Hey all how is it going! I hope that all of you are doing good!

This week has been pretty good. A little hard at times with the language barrier. It’s just so hard to connect with these people cause they get all shy when an American is around and it’s harder when I don’t understand them or they don’t understand me. I’ve tried making a couple jokes this week with the members and they just sit and stare. They have such a different kind of humor here. At FHE the kids were playing Musical Chairs and all the Philippinos were just like dying laughing. That’s their type of humor. So I need to find some way to connect with the people. haha. They live the exact opposite life of me. Like exact. I’ve tried talking basketball but they have no idea who the teams are or who the players are. They just like playing. They love music but they don’t know the artist or the songs they just do kareoke! haha. Elder leng connects well with most people but his humor is a lot different from mine. Like we saw a dog eating a diaper and he was litterally crying laughing on the other hand I’m just sitting there like that’s disgusting. I don’t see how that’s funny at all! haha. We are getting along better though. It’s just hard at times. I'd say 90 percent of the time we're good. 

So to answer some questions...

I don’t play basketball here at all. I’ve played once as a zone activity. I’ve played frisbee a couple times which is fine but I just want to play basketball!! haha

Saturdays are the same as any other day. We have the option to go to a market but it’s to far away since our town Bug-Ang is literally in the middle of nowhere! In the really really rural areas there are people called the MPA which are like the rebel groups down here. Military passes through our town everyday to go into the bukkid (jungle) in order to try to push them back father and farther. It’s not a threat to us. We just cant be too far out in the middle of nowhere at night unless we could have some harm. I’m safe were I am though.

Church here is good. We have like on average 65 active out of 360 so there is a lot of work but a lot of the excuses are "I'm Catholic now" or "it’s too far and we don’t have money to travel" which are both pretty true in most cases so there isn’t much we can do except bear our testimonies. The people in my area are just really really poor, uneducated, and don’t really understand the importance of stuff so the work is hard in that aspect.

Food here is Bomb! It’s usually just rice and juice but it’s so good. I don’t think I’ve lost weight or gained weight but I do eat more. They just feed you and feed you and feed you if you eat at their house so I just keep eating eating and eating. I’m never full! I always just want to eat! haha We also have lots of fresh bread and bakeries which is so cheap and good! The bread and rice is probably my favorite thing about the Philippines!

My language.... haha. yeah.... I feel like I haven’t really improved to tell you the truth. It’s just so hard to learn when I’m studying Illongo but the people speak like 60-70 percent Cebuano and if they understand my accent they all understand Illongo but they speak in Cebuano back and I dont know which is which when they speak so I can’t understand them at all! There are only a few lessons I actually can understand what is going on. One of those we teach in English cause the guy understands and speaks English so it’s easier for us and for him. The other lessons I understand I maybe understand about 30% tops. The other lessons I dont understand I just sit there and listen so hard but it’s like I’m trying to figure out what a dog is saying when it barks. It just all sounds the same and plus they speak so fast! It’s really hard and frustrating. I feel like I understand the concepts well but whenever I try talking or understanding it’s like everything I’ve learned is out the door! haha. This week I’m really going to try to come up with a good plan that can help me learn the language cause I feel like I could help these people but right now I’m just a lump on a log!

It’s alright though! At times it gets me down but then I remember I haven’t even been here a month yet so I know it will come with diligent faith, study, and time! Speaking of time.... this week is my 3 month mark already. Elder Leng hits his 6 month on the 8th I think! But yeah I’m 1/8th down with my mission! It’s gone by really fast since I've been here in the Philippines though!

It sounds like everyone is doing good though! I hope that answers most of your questions. I think I covered all of them.

Oh real quick before I end....

So this past week we were teaching the less active lady Sister De la Cona. She’s just old and weak so she just sits around all day. We were teaching her about Heaven and living with our families again and she just let out like, no joke, 5-7 farts in a row. I was trying so hard not to laugh cause I was reading a scripture to her! The people here have like no problem with that type of stuff I guess! It reminded me of Grandma Sargent when she was over one time and Kenny hugged her and squeezed a toot out of her!! haha Remember that Kenny??

Well fam! The mission is good. I enjoy it! I’m still trying to find my niche but I really think that will come easily as a I progress in the language more where I can at least understand.Then from there really work on the communicating part. My teaching with Elder Leng is getting better. We are connecting better in lessons and now trying to really teach people and not lessons! Time is good here though. It goes by really fast and I definitely see growth in me. I’ve become a better person cause of this gospel and I really want to help these people have that desire as well to fully follow Christ and live His teaching. It’s such a blessing that we have the fullness of His teaching and His gospel once again on earth through the Restoration of the Church. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. That he saw God and Jesus and that he has restored that true church on earth. I know the Book of Mormon is true!

I love you all! and miss you all!!

Until next week....

Elder Sargent!

P.S. still waiting on that package!