Hey all,
My week has been great. Our branch is doing well and slowly, very slowly, growing. We visited with almost all the less-actives we wanted to, and have yet more this week too on Thurs when we return to Sandingan Isle. And thank you for your prayers, i really appreciate them. We appreciate any help we can get for this work.
Oh! thats what i wanted to tell you... I got some awesome shoes... so first they were really cheap... only P165. next, they are waterproof... made from a rubber like substance called duralite and look like leather shoes, and they are slip-on which makes it really easy to get on and off at appointments. We tested them on our Nueva Vida run... which is a barungay in the bukid... some we tested them on rocks, sand, dirt, mud, water, no water... they are great. You can even wash them under the tap and they are dry before the next day!!!! I Love them! they are the best.
Later today we are going to a white sand beach to play some games and eat food. Yay!
And just yesterday, we went down to a river in Calape to shovel bags of dirt and rocks for an investigator of the /sisters... i will send pictures of us filthy with mud after the CSP next week. (i forgot my card reader...).
I have some messages for people if you could pass them on.
Stephanie Lee: thank you for the Christmas card... i did get it a bit late... but only just after new years day.
Kristy Wan: I am really sorry that i still haven't written you back, but i truly am really busy. Congratulations for getting accepted to go to Switzerland and hope you are enjoying yourself and balancing your work studies and recreation.
Tom North: I see you are still your crazy old self in the photo for Christmas. How is your recovery going? I hope it is as fast as it can possibly be...
Kurt Seagrave: Guess what... I know how to use a butterfly knife...
Guy Marsh: You thought Thailand was bad... there are bayots everywhere here!
Thank you also to everyone that endured having their photo taken for my Christmas photo album... it really made my week (other than all the food that made my week too.)
Now a short story about the philippino way of business...
So we were thinking of trying to get a ride up to Nueva Vida, one of our areas we are assigned to, because it is sort of far and takes 30mins to walk up the rugged mountain side to get there. So we ask this one guy and the mercardo at the bottom of the area called Catagbacan how much it would be... knowing full well the price before hand from one of the members of the branch. So he tells us "25 lang. tagsa-tagsa." (only 25 each). And i ask "can you do 20-20 each" knowing it only costs 20. He said "Dili (no) kay medyo lisod sa bukid (cause its sort of difficult in the mountain)" and there is another guy in te mercardo who says "baktas lang mo?" (you can always just walk). So we are like "sigi" (okay) "we'll just walk then" So the people in the mercardo are either looking at us funny or some laughing because they dont believe us... until we start walking away. Then the habal-habal driver strats yelling out "sigi! 20 lang! 20 lang!" (okay, okay, only 20, only 20!). But we just keep walking.
If you had just been honest with us at first you may have gotten our money, but to lie to us knowing full well the right price, because we are missionaries, and look like we have money... you lost my business buddy.
We have fun here despite the problems we face and enjoy our time teaching people about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, because we can always feel the Spirit... even if they don't, or if they miss it.
I miss you all,
and love you all muchly,
Elder Taylor Addison Cox
*****************************************************************************************************************
Friday, January 13, 2012
Letter #22 (Jan 4th, 2012)
Hey all,
things have been great here the new year... yes we got fed just as much as christmas and even got invited to a birthday on the 1st of january for the 1st birthday of the son of one of our investigators! we had lechon baboy (i will send photos next week as the computer place here is being stupid and wont read my card or attach photos to the email) and had a great time!
So last pday we spent the day on the beach (white sand beach!) and wandered up and down looking for crabs and other things.
WE rode habal-habal to an isle in our area where there are less actives. The only way to the island is this little concrete bridge which they built.
Friday i ate crab at pres. Mulato's place and it tasted so much better than the crad ive tasted in australia. and on monday we had little squid at their place too. I am really begining to like seafood.
It has been bucketing down rain here... literally... like someone has turned a bucket upsidedown and the water pours out for a good hour or two. We have been caught in members homes about 5 times this week now, which often means we get stuck getting fed, not that thats a bad thing or anything.
So Sat the 31st we got fed 3 times beween 5 and 8 oclock... full meals too. Then Pres. Dig invited us to play scrabble with him... he is ridiculously good a scrabble, better than most native english speakers! Then we watched the fireworks in our street before going to bed. New years here is bigger than christmas especially in terms of fireworks and celebration.
