A Whole Fish!

Dear Family and Friends,

First of all, Mom, you might not be getting any pictures today. These computers are super slow.... So sorry.

(But look! She managed to get ONE sent)

Next, holy moly these weeks are going by way fast!! Can anyone believe that I've been on my mission for almost 2 months already?? Crazy stuff...

Let's see. What happened this week... First of all, I really did eat a whole fish. I mean I didn't eat the bones or anything, but I had to take the meat off of the bones, and I had to take the head off of the body. It was a very weird experience. I had no idea how to eat a fish like that, so Sister Jessa (she's a recent convert who likes to feed us) was helping me. It was fun.

So I've noticed a few things about the Philippines, so I figured I'd just make a list, so you can all get a feel of how things are here.

1. Americans really do stick out here... I think I've even started staring at them when I see them. I've only seen maybe 2, but it is really weird to see them here.

2. People here are so nice! Last week, we were teaching two families (one right after another) and they were both buying us drinks and giving us food. It was great =]

3. There are animals everywhere. Mostly roosters and dogs and cats, but they are EVERYWHERE. It's normal to just be walking down the street and see a random rooster in the middle of the road.

4. People here don't use knives. Weird right? We use spoons instead. So if I come home and don't know how to use a knife, you know why.

5. The kids here are the best. They are so awesome. They will talk to anyone and everyone. Even a weird white girl walking down the street.

6. There is so much food here. You literally can't walk a couple feet down the street without seeing someone selling food. Some of it smells really good, but we're not allowed to eat from street vendors.

7. I think I've only ever seen one speed limit sign. And I doubt anyone was following it. I'm so glad that I don't have to drive here.

8. There really is no toilet paper here. If you ever come to the Philippines, make sure you carry some with you...

9. People here love to have fiestas. I feel like there is always a party going on somewhere.

10. People here also love to sing. If you walk around at night, you can always hear some karaoke going on somewhere. It's so fun to listen to them sing their hearts out.

So yeah. I love the Philippines.

This week was a pretty good week. We still don't really have any progressing investigators, but we think we might have some potentials. A few people seemed pretty solid when we talked to them, so we're crossing our fingers.

My companion is great. She is way better in Tagalog than me, and she truly loves the people here. My mga kabahay (housemates) are also awesome. Usually, you'll find us all laughing when we're home altogether. We have fun.

Tagalog is slowly coming (I think). Luckily, I didn't really come out of the MTC saying this is not the language I learned. Don't get me wrong, my Tagalog stinks, and I can't understand a lot of what people say, but I feel like I get the gist of most things. Especially when people are talking about the gospel. That's when I feel like I can understand the most.

Our ward is pretty great. I love all the people here. It's a pretty small ward, but I don't know that they really have big wards here... I have no idea.

A typical day goes something like this:

6:30: We get up, and I go exercise downstairs. No one else really exercises, and unfortunately, Sister Collins ran with me a couple times and that was it.

7:00: Breakfast/shower. This is hard because we have five girls and one shower, but usually we make it work.

8:00: Personal study for an hour. I love personal study.

9:00: We have companion study for 2 hours since I'm in training still.

11:00: Language study. Pretty much my lifeline for the day. Crucial to being successful in this language.

12:00: Lunch.

1:00: We go out to teach.

Sometimes we have conferences or meetings, but that's a typical day. We usually get home around 7 or 7:30 because it gets dark before then. We come home and do our numbers/area book, cook and study more. At 9:30, we get ready for bed and then sleep at 10:30.

I've actually figured out a few things to cook. I cooked meat and potatoes one night, and I cooked hamburger meat with onions and garlic and put it in with ramen noodles. Just the noodles, not the broth. It was actually pretty good. It's hard to find things to cook, but we're working on it.

I think that's about all this week. Just so you all know, I have such a strong testimony of the Gospel. If I didn't, and if the church weren't true, I would not be out here. I love this church. It is seriously the coolest thing ever. If your testimony is struggling, just go study the gospel a little bit. It's seriously the greatest thing ever. I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Wilwand