I am doing great here in the
Philippines, everything is going great - the people, food, eating, and
leading my area. This week was crazy getting Elder Williams ready to go
home. We packed a lot and I did a lot of things by myself while he was
packing. It was a weird feeling to think that he is leaving to go home
and I am getting a new companion. Me and Elder Williams had a great
twelve weeks together and we became good friends. I will miss being
his companion but I am excited to get a new companion and to keep moving
forward.
My Christmas was great, we had so much food. I ate so much and
pretty sure gained some weight too, hahaha. But really I feel like I
did, but the food was amazing. We had bigas (rice), adobo, curry,
pancit, pinakbet, bicol express, lechon, and Balut. You can look up
pictures of these food. Just go to Philippines food lists on Google. But I have eaten so many different types of food. I love the food here in
the Philippines. Christmas was so much fun. I gave Elder Williams a
T-Shirt I bought in Vigan and he gave me a new tie and some stuff that he was not going to take home.
The Christmas party was
amazing, we had one of our investigators show up, Emerson and his kid
(anak). We had so much fun, getting to know people, talking with
everybody, playing games, and eating a lot of good food. For dinner, for
the first time in the Philippines, I ate goat (kambing). It had a really
weird taste to it, but it was good with Bigas. Then we watched everybody
laughing, playing games, and watching the Christmas program. My
Christmas was great, I had so much fun and ate a lot of food and loved the
Christmas Spirit, joy, and happiness that was there. We had a lockdown on
Christmas Eve, and another one on New Years Eve, because it's super
dangerous to be out on the streets at night, so we have to be in early
but we will have a party and have some good food. But it will be a great
week this week and I am sure loving this end of the year.
It
sounds like you guys had a fun, exciting Christmas this year, got some
good presents and had fun with the family. I prayed for your safety,
and it looks like you guys got snow. I love the Christmas joy and
spirit that it brings and being able to spend time with others. I
hope you guys had a great Christmas and will have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Send more pictures, letters, especially family letters or ward letters, I
want to hear how everything is going, if there is anybody that wants to
send me a letter, I would love to hear from them.
I
traveled to Laoag on Monday to pick up my new Companion and my new
kasama (companion) is Elder AAGARD from Toelle Utah. He is super
friendly and mabait (kind), and he is very masipag (hard working). I was
sad to leave Elder Williams, but Elder Aagard will be a great companion
for me and I am excited to see where it will lead to in the future. We
had a good day of working the first time for him in Santo Domingo. We
taught five lessons. I showed him the area, some of the people we
teach, and all the lessons went really well. I gave a baptismal date to
Emerson and he said yes, and is really excited for it, his baptismal
date will be January 31st and he said he will start coming to church. So
I hope he will show up, but it will be exciting to see how he grows,
and things will go in the future.
This last
week I got really sick. I had LBM, and had bad headaches, stomach
pains, and I had to use the bathroom or in the Philippines Mag CR
(comfort room) hahaha, but the hard thing was no toliet paper. That was
fun to wash with water, but I am getting more used to the culture and
loving the Philippines. I am feeling a lot better now, and I am out
working hard and doing my best.
I love you all and miss you a ton, I wish you a Happy New Year.
Mahal Kita or Ay-ayaten ka in Ilokano
Elder Francis
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