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Oh man my hands are so cold... this feels like winter back in Middle School where I'd play counter strike for hours on snow days. They've got aircon in here and it's cold. Anyways like I said before we missed the bus coming out of the area this morning for the SM because my companion said he was feeling sick... so despite me ironing his clothes and cleaning his shoes and updating the area book from the lessons from the past week ... he still couldn't get out the door by 9:45. Ha. It's okay , he's still my best companion yet so I have no reason to complain. He works hard and is really nice.

To Mom: I really want Garrett's address , so as soon as you can get it , please do!

Things (if it's not too late) I would love in the package:
-pictures of anything and everything going on back home. of the house , family , I just have no pictures haha
- a box of Good + Plenty!

iyan lang for now (that's all). IMPORTANT MOM! Please ask Sister Schneiber about the little type computer thing erik had while in the MTC. It made it so he could type his letter during the week and then plug it into a usb and send it right away. There's a lot of stuff that I either forget or don't have time to say , and if that was allowed in the MTC I'll ask if it's allowed here. It's not a computer , but really a keyboard with a tiny screen. Erik was telling me about I'm pretty sure.

Questions:
- They have an independence day here , I'm pretty sure , but I don't remember when it is and don't think it's that big of a deal.
- The name Elder Gilliland sounds familiar , but I don't think I've ever met him. Probably just seen his name on the transfer sheet.
- Fudgie bars are just ... a snack you buy. It's a little cupcake thing. They're okay ... loaded with sugar ... as is everything here
- Of course I use the mattress cover! I swap it with the mattress cover I bought here when I get them cleaned. It's good that I have it , but Taylor's mattresses must have been more disgusting , the ones here are okay. They're not clean , but I can just use mattress covers here. But I thank you anyway for it!

I think that was all your questions , so I'll talk a little about my week. You always ask for weird things that I experience ... and really it IS getting to a point where the things they do are starting to make sense. For instance keeping the tooth brush in the fridge ... along with everything else. It makes sense. Everything tastes better when it's cold (for the most part). But my bread , peanut butter , toothbrush , most everything stays in the fridge. Also it's to keep rats and bugs and stuff away from it. But one thing that was weird , but as usual good , this week was me eating wood. Ahaha. What they do is take bamboo and shave it down into smaller pieces then boil it and cook it with sugar and stuff. Turns into this sticky/soft combo thing and is actually very very good. Ha. High in fiber , though , I think. I think it's called tubik? And there's was another variety of it that I ate , but I forget the name. I didn't believe them ... because they were like yes it's wood (kahoy) would then I watched one of them cook it .. and lo and behold they do not lie. So , maybe look up the recipe if you're in the mood .... for tree.

Okay , so my week.

Oh.. message to my other siblings : Alma 60:6.

So Monday was okay ... taught 3 lessons and it was a pretty beautiful day. Tuesday... geeze. That was one of my more tiring days of the mission , ha. Found 8 new investigators , taught 8 lessons , and walked a combined probly 4 - 6 miles. We trecked out faaar into a barangay (kind of means like town) that we don't usually work because it's very far for someone to come to church , in which they will most likely walk unless they're rich. And we get out there for a referral we receive ... couldn't end up finding the referral (despite the person who gave us the referral being there with us) but ended up talking to like everyone along the way because I've never met any of them before. So that was a pretty crazy day. On the way back we got a lift for about a 1/2 mile in ambulance , ha. Ambulances are ... different ... here ... ha. Wednesday we worked with the second counselor of the branch presidency who is about 72 and is hysterical. I understand about every 9th word of what he says because he has no teeth and mumbles like crazy , but is the funniest and happiest man on earth. Especially when he describes someone who does drugs (I thinkkkkk that's the point he's trying to make) in which he makes the funniest noise and whips his head around like in cartoons when bugs bunny or something gets slapped.

We also met , this past week , a woman named Alma (which I ended up reading on Friday is a common woman's name in spanish and a main argument people had about the book of mormon until the 1970s or 80s in which they found a scroll in the middle east with the name alma dating back a looong time. Anyways , she's actually been a member of so many churches and finally settled with the Church of Christ , which came closest to the church that Christ established she says. She's been looking for that. We were like uhhh .... awesome. Unfortunately she went back down to Manila , but we gave her a book of mormon and hopefully she'll find interest and attend church down there.

