December 26, 2012 E-Mail!

Maligayong Pasko!


I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Cuz we definitely had a great one here in the Philippines!


So you are hosting the Mission Christmas party? That's pretty cool. I'm sure you did awesome. We need a story or two from that.

Well I was going to but it didn't end up happening.. You know how I said I felt like crap last Sunday but I'm getting better? Yeah...I didn't exactly get better till like yesterday... I spent the last week feeling pretty trashy.. it was super annoying. Like last Wednesday I didn't have a voice.. so that was real interesting. I actually kinda enjoyed it cuz it was a different experience. Originally I was supposed to just like not talk but then once we get into a lesson I can't just "not talk." haha So what I ended up doing was I had to be very choosy about my words and what I said cuz I could only get like a sentence out at a time. So it was actually pretty cool to really think and try to listen to the Spirit to only say what really needed to be said. I also decided to rely on the scriptures.. haha I was like since I can't talk, I'll just have the scriptures say what I want to say! So that was fun as well.


That is fantastic about Brother Marvin! Keep us posted on him please.

So yeah.. Latest news from his is no news.. haha He actually attended the branch christmas party on Thursday but didn't make it to church on Sunday. So yeah, we're not too sure why but that's how it goes with "Mystery Marvin" So you know what they say.. "no news is good news." . . . right? haha maybe not in this case...


So since this is the first time in forever that I've been able to send pics maybe I'll just explain life and the pics for the rest of the email.


0316 -- Elder Tenny and I with Sister Rocelyn. She's super legit! She's getting baptized tomorrow! Her husband is a member (pero less-active.. haha) and she used to be a baptist missionary. So she's super cool cuz she's already sharing the gospel with people. She's bringing her little Book of Mormon everywhere she goes and she really understands like that when she becomes a member she still has lots of stuff to do like callings and go to the temple and what not and she's excited.


0317 -- Now this is one of my favorite pictures my whole mission. It's Elder Tenny with one of the Recent Converts here in Biñan. His name is Jericho and he's like a 4"6' deacon.. haha He's like the most innocent person ever. We taught them about Lehi's dream and he wanted to know what kinda of fruit the fruit of the tree of life was. Just so you know, he decided they were grapes cuz thats his favorite. The tree is also a magic tree because it never runs out of fruit. And the people holding the iron rod really have the better end of the deal cuz the people in the great and spacious building might have a big nice building but they don't have any food so they'll starve whereas the other people of the tree that produces fruit and its not really that important to have a big house cuz you can just sleep on the ground if you want.


0318 -- Elder Tenny and I drinking the water out of coconuts. It's okay... It's just really warm so it'd taste better if it were cold.


0323 -- Yeah.. idk.. just playing around with black and white


0324-0327 -- The San Gabriel Zone at the Christmas party


0333 -- Elder Griffin haha


0334/0335 -- The Finance generation! Me, then Elder Grob and we now welcome Elder Record!


0336/0337 -- Me and Sister Lopez and then throw in Elder Robbins! I miss Elder Robbins.. what a guy! haha


0339/0340 -- Elder Pugmire and I with Santa Dietrich.. haha


0342 -- Our Branch Presidency present BeeGees at the Christmas party


0344-0348 -- Our Zone Christmas FHE at the Forinash's! It was awesome! We even went caroling! Which brings up a new fun culture fact. Here in the Philippines children always go caroling but they do so to make money. They come to your house mumble through a song... if you're lucky... and then ask you for money.. haha It makes caroling more of a nuisance than a joyous event of the season. But of course we just went caroling to sing to people in the neighborhood and it was awesome it made Christmas feel more like Christmas.


0349/0350 -- We stuffed the whole zone in the van and went home while I led the zone in shouting christmas songs that we were longing to sing like Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, I'm dreaming of a white christmas and all that jazz. Don't worry I didn't forget the "Elf" classic... Santa Claus is Coming to Town.


0353-0356 -- Woke up Christmas morning and started playing with our toys.. haha Bad-mitten and Hello Kitty Uno! haha


0358 -- Christmas lunch with Sister Garcia! It was like the best food EVER! We've got some pasta and I think its called like Chinese Ham or Pork and some chicken cooked with lemon and other vegetables and what not. SO GOOD! Oh and thats Elder Cahilig by the way.. haha Elder Atoigue's new comp.


0359 -- Traffic here in Biñan STINKS! Even on Christmas! Yes that is a line of jeepneys going off into the distance..


0360 -- Thats the church here in Binan


0361-0363 -- Christmas dinner with the Cañada family and some branch missionaries.


So thats all my pics! I better get going now! Sorry! Hope you all have a great week! And a great holiday season! Do something nice for someone for me! Thanks! haha


Love you all!


Elder Michael Gadberry