken, rice, and spagetti and a mcdonalds, and all of there sizes are a lot smaller than americans. Guess it's just filipino size haha ;) Now we are at an internet cafe and I really don't want to leave because the aircon here rocks!! 

Well I think that is most of the highlights. Tonight were going to have family home evening with one of the members, can't wait to see what crazy filipino games were going to play. Everything is great!! I'am so stoked to be here and I just love it here. Definitely where i'm supposed to be :) I love the people and I've been humbled and have gained so much more respect for everyone and everything