growing experiences and culture shock

Elder Williams sent us an email last Sunday night. He is going through a little culture shock and is now learning the Tagalog language was not the one he learned in the MTC. Here is a portion of his email.

My companion Elder Casilac is a native from Davao, I understand his english about as well as I understand his Tagalog. I can't believe the traffic here, literally EVERYONE drives like Need For Speed. They have these things called "Jeepneys" which are basically small buses with the back door permanently gone. Easily the most unsafe thing ever. I saw a girl about 6 or 7 leaning out the back with one foot on the bumper, and another kid on the same Jeepney resting on the front tire well.

One of the best things about my area is that its every ten year old kids dream. There's tree houses, makeshift shelters, stick pole homes on the banks of the canal, and trees everywhere

Yesterday my neighbors killed, cleaned, and cooked a pig in the front yard. A bit traumatizing but hilarious at the same time. Everyone here calls me "Elder William" and they always forget the 'S' and they gave me my own scripture! read D&C 66:3 sometime. Its already Christmas here yesterday I went to FHE at a families home and we sang Oh Come All Ye Faithful and Joy to the World. All the shops and stuff are playing Christmas music and decorations are for sale.

The movie The Other Side of Heaven make primitive living so appealing, but I miss some very basic things about home.

At masdan, ako rin ay isang lalaking kilala ang pangalan sa lahat ng yaong nakakikilala sa akin; oo, at masdan, ako ay maraming kaanak at mga kaibigan, at ako rin ay nagkamit ng maraming kayamanan sa pamamagitan ng kamay ng aking kasipagan
Patnubayan ka nawa ng Diyos hanggang sa muling magkita

The only pictures he sent last week were of the bathroom, must have made an impact.  

The bathroom in his apartment