11-7-11 E-mail!

How's it goin everyone??

I've got a ton of pics for you! Be happy!

So speaking for a little bit in front of a ton of people and Elder Ardern on Wednesday went pretty well. Oh geez I was sooo nervous before I got up there. But I got up there and I feel like it went pretty well and I didn't feel terribly nervous. Hopefully that means the Spirit was helping me out and I said something half way important to someone out there..haha Overall, the Mission Tour Conference was beast! It was held at Buendia Chapel in Manila which is the first church building built in the Philippines and it's like this decently sized church building surrounded by sky scrapers and really tall buildings haha. I got to see a fair amount of people that I know too! That was exciting and awesome to talk to and see everyone for a little while! But everyone from my district in the MTC was not there so that stunk! But it's all good of course.

After conference, cuz we were the last ones to leave, we even got a pic with Elder Ardern and the Coron Elders! It's not in this email cuz it's on Elder Osumo's camera but I'll have it next time. Then that night after the Conference we went out and worked with some of the missionaries in Makati. I was the second selection in the draft and was chosen by Elder Belarmino, one of the APs. It was sweet to work with him and to learn from him. And way different to work in the city but sweet nonetheless. One of the families we visited was way impressed with my Tagalog and I don't know why. And I finally experienced my first Jeepney and had Jollibee for the first time, it was just an all around great day.

The next morning we had to get up at 5! To get to the airport, ughhhhh! By the way I still despise mornings or Hindi mahilig ako talaga sa umaga. So Thursday we made it back to Coron and at this point flying is pretty boring so being the good elder I am, I read from the Book of Mormon the entire time. Did you know? By my count, there are 25 references to Christ before the book even officially starts in Nephi. Fun fact of the day. By the way that was my 10th flight on my mission, its pretty legit. I heart flying. But I miss driving.

Friday for our "community service." We just helped them paint the fence around our houses. The house is blue, and now the fence is white. Sooo....we have a BYU Cougar House! Boom! Rockin it. Not a whole lot of new and exciting things happened since I last emailed. Our mission has a goal to have 300 people baptized in the month of December, and we're working really hard and things are startin to look good for us! We have 9 people scheduled for December right now and we're still working really hard to continue to find those families that the Lord has prepared for us, I'm excited about our work here its awesome! But I'm sad cuz someone's leaving Nov 30th and I'm afraid its me, ughhhh! But we'll see.

So yeah, sorry that's kinda it for this past few days, but there's lots of pictures! =D haha

Love ya'll (I'm hick)
Elder Michael Gadberry

Pictures:
1110/1112 -- Me and my machete
1115-PA211402 -- Try to find that lizard in pictures 1115
DSCN1503/1504 -- Havin fun with brother Tonton; I don't know why he looks so small/weird cuz he's just a little bit shorter than me...
1122/1123 -- The huge crabs of one of our investigators
1127-1148 -- Coron sunset. Be jealous. (I rock at pictures!)
1153-1155 -- Umm yeah, I ate that. Be proud. It tasted decent...weird texture fa sho
1157 -- Yep, that tasted much better.
PA281513-PA281520 -- Our terrifying spider
DSCN1542 -- Coulda been a really cool pic if I had a better camera but decent nonetheless. Taken from our back balcony porch thingy
PA301512 -- The newly formed branch! Not everyone made it that Sunday but an awesome turn out still
1104-PA301521 -- Havin fun after becoming a branch
0006-0035 -- Manila Temple pics! I think my favorite may be 0013
0039-0043 -- Enjoying the mainland! McDonalds delivers! And so does everywhere else
0049-0071 -- WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! Who can deny the Cardinals and this adorable puppy! haha