Batac Week 54

Kumusta Francis Family!

This week has been a really good week, because we do have power and water now after the big storm or typhoon.  There was not too much damage here in Laoag, it just left us without power for a couple days. We have power now and I am super excited that we do because without it it was really hot and no fans, no drinking water, we couldn't shower inside, we had to go outside and use a pump to get the water and showered out in the back of our apartment. Then for water for those days we had to go to 7-eleven every day and buy snacks and water and things to drink, so that was fun to do for a week, snacks and 7-eleven everyday hahaha. 

We are able to teach now because the water is all gone and it's just super hot and I am starting to sweat again, I really miss the cold and the rain. This week I had some fun moments and that's why I love this work.  So first me and Elder Tago were working in one of our areas, Buga, and it's a really green area and all bukids and we were finishing teaching a family and started to walk through the bukids and it's still really putik (muddy) and we were walking and I fell in and my shoe got stuck in the mud and I couldn't get it out and my other foot got stuck too and then oooppp I fell in to the water and got all dirty and covered in mud hahaha.  I was laughing so hard and we got to our last lesson the Dela Cruz family and they are members and they laughed at me and they said to me you guys don't have anything like this in America right? So that happened to me on Thursday and it just made me love the Philippines so much more and how beautiful it is here. 

Then on Friday me and Elder Tago went finding for new investigators and found this Tatay under a tree and went to talk to him and found out that the tree with clothes all torn up and dirt every where and like no shelter was his house and he was really happy to live there.  He spoke really good English to us because he spent 5 years in America.  He told us he had a white cow and Elder Tago asked him if the cow had a name and he said no, so he told him lets name it RYAN, hahaha like really he named the cow after my name, so that's the name of the cow: Ryan. 

On Saturday me and Elder Tago traveled to Badoc because they had a baptismal interview for us to do, so I got to do it - my very first one.  I was a little nervous at first, like what do I do but I just prayed hard and it went well, then the kid got baptized later that day. Then Saturday night we went to 7-eleven for dinner and while we were eating a brother came in really drunk and started to talk to us and he asked me where I was from and I said America and he said well of course you are, where in America and I said Utah.  He said he was from Sacramento California and he got deported here. He lived in America for 22 years, so he is super good at English, so we talked to him and he told us about his story why he is here.  He said he had two girl friends in America and a two kids with one and then he broke up with her and it was his birthday and his x-girl friend was over and then his girlfriend came over and saw her and was really confused and mad, because she is bi-polar and she called the cops and so he spent like 6 months in jail an then other stuff, I don't really know and now he is here. He was a really interesting guy and he really wants to change his life.  He drinks every day and swears like no other, but he wants to stop and needs help, so he wants us to help him.  So this week we will go talk to him and share with him that God loves him and has a plan for us and through the atonement we can become clean and forgiven of our sins. So that's what happened to me this week and it was really crazy and fun hahaha. 

It sounds like you guys are all doing good and are all safe.   Emily is enjoying school and soccer and her team is just destroying everyone like crazy and dad is enjoying work. I e-mailed Elder Egbert (Jace), and he is super excited to join me here in the Philippines and is a little nervous about the language and the culture and the difference. I told him not to worry and that he will love it here and the people and the food. Like I do, I love the Philippines and everything about it and the mission life is different but I can see the blessings from it. I might need some money for traveling and I need to buy a new umbrella or a jacket. But thank you you all for everything and I love you all and miss you all too. 

Ingat po kayo palagi at mahal kita. 

Elder Francis