Bring It!

Hey all! 

This is my first official letter from Cadiz, Negros Occidental. From an old run down internet cafe. 21 more months of things like this? Bring it! 

Ok I know this is gonna be dumb but I have SO much to talk about so I will make it quick, so please excuse my spelling and misuse of grammar. Ok so we got to Hong Kong after a 15 hour flight... makes me kinda sick. Being in a plane is cool and all, still blows if it is for that long. The meals on the plane werent too good either.. haha. Oh well! We only had 45 minutes to get on our flight again to Manilla, so I had no time to call. None. We had to go through security again so thats why.. anyways so we get to Manilla after only a 1 hour flight, and the MTC picks us up, but they have no room for the 11 of us. So what do we do? Hotel in Manilla! I'll attach pictures so that you all can see. Hopefully it'll work. We stayed up until 5:30 in the morning too! Freaking jet lag man. That's what it'll do to you! Crazy stuff. We got on our flight to Bacolod at 2 pm the next day, and everyone picked us up from the Mission Home. You saw pictures already so you know what it looks like. :) I loved it there. 

Now that I am in my area called Caduhaan, in the Cadiz stake, I miss the Mission Home's running hot water, plumbing, and AC... haha. Our apartment has none of that. Zero. Gotta adapt! It's honestly really hard though. You said to be honest, so, here goes.. you asked for it. I miss home. Bad. I miss all my family, I miss Heather, I miss my old life honestly. I live in an apartment with 3 other Philippinos who all speak Tagolog, which I don't understand at all. So I literally am by myself sometimes, studying as much as I can, no english is spoken (I mean all three of them can speak broken english. My companion is the best at it, but he still isn't amazing at it. He'd rather speak Tagolog to the others.. which is hard). I write in my journal and either get ready for bed or sit there. There isn't much to do at all. So ya. I am homesick. I know it's only my 5th day here, but it feels like an eternity sometimes. I just gotta keep myself busy.  It's a little better now. Hearing conference again made it easier for me. I really loved Hollands talk. He is so amazing!

First Companion, Elder Parilla

I would tell you our investigators names... but I can't remember any of them. They all are like names I have never heard of. I am still working on that. Next email I will be able to tell you more about that. For now, my companion speaks the majority of the time because they use all these slang terms and words I havent heard of before. I guess thats normal. Elder Parilla (my comp) will give me a few things to talk about in the lessons. So he makes sure I talk and teach as well, just my Illongo is kinda very broken and scattered.. which is also normal. I met a few Elders from Utah-Elder Garlick, and from California-Elder Kaufusi- and they told me it took them about 6 months to get used to the language. Like being able to converse and understand fully. So I guess I have to be patient.. yahoo. It's ok though. I know it's all part of the process. I'll be ok! Just pray for me please. 

The area I am in is beautiful though. That's a plus! I will attach and send up to 10 pictures, hopefully. I have a limit cause it costs money or something. I don't know. I am still trying to figure out what's going on here. Like I said, it's a process! I can do this with the Lord's help and with time. I just have to learn to put my head down and go. 

Road in Cadiz

Well, my time is up. Time to go scrub laundry before we go have family home evening with the Branch President (the bishop) and his family. I am so happy to hear that all is going well. That comforts me. I love you all so much! Halong Kamo (take care you all)! 

I love and miss everyone. More next week!

-Elder Garner