" Heeyy little brother [family] "

So.. did you enjoy the long email last week with the intense pictures? Courtney was the only one to respond. 

We had a pretty eventful week last week but not much to say for this week , kind of. I'll answer mom's questions first I guess.

1.  Have you heard what track you're on for school?  
- Nothing so far. I just went and reread it and they said they'd email after the deadline for applications? I'm not sure when that is.. hopefully soon.

2.  I've never heard from Cody's mom.  What should I do?  What is her name, her husband's and the city/state they live in and I'll see if I can find them on white pages and call or write her.  You still want to room with Cody, right?
- Haha yeah I've been bugging him and he's been bugging her .. he's not sure what's going on but he'll keep reminding he said.

3.  Did you hear from Tanner?  I told Gaye to tell him to write.  
 - Nothing yet , I'll give him time though .. he just got home

4.  We got our tickets to come and see you and I talked to SLC and got your return ticket.  I've upgraded you to economy comfort to sit with me and dad - niiiice....
- Haha that's not so much a question , but thank you thank you

5.  Did you have any issue with flooding?  I meant to ask you last week because I know Manila and area was hit so bad.  More about that in a minute.
- I think my last week email/questions pretty much answered that

6.  What is the name of the ward you're in?
- Binalonan 1st Ward , Urdaneta Stake

7. How are things going with your american companion :)  Where did you say he's from?  I bet its a different experience than your other ones.  When does he go home?
- things are quite a bit different , haha , but it's been awesome so far. He goes him in June? I think.

Any more questions? May katanungan pa kayo? Wala na? Sige , oras na email.

So we've had a pretty fun week. My planner from last week got soaked last Sunday so I've had to start a new one - it's been a pain. First time my whole mission. Actually I've got a pretty funny story that maybe I'll tell when I get home from what happened last Monday after we got back from Urdaneta. Basically I got sick... that's the short version - but I was fine after a few hours. Tuesday we had a zone gathering in Urdaneta where me and Elder Hyatt presented to our zone everything we learned in Zone Leaders Council and gave our own workshops about it. President gave us a surprise visit and decided to attend , so that was fun. We taught in tagalog and he supported it. He really wants to learn the language and was actually promised by Elder Oaks as he was set apart that when he left the mission he would speak tagalog as well as he can speak spanish [fluent apparently as well because he was stake president over a stake with a lot of spanish wards]. So he's really a hard worker and is still on fire with everything , ha. 2 months down , 70 to go! 

Tuesday after the gathering we had exchanges and it was okay , nothing too memorable. Wednesday we worked in Laoac again and the area is progressing so well. Despite it being the furthest away from the house it's amazing. We visited the     family in the very very furthest part and her husband was there along with some neighbors. And her husband is surprisingly very intelligent. He was picking stuff up super quick. So they're really really humble and set for baptism as long as progression continues. Then we went to Jeffrans who is as well a stud and only 16 with a huge testimony and progressing awesomely. Then we booked it to another part member/investigator family that's rolling forward ... just a really good day. Oh and last appointment was with the      family! A couple of grandparents that are .. wealthy .. and just got back from Hawaii from visiting their kids. They fed us amazing food , gave us left overs , then drove us home haha. So nice.

Thursday was pretty good and then at the end of the day we had the Tomboc's come and work with us with was okay for the first appointment but amazing for the second. As we go and visit this less active woman who is not super outgoing and kind of doesn't want to listen she tells us to come back another time , then finally comes out , meets the Tomboc's and realizes she knows brother Tomboc from Baguio! Apparently they were in the same boarding house back in the day and they recognized each other. So that got her really excited and ready to listen for when we go back later. Her countenance really changed and it's interesting how the Lord will put people in your path that will cross later in life and have a positive effect.

Friday we had exchanges with the office elders from 5 - the rest of the night and it was pretty good. The next day we switched back and me and E. Hyatt headed to Laoac again. Taught Brother     amongst a bunch of others and this guy is seriously ... quite a guy. He tells us all these stories of shadow governments and free masons and American coming to its downfall soon. So we just shared Jacob 4:14 really strongly and then he committed to come to church the next day ... the first time in nearly 20 years. 

Sunday morning , lo and behold ... Brother      comes walking in and came to church like he said he would. We were shocked , to be honest , also we had so many investigators there along with one that we just met on the street and invited. He was way way funny and kind of looks like a mid-40s stoner hahaha. He's straight out of woodstock or something and Elder Hyatt was convinced that he kept looking for stuff he could take home , hahah , but he's pretty intelligent and really nice.

Later that night we taught a number of first lessons and taught a really good lesson to a less active and her family. It was a small miracle that her husband decided to stay and listen , seeing as he's not a member and never interested even in missionaries in the past. But he participated and so did her daughter and it was just a really good lesson on faith. Elder Hyatt shared a really good story about his family and it just set a great mood. We left on a strong note and then headed home because we had like a 45 minute walk ahead of us and it was now about 8:30. As we finally got to the highway as well and had waited for about 25 minutes for a tricycle to come by Elder Hyatt finally just asks do you want to just walk [it was a number of miles to town] so I just said give it two more minutes. We wait about 15 seconds and finally a tryke comes by and stops and gives us a ride all the way home. Another small miracle I noted from yesterday.

I think that was pretty much my week. Time is still going by really fast and I'm dragging my heels a bit at this point. Also .. we'll probably be transferred next transfer. I'll talk more about it once I'm sure but it looks like I've got one more area ahead of me :\ ... it'll be coolio.

Anyways , that's all I've got. I love my mission and love serving these people. 

Kita kits in a couple!
-Elder A White