Santo Domingo Week 15

Kumusta ka Francis family,

This week as been a really good week, but it's been pretty hard. The language is so hard but it will take time to learn and it will come slowly.  But I am doing great.   Elder Williams leaves  December 30th to go home, it's going by so fast.  He spent three days in Manila, so Me and Elder Miller from my district in the MTC worked together in my area for three days. It was so much fun. We taught a lot of people and had a lot of fun. 

For P-day we got together as a zone and practiced for our Christmas con skit which is on December 8th and 9th in Laoag, so it's coming quick. Then I got a haircut today, it was weird but I really needed one.

Everything is going great  Elder Williams and I are working hard, hopefully by the end of next month we will have 5 baptisms, and a wedding.  It's so exciting, we are working hard, and doing great.

I have been learning to cook food like adobo, curry, and a lot of rice. But elder Williams usually cooks.  The food is so good.

Elder Williams is a great, hardworking, funny, and diligent kasama (companion).  We sometimes get mad at each other and there are some days we don't get a long but we talk about it and then everything is fine after that. He is from Highland Utah and went to Lone Peak High School.  He played lacrosse but not his senior year because of a shoulder injury. He is 20 years old and he he has a younger brother that is 15 but he is taller than Elder Williams. He is great, he really pushes me to do my best and just to work hard, and we love messing around with each other. 

It sounds like you guys are having a great time and you had fun with your friends in Salt Lake quilting.   Grandpa emailed and said the Aggies are doing great in football and basketball. Keep cheering loud for them. It sounds like everything is going well, you guys are all doing really well. Have a fun thanksgiving and travel safely to grandma's but have fun with the family.  Tell everybody Kumusta ka, and Mahal kita, and I miss them all. But have a fun week, and I hope everything is going great. 

Skyler is doing great - his family really misses him so much, but he is really excited and he is going to be a great missionary and he will work hard. Tell his family he is in the Lord's hands and he will be taken care of and he will do great in Little Rock, Arkansas. Tell everybody in the ward I say Kumusta and I am doing great and loving the Philippines. 

That's how I feel about the language like Jordan, it seemed easy in the MTC, but when you get out into the field is seems so hard, but it will come and it will take a while just don't get mad or be upset.  It's hard but God wouldn't have sent me here if he didn't believe in me  or he didn't know I could learn the language  He really does believe in us, he loves us, and he wants us to work hard and just to do our best. 

Some of the people that have baptismal dates are Bro. Emerson pula and Sis. Charmaine Paa they are living together and have one kid and one on the way in December, but Brother attended church yesterday and it was awesome and sister said she will next week.  This week we are going to give two baptismal dates to Sis. Jeraldine and brother Jackson.  Sis. read the whole pamphlet we gave to her and she is really progressing a lot and Bro. we have taught him once.  The Sisters gave us him as a referral or somebody they used to teach. Then we have Bro. Richie Rosales he has a baptismal date for December 27th but he smokes every day  and drinks and he won't come to church but we are helping him to stop. If he doesn't come to church this week he can't be baptized in December. You have to attend church four weeks in a row to be baptized but we believe that we will have a good week, and hope we have five baptisms.  Those are some people we are focusing on. 

These last couple of days, I got to give priesthood blessings and be a part of one to a nanay for her birthday, Elder Williams gave it in Tagalog,  it was such a cool experience.  I got to give a priesthood blessing to Sis. Dolette and a Sis. from our branch in English but it was a cool experience. 

Yea, the Philippines is still really hot (mainit), it's not getting colder.  I see Bukids or rice fields every day.  We are working hard.  I am (palagi) always tired (tagod), and but I am learning every day.   I have learned a little Ilakano which is cool like Pamati (faith), Agyaman (thank you), Ibatik ti nagan ni jesucristo amen (in the name of Jesus Christ amen) and etc... I will post some more words next e-mail but there are some words I know. 

I really miss you guys so much, hope (pag-asa) you guys are having fun, and I wish you guys a fun Thanksgiving.  Have fun with the family. Tell everybody I say hi and Mahal Kita. 

Mahal kita, Elder Francis