Santo Domingo Week 8

Magandang hapon, Francis family, how is the family doing?  How is Logan and how is Emily enjoying school?  How are the dogs, how are the Aggies doing and how is the ward?  I love the Philippines it is such a amazing place.  The traffic is crazy in Manila, there are lines but no driving rules so I think we are going to be hit every time we drive, it's so crazy, and they don't wear seat belts.  I don't think they have any.

When I was on my second day in the Manila MTC, we got to go proselyting.  It was such a cool experience, but there is a lot of poverty here.  It makes me sad to see, but the people are so humble, full of hope, they are so kind, and they love everyone. It was so much fun proselyting, I got to see the life of a missionary and what I will be doing for the next couple of years. I could communicate a little, I bore my testimony on Faith and the importance of the Book of Mormon.

 I have been eating a lot of rice,  fried chicken blood, and pork face, and some interesting other food, It's so hot and humid here I always use a sweat towel. I have rode in a jeepney's and a lot of tricycles. 

My new companion is Elder Williams.  He is so friendly, hard working, and loves everyone. He is helping me with the language. We have got to teach a lot of families around us like the Acosta family and Baptista family, they are both member families  We got to teach a investigator named John - he is 21 and his friend Christian who is 15 and Catholic, we gave him a book of Mormon and he seemed to love what we were were teaching him. 

While I was in the Manila MTC, Elder Roark-Perez glasses broke so we got to go to the mall with Brother and Sister Eves, we got to go fix his glasses it took 3 hours, so when we were in the mall we got to give out a book of Mormon and a pamphlet and we got to talk to a lot of people about the gospel.  I loved the experience, I was so excited to get out into the field. 

That is so cool what Emily got for her Birthday.  Tell her I say Happy late Birthday, and I love her and miss her so much. 

I got to watch general conference a week later, I loved it the talks that were given there were so many good ones.  I wrote a page per talk, they all had good stuff to say. 

I love it here in Laoag.  It is so beautiful and the people are so happy, and friendly even if i can't speak the language yet. I am learning so much and I get to see a lot of forest, and a lot of poor people, it makes me sad but happy because I see the happiness in their lives and I get to share a message of peace and happiness  I get to talk about how Jesus Christ lives and how we are his children and how the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored back upon the earth. I love the experiences teaching families and bearing my testimony to them, they say to Elder Williams how good my Tagalog is for knowing so little, it makes me feel good and happy. I have taken a lot of pictures that I will send to you. 

I miss everybody.  I miss the family and Logan and the cold weather, but I love the food and the people here.  I feel like I am learning so much and I love sharing the gospel and something that brings happiness to me in my life, something that I know to be true. I love you guys so much and miss you a ton and I can't wait to hear from you again. I can't wait to receive packages and letters. 

I am serving in Santo Domingo, me and my companion opened it up.  I love the place, the people and the culture.  We live in such a poor place, and everybody around us is poor. 

Mahal kita, Elder Francis