Elder Jordan Royal

Elder Jordan Royal
Jordan hugs big sister Kelli

Sunday, April 15, 2012

First week of transfers = soooo long

Elders Royal and Talento with Rose Marie Rabe (03/12/12)
            Wow.  What a relief it is to finally be writing to you guys.  It seems like forever since I've communicated with you all.  I'm sorry that I'm writing this a little bit late.  I'm trying to type this up as quick as possible so that you will read it tonight.  The reason why we're emailing so late is that we returned from our first zone activity of the transfer.  We went to a place near the Camaling River and it was really fun over there.  We took a lot of cool and fun pictures, so I should be sending those right now.  We had lunch over there and then all of the foreign missionaries (Elders McCormack, Phillips, Despain, and I) just hung out and talked under a kubo while the Filipino missionaries went to the banks of the river looking for fresh-water crabs.  They caught a couple and will eat them later.  I didn't even know there was such a thing as a fresh-water crab.  It's getting ridiculously hot here right now, because summer has now started.  The heat just drains out all our energy, and even with an umbrella, it's still burning hot.  (By the way, my umbrella broke.  Woo!). 

Jordan suddenly has fond memories of his red 2001 Windstar
            Maybe it's just because it was my first week here in Mamonit with a new companion, but the week seemed to drag on forever.  It was like that during my first full week in Kalikid as well, but I'm sure it will get better as I get used to all my new surroundings.  It was also a really frustrating week, because a lot of our appointments fell through.  Then we would have to continue walking in the brutally hot sun to our next appointment.  The nights here aren't really bad at all - at least not like Vegas Summer Nights.  As soon as the sun goes down it just instantly turns cooler (except for last night.  Sobrang init talaga).  The people that we were able to teach though were very good lessons. 

Jordan and Elder Talento with "March Madness"
           I attended my first sacrament meeting of the Mamonit Ward yesterday.  The members here are really awesome.  I was expecting a lot more members at church yesterday, because it's a ward and I was told that the attendance was usually high every week, but there weren't that many people there yesterday.  Which I guess was fine, because I had to introduce myself yesterday in what very little Tagalog I could (haha). 

            As for our investigators, we don't have many.  We have kids, but those don't really count unless we're teaching the whole family (and we're not, so that's a bummer).  But, one of the kids that we're teaching is a very fast learner.  I've only been able to teach him twice, but he always remembers what the missionaries had taught him before and keeps commitments.  His name is Jarom, and he has a baptismal date set for next month, so that should be exciting.
Elders Royal and Talento . . . ready to do the work!

            Well I have a couple of funny animal stories this week.  After one of our appointments, we had to cross a bridge over a river to reach our next appointment.  There's a river about seven feet below the bridge and below the bridge were about 100 ducks just swimming in the water.  As soon as I stood on the bridge, they just scrambled and swam in both directions, almost perfectly in half.  That's when I learned that I do have the authority to part the ducks in the sea (haha - yeah it was a pretty funny moment).  There's a monkey about 40 yards away from the bridge that's tied up and to some bamboo sticks, and he just hates me.  (Angry monkeys are scary.)  He's very shy or friendly to the Filipinos, but when he sees me, he attempts to lunge at me.  Good thing he was tied up (haha).  The bishop’s monkey is different.  It's not fierce, but he (or she) is shy around me.  Which I prefer.
Indiana Jordan, in seach of the Holy Mail

            We're not getting our mail until interviews next Friday, so it'll be awhile until I pick up my package.  Well...I think that might be it for me.  Again, sorry if this is late.  I hope that everyone is doing great over there.  Mahal na mahal ko kayo.  Ingat.  Totoong simbahan ito! 

            Elder Jordan "Moses" Royal

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