First Email from First Area (Santa Teresita)

I seem to have a lot of "first times" these past 7 and a half weeks. First time in the Philippines, First time driving in a Jeepney and a trike, first time trying Balut (a terribly great experience by the way) First transfer from my MTC batch, first new area, first baptism, first native companion, it's pretty great! Finally after all this training, I am in my First area of Santa Teresita! It is 7-8 hours away from the mission home and quite different from Manila. Manila is all city, Santa Teresita is very Bukid like rice fields and forest like. My apartment is right across the street from the chapel which is lucky for me! 

My new companion is named Elder Daclag, he is from the Philippines, and has 3 months left in the mission field! Everyone says I am in good hands for a trainer. Speaking of training, it's still very difficult. I'm learning to understand Tagalog every day, but the speaking part is still very hard to me. 

I tell my companion not to speak English to me, but I feel bad when he asks me a question and I just sit there not knowing what he said. It happens quite often actually, with all the people. When I was first dropped off here after multiple van and car rides (the last car ride I got to ride on top of the car for an hour! I got hit by a lot of bugs) 

We went and met the Branch president and Relief society president. The Branch President apparently has some Espiritu bloodline so there is a possibility that we might be 3rd or 4th cousins :P. 

The Relief society president is a short little woman who is pretty fun to talk to. She tells me I am not allowed to speak any English to her, which is very hard right now but I know she is trying to help.

After talking to her for a while we went to a non members house and had dinner! Even though she's not a member, she is very friendly and loved talking with us! a missionary I've known since the MTC (Elder Mortenson from Alpine Utah) is in the same apartment with me, and we are both pretty clueless out here. I loved being around her though and the relief society president is always with us, but when they talk it reminds me of my relatives, so I'm slightly familiar with it. 

Day after day I am slowly but surely beginning to learn what they are saying even though it's very fast. Learning this language is a very gradual process. I am proud to say that it get's slightly slightly easier every day. It's easier to understand, harder to speak. 

To be honest, being out here is very hard. It's a third world country, no hot water, the apartment is hot and full of bugs, only bucket showers, I practically sweat every bit of liquid I have inside, gotta do laundry by hand (fun but lots of work) but I know this is where the Lord wants me to be. I know that these first few months in the mission will be very very hard. But I know with the Lords help I am capable of doing hard things. It is what is going to help me grow. 

Day after day I am starting to love this place more. It may not be anything like Utah, but somehow I feel like I am home at times. There are hard times and fun times. This first couple days have been pretty hard and it might be like that for a while. On Saturday I was feeling quite discouraged and a little bit of homesickness. I am halfway across the world in an unknown land to me. Throughout most of the day I just felt like I didn't know anything. Then I talked to the Zone leader. He told me he went through the same thing, and you just have to keep enduring. And that's what I have to do. But there are some great things on the way.

My 2nd day here, I got to have my first baptism. Her name is Sister Janeth. She is shy, but it was a great opportunity to baptize her. I got it right the first time which I was so proud of. Even though there are hard times, If I keep enduring great things will be in store for me! I can't wait for the day where I can communicate easily in Tagalog and I'm used to the people already, I may not understand them but I love them already! For now I am in the process! I can do this!

Lucky thing for me here, the relief society president tells me that there are a lot of girls here that have a crush on me. I find it funny, because that never happened back at home :P 

Everyone here is surprised I don't know how to speak Tagalog and also surprised that I am full Filipino. 

I have to explain how I am a lot and why I don't speak the language! It's okay though, people laugh a lot here, and that's the culture. They may be laughing at you, but it's not meant to be hurtful. You just smile and laugh with them! Time is on my side along with the Lord! Let's see what the future holds! 

-Elder Espiritu