.... this place is hot. and im still alive

Family and friends! do you like my letter title? haha cuz i do! its my life. Want to get the closest impression to how it feels here? its a bit like sticking your head in a 400 degree oven plus humidity times 20. It was so humid in manilla when we got off the plane when i took out my journal from my bag the next day the pages were all wavy like id dropped them in water. think on that for a while.

Let me silence some crazy talk i heard premish for all ya'll. THEY HAVE TOILET PAPER. dont even sweat it(heh heh see what i did there... cuz you literally sweat all. the. time.) on that subject... get used to sweat. i haven't been dry since i got here. i now embrace it. Serioiusly we went in the church for an activity this week (it has ac) and i about froze. love the sweat. its good for you. it gives your skin a permanent sheen. dripping it just makes you look like you belong on a comercial for gatorade. gah! i wish i had more time on here. pero its okaylang! umm the food rocks. i hope you like rice. if you don't (like me) you will by day 2. you have it every meal and i now look forward to it. its quite odd. Tricees rock!!! seriously if i ever come back here one day im taking 10 bucks and riding one alllllll ddddaaaaaayyyy. 

I have not yet seen any crazy spiders. just one normal one i smashed outside. Cock roaches exsist. On our way home one night one flew into my face and i about had a spaz attack. and i matrixed a flying one last night. other then that... really you're good. oh you don't burn here. its great. i think the humidity is so great and the sweat on your face the sun trying to get to your skin is like trying to tan under the ocean. but dont let it dappen your dreams. im working on a pilipino skin tone still. its coming along slowly and surely. line upon line you know?

hmmm last thing. Pilipinos rock! They are seriously so fun. they love to joke. and sometimes (especially tall white americans that dont know what you're saying ie: me) you get to be the brunt of those jokes. Its great. I joke back in a broken way. They are so kind. They always give me the fan. Their houses seriously feel like the surface of the sun and they still give us the fan. Its so automatic for them. take lessons americans. They're super happy. They seriously live in places the size of my room but like 50 times hotter made of cement and whatever else they can put together. Roosters dogs cats and whatever else wanders through. no biggie. 

I first got here and i was like: WHAT DID I SIGN UP FOR??? i seriously was close to breaking that first day. pero now. i just love it. I embrace the awkward stares and americanas by saying hello po! or kumusta po kayo! they always smile when i do that. Im trying to figure out if im a laughing stock or a celebrity... ill probably figure it out soon. Till then im hello po'ing every pilipino i see. 

WE COMMITTED  TATAY ABRAHAM TO BAPTISM with A DATE!!!! (the with was left lower case to emphasize it)  because before he didn't commit because he'd already been baptized so i whipped out moroni 8. he read. we asked if he had questions and he was seriously quiet for about 4 minutes straight. i kid you not. really. don't fear silence. then he said he didn't. we will make sure we get him to baptism. wow ive never been happier. its odd cuz we get punted and its hot and i could  complain pero instead every punt is a challenge accepted. and sweat... im still working on its positives but ive adjusted:) man i love this work. so hard. so good. seriously EVERYONE TO GO ON A MISSION. its so flippin hard. but soooo fun. such an adventure. i love the people. the language (taglishano that's right they switch between english tagalog and ilocano with out a second thought... its trippy and a bit confusing. but its coming!)

 

I loooovvve my kasama. she's about the size of sarah. i didn't know how itd be at first but we're totally tight now. she's got a sneaky sense of humor and she's suuuuupppperr patient. WHY DO I LOVE ALL MY COMPS AND ALWAYS RIGHT IN CAPITAL LETTERS??? i really couldn't answer either of those but the lord blesses me. and he loves me. and he'll help me. oh ps: everyone that came in is training in 6 weeks... not sure how i feel about it pero i can do all things with the lords help Nephi 17: 50-51. its pretty much my motto. look it up. i dare you. i love you all. missions absolutely blow your mind. but when you lead on the lord he will make you happy. i testify its true. its what ive learned in my short time here. sorry i said i didn't get a p day. turns out i do. but i love you. send me encouragement. and stories. i just love hearing about life. love you

sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. ( i mightve held the o a little long)

love seeeester (how they say it) hansen