SO I made it! haha it's so crazy here! I guess I should tell you where I am first off.. I got assigned to an area called La castellana it's about and hour and a half ride from bacolod on the stinkin busses. I don't know if it's on a map because it's kinda small but it's by the mountains and super gorgeous, there are a lot of sugar cane fields here, and it is nothing like america haha. There are like karabaws (water Buffalo) everywhere in the fields and stuff. The town is pretty nice though, there are a few cars but mostly motorcycles. Everyone has motorcycles it's weird. So they either ride those, walk, or take a cycle they say it sickle, which are like these bikes with carts on the side, or they have motorcycle ones too. It's pretty awesome. My trainers name is Elder Sanchez and he is a native Filipino from Manila! I'm the only one of my batch that got a filipino companion... Kinda weird. It was hard at first cause like I didn't know what to say to him or anything but it is better now. In la castellena there is a small church building but there are a lot of people that come to church, we had 96 yesterday! This area is newly reopened just last transfer, but elder sanchez and his trainee before me had 13 baptisms already! We had 4 on saturday, but I'm not counting them as mine cause I didn't do anything to help those people I just got here haha. I don't understand like anything because everyone speaks Illongo, which I need to learn. It's different than Tagalog, but I'm sure I will learn it sometime. My apartment is nicer than I expected, but still not that nice haha. We have a shower, but the water pressure usually stinks so mostly we just end up using the good ol' bucket and ladel technique. It's a little chilly but it wakes you up. I haven't been sleeping very well cause I wake up at like 4:30 or 5 cause of stupid roosters! They start making noise so early and everyone and their dog has a rooster so it's just non stop. Haha I never knew this but filipinos are awful at singing. They love music and singing but they can't carry a tune to save their lives. I do my best to sing on tune but Its hard to get 96 people on tune. It sounds like a combination of tone deaf people and dying cats , so try to imagine 96 people doing that haha. When we teach I just sit there and smile, and then randomly e Sanchez will be like and now elder andersen is going to share about such and such, so I do, and then he translates for me. I love it here, the people are all way nice, and they are really poor. They have like nothing, but will still have a tv and a cell phone, I don't understand it. But whatever. THe kids here are the cutest things I have ever seen! they are fun. Yes, everyone yells out Hey joe! or wash yo name? or they just run up and give you a high five. THe food is good, elder sanchez always cooks, and I do the dishes, cause I don't know anything about the food here. I only get a half hour here too it's kinda lame... so I gotta go, but before I do here is my address in case anyone wants to send me mail: ELder Greg Andersen Philippines Bacolod Mission Galo&Lacson street P.O. box 660 Negros Occidental 6100 Philippines I love you all, thank you for your prayers and support, I need them! Love, Elder Andersen