Alrighty well prepare yourself cause a long email is coming.  Kumusta from the Philippines.  I’m sure you’re anxious to hear all about it so I’ll try my best.  Um let’s see it has been the hardest week of my life.  I kid you not.  I am going to straight up say I’ve cried every day and I feel like crying the rest of the time.  Let’s see.  It all started with saying goodbye at the MTC.  It wasn’t that big of a deal because everyone I really cared about was coming with me.  Anyway we were up at 4:45 the next morning and off to the airport.  Our flights weren’t too bad.  Ok scratch that.  The first flight wasn’t too bad.  I gave away two pass along cards!!  Ask my parents for that info because it’s too long of a story.  Anyway the 10 hour flight I didn’t sleep at all.  Me and sister Bergeson and elder Edwards were awake the whole time.  And ate food and colored with my crayons cause were children at heart.  The rest of the group took some hardcore sleeping pills so they were all zombies.  We were zombies too just awake ones haha.  Um it was super long but you know how those flights go.  It’s just whatever.  The landing was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.  We had to circle before we landed and I was so sick it was ridiculous.  But then we were in Japan so it didn’t matter and we had fun and took lots of pictures.   Then we were off to the Philippines.  That flight I slept, more like died for five hours.   Except the lady behind me was blasting the ac so I froze my butt off.  Finally we were there and I looked like death and we still had to go through customs and all that jazz.  Thankfully we didn’t have to meet our mission president.  We just spent the night in a hotel in Manila and they took us to the mission home in the morning.  Not bad.  The shower sucked but at least there was one.  We went to bed about 1 o clock after like 30 hours of travel.  And then we woke up at 6 to go to Cavite.  Elder Edwards and elder Bryson left at 4:30 and we didn’t get to say bye and it was the saddest thing ever.  I miss my MTC group so much it’s crazy.  It’s just not the same without them.  So after that we had orientation and met our new companions.  Mine is Sister Lizada and she is Filipino.  Thank goodness.  And she’s fluent in English.  Thank goodness again.  Anyway I was so sad to leave my old companions.  Argh it was so hard.  And then we were off.  I’m in an area called Muntin Lupa.  It is part of Las Pinas.  It is a pretty big area considering the size of our mission.  It has a lot of "squatter" houses.  Which can also be known as dirt poor houses.  Culture shock to the max.  TO THE MAX!!  Like the first house we went in I though oh wow this is crazy.  And now that house is looking pretty darn nice.  Half of our lessons are taught sitting on the floor and the other half we sit on couches with torn up cushions or just stools.  I can’t even explain it.  The houses are tiny and usually have quite a few people in them.  But the people are always so nice.  And there are kids everywhere!!! And the cutest kids I’ve ever seen in my life.  I try and talk to them and some talk to me but some just laugh.  And a lot of them just stare and stare.  Everyone stares at me.  I’m the only white person here.  They call me baby and beautiful and I have to just ignore them.  It’s so awkward.  They think that the lighter your skin is the more beautiful you are no matter what your face looks like haha. One of the girls in my apartment actually uses bleaching soap!  And they always give you a celebrity look alike and mine is Emma Watson!  I’ll take it haha.  Um we’ve had two dinner appointments.  One we just got pizza from Shakeys which was the bomb because it was familiar and the other we had a pasta thing which wasn’t bad either.  They also have Jollibee which is a fast food place similar to KFC and its super good.  Um let’s see.  The first day I rode a jeepney and a tricycle.  There are always little lizards crawling everywhere.  Inside and outside of houses.  And when we were teaching I looked up in the rafters and saw a mouse running across one of the boards.  Gotta love it!  There are cats and dogs everywhere but they are all gross so it’s not hard not to touch them.  Oh so it’s possible that I have bed bugs.  I have these weird red bumps all over my hands and feet.  I don’t know what to do about it.

  Teaching has been interesting.  I actually understand quite a bit of gospel stuff.  Like if we just stick to the lessons then I’m ok but if they ask questions or if were just chatting I don’t understand like anything.  My kasama is super encouraging though and she says my Tagalog is really good.  I don’t know whether to believe her or not but I just keep working hard.  She makes me teach a lot too which is hard cause I can’t always say what I want or know if what I’m saying really ties into the lesson but I try and I try and say what the spirit tells me too and I know that it will be ok.  It’s hard cause I am having to learn about all our investigators in such a short time but it is ok. It is coming along.  I love our investigators. They are all super nice.  We found a lady on the street and went to her house to teach her and she was a strong catholic but when we asked her what she knew about Jesus Christ she went into this huge story about how her daughter fell out of a window and they took her to church and prayed and she knew Jesus saved her and that every time she has trials she gets answers through prayer and yeah.  It was like wow!!  And I can’t wait to go back.  Probably my best day was yesterday cause I got to go to church.  The church building is super nice and air conditioned and I loved it because it is familiar.  Like a lot of it is in English and plus you just know the church is the same everywhere.

Um the driving is crazy here but it’s fun.  We have to take our shoes off before going inside.  It’s to respect the house. I washed my clothes in a bucket!!  We had FHE with a family last night and it was the funniest thing ever.  Filipinos love to laugh and joke and to build trust they have to know that you are joking and having fun and not just there to preach so we do a lot of laughing.  It’s a good time. Like I said I’m culture shocked to the max but I’m praying a lot and reading my scriptures and fasting and it’s getting better.  Especially when I’m out teaching.  I do like it here,  I can’t say love yet cause I’m still super stressed and have a lot of anxiety about how things will turn out but I have really gained a testimony of receiving answers through the scriptures.  God loves you and he answers every question you have.  I know it’s true.  The Book of Mormon is so amazing.  I love it and I love this gospel. I love all of you so much! You’re the best!!!!!!!  Keep me posted!! I’ll send pics too if i have time.  Gosh just enjoy America for me!!