Family,
Thank you so much for the email you sent this week! I'm just getting done uploading a TON of pictures for you! So I hope you're excited! I'm glad that you got back from Mexico safely! When the Hurricane Juan hit we were actually on a boat traveling to Mindoro from Manila...after saying a prayer and securing two life vests for my companion and I...I read a book while the boat hopped around on the angry ocean. I know with out a doubt that the Lord was with us that night. Other than that we've been working hard here in Calapan. We found 37 new investigators today and I've been just tracting like a maniac! Every person and house I see I try to see if they'll let us in to share a message! I feel really good about this week. We had a baptism last Saturday. It was Jay Anne. She's a 16 year old girl who lives with members in Calapan she's way awesome and has a good testimony of the work...it was a great experience. I'm really learning the importance of humility here in Calapan..haha especially when we tracted into a JOE or aka a white person who isn't filipino. Elder Etcitty tracted in english and said "Hey morning, we're missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ we we'd like to meet you" To which this old man who I thought had no idea what tagalog was...responded in fluent tagalog with an accent that put mine to shame...he responded..."thats okay, I'm actually a pastor here and I am not interested in anything you have to say" so we got brave or prideful and kept talking...by talking I mean he was in his garage and didn't even come to the gate while I yelled to keep up the conversation to carry it to his ears. I said ..."Hey it's pretty good you know tagalog...where are you from?" To which he replied "Taga rito na ako" or I'm from here now...? haha unfortunately our conversation ended...but man I wanted to know about this guy..he had really good tagalog and had to be atleast in his 70's haha. I realized how much I suck at English now. I constantly throw tagalog words in and when i speak to other people besides missionaries I kind of have a hard time, i can't say things how I used to...I guess it's all practice...Other than that the whole ZL thing in Mindoro is AMAZING! But I am so exhausted of driving...we've just had to drive drive drive this week and it's so tiring...I did the math...which is simple because it's 2 + 2...but I basically drive to flagstaff and back everyday in the ammount of time it takes...I think if Zach's reading this he's thinking about Brandy and how he can keep seeing her ahah. But I absolutely love it! This week is going to be excited! we get to go back to all the people we tracted and see if they give us the time of day again...I met a lady from CA here, a filipina...she loved us! and I got a dinner appointment and a place to celebrate new years! haha This week has beeeen SOOOO good to me! I absolutely love it! I love you guys more though! So this week will be a bit crazy. Tonight we have to probably take the Baco elders home...an hour drive...or do it tomorrow and then tomorrow we gotta get the car wash and make a work shop, because president anderson is coming to the Island tomorrow for Zone Meeting and Elder Etcitty and I are teaching the Zone! aaahh! better be good! Then on Sunday we have to gather all the Elders going to the training meeting, and monday we have to leave to Lipa for a 4 day training meeting...but that means we have to go friday to buy tickets and i have to find a place to buy a new tire...yeah we got a flat today! and elder perry and I changed it on the side of the road!!! You'd be so PROUD! I even crawled under the thing to jack it up! then we all gotta get to Lipa before 6 on monday because there is a curfew...then it's my birthday! and I'll be in training meetings all day in San Pablo! haha my life is crazy but I love it because i've concencrated everything to the Lord! I am having the time of my life and more and more everyday I realize everything i'm doing all the lessons i'm learning will bless me forever...i LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! even though I am WAY far away...i feel like i'm a completely better and new person! I lvoe you guys sooo much and miss you too much...but in 9 months you'll hear my voice, touch my cheek, smell my foul body odor, and perhaps see me exercise..
I love you so much!!!
your eternal son,
Josh
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