Balut Eating Time!

Week 7

13 January 2015

Well I have been gone 7 weeks, it has been fast and there is still a long time to go, but no doubt the time will fly on my end.

My week has been great! This week, we taught a few lessons. We're re-opening the area and doing heaps of finding! We have a tonne of appointments booked for this week.

We played basketball a fair bit, as our Mission President said we can use basketball as a tool to work with less-actives and non-members. Of course, it helps when your companion is 6'7" and everyone wants to see if he can dunk. Of course, now that I can dunk they get quite a shock when we play and I'm the one dunking on fast breaks!

I'm still learning the ropes of speaking the language and how to be a missionary!  I'm getting better at the language, it's still killing me that I can't open my mouth and start talking but it will come in time. I have recently started doing street contacting and that is really helping my language. 

We had District meeting on Wednesday, and Zone Interviews with our Mission President yesterday. Preparation day was today because of the interviews. Tomorrow is our Zone meeting.

My chapel is very nice, I haven't had the opportunity to take a photo yet, because I just work and forget about photos. 

So my branch has about 120 active members to 150, depending on the Sunday. The reason we aren't a ward is because the district isn't progressing like our branch is. The chapel is nice, small.. but it's not run down and dodgy,  everything is nice and tidy and it even has a basketball court (full-court) outside. 

Our branch out here in Pakil has sports every Saturday to have bonding time as a branch and to also meet and mingle with less-actives and investigators.  This week is volleyball.

I'm in a rural area, and it rains a fair bit. The wind blows like crazy at night and our house usually creaks like a shed.

We have been to member's houses, but it is hard for me to speak because I can't understand them. They talk waaaay to fast! 

Elder Richards cooks when we aren't eating out at members or eating out at burger stores. No dishes have been learned yet though. It will be learned in the future for sure.

Great to hear about all the news going on at home, I don't miss home at all to be honest, but I do miss you all. However, the work I am doing right now is important!

I ate balut last night, and let me tell you it tastes awesome! I ate it like nothing hahaha....

Brother and Sister Alcibor (MTC Teachers) and Elder Crichton

L-R: Elder Crichton (Brisbane, AUS), Sister Toa (Sydney, AUS), Elder Nikau (Sydney, AUS), Elder Faka'i (Sydney, AUS), Sister Etuale (California, USA), Sister Toli (California, USA) and down the bottom: Elder Jim (Pohnpei, Micronesia)

 L-R: Elder Theobald (Arizona, USA), Elder Sekona (Canberra, AUS), Elder Strickland (Auckland, NZ) and Elder Crichton (Brisbane, Australia)

L-R: Elder Tagiloa (Sydney, AUS), Elder Crichton (Brisbane, AUS) , Elder Finau (Auckland, NZ) 

Room 2310, Manila MTC, November 21, 2014 - December 30, 2014.
L-R: Elder Faka'i (Sydney, AUS), Elder Theobald (Arizona, USA), Elder Tuua (Pesega, Samoa), Elder Strickland (Auckland, NZ), Elder Nikau (Sydney, AUS) and Elder Crichton (Brisbane, AUS)

And the one you've all been waiting for... Eating Balut!!!!!