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 

Leaving the MTC & Arriving in Manila

September 28, 2016

Well, I am going to keep this email pretty short and sweet. I fly out today! Isn't it crazy? 6 Weeks have passed by so fast! But I have learned and grown so much here. I love everything about it here and the spirit I felt is so strong. I loved all my teachers and they were such great examples to me. We had a last class for all 3 of them these past few days, and I actually got really sad because this will be the last time I see all of them! They have taught me so much here and I definetely owe a lot of what I know in tagalog to them.

All the people were so nice and all were great examples! Even though I am not ready to dive into the language, I know what I have been prepared with is how much the lord wanted me to have. I plan to give at least 3 people around the airports a book of Mormon. I need to teach myself to open my mouth. It's certainly going to be a different experience once I leave and even just go to the airport. But what I have learned is that if you set goals, the lord will provide a way for you to accomplish these goals. 

We had one last skype TRC with a guy named Anthony last thursday. I still don't know that much tagalog, but somehow, I managed to do really well! Elder Robert's told me I talked 75% of the time with understandable tagalog, I wasn't trying to take over the conversation but he just let me talk to him, and it really helped me out. Anthony was an RM that served in the Philippines and the stories he had were just so great, I could relate to him really well. 

This last week one of our teacher's told us that sometimes you will have down days and not even know why. This last saturday, I definetely had one. One of my companions was sick and my other companion and I just had no will. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I felt not depressed but I just had no motivation and almost felt like I wanted to cry. I couldn't figure out why. We had to teach an investigator that night to. I was still getting used to the tripanionship and I just knew it was going to be an awful lesson. I was just hoping for the best. Well, we went in, and it ended up being one of the best lessons I have ever taught. We sang, and taught about a 35 minute lesson. Everyone in the tripanionship was able to say what they needed to say to the invesigator. I felt the spirit so strongly. I am thankful that the lord was able to pick me up and help me when I needed it. There will always be down days, but I just need to fight and do my best! 

The last couple MTC devotionals were so great! One speaker was a managing director for missionaries ( I think) his talk was very relaxed and it made everyone laugh. It was nice to have a speaker who could make everyone bust up laughing. The other speaker was of the seventy and what I liked about his talk was that I can't just love the people, I need to help them. I want to be the person that is "their missionary". I will do my best to love the people, and to learn how to help them. That's what missionaries are all about.

Soon, I will be in a third world country. I have little knowledge about what to expect and I know I will have a culture shock. Growing up in America I had so many priveleges. I am so excited to get a slap in the face about how many privelges I really had and never actually saw. I am so excited to go to my "mother land". It's going to be hard, I already know. But the lord wants me to grow and that is what I will do. Thank you for everyone who sent me letters, packages, and support at the MTC! It feels so nice to know that you are loved! I hope everyone knows that I love you! I pray for my friends, family, missionaries, teachers, everyone. I want everyone to do their best and stay close to the lord! Mahal ko kayo!

-Elder Espiritu 

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October 6, 2016

Finally pagkatapos anim mga linggo (after 6 weeks) I am out of the country para sa unang oras at nararamdaman sobrang mabuti! (for the first time and it feels so good). Pero, it is sobrang iba kaysa Amerika (so different than America). Pagkatapos maraming (after many) flights and getting Isa (one) of my bags lost in Los Angeles I am finally in my "Motherland"! First day we got to go to bed at 7:30 and I passed out.

 At 12:30 the next day we got to proselyte out in Manilla! Ang karanasan doon (the expierence there) was amazing and sobrang iba! (so different). It was amazing to see how the people live compared to America. There are some that live in a tiny one room shack with 5 people and they are perfectly happy! Manilla is so unique dahil you have a ton of slum areas then you turn around and see a bunch of skyscrapers! The mga anak doon (kids there) are so tiny and pretty adorable too. They are everywhere and love to give out high fives. The traffic in Manilla is pretty unique. Let's just say if an American nagsikap (tried) na drive there they would not get anywhere due to how aggresive the drivers are there. Basically there are walang traffic laws there, so a tatlo (3) lane road can be a limang lanes (5) kung puwede kayo magfit lahat ng cars doon (if you can fit all the cars there). 

Ang mga tao dito (The people here) are sobrang humble, I am so excited to see how they are in Laoag! Ang language is still definitely ng pagsubok (a trial/challenge), pero alam ko (but I know) it will come in time. For now, I am awful, pero it's okay-lang! I am a little mad sa akin dahil (myself because) I should have opened my mounth more. Everytime the more experienced missionary tried to get me na magsalita (speak), my mind went blank. Hopefully and surely matutuo sa pamamagitan ng karanasan (learn through experience). 

So walang mga tao dito naniniwala na (no one here believes that) I am a full blown filipino. A lot of them think I am Chinese. (You were right Dad). Almost 90% of the filipinos here see my last name and make some sort of comment tunkol sa kanya (about it) parang (like) "did you know that is spirit in tagalog?" or "wow you must always have good lessons because the spirit is with you". So I guess I am pretty popuular. My white skin can be a blessing and a curse :P oh well! I am most likely to get a pretty bad farmers tan XD 

The time has finally come where I am about to fly out to the mission that I have been wanting to go to for so long! I am so ready and excited for the hardships ahead! It is hard to have all the Elders and Sisters I have met so far leave to their missions, but I know that is what the lord wants. I am finally starting a new chapter in the mission and I am so ready! Laoag here I come!

-Elder Espiritu