Barugo Week 10

I love your blog entries Eva, because they include pictures! That's probably why you all enjoy my pictures too. :)

We're in Tacloban today, so YAY I can upload pictures!
Me and my district leader. SUPER Sister Missionary!
The blue sign is written on a motorcycle side car, the kind we ride all the time.
This is me in the mission home garden with ALL my companions! (That are still in the mission field right now, hehe)
Me in the yellow line is the sisters in our zone! Yep, everyone coordinated to wear yellow.
The other line is a line of missionaries that were assigned in Palompon! I'm going to give this picture to a branch missionary there because she loves us so much.

I told you about the firecrackers last week. I'm ALMOST used to them now. Bah! They just go off randomly, and sometimes they get REALLY LOUD. I find no amusement in them! :( (Which is good, cuz we're not allowed to play with them anyway)

New years eve we were instructed to be sure we were home by 8 because of possible fireworks and gun shootings (in the air... ya know?) So we just went home and went to bed. haha. We were woken up by fireworks going on outside at about midnight. Sis Sacayanan said they were pretty. I was too lazy to get off my bed on the floor (which cannot see out the window) so I missed the whole thing. haha. New Years Eve seems just a lot like Christmas in the Philippines. People stay up until midnight, and then eat a lot. The food includes macaroni/fruit salad, sliced bread, spagetti, lechon chicken, whatever else is special. It really depends on the house.

Filipinos turn their books from the bottom of the page. They just grab the side of the page with their fingers and flip it on the bottom. I know it's a Filipino thing because I've seen TONS of people do it. It's different than the "lick your fingers and daintily turn the page from the top corner" american style.
They also tie their shoes (or anything) differently too. Sister Malicdem looked at me really strangely when I tied a bow using a shoelace. She said: DO THAT AGAIN! I had no idea what she was talking about, because I didn't think she was interested in my tying a bow. They don't do the "over under around and through" thing. They fold two "overs" on both sides and then tie those together. Haha.

We had the funniest experience with Tatay Avila this week. We usually go teach him around 4 o clock, but we ended up being a bit early. So we were walking down the road when Sis Sacayanan sees him in the distance. So she calls out to him and starts running! I guess she didn't want him to get away, but he's old and had a stroke and can't walk very fast with his walking stick, so I don't know why she ran. haha. Anyway, it got to the point where we KNEW he heard us yelling for him, because there's no way that he wouldn't. But he refused to turn his head around, and to me it looked like he tried to pick up his pace. (But like I said, he can't walk very fast so we easily caught up to him.) I had a suspicion that he was probably drunk so he was trying to avoid us. We could smell tuba on his breath.

Tatay! You were drinking!
Yea. (WOW he usually denies it!) But I told them, only a little bit!
Well, how's your cigarettes?
Waray na! (Meaning he doesn't do it anymore)

So Sister Sacayanan goes behind him and notices that he has a box shaped thing underneath his baseball cap. We just start laughing as we ask him: "What's this under your hat?" (4 cigarettes in a box)

It was just a funny experience, but now that I think about it, so sad at the same time. :(

Sometimes its hard having the truth, but knowing that you're the minority.

I had several nice experiences this week spiritually. Praying about my testimony and feeling more confident in promptings from the Holy Ghost. Some of them, I'm not always so sure about, but I feel more confident in doing things, so that might be a sign that its from the Holy Ghost.

I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God! The Book of Mormon is true! The temples here in the church are really Houses of the Lord! I'm excited when I can visit the temple again.

I miss you a lot and love you!
I think about all of you often, individually. :) Mom, Dad, Eva, Jessie, Emily, Cyrena, Lizzie, Tiffany, Kristian, Patrick, Katie, Zack, Autumn, Eleanor. I think about all of you often and I love you!


~the end~

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I am a LDS sister missionary serving in the Philippines Tacloban area. I made this blog so that I may share my experiences with my friends and loved ones and anyone who may need to hear my story. My sister will be updating this blog with letters that I'll be writing home.