1st official week :)

This is my fiirst official week in the Philippines. It's been fun i
love it here. Our investigators are awesome and so fun to be around.
The people are so fun and just friendly. We cant tract because the
retention rate here is 20% which means 80% of the baptized members are
inactive...so we're basically on a rescue mission. We pretty much home
teach and just help out the new members or the people wanting to be
baptized...but i love it. We have like 6 lessons a day back to back
and its great. The people here are so chill and you can just hang with
them and they just really want someone to talk to which is nice cause
we can be that. We do teach them though but its usaually just to build
thier fatih. And of course its hot...its hot all the time...but i
really dont mind that. Um my companions name is Elder Willaimson and
he leaves in like 2 months...so this is his last area and im his last
companion. lol My area is Roxas and i love it. We ride the main
transportaion which is trikes which are mainly a small 3 by 5 foot
little car that is connected to a motorcycle and people can ride on
the side by the wheel or on the back or inside the car or by the
driver. People love to pack these things completely full. IT's
awesome!!!
There is no set speed limit but everyone goes about 10-30 Mph because
theyre carrying people...and then if you want to pass someone you honk
your horn and pass them...wala blinkers lol (no blinkers) and there
are tons of stray dogs and cats walking around even babies. But you
can touch them because they are usually sick. But theyre everywhere
and there are chickens too. Um...the other form of transport are
jeepneys and they are virtually a small bus with two bunches on each
side and an open back door. Oh and seat belts dont exist here
lol...but you really dont need them either. Cause everyone goes only
like 10 -30 mph and there are surprisingly no accidents cause
everybody has safety common sense so thats nice. The people here are
big fans of car pooling...like its their main source of income lol.
Even on motorcycles they put on like 3 people on one
motorcycles...its awesome lol. Then the apartment is pretty nice..i
got a pretty good area beacuse there is a place to shop and wash
clothes and there is just pretty much everything i need taken care
of...which is super nice. Gaisonos is a big super store like Walmart a
small walmart with a small mall in it. Its two stories so thats where
everybody does thier shopping and they have pretty much anything you
need too :) Um im still walking around with this dumb look on my face
all the time but my understanding is increasing better very very
slowly everyday. They speak Ilonggo here...not Tagalog so yah...but
they do understand Tagalog..so if i can say saomething i will...btu
most of the time i stay quiet. Um they also speak english here
somewhat like the church memebers and stuff and a lot fo our
investigators...but they have no idea what you say to them in
english...so you need to speak very slowly...sometimes...very slowly
lol. So thats why i stay quiet most of the time lol. Um and so far its
nice im really loving it. Washing clothes isnt too hrd because i
havent been here for too long lol so thyere still pretty clean lol.
Heres my address if you wanna write.
Elder Daniel Forrest Johnson
The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Philippines Iloilo Mission
Osmena St, Arevalo
Iloilo City 5000
Philippines
um and yah theres just a lot to tell and not enough time to say it.
But, im loving it and the work is progressing. I gave a talk the first
sunday 10 mins before it started in really slow english and then i had
to chorus the music yesterday 1 min before church started and that
went terrible...i mean terrible...i have no sense for time lol but yah
they defiantley get you involved if your new lol...and they were
joking but i dont think they were...and i might actually be the
choruster every week lol it sucks...oh well...so im learning a lot and
im really starting to love the people they are just so awesome.
they're so nice and understanding when i dont speak complete sentences
and they do thier best to speak english when i cant understand
lol...but then i still cant understand them sometimes because thier
Filippino accents are so strong lol so its always interesting .lol
Anyway thats all for now.
Elder Johnson
Oh yah and it is always hot lol

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