Letter #17 (Nov 30th, 2011)

Hi all,
My week has been very interesting... I have some stories for you all. But more on that later.
Elder Holley is still with me now at least until Dec 20th and then after that we're not sure.
So about the week.
Last Wed for Pday I had my first thanksgiving... because in every companionship in our zone there is an american. It was great because we got together and ate a ton of food (see the picture) and just played frisbee and table tennis and other things as well. It was a really relaxing day.
Thur we had a typical out and about day with lessons and rejections and making the school girls blush at lunch by talking to them in their own language. Fun, fun, fun!
Fri was an interesting day. We were visiting Tatay Pinales and he told us about a less active that lived up in the bukid... he said "...unahan gamay sa eskwelahan, duol ra..." which translated means "...oh its just past the school, its real close...". So we started out on this trail which seemd to lead us straight up inot the bukid. Here we are thinking"Theres a school up here???" but we continue... we end up really bukid, and lost. We see a bunch of bananas on the ground freshly cut and a woman running away from us. (in visayan) "Dont run away. We just want to ask a question!" She stops running and we ask if there is a school further along the path. She says there is and we continue along the path. after a total of 30mins or so we make it to this school in the middle of this nothing town. So we continue on to find this house of the less active member and when we finally get there... shes not home!!! ARGH! But it was okay. We found a sweet basket ball court in the bukid (see photo) which Elder Holley and I commented would make for a great pokemon gym. (thats for all those pokemon fans out there, who will understand when they see the photo)
So we got shown this weird lookin crab by Nanay Bordargo... its was so freaky i took a picture (see picture). How weird is that thing?!
Tues we had a CSP... we moved a ton of dirt... literally... with shovels and 40kg cement bags... it was long tiring and fun... we were all dripping sweat everywhere and so grotty. It was great!
Finally a picture that shows just how much of a paradise my area is... everyone will be so jealous! It is a small pier in my area where some of the men there dock their fishing boats.
I am again enjoying everything here and working hard as well. I am always so tired at the end of each day but feel the Spirit so string as well. This is truly an amazing experience and I cannot believe i have been out 4 months already on my misison.
Love you all, miss you all,
Naghigugma ko kaninyo,
Elder Taylor Addison Cox

Letter #16 (Nov 23rd, 2011)

Hi all,
this week has been great! and i love kinilaw so there is no way im not going to eat it. We are having fun tracting new areas and meeting new people. It is great, and the people are often so kind to us. The guys always want us to stop and play basketball, or volley ball, or ping pong, or billards, basically anything they are playing.
We planted rice yesterday... so now not only have i harvested but planted as well. We were all covered in mud by the time we finised... like it was really caked on.
I have sent some photos as well for you.
There is one of me washing my clothes by hand. one of my area after it rained for 5minutes. Another of me riding on top of a tricycle thingo.
Hope you are all enjoying life and having fun without me.
Miss you all...
Love you, Naghigugma ko kaninyo!
Elder Taylor Addison Cox


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Terri here: Just a short letter for the blog. I've also added the photos he sent.