I haven't had a hot shower in almost 5 months!

Robert walking in the Aborlan sunset

Hello! HAPPY EARTH DAY!!! I don't know if you knew, but it was earth day on April 22. Fun stuff. I may be miles and miles away from home, but we can celebrate the Earth together. I wonder if April 22 was the day that the earth was completed, so God declared it Earth day. Who knows? It doesn't say anywhere in the whole quad! haha

Life is going really great! I had several crazy things happen this week. 

1. There was a gigantic lizard in our house for a long time, and he was really sneaky and fast. Every time we tried to catch him he would flee behind a big cabinet and escape, but I did manage to get a good picture of him. We eventually out smarted him and got him out of our house. He is called a tuco lizard and he makes a really wacky sound like no lizard I've ever seen. It's like this: tuuuuuukooooooo! He does it about 8 times each time getting progressively quieter. He looks really cool!

Tuko Lizard or Tokay Gecko!

2. My Tagalog is getting a lot better. The other day I was in a lesson teaching about Lesson 3, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I was able to say lots of stuff so smoothly that only last week would have been so difficult to put together in my head. I found a system where I don't try to form my sentence before I say it, I just start speaking and usually the right thing pops out. If the right thing doesn't come, then I just kind of get stuck on a word or something, and so I say that word in english, and then start spitting out more Tagalog. After the lesson we had a dinner appointment with some members and I was able to understand the conversation (which is really new for me), and even contribute my own words. It was really fun to not have to pretend like I know what's going on. hahaha

3. This Wednesday is interviews with President Ostler, so Tuesday night we are staying in a hotel because the place of interview is several hours away, and guess what! The hotel has hot water daw!!! I haven't had a hot shower in almost 5 months! "Happy? You bet I am!" -A trainer you battle in Pokemon

Check it out! I took this photo myself. You don't see cows like these on the mainland everyday :)

So yeah. Maraming matamis na bagay ay nangyari, at marami pa ay mangyayari! (Lots of sweet things have happened and lots more will happen!) 

That's so neat that Michaela is going to Montana. You didn't mention that before. As she is shiverin' next to all the Glaciers, I'll be sweatin' next to all the palm trees. haha 

That's super neat that Jon is in the bishopric. I use his Filipino heritage a lot to get some conversation goin'. "Oh. My brother in Law is half Filipino. He is super cool!!!" 

I've been here in the Philippines for over 6 months now. How crazy is that? Time is just flying on by faster than a Syther using Quick Attack, and that's pretty fast!!! :)

Here is a peek at my apartment. I was pleasantly surprised with the green walls when I arrived :)
 This is me and Elder Clark.

I will tell you this, about the chickens. There is no way it could be harder than killing a pig. I haven't done it, but I hear the squeals of pain and horror every morning at about 3:00 am. We live right next to the slaughter house. I have yet to sleep through the entire night without being awoken by the shrieks of terror. Now I know what it means in the scriptures when it says, "...weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." That's what it will be like in Outer Darkness. I assume that the Celestial kingdom is far enough away that you can't hear all the cries of agony and self pity, but I'm not so sure about the Terrestial, and Telestial kingdoms. I bet the people there will still be able to hear their wails in the distance. That reason alone is enough motivation for me to become Celestialized. haha

Elder Ordesta is from Cebu, and he has pretty excellent English. I've been blessed with good Enlish-speaking companions my whole mission, so I'm super grateful for that!!! He is really cool. We work well together and have lots of fun too! 

I love you all!!! Mahal na mahal na mahal na mahal ko kayo!!!!!

Elder Fawson