Week 4 in the Philippines

Your Favorite Missionary It has been another difficult week in the Philippines, but difficult in different ways than I was previously experiencing. But, I do not want to talk about the bad, I will focus on the fun and wonderful few things that happened this week! I guess I should let you know how chicken feet tastes! They made it special for me, without wheat breading so that I would have no excuses! Ha. They made adobo feet and then I think just fried it. I tried and ate most of both. It is really hard to eat feet as you can imagine because you have to somehow get the meat off without all those tiny little bones! It actually wasn't too bad. I would eat it happily again... I bet that you can guess it tastes like chicken!!! Surprised? You shouldn't be.

Also last Monday I was very sick of all the ants in my room. I kept finding more and more in my closet and they had been biting me and basa as we studied. Our spray bottle was broken for the permatox, so I took a spray thing off of something of mine and used that, it was about 50% effective. anyways, there was an ant holocaust in my room that day. I found that they had made their little home under my socks and they all died. Hundreds of them were drowned in permatox. I hope they never return. They still bite me when I study, but there is much much less of them... not surprising since I killed literally hundreds. It was disgusting. Their new home is on the other side of the room, so I’m thinking I might just let them be since I don't want them on my side again :) I also got an email from (ok, most of my family) but I am very proud of my brother Brandon, he is striving to be a good member missionary where he lives, I have been praying that my family would look for ways to help the missionaries where they live. Because the member's are so effective! They do miracles they don't even see! Thank you Brandon, for trying to help the missionaries in Mesa. I hope the rest of the family follows your example, I know the boys are watching you. Tuesday we had our Zone Interviews.... the Gines fed us real American food!!! It was so good. Taco Salad, baby. They got REAL CHEESE from manila. I am jealous of manila. They have cheese. But it was delish. They also fed us watermelon that is yellow and very delish and rambutan!!! (my favorite) It was so good to see other's. Me and sister wilks asked sister Mckinney who has been here three months or so and also the AP Elder Burton what they do/did for language study. They gave really good advice and I am seeing a big change in my learning of tagalog from following their advice. Also, coconut jello? it's disgusting. don't ever try it. We also learned from president that we needed written permission from ej's parents to even be teaching him (not just for baptism) so we went to his house to tell his guardians, they were not very excited about needing to go to lucena to get it, because they said that they had verbal permission. EJ saw us and went and grabbed his pamphlets and aklat ni mormon and sat down all ready for us to teach him he was so excited. I was so sad to not be able to teach him. Anyways, they got the permission the next day! And we are very grateful because we can continue to teach him!!! We also have been punted all week (had an appointment, but they were not available to be taught) it was horrible! So we did lots and lots of tracting... we even had a day with 17 oyms!!! easy!!! (Usually it is difficult to get to our daily goal of 10) so that was good. The highlight of the week was definitely Saturday! The sister's we live with: Carmichael and Cayanan had a baptism/wedding! Bro Matos is a previous less active, and his now wife is now the newest member of the Tayabas Philippines ward! It is very exciting. The ward really came together to put the wedding together and it was marvelous. To be honest, the spirit at the wedding was nothing compared to a wedding in the temple, when you are sealed together as husband and wife for time and all eternity, instead of just for time here on earth. I had the wonderful opportunity to witness my cousin Shayne get married and sealed to his new bride just a few short weeks before I left on my mission. The spirit and happiness of an eternal marriage is a million times greater than one simply to just be following the law of chastity. They will begin working towards a celestial, temple sealing in one year’s time from now and I am very excited to see their family grow. I am hoping to stay in tayabas for 6 months. 3, here to be trained, and then another 3 to train someone else. A wedding and baptism is just such a good way to end your week! I was reading this week in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi, I believe it was chapter 3. I learned a lot about what it is like to live in a war zone, how to stay strong in the faith, and how to live to protect yourself. Today we live in a physical and spiritual war zone. Satan has gotten so good at getting the children of god to fall into his traps. It only takes about two seconds to find a temptation or something that could lead you away from living the gospel truth. I wish I could explain what I mean better, but I don't have my Book of Mormon with me. Anyways, the lord guides us, and we need to have the spirit with us, just they their chief captains to protect ourselves from the gadianton robbers of today. I love you all! And I hope you are loving summertime! Eat some corn, cherries, and raspberries for me!!! Love, Sister Hellewell

Add caption

Me, Basa and sister Marina (member who goes teaching with us multiple times a week and is truly a blessing in my life)