Then on sunday we got fed after church and again in the evening at the party. We had an american come back to church today too. he has been less active for 25 years or so, and not only did he stay for classes (he cant speak or understand visayan), but he brought 3 investigators with him to church. He has such a great desire to return and realises the blessings he has been missing.
yesterday we got caught in the rain in the morning at got soaked right outside the house we were visiting at. And we ate at a members in the evening. Bro Areglado made this amazing sabao (soup like thing) with pineapple juice with bulat (that dried fish stuff) soaked in the sabao. It was absolutely delicious. The members are so kind to us and so too the investigators, especially this christmas and new years. Almost everyoine we have visited has tried to give us food of some sort. I love it! I think i might be getting a little round... at least my face is. One member commented the other day, "your face is becoming pinoy shaped... a lot more roundish! hahaha"
My companion is Elder Olojan from Davao, he has 4 other brothers and he is the middle child. His dad is active and two of his brothers as well. They are all members. He is great and a bit of a joker. But he is always obedient and is very diligent. My english has depleted quite a bit and i find it hard to switch back and forth, cause we speak visayan all the time.
Interesting experiences here on the mission... but i know that i have the Lord on my side and he will help me in all the work here on the mission.
Enjoy yourselves...
Love you always,
Elder Taylor Addison Cox
****************************************************************************************************************
Terri here: lechon baboy is pretty much a roast pig. The word lechón originated from the Spanish term leche (milk); thus lechón refers to a suckling pig that is roasted. Nowadays in most of Latin America, the original use of a suckling pig has given way to a medium-sized adult pig. After seasoning, the pig is cooked by skewering the entire animal, entrails removed, on a large stick and cooking it in a pit filled with charcoal. The pig is placed over the charcoal, and the stick or rod it is attached to is turned in a rotisserie action. The pig is roasted on all sides for several hours until done. The process of cooking and basting usually results in making the pork skin crisp and is a distinctive feature of the dish. Spoilt or what??? Photos of this on the photo page! He was able to send them in the end!
things have been great here the new year... yes we got fed just as much as christmas and even got invited to a birthday on the 1st of january for the 1st birthday of the son of one of our investigators! we had lechon baboy (i will send photos next week as the computer place here is being stupid and wont read my card or attach photos to the email) and had a great time!
So last pday we spent the day on the beach (white sand beach!) and wandered up and down looking for crabs and other things.
WE rode habal-habal to an isle in our area where there are less actives. The only way to the island is this little concrete bridge which they built.
Friday i ate crab at pres. Mulato's place and it tasted so much better than the crad ive tasted in australia. and on monday we had little squid at their place too. I am really begining to like seafood.
It has been bucketing down rain here... literally... like someone has turned a bucket upsidedown and the water pours out for a good hour or two. We have been caught in members homes about 5 times this week now, which often means we get stuck getting fed, not that thats a bad thing or anything.
So Sat the 31st we got fed 3 times beween 5 and 8 oclock... full meals too. Then Pres. Dig invited us to play scrabble with him... he is ridiculously good a scrabble, better than most native english speakers! Then we watched the fireworks in our street before going to bed. New years here is bigger than christmas especially in terms of fireworks and celebration.
Then on sunday we got fed after church and again in the evening at the party. We had an american come back to church today too. he has been less active for 25 years or so, and not only did he stay for classes (he cant speak or understand visayan), but he brought 3 investigators with him to church. He has such a great desire to return and realises the blessings he has been missing.
yesterday we got caught in the rain in the morning at got soaked right outside the house we were visiting at. And we ate at a members in the evening. Bro Areglado made this amazing sabao (soup like thing) with pineapple juice with bulat (that dried fish stuff) soaked in the sabao. It was absolutely delicious. The members are so kind to us and so too the investigators, especially this christmas and new years. Almost everyoine we have visited has tried to give us food of some sort. I love it! I think i might be getting a little round... at least my face is. One member commented the other day, "your face is becoming pinoy shaped... a lot more roundish! hahaha"
My companion is Elder Olojan from Davao, he has 4 other brothers and he is the middle child. His dad is active and two of his brothers as well. They are all members. He is great and a bit of a joker. But he is always obedient and is very diligent. My english has depleted quite a bit and i find it hard to switch back and forth, cause we speak visayan all the time.
Interesting experiences here on the mission... but i know that i have the Lord on my side and he will help me in all the work here on the mission.
Enjoy yourselves...
Love you always,
Elder Taylor Addison Cox
****************************************************************************************************************
Terri here: lechon baboy is pretty much a roast pig. The word lechón originated from the Spanish term leche (milk); thus lechón refers to a suckling pig that is roasted. Nowadays in most of Latin America, the original use of a suckling pig has given way to a medium-sized adult pig. After seasoning, the pig is cooked by skewering the entire animal, entrails removed, on a large stick and cooking it in a pit filled with charcoal. The pig is placed over the charcoal, and the stick or rod it is attached to is turned in a rotisserie action. The pig is roasted on all sides for several hours until done. The process of cooking and basting usually results in making the pork skin crisp and is a distinctive feature of the dish. Spoilt or what??? Photos of this on the photo page! He was able to send them in the end!
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