PAMILYA NAKO!!!!!
Hello my beautiful family! I am so excited to FINALLY be emailing you. First. ZACH!!!!! I mean: Elder Trayner. FREAKING NINDOT!! I can't believe that 4 of the original 7 of us are serving at the same time. I am so happy for you brother! Rach, you know it's not too late to go ;) Haha. THAT would be crazy.
Ok. So I am on Cebu island in a city called Balamban in the Toledo Zone. It's a jungle. Seriously. On Sunday we hike up in the mountains and visit the less actives. We walk, walk, walk. I love it! There are dogs, cats, goats, cows, frogs, lizards, chickens you name it just wandering around everywhere. We will be teaching a lesson and all of the sudden I will "moooooo" right behind me and lo and behold! A cow is just right outside the house. Hilarious. I laugh every time a rooster "cock a doodle doos" and then I wonder why my companion doesn't laugh....probably because it's normal for her. Anyway, we are working in a branch here and it's pretty small but we are slowly but surely bringing those less-actives back! In order to get around they have these tricycles. Basically it's a motorcycle with a little caddy (is that the word?) attached to the side. And they drive like MAD. Seriously, it's worse than China. It's funny.
My companion's name is Sister G and she is from Quezon City, Philippines. She is soooooooooooooooooooo awesome. Basically the best I could ask for. Oh, I love her! She is so patient with me but also pushes me out of my comfort zone which is awesome. She's super small but of course she thinks she is fat. Oh, so I'm on a diet. Haha. I just laugh because people are like "Hey, you're fat. Tambok ka." And I'm like, "Hey, thanks. Salamat!!" Sometimes the truth hurts, haha. But yeah. They call me fat then they try to feed me all of this rice and then they get mad because they think I'm not eating enough, haha. Okay, back to my companion...Basically, just know that I am in good hands. I never really understood the missionary lingo "mom, dad...son, daughter" but I DO NOW. Seriously, she is the reason I am still alive. Don't believe anybody who tells you the Filipino people speak English!!! (at least they don't really here)
Let's see. Oh, I ate balut. If you don't know what it is, look it up. It was...alright. The juice was pretty good. Like chicken broth. And the rest was like a softer hard boiled egg. I also have been showering with the bucket. It ain't so bad although our bathroom is pretty ghetto. Today I also hand washed my clothes. My knuckles even got all bloody and stuff from the scrubbing. My companion always checks up on me and I tell her, "Filipina ko!" (I am a Filipina) That's my philosophy. I am now Filipina.
My hair is CRAZY here. Imagine me as my 8th grade self. Minus braces. Plus sweat and dirt. That's what I look like. Yikes.
My Visaya is alright....here they drop L's from their words so I'm just trying my best. That's all I can really do. I understand what's going on in our lessons but heavens...real conversations? haha. nothing.
So yeah, that's basically it. I have a bed with a tiny little mattress but it's actually quite comfortable. People here are super nice and I always feel welcome. Most of the people we teach have nothing. Their whole house is seriously the size of my bedroom. Even smaller. They have no furniture; their houses are made out of bamboo with tin roofs. I feel so humbled here. I can't believe how many things I have and how little these people have. I hope you are all grateful for everything you have. If I had the choice (do I???), I would sell my car and give the people here the money. I am just speechless about how little they have. But I know that money isn't what will help them most. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My first week I've learned that it's okay to get dirty. It rains and I am seriously covered in mud when I get home. But that's okay because I have my bucket shower. It's the same for all of us. We all make mistakes and commit sin. None of us are clean. But that is okay because through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can become clean again. That is the best bucket shower on earth :) I hope that each of you will evaluate your lives and take advantage of the redeeming power of the Atonement.
I love you all and think of you often!!!!!!! GWAPOS UG GWAPAS!!!
Sister Nicole Trayner
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