September 14, 2014

How is the new area???

The new area is A TON different than my last area, lets just say i went completely opposite, in my new area there are 7 malls, (that is just in my area), there are another maybe 5 or 6 big ones in the zone... it is in need of work, because our area just got split with sisters, and of course they are the lucky ones, and they got the area with all the Investigators.

We have had quite a bit of success so far, we taught 11 lessons in 3 days, and had 10 new investigators(now i am not sure if they are investigating the church or just Elder Larson)...

Do you live in an apartment???  How many of you are living there???

No.... i live on the street... ;) joke!!! i do live in an apartment, it is about a rocks throw away from Andys Hotel(where we spent our first night in the PI). there are 4 of us living in the apartment, ELDER LARSON, ELDER EDOLOVERIO, ELDER JANDOQUILLE, ELDER CODAVAR... I AM THE ONLY AMERICAN/FOREIGNER!!! and in our zone there are 3 of us (foreigners)...

What is your neighborhood/area like???

my area is A TON DIFFERENT, it has some bukid, but is mostly city, which makes it hard to do tracting/finding because everyone is at work in the city during the day, and then there are so many businesses around our area... it is pretty big and weird shaped...

Do you miss your bike???

i do kinda miss my bike, i am thinking about putting in a request for bikes in this area, maybe get some good ones! it should be an every area thing!!!! they make getting places super simple!!!

Tell us about your new companion....

OH MAN!!! MY NEW COMPANION (ELDER EDOLOVERIO) is awesome, i am his follow up trainer, so i have quite a bit of responsibility on my shoulders (making sure he doesn't get corrupted and what not...). He is also from Negros Occidental, so his native language is Ilonggo, so he isn't quite BIS-DAK yet. he is 20 years old, and is THE FIRST MISSIONARY from his FAMILY ever to serve a mission. his parents are not members, and he has 4 siblings. there is a little bit of a language barrier between us, but it will all work out, he is already starting to get better at English.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT HIM?

Is there a ward there???

it is a ward!!! it feels so amazing to be back in a ward!!! i mean, i miss the group of Panglao, but over here everything is established, the leaders are amazing and know what they are doing, this is one of the best wards that i have seen in the mission, let alone at home as well!!! they have an amazing outlook on everything. I did everything i could to BRT with them from the start, it helps that i am ok or i guess decent at the language now...

How many members???

there were 130 at church yesterday... but there are a ton of less actives in the ward, so yeah. A LOT MORE THAN OVER IN PANGLAO!!! and their 30s...

How far are you from the mission home???

we are about 1 hour away.... but if needed we could get there faster!

Now that you are in the city area, are the motorcycle taxi's your prime form of transport other than your feet???

we use the tricycles for transportation a lot, but we still use our shoes quite a bit!!!

How is it being the SENIOR Companion???

there is no difference really, i just know the language a little bit better, and if anything happens it is on my shoulders.... but, the only difference between the senior and junior companion is who goes first in the interviews...

What was the best thing about the last week???

I have already had 4 dinner appointments since i got here to Mandaue... On Friday there was a birthday party for one of the primary kids, so we went and helped set up and then they told us to stay and eat there...

What was the strangest thing you ate in the last week???

I ate Bangus last night at a members house... or in English, milk fish... there was so many bones in the fish!!! yes... I ATE FISH AND I LIKED IT (OTHER THAN THE BONES)

MGA DUGANG*additions:

1. BROWN EYES!!! THEY ARE TERRIBLE!!!
2. I ALMOST FORGOT HOW BUOTAN*kind THE FILIPINOS IN CEBU ARE!!!!
3. I learned something very important from my last companion (Elder McQuiston), it is great to be a joker, and it is one of the best tools in being a missionary in the Philippines. It is one of the best BRT tools around.
4. Friday we played basketball at 4:30 A.M. at Consolacion chapel (where i basically lived for 6 months) FIRST AREA TRUNKY!!!

CEBUANO WORDS

1. awit - sing
2. bakon - bacon
3. pagsulay - trial
4. gugma - love
5. kasingkasing - heart
6. hugot nga pagtuo - firm belief/faith
7. kalipay - joy
8. ba-ba - mouth
9. basahon - book
10. simba - church

TAGALOG WORDS

1. mabuti - good
2. aklat - book
3. mahal - love
4. puso - heart
5. pagsubok - trial
6. pananampalataya - faith

-Elder Larson the YOUNGER