Bayad Palihog!

Hey everyone! This week I left the MTC, spent a day or two in the mission home for orientation, met my trainer, moved into my area and met the members and interested people here. There have definitely been highs and lows but I seriously love my trainer and this area!

This email is in sections just read what you want!

TRAINER
My trainer is Sister Francisquete and she's a major girl boss. Shes 24 and from here in the Philippines! She has a degree in Civil Engineering and she's crazy patient with me. I've had to ask her how to tabo (
The toilet/shower situation), how to use the laundry machine and the same Hiligaynon words over and over again. I'm her fourth trainee so I'm in good hands! Shes also been in this area for a while so she has a really great relationship with the Branch. She also knows i can't eat a ton of rice so when we were are an interested family's house and the Nanay (mom) left the room she took it off my plate. She also knows like 6 languages and speaks really good English which is a lifesaver. 

AREA
I am in the Iloilo zone, Arevalo area, in the Oton branch. We are super close to the city so we have a few nicer stores but for the most part the people here live in rice fields or along the beach. Its been raining here a lot which has caused flooding and made most of our walking paths super muddy. My first day we walked through a super muddy rice field and we feet were so dirty by the time we got there the family we were visiting insisted on washing my feet. The people here are unbelievable. I've never met people so derermined to be kind. Many of them have so little and they still make an effort to prepare food for the missionaries and to make us comfortable in the homes. We are very near the beach so some of our area includes people who literally live on the beach and harvest clams and such. 
On the flip side my apartment is very near the ward buulding and a small mall. It's honestly shocking yo visit a family without acess to clean water and then turn a corner and walk into an air conditioned mall with a Dunkin Donuts. 

BAYAD POLIHOG
This is one of the few phrases I've got down. We ride jeepnees here to get along the highway. Its like a paddywagon lookin thing with party lights and benches. You just flag it down and the hop on. Definitely look up a picutre if you don't know what they are because its definitely exciting. Anyway, you hop on and then say Bayad Polihog and pass your money up to the driver. I really don't know a lot of Hiligayon and none of the other languages spoken here but even when I say something really simple like this people are SHOCKED.

PUTI GID
This means very white and its one of the main phrases I've heard the past few days. I'm pale by US standars right now so its even worse in the Philippines. They also tell me they wish they had my big nose. Nothing like a 6 year old telling you your nose looks like a bird's beak. They also like to touch my arms because ive have bolbol (hair) on my arms. But bolbol also translates to pubic hair in some dialects so I'm gonna have to be careful with that one. 

CHURCH
In our branch this week I mentioned that I can play a few hymns so guess what. I'm now on piano duty. I whipped out 4 hymns and all I can say is God was doing most of the playing because I havent practiced hymns in months. Also they asked me to share a message and introduce myself. I did it in Hiligaynon even though it wasn't great. The branch president got up and spoke in all English. That was cool.

COMMON LANGUAGE
As I've been struggeling to communicate with people I've been having to really rely on the spirit (and Sister Francisquete) to hope that my message gets across. Even though I can't really communicate yet I knoe that the spirit still testifies of truth. So as long as I am speaking truth, the people will feel its importance.


Thanks for reading! I'm doihg pretty good so far! I miss my family and my MTC district tons but there is work to do. Also I can't respond the messenger anymore and I had to make a new account so don't be alarmed if you see an imposter sister Larson.

All my love
- Sister Larson

PICTURES
- People we are teaching, member, my rice field feet and me after my first full day.




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