Week 31 (Feb. 8, 2015 Guimba, Philippines)

Woah!! That's awesome that you found Wyatt! I remember trying so hard to find him a couple years back, but never had any luck. Where are they at these days? Wyatt kind of looks like Weston Lamoreaux. That's who I thought it was at first before I read the email. I'll have to try and meet up with him maybe after I get him. Now you just need to find Clayton Bowler. Us 3 and Aaron were all really close in elementary. Wyatt moved after 1st grade, Aaron moved after 2nd, and we moved during my 4th grade year. I never really did hear much about Wyatt and Clay, if anything.

And an Asian is living in my house!!!! :D :D :D How long will she be there? You should tell her how to write me letters in Korean, and then Rob can translate them into Tagalog. It's perfect!! :D :D Really though, will she still be there when I get back? I've always wanted to live with a foreign exchange student. My dream was a Japanese kid my same age that was like a master at Karate and other martial arts... A true Ninja O.o

And now about my companion.....  He is fun, but he can anger quickly sometimes. He's generally obedient with the big rules in the mission, but sort of struggles with all the little things. He wakes up late, doesn't have personal study, delays companionship study, makes us late in getting out to work and insists we get home unnecessarily early. When I ask for things I could improve on, he refuses to tell me, but has no problem making fun of me for whatever reason. He even does it during lessons with members as well as investigators. He would rather visit the same Recent Converts everyday rather than spending anytime searching for new investigators. I don't really feel like I can talk to him about it, because chances are he'll just get really defensive and mad at me. I don't know what I should say, if anything, to President Clark, because I don't know if any of it is big enough for him to worry about. It can be frustrating sometimes, but I still stay on top.

We also have another companionship in the house. Our District Leader and his greenie (he's also training right now) are both Filipinos as well, so it's three of them and me. None of them really know how to clean, but are great at making messes, so it's usually left to me. I've tried to speak up about it a few times, but nothing really ever helps...

Guimba is SUPER pretty. There are a ton of really green bright trees, and the people are generally pretty kind. A lot of their signs for streets and government buildings are stylized to look like etched logs with leaves or ivy hanging off of it, so it sometimes feels like I'm in some sort of National Park or camping site with no real attractions :P It is really cool though. We have a two story apartment, and my study desk is on the second floor next to the window with a huge tree right outside. It's really nice in the morning :)

I actually played the piano yesterday for Church and got the right songs this time :P I played the first two alright, but then they announced a suprise rest hymn that I completely butchered. I don't know how to sight read! I've told them this, but it doesn't really ever stick :P I played the closing hymn alright though, so all is well :P

Not much time for adventures, sadly, but I guess I did sort of have a "crazy experience." I was petting this big dog, and he was all happy and his eyes were drooping and his tail was wagging and we were havin a real great bonding time. And then Elder Gallego had to ruin it all and yanked on the dog's tail. The dog freaked out and tried to rip my hand off with his fangs, but I used my super ninja cat like reflexes and dodged him. He tried again, but I raised my clenched fist half an inch and he just rammed my hand with his face and gave up. So just to be clear: I did not punch a dog. He attacked me and hit my fist with his snout and then ran away.

Another less than large dog tried to attack me, but I dodged him too. I don't like Filipino dogs. They're very angry and aggressive, and NONE of them are tied up. Just packs of them roaming the streets at night. It's stressful, but I can tell God is protecting us. I actually have super fail reflexes, so it's sort of a miracle that I've yet to be bitten. The Philippines is......different. And not for foreigners :P

Mangoes here are DELICIOUS. The Caribou Mangoes are my favorite. They also have Indian ("In'jin according to the Filipinos) mangoes, and Apple Mangoes and others too. The only ones that I like a ton are the Caribou. Super soft and juicy and sweet and incredibly delicious and they have a really fancy way of eating them that I'll try to teach you guys when I get home.

Speaking of food, when you think of coconuts, what do you think of? They're brown and furry and have little holes like a bowling ball right? Or am I all on my own with that one? Of course, they got that fancy water juice stuff inside, but It was't all the great the one time I tried it at home. Here, they have two kinds. The nyog, which is the brown furry one, and is used mainly for coconut oil/milk used in cooking. Not for drinking. Then they have the Buko which is not brown but green, and is completely kalbo (bald). The buko has the delicious edible meat and juice inside, but I always that coconuts were just brown. Hmm.

Was it the Dalley's Valentines Concert? Or just for fun? Anyway, I remember them singing that song as well at the EFY devotional last year maybe. It's really good :) And ya, Avonlea has an INCREDIBLE voice. Because she was just in my branch, when
e​ver people hear I'm from Utah, they ask if I know her. I say yes and that I was in choir with her. They get all super excited and tell me to sing for them. I'm always just like, "Yaaaa, that's okay. No thanks." I'd just disappoint them :P Though I may be in a quartet with some other Zone Mates for an upcoming conference. That should be fun :)

Love you Mom! Thanks for the updates :) My comments on your letters seem to be the only thing I can use these days to write letters. Too exhausted to keep up on my journal. Being a Missionary is fun :P

Love
Elder Syphus

Love life and all those in it. They've all been placed in your path for a reason. And use President Monson's Formula W: "Work will win when wishy-washy wishing won't."

February Guimba Zone Conference