5th Week

Another week down haha, it seems like I was just emailing you. The days and weeks are starting to go by so fast its crazy. This last week was my 3 months mark, so crazy! Anyways, sounds like everything is going well with you guys. But hey can you send me Matts email address, I want to see how he's doing. Thats awesome about Michael Klapp, tell him I say hi. Also, thats sweet about Gunnar, did you ever find out why he came home? Also, that story about Michael Munton was nuts! Haha I cant believe something like that would happen. Hopefully he's okay and nothing bad happened to him. That's cool that Rachelle and Scott are moving down. Its going to be a lot better for them in California haha they wont have to freeze anymore. Do they know how long they are going to be staying with you or what?

   So this last week was a super quick week. So we had Pday where we played basketball and football and ELder Stacey and I play long toss and just threw till our arms fell off haha but it was great. Then we had district meeting on Tuesday and traveled back to Altavas and taught a few lessons. So this last week we bought some new things for our apartment because the mission gave us money to buy things for our apartment so we upgraded our apartment. We bought a shower head, toilet seat, and a tube for our toilet to make it flush haha. Its so great now, our apartment is a 5 star apartment now. Its seriously so nice to have those things now haha, who knew little things like that could make such a big difference. Then on Wednesday we taught some lessons and went to a carpenter shop in Altavas and we order 2 bed frames, 2 dressers, and a cabinet thing from him for our apartment for the 2 new missionaries. This carpenter guy makes all of this stuff out of wood and its super cheap so that should be cool. Then on Thursday we had to go to Kalibo again for interviews with the President. So we have interviews with him in the morning then after that President Pagaduan told us that we need to make sure we have everything ready for our apartments so we went out in Kalibo and bought the rest of the stuff we need. So that took all day and by the time we got back we didnt have anytime to teach any lessons. So then Friday through Sunday we just taught lessons all day and we were pretty busy. So at church yesterday there were about 50 people again and unfortunately we didnt have any investigators come, even Rodil. Also, Lito didnt come to so that was a bummer. But it was cool because I was able to understand almost everything that the people were saying. It was such a cool feeling to understand all the lessons and talks haha. I just thought back to my first sunday here were I didnt understand a single word and now I can totally understand it. Its the best feeling! We werent able to teach Rodil this week because he was never home when we went to his house. It was defintely a bummer but we'll teach him this next week. So yesterday, Sunday, we taught Lito and we taught him the principle of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and he told us that he could go to church because he needed to work in order to feed his family. He said if he didnt work he would have no food. so yeah thats is a hard situation but we tried our best to teach to him. I shared Ether 12:6 with him and told him that God is testing his faith to see if he will follow the commandment of keeping to Sabbath Day Holy or not. It was a spirit filled lesson and he understood and knew that he needed to go to church so hopefully he will have a change of heart and go to church. I hope he can gain that faith and go to church.

  So I dont know if I have told you about Ronel or not yet but he is one of our strong investigators we have right now. We were able to teach him 4 times this last week and his faith and understanding is so strong. He has been ttrying to go to church but he had work yesterday and last week he went to the church and saw that the doors were closed and didnt see anypeople so he just went home haha such a bummer. This last week we invited him to be baptized and he told us that he will if he knows its true after going to church. So we are just trying to get him to church because he is ready. Also he is from northern Philippines so all he speaks is Tagalog so its super hard to understandn him haha most of the time I have no clue what he is saying. But hopefully everything will end well with him! 

   Thanks for Spencer and Ryans emails last week it was great to read about them and how everythings going. Also, if they have any pictures too you couldsend me those too. So this guy in our ward, brother Magno, comes up to me at church every week and hands me his untied tie and has me tie it for him. I thought Id share that with you because not too long ago I couldnt tie my own tie. I just thought that was funny and thought you guys would like that haha. Pretty much none of the ward members here wear ties, even our branch president. And when they do the knots are just terrible haha its hilarious. So I was thinking about stuff you could send me with Louie and I realized that my Sonicare toothbrush charger broke like my first week here so maybe you could send me another charger or something. If not thats fine but it would be nice to have. So some food that would be good is some just add water pasta, mashed potatoes, beef jerky or anything else youd want to send me. I make all my meals so I never get fed by members but I am never starving so dont worry haha. Last night I made Mac and Cheese with hot dogs it was so delicious. But I am definitely losing weight, i want to weigh myself but I dont know where theres a scale. But my pants are loose on my and my legs are getting skinnier haha its weird.

  so today for Pday we'll do the same thing and go play basketball, baseball, and football. Should be another fun day. Last week I got a haircut and it turned out good but it was only $2and they gave me a haircut then shampooed my hair then gelled it for me haha it was so great. I wish it was like that in America for that cheap! Wel, thats all I have this week. I am so grateful for the opporunity that I have to serve the Lord at this time in my life. A mission is so hard but at the end of the day when I am just exhausted, I feel so fulfilled and happy. I know that only through this Gospel of Jesus Christ you can recieve true happiness. I love reading the Book of Mormon everyday and I have received sooo much help and revelation from the Book of Mormon on my mission and I know that you can too if you read, ponder, and pray about it. I know that the Book of Mormon can answer any question that you have. I love the feelings of the Holy Ghost everyday and how having the Holy Ghost can help you in any situation that you are in. I love you guys so much and I hope you have a great week!

-Elder Anderson

PS. So I'll explain some of the pictures I am sending you this week. So one is a picture of a jeepney. Dad wanted to know what it looked like. So it has an opening in the back where every piles in and they have these like 20 foot long benches on each side where people sit and it takes you where you want to go haha theyre pretty sweet. There arent really any in Altavas but in the city there are a ton. Also, I took a picture of the church builiding showing you what it looks like. Also I got a picture of a sweet sunset on Saturday night overlooking the rice field. Also theres a picture of Elder Stacey, Shingleton, and I in a tricycle going through the drive through at Mcdonalds this last thursday. So that was the day where we went shopping for all our apartment stuff so we have all thats stuff on the top and stuffed into the tricycle haah its a funny picture. Then lastly we walk by this pig pen everyday and this last week the pig had little piglets so I took a picture of that. Hope you like them !