2nd letter

"Now tell me, are we all concerned about an uprising?"

(Show that to Brandon, Trevor, Callie, and Courtney.. maybe Andrea will get it)

How you guys doing? I just got your package today mom, thank you so much for it. I share pretty much everything I get with my companion and roommates, so they thank you as well. Um, I guess I'll recap the week briefly. Not much has changed this week. Cramming more Tagalog into my brain, I feel like I know more than I should. Reading every day, as much as I can. They don't give you too much time to really read every day, but I got through 2nd Nephi this week so I was happy about that. Sundays is when I get the majority of my reading done. We had Elder Ballard come speak on Tuesday which was way cool. He gave a good talk about stuff I can't really remember anymore, but it's in my notes, haha. That's kind of what happens, you don't remember most of what is said in Devotionals and Firesides but it's all in your notes. Then last night we had the CEO of Deseret Book come and speak to us. She gave a really good talk, very intelligent woman. Devotionals are the big speakers of the week, so on Tuesdays people kind of spread rumors about whose coming. Usually President Monson and Joseph Smith are the popular two to be speaking. But this week the word about Elder Ballard got out, so when we were in our seats and the conductor of the meeting was like "just as a reminder, anytime an apostle of the Lord walks in we all rise" every one kind of went nuts. It just confirmed it, so it was cool to have that experience. It's weird thinking that President Monson gave a very personal talk to us sitting 10 feet away.... Um, what else. Oh Thursday we had the TA appointment of the week. That's the Teaching Appointment where we go to this building and as a district (the 10 of us) you go in companions to a room. And you two have to hold a conversation with somebody for 5 minutes in Tagalog and then switch rooms. You switch rooms three times and then teach a discussion in English for 30 minutes to the last person you teach. It was a crazy experience. My companion isn't picking up Tagalog as fast as I am so I was pretty much the only one talking during that. So strange. You basically introduce yourself, ask where they're from, how old they are, what their family is like, how they're doing, what their name is, any question really to get to know someone. So to speak in Tagalog for 5 minutes to someone who is either actually Filipino or recently off their mission, so they speak so fast, is incredibly difficult. I couldn't understand so much of what they were saying beacuse they were speaking so fast but I would pick up individual words that would allow me to form the rest of the sentence around those words. It's a weird experience. But also to hear myself speaking Tagalog back to them and having a conversation as my companion just sits there very confused was really funny. One of the guys said I sounded like a Filipino too after it... ahaha. So then on our last one we got to know him in Tagalog then taught him the first lesson in English. It went really well. We were rocky at parts, being our first discussion really. But at the end when we were teaching about the Restoration, Joseph Smith, and bearing testimonies it was awesome how well we did. That's where my companion is strong in, he has a really good testimony that you can feel, ya know.

Uh, so today we went to the temple. Did a session. Came home. Oh, I got my hair buzzed today. I was so sick of having to do my hair every morning and after gym, and using pomade twice a day that I wanted it all off. So now I've got at least a week , I think , of not having to do anything to my hair which I'm psyched about. It looks a little weird because they can't go as short as I had it last time, but I'm still happy with it. Collin (tanner's friend) is in my gym class and has P-Day here with me, so I see him around a lot. Same with Erik, I see him at random places throughout the day which is fun. And Collin and Erik are both in my building so I can go see them at nights if I want. I'm not sure if I've told you whose in my district yet , I can't remember so I'll just tell ya again. It's me and Elder Evert, Elder Light and Elder Faran, Elder Soderquist and Elder Su'A, Elder Crossley and Elder Loe, and Sister McDonald and Sister Salway. And no, Dad, she's not heir to Ray Croc's fortune. We quote movies and stuff a lot at night which kind of depresses me ahaha. Obviously not really but when we say Arrested Development quotes every day I can't believe I'm going two years without that. Thank you for the Mission President's letter- I was wondering if that was ever going to come. Maybe since it's the Philippines it takes like 3 months to get home... probably no postal mail home while I'm over there but we'll see what happens. I keep wondering what Christmas is going to be like here... better not be any classes. And I'm not getting too excited for cafeteria turkey on Thanksgiving.

Alright, well I'm gonna go get my wash out and head back to the Residence Halls. So I may write you guys a letter if I think of more stuff to say, but I think that's about it for now. Keep sending me letters, packages, and DearElders. I enjoy being the guy in the district with the most DearElders every night so keep it up. Oh and tell Callie to keep sending me news about the outside world. I like that a lot. Sports, news, media.. whatever ya know. Oh- and Dad my companion is in love with Glenn Beck and hates Obama, so I told him you guys would get along.

Love you guys, and I'll talk to ya next week

-Elder White (Austin... still.)