So more about life here: still have quite a lot of time for studies, such as personal, companionship, language and the 12 week program for new missionaries which adds up to 4 hours. It's pretty good. Except sometimes I have a hard time staying awake. I have never been good at personal study. It's definitely something I can work on while on the mission!
The people here are always so friendly, I just wish I could understand 100% of what they are saying instead of maybe 30-50%! It's okay though, I shouldn't get discouraged, I've only been here for 18 days, I can't expect to be fluent yet!
Elder Daclag and Elder Taibeti (the other companion in our apartment) say that by 3 months I'll be able to talk to people. Elder Taibeti has been here for 7 and he sounds like he is a native. 3 months seems so far away, and that's why I need to work more on focusing on the work!
Every day I am stumbling and falling in the language, but that's okay! It happens. It's weird knowing that I am a foreigner here but it can also be fun!
I'm grateful that the people here are always nice. It's especially nice because right now, my language and grammar is probably very very awful. But they just nod and smile at me, even though I don't really know what I am doing yet. It's nice, even though they all stare at me because I'm white :P.
So I had my first zone training meeting out here and it was pretty good! I learned that my zone is the only zone in the entire mission WITHOUT SISTERS. Apparently are zone is very dangerous for sisters, so they had to take them out. So guess I have to live a couple months without any Sister missionaries.
The zone is really nice! Elder Mortenson and I are the only new missionaries, which you know, it's always fun being new... Luckily they are all pretty cool.
It's interesting to see what everyones trials are here. But I learned from my companion Elder Daclag (who is from Tacloban Philippines), that his trial was teaching the lessons and a not very nice trainer. I was lucky enough to have loving parents who strongly encouraged me to go to mission prep and listen to all devotionals and seminary activities.
Everyone has trials, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ can help you through them.
So a couple of other small trials that just happened this last Saturday and Sunday.
Both Elder Mortenson and I caught the stomach flu. It was not a pleasant experience. I had no energy, I had to use the bathroom frequently throughout the night and day. I was hot and cold at the same time. My stomach hurt and I had a pounding headache.
We talked to President and Sister Andrada and apparently this happens to all new foreign missionaries. It's just our bodies getting used to the food and stuff here. I sure hope so, because I don't want to experience that again.
I hated having to lay in bed all day and not be able to proselyte or go visit people. That night, it stormed hard. I woke up basically every hour and always heard heavy rain. My companion woke up also at 2am and what I heard from his mouth was "Sister Janeth, I hope she is okay". She was the member we just baptized a week ago.
It made me think. This apartment may not be a 5 star, but it's a lot compared to what other people have.
Last Sunday, since we live next to a field,basically every bug known to man decided to make our apartment their living space. You couldn't go 6 inches in any direction without running into some moth, mosquito or other bug.
I got 7 bites on my back within a minute. Out of everyone in the apartment they seem to like me the most. Even though we have a lot of bad things, some people have little huts or concrete houses and they don't complain. They always love life. So how could I complain? It just made me love the people even more and appreciate what kind of people they are.
So now more about my companion and others I have met here: Elder Daclag is a 23 year old Filipino who knows how to speak 5 Filipino languages. He is a great trainer and is always thinking of how he can help me. He is very nice and considerate. He told me his trainer wasn't very good to him, and he doesn't want it to be like that for me. I am blessed with a good trainer.
It's hard to tell the ages of people out here. Most of my zone looks pretty young. Even the 3 other Americans do. But so do I. The only one who looks older is my big zone leader from Australia. He is such cool guy.
I got to do a surprise talk in sacrament meeting today last minute. My companion didn't tell us that we talk every third Sunday so that was fun! It wasn't bad. I'm glad all the people are very nice!
My branch is very nice. Lots of noisy kids and I can still barely understand anyone. But that's okay. I still love them! I can't wait to be an experienced missionary so I can help other new missionaries through their trials!
These first 3 months will for sure be tough, but I know the Lord will help me! Until next week, palagi mahal yung Panginoon at Tagapaglitas natin ni Jesucristo at ating pagmamahal ama sa langit!
-Elder Espiritu
P.S. Letters are still VERY MUCH appreciated out here, even though it might take a while for me to receive them. :)
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