Week 21

Monday, July13, 2015

 Hi Mom!!!!!

I am so good today! I am sooo happy! Everything is really good here in the Philippines! No Typhoons.... yet!!!! We had an ok week this week. We got punted a lot and about 4 lessons everyday. It is ok, but not the best. We are working on building a good relationship with the ward and with our investigators! It is amazing at how fast my Tagalog is coming now... I don't know why it didn't in training, but it is now!

The Philippines is just as beautiful in the rain as it is when it hasn't rained and most of the time, much cooler! I love being able to use my blanket at night! And I am soooo grateful for crocks. They make missionary life in the Philippines so much nicer... now... to clean all of the dirt out of my shoes.... :)

I have some amazing Kabahys! Sister Araja is training and is an STL, so she has a really hard job. But her trainee is amazing! She is so cute and funny! I love them both tons! We have a really happy house! We all get along, and talk and laugh. It is so amazing. I am worried for next transfer though... I am worried that the prompting that I am training, will happen, and that I won't be ready.... But! I can do all things through the Lord who strengthens me.  Yup!

This week we have exchanges! I get to work with both sister Araja and Sister Balasta! I as a junior and then a trainer... work together in my area... just in preparation for next transfer! This happens on Wednesday... Pray for me....

Everything with our investigators are good! Tatay Lorenzo and Sister Julianne still qualify for baptism and they have some amazing testimonies! Their baptism is on July 25. I am sooo excited for them! Then the rest of them are good too! We are teaching a little 10 year-old kid. He is soo adorable! and he has come to church these last two weeks. His family is all members, but less actives. I am hoping and praying that by his example, the rest of his family will return to church! His name is Garry, and he will hopefully be baptized on August 8.

We had ward FHE last night! It was soooooooo amazing! They had it in a really far area at a less actives house I think.... like it would be about an hour and a half walk there... about 10 of us rode on a tricee... it was a beautiful sight to see! then! Our inactive member that hasn't been to church in months and months, came too! Last week she wouldnt even smile at us, but this week she did! I am sooo happy! GHA! Just happy! They held ward family home evening to help members see how easy it is to have family home evening, and how they can model the ward one in their own homes! It was truly amazing! I loved it.

I would love more pictures of the house.... From what I have seen of it, it is really pretty! I am excited to see more! I am excited to be home.... I forget all that I have at home, like a washing machine and a dryer, and a dishwasher. Like those simple little things that I take for granted. I am so grateful for all that I have! The Philippines has really opened my eyes to what I have.

I am excited to see pictures of the party! I cannot believe that it is so close! I can't believe that I am almost 5 months here and that we are almost half way through this transfer! It is going sooo fast! I will be home sooner than all of us know!

Everyone is so busy! I am glad to know that they are all happy :) I miss you all tons! I forget how much is going on in the world and how out of it I am.... I like it, but then I don't at the same time... I like just having one focus, but I also worry that when I go home, it will be like some type of apocalypse after my mission, especially in America. Like not that it will have changed, but that I just won't be used to it.... Yup!

I don't really NEED anything from home.. I have been able to manage thus far... of all the countries I could have gone to, this is the best one! I have found almost everything I really really need! Like I have even found peanut butter here! I felt like it was crazy expensive for here at least, so that is a special treat... But I found it none the less!

It will be strange to go home and not have farmers markets and like a meat shop. We went shopping today for house food, and we were buying fish, and there was, I think it was tuna, like fresh tuna fish, whole. Like there are pigs heads too and insides. The smell is horrible for the first two minutes there. Sister Araja laughed at me when she caught me smelling sister Saua's hair. I then told them that we didn't have anything like this in America, and that it was like really big malls that we bought our food and other groceries at. It was strange...

So what ever you want to send! Surprise me! I wouldn't mind more peanut butter M&Ms... Or the reeses stuff...beyond that... or the Rimmiel London lash blast... I think. It is a pink bottle and the brush is long and has a round end hopefully you can find it. I would like it in black please and thank you!

I love you all tons and tons!!!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson