Dear beloved friends and family,
I really do appreciate you more than you know.
Love,
Elder Michael Gadberry
So yal'll this week has been pretty great! Don't worry I don't think I'mma be writin nearly as much as last week...That last one was a novellll! haha But it was great right? Just nod your head. Thanks!
So....my parents like didn't email me this week. Well my dad sent a short one and he only asked one question so of course, I'll answer that first. He said, "Spring training is in full swing. Spring games are happening. Jaron told me that you gave away your Cardinal hat! Who did you give it to???"
It's true. It seems strange that I would ever do that right? haha But I don't know, lots of people love hats here but they don't really have any good ones (meaning both quality and team wise (ie There's very little Cardinal hats)), so I gave mine to Brother Tonton out in Coron cuz he's awesome! He became one of my best friends out there, I'll tell you a little bit about him. I think he was baptized with his family when he was eight in Puerto Princesa. But fell away from the church during his teenage years. Got into basketball, and bad friends, and eventually wound up living a life that included drinking nearly every night and smoking 1-2 packs of cigarettes a day. Well fast-forward to 2011, he's I think 23, and he tells President Nepomuceno that he wants to change. So Pres hires him for his company and brings him out to Coron. From his first day in Coron he hasn't touched cigarettes or alcohol again. He's completely determined to serve a mission, working with the missionaries out there as much as he can around work, and often times passing up going to like social things to stay home and read the scriptures. He's an AWESOME example to me, and even wrote in my BR that I was the biggest help to him and taught him how to teach and how to testify. Such an incredible compliment to me, who's still long from being perfect at any sort of teaching. Well, anyways he took a liking to my hat, and it was "bagay sa kanya" (essentially it looked good on him/meant for kinda thing) so before I left I gave it to him. He's still doin great and he's puttin his mission papers in July and it's exciting! He's probably one of the hardest-working and happiest people I know. He's always laughing and just loving life now, it's so great! =D
This is him:
So let's get to the past week shall we? Well I first gotta tell you a fairly embarrassing story that you're goin judge me for, but it was awesome! So last preparation day after we got done emailing Elder Spencer and I walked the twenty feet to get to the chapel so he could practice/teach-himself-how-to-play piano. I was like cool. This will give me a chance to sit down and write some letters and there's even a basketball game going right outside the window that I can watch a bit, sweet! So I sit down and start writing the Demers (finally, huh? haha). Well I get about a paragraph into it and I can't bare it anymore...I HAD to go change and play basketball... (Sorry!! =) ). So I went and got my stuff out of the car and got ready to play. Well...I forgot two things. . .socks and shoes. Hmm...Well I just rocked my church socks (I was wearing tall navy blue socks that day, to make it worse my shorts were black...not good) and then Elder Spencer let me borrow his old athletic shoes of his that just hang out here at the office that are size 12! haha So I was like whatever, half these Filipinos are playing in flip-flops anyways (one of these days I'll have to tell you guys how much Filipinos LOVE the game of basketball it's really unreal, but for today just realize that they LOVE the game and will play with anything). So I get over there, and right away they let me in! I was pumped! Especially cuz it's like 5 and we have a ward mission fireside at 6..haha So I got to play for a while! It was so fun! I was doin my thing, rocking the passing show just cuz I love to pass. And it's funny cuz here even for a pick-up game you get like an audience that will just stand around and watch like the whole time, so that made it kinda fun. Well eventually I found out it was like 5:45, so I subbed myself out and had to hurry and get ready. Well obviously I dont have time to shower, and there's no showers at the church...so yeah. I had to rock the try-my-best-to-clean-up-given-the-circumstances but hey I found some Fe-breeze that I used to make it a little better. It was pretty bad, but hey it's the Philippines, not exactly the best smelling country in the world...haha So I felt like a grime ball, but it was totally worth it. Don't judge me. =) Well we made it to the Fireside at like umm..6:30 to find just a few people hangin out waiting to start. Yeah, like no one showed up..haha Finally a few people trickled in and started an hour and half late at 7:30. But the fireside itself was pretty good! I enjoyed it.
Sunday was sad.. =( But great of course! But we got to church and all that jazz. And no one that we've been teaching showed up! We thought for sure the Locanlale family were coming cuz they said they were! So we think that they probably had a good excuse but we're not too sure cuz we haven't been able to visit them yet this week. We tried a couple times but they weren't around/they were closed up cuz it was late-ish. But Sunday was tight, I got to talk to one of the new elders that we just got for while cuz he's serving int he same ward as us (there's four missionaries in our ward). His name is Elder Pascual and he's from down in Mindoro. He's so legit! He's only here till this upcoming Monday. And then he's shipping off to the Provo MTC (if you're in Provo look for him!) cuz he's gotta learn English cuz he's been assigned to serve in the Salt Lake City South Mission! He's such a cool guy. He thinks we're the coolest ever cuz we come over here and have to learn a language and adjust to food, culture, money, and everything. And I'm like you're doin the same thing in the States! And we just hit it off really well and I'm excited but sorry to have him leavin so soon. (Parent's please exclude this next remark but I figured you guys should know this: But while I was talkin to him I found out he's from a family of 10 (one of his little brothers died). He is the first missionary in his family. And his companion said that his family really doesn't have too much money. I also found out, he doesn't have luggage and he only has one suit. So first I asked Jackson how many suits they use in Utah and he said he has 3-4 and most people have that many but a few have 2 and he knows one person that only has 1 but it's super hard for him cuz he can't even get it dry cleaned cuz he only has one. So I talked to President Stucki about it and asked him if there would be a way that I could give him my suit cuz it should fit him, and told him the situation and he actually said that he wants to help him/the mission can help him. So we worked it out where we got him some money to go buy two more suits and some luggage. But I told Elder Pascual that since they only had a few days to find everything that if he couldn't find a suit that he could have mine. So I haven't heard from them weather they were successful or not but if they weren't I'll have to buy a new suit out here before I go home, just a heads up maybe. Hope that's okay! =/ ) So then later that evening I sat down to do some more studies and wanted to study from last General Conference. I opened my studies with a prayer (see Preach My Gospel..haha) and actually felt inspired to read President Uchtdorf's talk from the General Relief Society entitled Forget Me Not. Oh geez, it was soooo good! Like seriously, read it. That's it. Thank you =D
Monday rolled around and I was kinda worrying. Because I told the Spencer's that they would for sure have those checks they needed on Monday and I even committed to driving the checks to them that afternoon because they were "coding" (meaning their license plate says it's illegal for them to drive in Makati) on Monday. So I reallyyyy needed the checks to be there. Well, they were there! I was pumped! So then we drove to San Pedro, it was the first time either of us had driven there and driving here it napaka-confusing (ie super confusing). Well, we only got lost like twice. But we made it! It was actually a little blessing (I'm trying to notice those more) how things all worked out cuz Sister Venus from the Area Office was supposed to come down and train me. Well I forgot about that when I said I would drive to San Pedro, so I emailed Venus and it actually worked out well cuz she was having her daughter's bday party that day anyways. So the rest of the day was pretty normal just did some office work. And then the Assistant's brought us home Indian food made by one of our Indian Sisters in the mission and that was our dinner and it was great! It's weird how lots of food actually tastes good. haha
Tuesday was more of the same. Having to deal with more and more people now, I've come to more appreciate the nice ones. I had to tell one of the apartment owners that we didn't have a new contract or another rent payment for her cuz the missionaries in that apartment might be moving. And I wasn't looking forward to this conversation. But she was super nice! I was like seriously super grateful for that, and now I hope that they don't move cuz she's nice! haha Venus came in in the afternoon to start my training. It was kinda hard cuz it was mostly Tagalog, well mostly Taglish, but it went super well! They usually reserve two days for training, well we knocked it out in three hours. I'm not too sure what that means, but hey it let us both get more work done this week. Then that evening, Elder Spencer kinda backed into someones car...but there was no damage or anything so it's all good but yeah..I already drive 95% of the time but now it'll probably be even more. He just does not like driving. Good thing I still love it! =D
Wednesday was the day that the Spencers were supposed to get the other check that they've been waiting for for like 3 weeks...So of course we had bank issues again! UGH! I hateeee telling the Spencers that their checks aren't available....It's not my fault! This time the person that's supposed to approve the checks wasn't there so we had to wait till tomorrow to get them approved I guess. This was also the day that I saved the entire Philippines! Okay well...I saved all the missions in the Philippines! Well, maybe more accurately stated it would be I may have helped a few financial secretaries here in the Philippines if they haven't figured it out already or if they even care...haha But when Venus and I were training we were training to figure something out on iMOS, well we couldn't figure out how it worked. So on Wednesday I was kinda playin around with iMOS and I figured it out! And I was like Venus! I figured it out! And sent her an email and then she sent it to all the Missions here in the Philippines. So yeah...legit? I think so. hahaha
