"Kumusta"

Another week down!!! It definitely went faster than the first full week and I'm starting to settle in. It's been a busy week and a lot happened. I got the package!! It took ten days to get to the mission home. Not bad! By the way, thanks so much for the peanut butter! I bought a small thing of Jiff in Calapan two weeks ago and that just ran out so I had the local homemade peanut butter and it was the most sugary thing I've had! I could hear the sugar granules as I was chewing!

It's been a busy week. We ended up committing 5 people to baptism but none of them or our other person who committed to baptism came to church. As you probably know, the rule in the Philippines is 4 straight weeks of church attendance before you can be baptized. There are times I really don't like this rule because there are people here that are ready and prepared, but simply need to work to put food on the table. But I understand the rule and think it's good. It really is a bit of the refiner's fire because you've got to be really committed to go 4 weeks in a row. There are times here where I've felt prompted to talk to someone and they've not been receptive at all. One older woman in particular told us how she'd met with the missionaries before and how she "was born my religion, and I'll die my religion" (common phrase here). I walked away sad that she didn't want to be taught, but I felt like we did our job, and maybe that's what she needed, to be given that opportunity to either accept it or not.

We've adjusted our schedule here because the circumstances here are different because it's so rural. Everyone here is taking a nap from 1-2 in the afternoon, and everyone is home getting ready for bed by 7. The last thing you want to do here is interrupt someone’s sleep, we've learned that by experience. I suggested that we go out from 10-12, come back and study while people nap, and use the time from 7-9 for more study so we use our time as efficiently as possible. We tested it out and it's worked very well.

For laundry, I use a Nanay( a woman that does house work for others to support her family) This woman is having a hard time supporting her family so she does my clothes. I withdrew 2000 pesos from my credit card and will use it for stuff like fixing my shirts which I'm doing this week. I can send some pictures from here, but I honestly haven't taken many because I don't want to look like a classic American tourist. I'm trying to blend in, which is hard to do when you're the only white person in miles! People stare at me ALL DAY. It's pretty funny! I try to say "Kumusta" to everyone I see, and when I do all the little kids, little girls especially just start giggling and run away! There's a group of kids between the ages of 4-7 that play by our apartment when we come home each night. When they see me they run over to me, get within a few feet then turn around and run the other way! All the kids try to speak English to me and say "Hey man! What you doing?" I never respond in English and it's pretty funny to see their reactions.

The language is coming along and getting better, but still is very very hard. It's interesting because the members here are not very patient with my language, and I can tell they're kind of ticked I'm not fluent. I just need to be patient with them and keep on working. It's ironic because they're frustrated I'm not fluent yet in Tagalog. I never realized how blessed I am to know English. People here would kill to be fluent in English because it's an automatic job here. President Peterson has told the companionships with two Filipinos that there can be no Tagalog in the apartment, because he knows that if they know English, they'll be so blessed for the rest of their life. It's interesting how it's not till now that I'm realizing how blessed I was to live in America. That's no slight on the Philippines at all, because there is so much good here. You take things for granted, getting in your car, going to the store, knowing that they'll have what you need. One of the saddest things for me to see here in dental health. I was not prepared for it at all. There's one child who is the daughter of an investigator. She's about 3 and just the sweetest thing. Her smile just lights up the world, but it breaks my heart to see all of her top teeth are gone except for one black tooth which is rotting. Breaks my heart! But as a result, I've been brushing and flossing multiple times a day!

Sounds like everything is well back home! Dad, I laughed when I read about Nancy Pelosi. ] (Nancy Pelosi quoted on the floor of the House of Representatives a portion of a statement written by Chip on behalf of his employer) I just hope you didn't help her prove a point she was trying to make! Keep on fighting the good fight! And if the environmentalists give you all a hard time, I'll send some pictures of people burning trash here that'll make them feel better about America!

Dad, Elder G. would like a silver stainless steel vial for holding oil that he could put on a chain that he wears around his neck. He's also like the ones that are smaller than the regular ones. Could you send it if you can find it?

Also, there may be a possibility that I may get a follow up trainer in 3 weeks because I'm making good progress and I know the area. The only thing lacking is my Tagalog. I may train after three months. We will see

I'm reading the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. It was talking about prayer. I was thinking about the unique relationship that Joseph Smith had with Christ and the Father. He conversed with them on multiple occasions face to face and received personal instruction. One woman wrote in her journal that when Joseph prayed in public, it was as if the God the Father was standing right there, and his child was pouring out his concerns and problems. That really struck me. I asked myself, how often when I pray am I just kind of talking? Joseph Smith is unique in that he saw the Father and the Son face to face on multiple occasions, however he understood that relationship better than probably anyone in his time. He taught how important it was to pray with the real relationship in mind, that we are praying to our Father, who has a body of flesh and bones, and is a real person. I've made a commitment that when I pray, I'll keep that in mind of who I'm praying to, literally my Father in Heaven who possesses a body of flesh and bones. I know that he lives, and that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to provide a way for us to return again to him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all so much. Thanks for all your prayers! I need them more than you know!

Love, Elder Yost