Elder Mitchell Head: Elder Head Goes to the Philippines Chapter 2

Hey guys! So I made it, to my area. Buhi pa ko (I'm alive still) So this week was quite the adjustment. I got to my area, Mendaue 1A, on Wednesday night and went straight to bed. Thursday we had to move houses first thing in the morning, which was lame. But we just moved down the street from our old house so it wasn't bad. There's a SUPER poorly tuned piano in our apartment so I've been plunking out horror movie hymns (They're church hymns played on a terrible piano, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone) but I'm getting a little better at piano, so that's good. Thursday night we went to Cabancalan which is a subdivision in Mendaue to teach the Fabe family. So the way to Cabancalan there's this bog which usually isn't that deep, but it was pouring rain earlier on Thursday so it was deep. We have to walk across rocks over the bog on the way to Cabancalan which is cool. Basta, (Anyways) so my first night on my way to my first lesson, I slipped off on of the rocks into the bog and my left leg got stuck up to my knee. (Insert laughing/crying face emoji) It was disgusting. Then we just kept going after I got unstuck and I slipped off another rock and my right leg went into the water. So I stunk in my first lesson. But the Fabe family are a member family and we were gong to teach Bethshiba who just got baptised and as soon as we got there to their little lean-to house (bungalo they called it), I told them in broken Cebuano that it was super funny cause I slipped in the water and then without saying a word Nanay (Grandma) went and grabbed a bucket of water and they helped me wash my feet for me. They are truly some of the nicest, most caring people I've ever met. So Cebuano is hard. Especially when they speak super fast. But It's getting easier to understand. I love the kids here. They're so cute, haha. My favorite is when I go for a high five and instead put my hand in a fist and say "Pabo" which is "turkey" sa Cebuano.They always laugh and then do it to me right after. For some reason a lot of kids don't wear pants though, haha. So we ate dinner at two dinners with members this week. The Perez family who is the first councilor in the bishopric, and then at Sister Sarah's house for the next night. At the Perez's house I ate a whole sili pepper, which is SUPER hot but it was tasty after the burning sensation subsided. Sunday was excellent. So the stake that I'm in has their church in the backwards schedule, so priesthood/relief society, tapos Sunday school, tapos Sacrament. I bore my testimony in Cebuano and it was probably the shortest testimony I've ever given. It went well though! I started off with "Maayong buntag" to which they all replied "maayong buntag" which caught me off guard. Then I said "ako si Elder Ulo" and it took them all a second to think and then they translated it, I heard "OH! Elder Head na!" with a few giggles from the congregation and then I just did a simple testimony sa Cebuano. Then they had a self reliance work shop, which is good because there's a lot of poverty in Mendaue so they're helping a lot of people. Tapos na, we had a luncheon thing and it was good. except for the bulad. Which is just dried little fish. And a lot of them. That wasn't my favorite but I ate it like a champ! We've been teaching a lot of lessons and I've been humbled a lot by both the language and the people. Also, I've taken quite a few bucket showers since I've been here. Which is SO DANG COLD. But I love it. I got one of our paper back bbook of Mormons and started reading that and marking the references to, the teachings of, and the attributes of the Lord. I'm only in 1st Nephi still and it already looks like a coloring book. I love it. The Book of Mormon truly contains the fullness of Christ's gospel. It points to him on almost every page. Have a good week! The church is true. Gihigugma ko sa Philippines. Gihigugma ko kaninyo.

Elder Head aka "Elder Ulo"