Thursday started off great. On Tue and Thur we have to get to the office early at 8 because the Dietrich's go up to the Area Office and get mail and whatever else. So I got to the Office and started my Personal Study there. It was great! I was sittin at my computer so I had my scriptures with me and could use the computer to cross reference scriptures and I also found that you can download the new Book of Mormon manuals from lds.org, so I did that. That was the manual that was suggested for BoM class last year, that I bought and then umm kinda never used...Well now I know it's awesome! So use it! After studies I got my little blessing of Thursday. President Stucki called the office looking for Sister Dietrich and she wasn't there, but he remembered that he was going to send me some SSS information that I needed to help figure that stuff out. I had made note to ask him about it, but probably would have forgotten throughout the course of the day. But just out of the blue he called and got it to me! Thanks! Well I was FINALLY able to get that other check to the Spencers, but things just can't go how they're supposed to be can they? At least not with this check they can't. So because of the confusion with the check iMOS ended up printing the check twice. So the checks worth double than what it's supposed to be...haha Well, hopefully the owner will take it and be happy. And hopefully we won't forget to pay them again in like November. haha Well all is good now cuz the Spencers are happy and I got brownies from them haha That evening I learned another thing I'm goin learn in the office. This one's about leadership. I feel like I kinda know how to lead already to an extent because of all my athletics experiences and whatever else. Well here, I've realized that I have to kinda figure out how to lead myself, per say. Because now I don't have teammates to push on, I don't have people to gauge myself off of, I'm alone. It's up to me to figure out how much I can do, and find my limitations and to make sure I'm not slacking off. It's kinda weird. But definitely something to learn. I miss teammates..haha
Friday, I got another blessing! Well I got like tons of blessings everyday but I'm really bad at noticing and being grateful for them.. =( Well I got a text from President Nepomuceno in Coron, asking about the stuff that he had sent to the office and needed us to do. Well, I'd been super busy with other stuff that I had forgotten needed to be done for the Area Office, so I hadn't gotten around to doing that for him yet. So...he actually did what I shoulda done for me, and figured out that I just have to send the receipts back to him. Yay! Now I don't have to worry about that either! Thanks! And thanks to my parents being awesome, and sending me EFY CDs, I heard a song that was legit and super true! (All Times, All Things, All Places - EFY 2006) The lyrics go like "It's not in the letter, i can't wait to open. It's nor in the badge that will carry his name. It's not gonna in just three weeks of study Or magically come when I get on a plane, So today I'm becoming who I'm meant to be, The worthy unshakeable witness he needs." I guess to a certain extent I thought it would all just come to me once I became a missionary, I would somehow magically be great! But definitely not true. Surprise! I'm still me! haha But looking back there's so much more I wish I had done to better prepare myself so I can do as much as I can, but hey what's done is done, and I'm doin my best with what I've got and at the same time working super hard to make myself as good as I can so I can do as much as I can for the Lord in the short two years I have to give to him. Later that day, I was working on the Monthly Reports that needed to be done for the Area Office. I did all I could, and admittedly, I was a little lost and didn't know where to go from there. So I was like Venus! Help! I'm kinda lost and don't know where to go from here! She emailed me back and was like you did great elder! That's actually way way more than you needed to do, thanks! I was like YES! Also, yesterday I talked to Elder Spencer a lot about life and growing up and I realized again how AWESOME! my friends are! I'm so grateful for them all! I told him all about what we did growing up and all that jazz and Spence was just like man...I wish I had awesome friends like yours. And I'm like yeah...my friends pretty much rock. Thanks everyone! You all seriously do!
News for today, I bought my first pair of fake Ray Bans. They're red and cost me approximately $2.10. hahaha. My goal is to just over time collect a bunch of them so I can coordinate with all my outfits! #ImSoCool! haha Also, I had an impulse/craving buy. I totally bought Pop-Tarts this morning! How great is that?? haha I'm pumped regardless Also, I got contact from an apartment owner looking for Elder Castillo. Um yeah...I'm the replacement of his replacement...haha Elder Stirland totally called that that would happen sometime. So props to him.
Well that's about it! We get to go to a baptism soon for one of the Sister's in our district and then we're gettin fed afterwards. Woo! #Pumped haha I kinda miss Twitter..haha But all's good here! Love you all and miss you all! Thanks!
Love
Elder Michael Gadberry
Pictures
0001 - After a few weeks without a door, we got a cool new half door thingy!
0003 - Elder Spencer is super good at drawing. He just saw this picture on the internet and wanted to draw it. And he finished and gave it to me. So yeah, so now I have the girl no one knows. He likes to draw and then not keep whatever it was that he drew so that's why I got that one.
0005 - Yeah, I don't know what's up with that....
0011 - Okay...this is one reason why I don't know if I could work in an office the rest of my life. I just get so bored of just sitting in the chair all day! I gotta switch it up.
4787/4788 - So we've taken a liking to this drink cuz it's super cheap and it's not water...haha Well just the other week I realized that in one bottle of that you get over 6 days worth of Vitamin C, each bottle is equivalent to 8 oranges, and there's 1 mg of Vitamin C in each bottle for every 1 mL per bottle. This stuff is great! .....maybe. haha
4790 - The cool new 1 piso coin! It's pretty legit!
4791/4792 - So these are the sisters who are having the baptism. They asked Elder Spencer to make a program for them. He didn't really want to, so I said I would. I was joking with them and said I was just going to put a big picture of me on it, and they're like just make sure you have us on there too! Well, it turns out that Elder Spencer did make the program (pretty good huh?) and so I told him I needed to changed all the pictures. So I changed all the pictures to those ones and printed off a couple of those to freak out the sisters. It totally worked! It was hilarious, they loved it.
4793 - Having a green blinker is definitely not legal in the states. But there's a ton of stuff like it here! haha
4794 - Surprise! This is Elder Koochin our beloved District Leader and my batch! Elder Victorio was disappointed that he wasn't included on the fake baptismal program so he insisted that we take a picture to replace the one with me and Elder Stirland since he's gone now. #NoLove haha
4799 - Stolen from Spence. Eating at the Indian place way back
4812 - Stolen from Spence. I'm doing the dishes, I think! I actually kinda like doing the dishes...or at least more than other stuff for whatever reason
4827 - Stolen from Spence. A better District Picture from last transfer
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