3.29.2014

IT'S LATE AT NIGHT...WHAT DO I WRITE?

So, it turns out we have a mission wide activity on Monday (we achieved the high mission standard of excellence) and the whole mission will go to Olongapo city for lots of crazy fun stuff!  And then we got a text about 30min ago telling us to write you because there won't be any time on Monday.  Right now. soooo...o....ooo.

i'm bringing the concept of heart
attacking to the philippines
My mind's gone a little blank.  Usually at this time of night (ya, it's 8pm here right now) we're in the middle of a lesson (usually close to our apartment because it's dark) or walking home from a long, long way.  At this point, I usually have my bag full of now empty candy wrappers, no more BofM's in it, and some random assorted fruits making my bag all dirty and tropical smelling:).  

I went to Mt. Samat for the 4th time this last week.  No matter how many times I go back, the giant cross there is still a giant cross.  But we got free McDonald's out of it (thank you senior couples) so I got a full stomach out of it (and a trip to the city!).  I've emailed pictures from each time I've been up, funny to see the difference in all the pictures.  The last one is my favs.

My trainer from when i was new
(she's home now!)
and the other american in our house
Update on my chocolate beans- we dried the beans inside (they smell just like dark chocolate!!!!), unshelled them, and crushed them into little pieces with a mug (that's the FIlipino style of resourceful) and then I tried heating them up/melting them in the microwave.  Turns out real coco beans don't melt...  So then we added canned milk and tried it again.  Still didn't melt.  So we just ate it.  DOn't eat raw coco beans.  The smell is a total lie.  Not that you're planning on finding coco beans in Utah anytime soon...

And now there's a couple bugs running across my computer screen
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After district meeting on Tuesday, someone told us there was a really good, hidden ice cream place next to the church.  All the sisters in our zone went to scope it out.  I'm thinking we're going to get a couple of cute scoops of ice cream, fun colors and flavors.  We get there, and 15 min later walk out with a gallon bucket of coconut and cheese ice cream.  That was the only option.  It turns out cheese and coconut ice cream isn't too bad. 

our area is pretty ugly...but here's a
picture of the area right next to ours)
And to sum up our week, we had a baptism earlier with some of the investigators we met right after I got here to Mandama.  They accepted the gospel so fast, and I was so excited for this afternoon.  Right before they were baptized, I was standing outside the door to go to the font with Jellin and JhayKhim.  JhayKhim goes in first, and we wait right outside the door for him.  Me and Jellin put our ears up to the door to hear all that was going to happen.  It was such a great sound, hearing the echo of the baptismal prayer, water hitting the sides of the font as he was baptized, and the big grin that appeared as he walked out the door, soaking wet.  And to do it all over again with Jellin.  Sitting there, at the door, just hearing it all happen, put a really big smile on my (now really tan) face.

Funny Story: While we were in Balanga sending letters last week for P-day, I was trying to send a letter to El Salvador.  Post offices in the Philippines are not like in the states.  They just struggle.  I always wonder how my letters manage to make it to the states.  Anyways, I put the letter on the counter, the lady takes it, squints at it, and then asks me where El Salvador is.  K, cooooool........  Best question ever.  I then got to teach a little geography at the post office.

INGAT KAYO,
SISTER TAYLOR