Mom, thank you for the letter!

Eeek Im so excited for Cory! I hope he gets called to the Philippines. If he gets called to Naga, maybe I will see him before I go home! Then we can use tagalog and bicol after our missions.

I’m not sure about the phone call. I will know this Wednesday because we have zone conference. We just got a cell phone though, first in the mission! President thought it would be best for us to have a cell phone, because our area is so remote and dangerous if anything happened. So I may be able to call from there. I will find out soon, but I guess just find out on your end what would be less expensive if I called the home or cell phone.

So I finally received your thanksgiving letter. I actually wouldn’t have received it until next week, but my companion and I made a trip into Naga today, to check the NSO- national statistics office for a marriage certificate for an investigator of ours. (Divorce is against Filipino law, so its hard for baptism and temple marriage if the investigator has a former marriage. But sometimes their records are no where to be found in the NSO..so yeah.

So I got food poisoning this past week. Spend the past few days puking and only eating sky flakes (saltines) Too bad an imperfect body has to slow down such a spiritual work. I thought I was made of steal. But seems like all the unsanitary conditions finally caught up with me.

Man time is just flying. I'm getting kind of scared. I hope I’m doing all I can, in the time I have. I have problems feeling insufficient or ineffective sometimes.

You know, this place can sure break your heart. We live near this little family, I’m not sure where the father is, but the mother works full time all the time, and leaves her 7 year old daughter to cook and take care of her 4 year old twin brothers. The seven year old uses burning wood to light a fire, and places a pot of rice on top to cook. Rice, that’s it. morning evening and night. I’m actually not sure if they even have a home, because they are always outside. I think I’m going to walk a way from this place with permanent scars on my heart, to help remind me there is other people in the world besides me. Money is a blessing from God, and its meant just to support your needs, and then to give the rest to give to others needs. The soul purpose of it is to serve others, but selfishness seems to blind us all. I think we can all do without a few soda pops and extra pairs of shoes, just so others can have a comforting blanket at night, or at least a meal to get them through the next day.

Anyway,

Much Love,

Rach