Week 8 Philippines or I've been out over 100 days!

December 25, 2013  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Family!  Hello po!

I am just going to write pretty quick because I get to skype today!

Tagalog- I think it is slowly coming--I guess you'll see for yourself when I skype mamaya.  Its still difficult but I am starting to actually communicate a little.  I definitely am not going to be training next month.  ( That is what President Querido always does- you train after your three months of training.)  But I don't think that I am fluent enough yet.

I love our investigators.  If I get transferred I will be pretty sad.  I LOVE the branch members.  President delaCruz (branch pres) and I are pretty much best friends.  He is super sarcastic and he doesnt speak very much English and I don't speak very much Tagalog so it is always interesting.  We had these two recent converts of the elders give us (the four sisters) a Chrsitmas present- an orange.  It was probably one of the best if not the best gift i have ever received.  Their names are Iverson(9) and Fatima(11).  They are really really poor but they love the gospel so much.  We cried when they gave it to us because oranges are so expensive here-- about 30 pesos (.75cents)  The next day we gave them a huge Toblerone chocolate bar.  They were so happy.  It was really amazing to see.  Then I was able to help them pay tithing for the first time.  It was such an amazing feeling.  They have so much pananampalataya.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  We are supposed to go into our apartment at 6pm to avoid all of the Christmas Eve drunks.  So we are going to splurge today and buy potatoes to make mashed potatoes and we are going to move our bed pads (we don't use mattresses) into the living room and watch The District(the missionary training videos).  Super exciting. Its going to be a good time.  Then on Christmas we are just going to 5 different members' houses to share a message (eat).  On Christmas, Filipinos eat spaghetti because that is what rich people eat.  The spaghetti here is sweet and it has those hot pink hot dogs (like Africa) in it.  They also put hard boiled eggs chunks on it.  Christmas will definitely be different but I'm excited.  Well I have to go but I love you all.  Merry Christmas. 

I'll talk to you in 30 minutes!! Love you, Sister Raynor

                                 Rach- I thought about you on your birthday.