04/12/2010 (Burgos Area)

Sounds like things are back to normal. I did get the package -- just got it the other day those tablet things are good but the thing is I don’t have 4 hours if they offer something to me I got to drop it in and hope for the best it’s so hard cause they like spent their whole days salary on the little thing of punch and packet of crackers. It’s hard to be like sorry I’m too good for your water so I usually say a little prayer and gulp. That’s what everyone else does so we’ll see how that goes! But anyways I don’t get in that predicament very often cause they usually serve us soda cause a liter of soda costs the same as a packet of tang. Sodas way way cheap here.

I absolutely love these juice drinks called “fit n right”. They have all sorts of flavors but they’re way good cause in the states if you get watermelon flavor or something like that it always tastes really sugary and it’s not really like biting a watermelon but here these juices are exactly what flavor they say they are. See if you can get them there. I want you to see what I’m talking about. The watermelon is my favorite or blueberry grape it’s good to but anyways I bought one of those and I was so mad cause they’re like expensive so I was like man I love these things but its crazy expensive -- then I realized it’s only 40 pesos which isn’t even a dollar so I realized it wasn’t that expensive just everything else is ridiculously cheap.

But ya I got some way sweet brown pin stripe pants made. They’re maganda I know you know that word mother (I think it means BEAUTIFUL).

But as for conference -- I absolutely love elder Holland. He cracks me up! I was just upset that he had such a lame topic but it was still way good. If you haven’t seen it listen to it it’s way good he’s funny. But it’s on pornography so not very exciting but still good.

I was way excited this week cause one of our investigators this lady came to conference they have been teaching her since before I got here and she has never once been to church and she finally came. It was awesome! Also the other 2 we are baptizing this weekend and next came too. Conference was in English for me and my mission pres speaks only English in meetings and everything so that’s good. He says that everyone needs to learn English so that is help for the natives I guess.

As for food I miss I couldn’t even start k imagine every food you like in the US actually no imagine all the food in the US period.... ya they don’t have it here seriously though they don’t have any of it. The only thing I have found so far is obviously soda and stuff and those mentos candies. That’s seriously it! They don’t have bread like us … they don’t have ham and cheese, they don’t have milk, they don’t have anything seriously I’m not even exaggerating they don’t have it here. I guess though in some other areas they have American stores that has all American food and in Manila they have fast food places like us but not here in Roxas and especially not Burgos.

Pictures aren’t going to be a problem just I want to know how much a package and stuff is going to cost. I can make a disc and send it home. My shoes are fine -- my socks all suck though honestly and they don’t have socks here well they do but they’re like nylon socks like girls nylons but ankle socks cause see they wear flip flops here doesn’t matter if you are driving a trycycle or playing basketball or working in the fields doesn’t matter you wear flip flops. You can get nice dress shoes and flip flops here and that’s it -- up to size 10 only of course.

But anyway that’s all I got for this week! I’ll talk to you next week
love ya Jason

PS: This is the email I sent Matthew I hate repeating stories.

That’s cool you're in an awesome area that’s way cool! I haven’t bought any of the belts yet but I will. The backpack … you need to pick 2 colors for me to make it sweet or rainbow or whatever. I need at least 2 colors and I don’t know how much it cost to ship it but I’ll figure that out also.

Ya ... We have a baptism this week and one next week so we'll have 2 pretty quick. The other 2 if they go to church for the next 3 weeks then they can be baptized also.

I’ve got a story for you … this week I got chased by a medium sized cow. Here they tie there cows up like they do a dog. They put a stake in the ground and tie it up then they leave it to roam on a long leash. My companion and I were walking through the field and all the sudden I hear grabe and my comp goes flying past me and I look back and the cows at a trot coming after us. I started running it was funny cause Elder Hale was watching from the road and him and his companion where just dying of laughter. It was funny and I saw a huge long poisonous snake that these guys killed with rocks haha they’re crazy.

It’s going to be pretty fun to return here! There’s 3 things that are crazy …

A. Toilets its like a short bowl on the ground and to flush it you fill a bucket of water and dump it down. The worst part of it being so low is you can get charlie horses while going to the bathroom and die cause you have to squat way way down there.

B. They have these little lizards called botikis and you live with them. No joke - they’re everywhere inside the house but they’re little cool lizards so it’s really just fun.

C. It's freaking hot (but you’re getting used to that) and we have rice for every every meal - No Joke! – breakfast, lunch, dinner, RICE.

But anyways that’s all I got for this week o except for Elder Hale baptized this lady in the river. His very first baptism and he did it in the river! How cool is that!!
Anyways talk to you later!