My fisherman sandal things make it so my feet don't get super sweaty.

Hello everybody. I got the double "L" in "hello" this time. I'm going English today. For now at least. :)

This week was super awesome. It was the best week of the whole transfer for my district, and one of the best also for our area. Way to go to us for finishing the transfer at a full sprint! Hopefully it's not like in cross country where after you finish the race at a dead sprint you almost pass out from exhaustion and can't do anything for a long time but stand there panting like a thirsty dog. Don't worry. That's not gonna happen until after my mission. Next transfer will be super awesome!!! Speaking of next transfer...

I have a super crazy story to tell you. It all happened last night. I just came home after a nice day at church and a few hours of proselyting. I was filling out some paperwork like every good district leader should do on a Sunday evening, preparing for follow-ups with the zone leaders. So there I was sucking on a Mento, minding my own business as I diligently paperworked away when all of a sudden the phone buzzed (It didn't meow this time 'cause this phone can't sound like a cat like my phone on Palawan). Low and behold, it was a text from President Ostler! I thought to myself, "Oh, looks like Elder Guzman's transferring." then I opened the text and was shocked to see my name blaring out at me. "Dear Elder Fawson..." The next thing that came to my mind was "Oh no." It was like in the movie Spirit when they are just about to jump over the crazy huge canyon and the indian guy is like "Oh no." then Spirit was like "Oh yes." That's what president Ostler was thinking. He continued to say, "I am calling you to train a new missionary!" Ano ba iyan!!!! Kaya ko ba? Banal na baka! President Ostler, Talaga? [What is that!!!! Can I do it? Holy cow! President Ostler, Really?]These are all the things that exploded into my brain at the same time. After about 3 seconds it was all passed and I said to Elder Guzman, "Hey Elder Guzman. guess what. I'm training." So yeah. That's my crazy story. I'm training.

Elder Guzman is bummed! He's been here in his first area for 6 months now and hasn't had any baptisms. We have a few investigators that are super close though. One of them is Joemarine. He has a word of wisdom problem, but he's getting over it. He used to be a crazy alcoholic, but now he hasn't had alcohol for over 3 weeks, and he's reduced his cigarettes from 20 per day when I got here to only 4. He is super awesome. His whole family got baptized almost a year ago and his wife is almost ready to go to the temple, so he's super motivated to be baptized with his family and eventually get his family all sealed together. The other day he was saying how he wants to go on a couples mission with his wife some day! He totally rules!

Our other super progressing investigator will likely be baptized this up coming transfer too if he can get to church. His name is Julius. His wife is less-active and they also have a daughter that's 12 yrs old, so we've been really working with them to get the wife re-activated, then him and his daughter all baptized up. He's frustrating though, 'cause he always says "Sige elders. Magsisimba ako bukas!" ["Go elders. I'm going tomorrow!"] tapos, 'pag darating ang bukas, wala siya sa simbahan. [Google translate was pretty awkward on that bit. I think it means his wife came to church without him.] BOO!! That's how I felt all of sacrament meeting yesterday. He's way awesome too though!

I'm excited for this Sunday though 'cause I get to watch general conference. It'd be even cooler if when I go to the mission office on Wednesday to pick up my new anak there's a package with my name on it full of 3.95 lbs. of candy corn. I'm not gonna lie, it's in my prayers almost every night. I should've included it in my fast, but alas. Nakalimutan ko kasi. [I forgot]

My shoes are lookin' just dandy! I really like my fisherman sandal things. They make it so my feet don't get super sweaty. The soles must be pretty good, because I didn't even feel an earthquake the other day. haha 

These are the shoes Robert likes so much. 

I'm definitely going to struggle through another Christmas season of no Egg Nog, but pray for me, and I know I can overcome this trial. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." I am just reminiscing about when I had church ball and every game I won we would get a gallon of that delicious creamy Egg Nog. ahhhhhhh!

That's super cool You're working with the missionaries! Member workers are the best! You're gonna have a huge mansion up above, but I know that you're much to busy doing good things to take a lot of time to dream of how the interior designing is in your heavenly mansion. haha "Doing [missionary work] is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure. A blessing of duty and love."

Well, I'm runnin' out of time, pero, mahal ko kayong lahat!!! [but I love you all!!!] The work must go on. There are souls to save. haha

Elder Fawson