Happy BIRTHDAY!!! DAD

I am so thankful for all that you do! It is really cool how you are working with the12 Apostles. Don't worry or freak out about your project coming up that you have to present. Be patient even if the computer is slow or not working hahah. I haven't been able to do the stress thing because we go to this Internet Cafe that has a lot of blocks (we use it because it is the safest one.) and it blocks the videos. So we will have to go to another Internet Cafe to watch it. I am sure it is awesome! It's just hard with Time too.

Ya there was another Typhoon but we didn't hear about it until later and it didn't affect any of our area.

We don't exercise at all it is too hot. I stretch in the morning and at night I stretch my back, but other than that nope. We eat a lot of snacks but we are changing that. Its apart of the culture to share snacks to every guest. I have no appetite but I think that is just the food, and I didn't feel good last week I am better now though. We walk a lot though.

Here at night the storm clouds flash lighting but it doesn't rain it is so cool like someone is taking pictures of everything but it is lighting.

This P-Day we helped the Housing elders with the new apartment for the new sisters. A Lady owns it so we where around to help them get it ready with her around.

Thanks for all your personal letters they are great fun! And I can feel you put your soul into them.

This Sunday we had 7 investigators come to church so happy! And 3 baby blessings! Wow! I wish I could have been to Clara's but It is cool that there is baby blessings happening all over the world.

So I am feeling a lot better. I had interview with our mission president this last Tuesday and his wife. She gave out M&M's that were delicious! Masarap! I realized I haven't had Chocolate in a long time. They have chocolate here but it is like the fake Chocolate like the Chocolate frosting off of a cake, it’s fake and processed so it lasts long but doesn't taste half as good. Yes there is American candy here a lot of it but I can’t get myself to buy any of it.

On Wednesday we had the sister training leaders go on splits with us. I was split with sister Peckhem She was American and everyone was super surprised that she could speak fluently. (I guess they were just use to me struggling hahah) I told her about the people we were visiting and we were reminiscing on America and I was asking her what all the strange sicknesses she has had. And the strange things she has eaten. She has been here for 14 months. Before the splits me and my kasama actually planned each lesson so that I could somewhat take the lead. It was good. I love it when I am placed with someone that doesn't know and I have to take the lead. I'm not that good at it because my kasama knows the area and the people know her and well ya. Yes sister peckhem talked most of the time because she could speak and understand but I was the one giving her the opportunities to speak. We went to a house that was on top of the mountain and there was a hike to get it. We taught the people there how to take the BOM and apply it to their lives. It was great I felt we really helped them. We also visited our non progressing less active. I wanted to see how sister peckhem would handle her. Sister Taborda is joining another church and losing her testimony. She is so confused and it is hard to see it. She is such a sweet old lady and thinks of us as daughters. I talked to my mission prez about it. He said we might have to drop her. Missionaries have visited her for 3 years and she hasn't progressed much she loves listening to us but won't pray or read. "no time!" and yet she goes to bible study everyday but not enough time to pray to find out what is true? Gaaaahhh!

Anyways the split was good sister Peckhem showed her some bible and BOM verses that supported each other and asked her to pray about it Again. Next time we will teach the first lesson (the basics) Again and then ask her to pray about it then drop her.

The sister training leaders stayed that night and it was fun to have kind of a sleep over. (Except it ended at10:30 but still)

Also on Wednesday a new sister from Sir Lanka came she is staying with the sisters that live above us in the apartment complex she is sweet and so confused. I don't blame her. She has a little bit of English and even smaller bit of Tagalog and has to just push along. She is so happy anyways and her two sister trainers and helping her all they can.

This Thursday we went to the other side of our area. SSSSOOOOBRONG Pretty! It is a long cement road in between miles of rice fields that connect to and island of houses! And then that island turns into a hill and then on top of that hill an old Army camp that was used way back when and now is just a cute neighborhood. We taught a referral there a sister Lebombon She seemed pretty open to our message and we asked if she had any family that we could talk to as well, they weren't home. Then we visited another investigator who just had a surgery, we showed her the Restoration video and asked her to pray about it. We also told her that we wouldn't be there next week because our Area is splitting. All the investigators on that side of the split we visited to tell them that new missionaries would come to teach them on September 11th we are getting 4 new sister missionaries. They will take over that new area. After that we had dinner at brother and Sister Allen’s house.

Brother Allen is a white American that can’t speak a lick of Tagalog and Mumbles his English. His Wife is a talkative native and speaks English super clear and Tagalog Fast! They are so interestingly different. They met though her bishop that was white American in Tokyo that knew Brother Allen. It was cool we had onion pork steak with vegetables and ice cream at the end we shared a message about prayer.

Friday The Bunsay kids we got them their baptismal interview! yay. Mariam is super nervous and shy and whenever she speaks to me I can’t hear because she is so quite. Marvin on the other hand has started memorizing the Sacrament prayer and is super stoked. They are both worthy and willing and they both see the difference that having and living the gospel has help their lives. After that we ate a McDonalds’ (Macdoh here) they are pretty chill kids. After that we got lost but whenever we get lost we talk to a lot of different people. We talked to an old man that was in the army and stationed in Alabama he was so open to the Gospel we handed him the restoration pamphlet and he just began reading it right away like bam! He was retired and just sitting on his porch. we then Asked these little old ladies for directions and one was a bore again Christian, I told her that if she ever wanted to just come and see what we were all about she could come on Sunday. She said it was good to share with other churches and then said I am happy to praise God In any Place. hahah she was cute.

We then visited the Dagiou family. The mom was there and just broke down crying we comforted her and asked her to come to church. (We wanted her to stay in the Chapel after sacrament so we could feel the spirit a little more and just talk.) She didn't come to Church but we will keep on trying.

We then ate ice cream on bread, like a sandwich it was cool.

We then taught the Orleano kid again his mom wasn't home but he had like 5 friends there so we popped in the restoration movie and talked about it after wards and then set them free. haha the Orleano kid even though he is a punk and really distracted he really soaked up all that we have been teaching him and his mom. He was showing off to his friends how much he knew, which was a lot! I was impressed.

We then we found out that that Marriel's brother got hit by a semi and died. It was a bummer and we were worried about Marriel and her Dad Brother Pat. Pat had just begun to come back to church and Marriel had just been baptized. We prayed hard that they wouldn't doubt their new found faith, and that it would strengthen them. We went to the funeral service after church on Sunday. They took all their furniture in their font room and threw it out on the law covered it with plastic (because it was raining) and had the casket brought in. we sang Hymns and the mom Broke down. Pat was pretty strong and so was Marriel. All of the family members wore a black ribbon pined to their clothes. It was weird because there where people there that wore sportswear to normal clothes to church clothes it was kind of like whatever. Brother Pat gave his testimony and said he was glad about the plan of Salvation, and my Kasama Gave a Talk about the Plan of Salvation. It was nice

(Side note for john ricks): I have to applaud the Morticians, he looked like a perfect wax doll, considering that he got hit by a semi, they did a good job.

After that we ate food at a RM Families house they invite us a lot of the time with sister Illagan and Sister Flory. They tell us things in their mission and we tell them things of ours. They are like a success story of RM both returned and got married and now both are strong and now both are seminary teachers and they have a little son. It was a good ending.

Baptism Week! On the 5th and then next week transfer meeting, new missionaries coming in and old missionaries going out on Sept. 11th.

This next week I am supposed to take the lead with everything we will see how that goes. This next month we are going on an activity with our district I think Benuwe (rice terraces) or another hike somewhere. That will be cool.

Love you all love Sister Perkins