Hm.. now I guess I'll talk about Erwin. I think this is the first time I've mentioned him. He's a member who was baptized in 2009. He's 27. He was less-active (until since) since 2010. When I came into this area he was perfectly normal , and his brother is an awesome investigator that's been an investigator for like 2 years now and doesn't want to commit. Anyways , Erwin. About 2 months ago he joined the army here and went to basic training up in the mountains for 3 weeks. He came back. His brain is now messed up. We're trying to figure out what happened , but now he's turned into a bakla (means basically a man who acts like a girl. it does not make him gay , just incredibly flambouyant) and tells us he loves us all the time and STARES AT ME ALL THE TIME. Then when I say whats up erwin , he laughs and continues to stare. I think he might murder me. But on Thursday (despite us saying it would be a horrible idea) our 'awesome' branch mission leader had him work with us. Wow ... quite an experience. Not good. So on FRIDAY! We have splits in which the district leader works with me in the area ... we have plans to work with the RS president and 1st counselor of the branch presidency. We meet them at the RS President's house (nanay mendoze) and whose there ... ERWIN! Apparently he had asked brother william who was working with us and found out where to be to meet us. So there he was ... tagging along again for a few hours. It's like bringing a person of an insane assylum to try and convert people to religion that focuses on truth , happiness , and family. and sanity. Actually ... that's quite exactly what it was. So at 6 we had a dinner appointment , and there was no way we could bring erwin , so the 1st counselor told him we were all going home now ... day's over ... and we went our different ways. I felt bad about lying to him , but it's so dangerous for him to work with us. HE REALLY MIGHT KILL ME! But here was the highlight of the week: Friday night. Elder Sipe is our district leader , and I'm a big fan of his style. A common misconception of missionaries is that when there's silence to talk. mm..wrong. It happens a lot when a missionary gets nervous , too. They just keep talking and seriously constricts the spirit. We talk and they get bored and their mind wanders. The key is to get them to talk. And that is Elder Sipe's style too , so I was stoked. The Investigator: Rabilas Family. Elder Laodeno had talked to the mom while on the bus last week and we had visited them twice. Such a strong spirit during those two lessons ,but nothing compared to on Friday. We planned to teach one thing , but they asked a question about baptism that directed our lesson in that direction. We took the opportunity to teach about 2nd Nephi 31 (staple chapter) and about Christ and following his example. Basically , we talked maybe 15% of the time and there was so much silence and them talking. At one point I asked what her feelings were at that time about what we had taught and what she expected out of the lessons and why she had invited us back. And she talked for about 15 seconds then stopped. We said nothing. And after about 20 seconds of silence she continued ... until she started crying. I can't believe how strong the spirit was. I haven't felt anything that strong since my first transfer. At the close of the lesson the look in her eyes and her husbands was amazing. As they thanked us goodbye you could just feel the sincerity radiating from them and it literally made everything worth it.

As I've written now in my journal ... this mission is hard. Ha. I'm yet to have a day in which I haven't been discouraged by at least something huge. Every day fighting the language , getting yelled out by people because I stand out , worrying about investigators , members , relationships with them all including my companion , people back home , living every mission rule , fighting off every inch of me that so badly misses things from back home , COLD SHOWERS EVERY DAY EVEN WHEN IT'S FREEZING OUTSIDE .... everything. But in that one lesson , it all comes full circle and is more than worth it. I've said it before mom and dad , but seriously thank you for everything you've done in getting me on a mission. I feel like I was an infant in my testimony and spirituality before I entered the MTC. Knowledge has nothing to do with it , but the closeness I can feel to my savior. I love this mission "as I'm sure no one ever has or will" [elder holland] but I'm serious. I can't believe what I'm able to do here every day. To bring this unimaginable happiness into the lives of people that either want it or don't. One way or another we fulfill prophecy and represent Him that we love. I can't imagine what I'd be doing right now , but nothing possible can compare. Again , every day is so so so hard. It drains everything mental , physical , and spiritual out of you. But it's worth it. THank you and thank you again.

That's all I've got for this week. Saturday and Sunday were good as well , but nothing beats Friday. I feel like only twice I've had a glimpse of what maybe 1/100000th of celestial happiness might be. My mind cannot begin to comprehend what it will be like after we leave this earth. But I'm excited to share with everyone here my testimony of it :)

Love you all,
Elder White