Elder Fawson in the Philippines : Blueberry jam makes really great ulam

This week was quite fine!! One day we stopped by a street vendor and bought some fries for a quick snack. I dipped the fries in the sauce and was pleasantly surprised with the taste!!! I asked Elder Lindaya what the sauce was and he said, "ketchup and mayonaise". Let it be known throughout the land from sea to sea, fry sauce is not just a Utah thing. It's here in the Philippines too. It was a nice taste of home. I'm not really home sick, but it's still nice to recieve those little things that remind me of what life used to be like. :)

Before my mission I never realized how much reactivation I'd be doing. I just figured it was teaching investigators all the way. Nope. Not so. I realize now that a huge chunk of our calling is to strengthen the members too.

I think I figured out an answer to my concern last week about being bold. I learned from the scriptures that you don't have to be a great speaker with a loud voice and use lots of fancy words to be bold. You just have to speak with the spirit and he will carry your message to the very souls of the listeners. I think I can do that. I don't have to be able to talk really fast and fancy like, but from the heart. If I can do that, even if my Tagalog isn't perfect, I can still be an effective missionary.

Every thing within our companionship is going great still! I really like Elder Lindaya! He's an amazing missionary and I love being his companion.

generational photos of me, my tatay (elder Lindaya) and my Lolo (Elder Smith)

We had a recent convert become fully active yesterday. That means they are able to support themselves now. Her name is Francisca. She is an older lady who was baptized a while before I came here. We visit her a lot and she always gives us Tang. She is so nice. We also just found a lady to teach named Sister Ilene. She is kinda crazy! She talks almost 70 miles per hour, and I don't understand a word she says. haha She is really excited about us. I suspect she will be baptized someday. I'll keep you updated on her progress. We are also teaching a family, The Lopez family. They are super awesome, except they aren't married so they can't be baptized unless they stop living together, but they have a baby too, so that's really hard. They can't just get married, because Brother Lopez has already been married before, and I guess there's no such thing as divorce here. It's kind of a really complicated situation that I don't fully understand. We are trying to figure something out for them though. I hope we do! they are super awesome and nice!

Dad, I took your advice and learned how to make a Filipino food. It's called Maruya. It's basically a banana cooked like french toast. I wonder why they don't call it french banana. You make the batter out of flour, water, eggs, and stuff, then roll the banana around in it and plop it on the frying pan and let it sizzle away. It's really good to sprinkle brown sugar on it while you eat. It's really awesome!!!

In my personal study the other day I was reading about the atonement and had some personal revelation. Let me speak somewhat concerning Harry Potter for a moment. When Harry was a baby, the dark Lord Voldemort came and tried to kill him, however, when Harry's mother, Lily sacrificed herself for him, she, in the words of Dumbledore, "...left a mark. This mark cannot be seen. It lives within your very skin." He then explains the mark is love. The love that Lily Potter had for her son provided a protection to Harry from the Dark Lord. The atonement of Jesus Christ does the same thing for us. The atonement provides for us a protection from the powers of sin and Hell. Even from Satan himself. Through the love of our savior, we can overcome any trial that comes our way. Just as Harry Potter eventually killed Voldemort, we can overcome our trial in this life.

How awesome is that analogy? I should be expecting a call to speak in the next general conference and share this insight to the world. :) Maybe I could submit an article to the New Era or something. hahaha

I have been eating more this week mom, so don't worry. I learned that Jam is a really great Ulam. Ulam means anything you eat with your rice. I bought some blueberry jam last week and it was a really great idea! haha

Any who, that about sums up my week. I wish I had more time, but I have to go share the gospel with people. :) talk to ya next week. :)

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!!!