Oh My Gulay…….

This week has been so interesting.  My tagalog with my last companion had stayed the same, but now it's been better.  My companion has been helping me with the language a lot cause I have a lot of habits that are wrong and my teaching still needs a little work, but its been really good!!!

Here are my shoes and well I think I should be good but yea.

The first ones, the soles fell off.  That's from my first area (Calamba).  You can tell with how much walking we have been doing.  Yea, we do that much!!!!

So heres a sign from a Meeting House they used to have here, and through a bagio the meeting hows was destroyed (yea more broken language.  We are not quite sure what he is saying here but we think there must have been a storm)  So a family keeps it in their home.

Its official, I have lost 20 lbs since I have been here and well I have been reminded by one of my batch mates who is filipino that we are almost 8 months!!  Oh my gulay (vegetables)….ha ha.
This phrase has now become our family favorite expression.

P Day at a Japanese Garden, on top of a Mountain….So Cool!!!

Well I don't have much time so I go to go, but I will talk to you guys next week!!

Love and miss you all!!!
-Elder Sarmiento

BTW, I had a Bukai that was fresh.

Also this week and well I say the Lion King is real life!!! ha ha

We think what he meant to say is he saw wild animals like in the Lion King, in real life…..it's a Water Buffalo. 

Ok well I got to go, Love You All!!!

-Elder Sarmiento

Please Send Chocolate…..

Oh My Gosh!!!!
So something interesting just happened!! The man I met from the MTC, Junichi, he just told me in an email saying his neighbor who was a First Counselor in the Stake Presidency just got called to the San Pablo Mission as the New Mission President!!!  Talk about a small world!!  Ha ha I was so shocked to see the email and well it makes me realize even more that I am coming up to my 1 Year Mark!  Everything is moving so fast!!!

Well hey hopefully you guys can meet my future Mission President somehow….ha ha.  It's been a long week other than that.  After the Skype call we had a lot of work we thought we could make up, but after Christmas there were many people who were still busy so most of the last few days we were walking around and looking for people who may be interested.  Other than that we have been just being fed constantly.  We had a Christmas Party a few days ago and well, there they had Dugo…I think thats how you spell it.  It was a big plate of Balut that was cooked into a massive egg.  Oh my gosh it smelled so bad and tasted even worse.  My companion actually almost threw up just from it being in his mouth.  YEA HE IS FILIPINO AND ALMOST DIED.  When I had it I was crying and almost threw up also.  BY FAR THE WORST THING I HAVE HAD.

The last week though my companion bought me the Chicken Intestine off the people who cook them on the street.  It was alright, but very chewy.  It has been good though.  We have been having a lot of work and doing a lot.  Tonight we have our Ward Christmas Party so hopefully members bring more families.  Also yesterday for Church we had 5 INVESTIGATORS randomly come!!!  It was Great!!!  Three randomly showed up, but they were super interested and happy.  So this week we are hoping we will have close to 10 progressing investigators.

Well thats about it for this week.  Surprisingly I didn't cry after the Skype or get depressed but I was super happy!!!  Mainly cause I thought someone was pregnant or something…ha ha not gonna lie.  I was super relieved when no one said that…ha ha.

Well it's been great.  The Bishopric sent me a card so I just want to say thanks.  Also, when you send the package can you send Chocolates!!!!  I MISS CHOCOLATE FROM AMERICA…HA HA!!!.  Well thats is it so I am going to go but I love you all!!!

Oh BTW, I had to cut off 2 and 1/2 inches off my belt last night XD, Im going home 100 lbs lighter..ha ha!!
-Love Elder Sarmiento (jr. jr for the half person I am now..ha ha!!!)