My mission is making me much more manly.

Hello family!!! I am so happy to type to you again. My week also was super fast again! It's amazing how fast time flies by when you're too busy to care about the time! It's been a busy week, das fo' sho'!

That's super awesome that you are having such nice weather! The weather over here is pretty nice too; sunny and warm! Maybe even a bit too sunny! The other day we were doing a service project for a guy in our ward (Brother Jypsy, who is the same guy at whose house I Skyped you on Christmas). He is remodeling his house, so we helped pour cement on the second story. There was no truck or anything. They just mixed it all by hand on the street out front, shoveled it into buckets and passed it up. I was on the assembly line of passing the buckets so it was a lot of standing in one place. The problem is that we were outside and the sun was super bright and I got a sunburn on my neck. Now you may think, "Oh, woopdy-doo. a sunburn." But I'm here to tell you that it was more than just a "woopdy-doo" situation. The collar of my white shirts are always rubbing my neck and it is not comfy! haha Like Peter and John said after they were beaten up and commanded not to preach of Christ anymore, I am happy that I can suffer in the name of my Savior. I think they said something to that effect. It feels a lot better now though, so that's a relief!

I have an experience that I would like to share with you all. One night as I laid in my bed before I went to sleep, while resting my feet on the foot board and pondering if I would ever learn Tagalog, or if I was destined to struggle like crazy with it for the rest of my mission, I pointed my toes to sort of stretch my calves and I got a horrible foot cramp. I quickly stretched my foot and it went away, but after it comes once it's so easy to return, so I was playing with it a little bit, and when it came back it was even worse than the first one. In my mind I prayed, "If this cramp will subside right now, then I will learn Tagalog before the end of my mission." Instantly my foot relaxed and the cramp was completely gone. Isn't that just the most fantastic thing you've head all day? But wait, there's more. A couple days later we were sitting outside an investigators house waiting to teach him and I was trying to catch flies out of the air (because there are so many here. It's like breakfast at Lake Powell, but worse! haha). I do this a lot whenever we are sitting down, but not once on my whole mission have I managed to actually snag one. This time Elder Lindaya said, "You'll never catch them. They're too fast." After hearing those words, I muttered that same prayer. "If I can catch a fly on my next try, I'll learn Tagalog on my mission." Guess what happened. The very next try, I caught a fly in my hand. It was so awesome. Now I know for sure that I will learn Tagalog. I will still need to work hard, and do my best and have faith, but I know that It will happen. So there you go. Miracles have not ceased, and I will learn Tagalog. Surely this is the greatest thing you've heard today, if not all week. :) hahaha

On a completely different note, my mission is making me much more manly than I ever was before. I found a 3 inch leg hair the other night. 3 INCHES!!! Holy moly. I couldn't believe my eyes. haha

Before my mission, lots of people warned me about coming home with a Filipino wife. I guess I should have taken them more seriously. there's this lady that we pass by a lot and she has already taken the liberty of calling my her asawa (spouse). I don't really know how to react. I usually just pick up my pace a bit and mumble a quick "Magandang araw." haha. What else am I supposed to do? I don't know. :) haha

Okay, last thing. Remember the guy I met and shook hands with that was missing a thumb, and it was the strangest handshake ever? I had a hand shake yesterday that is equal to, and possibly even more strange. The only difference was that this person wasn't missing a finger, but had an extra! It was just dangling from his wrist at the bottom of his palm. When I shook his hand it sort of jiggled against my own wrist. Man, it gave me the heeby-jeebies! I shook his hand several times too. haha

I guess that's all the exciting stuff to share about this week, except that I accidentally deceived you about the interpretation of Brother Lito's name. Lito actually means confuse, not shower. Shower is "Ligo." An honest mistake. :) He is still doing so awesome. We already finished teaching him lesson 3, and started teaching his wife. They are scheduled to be baptized in about a month. I'm pretty confident it will all work out. Exciting!!! :) T

hey both came to church yesterday and had a great experience. :)

Now that's all I have to say. I love you all and hope you continue to have awesome weather and stuff. I know I will. :)

Elder Fawson