First of all, Bon Jovi is playing in the internet cafe. Just heard “Bed of Roses,” now “Livin' on a Prayer.” So great!

So this week was really good! We are so excited because we have a perfect little family! It is the family that I fell down the mountain on the way to teach the first time. Brother J was baptized when he was 10, but has basically been inactive ever since and now he's 35. His wife isn't a member. They have two adorable little girls (5 and 1.5 or something). They are so cute and the older one just carries the little one around everywhere. He is a trike driver. They live in a little one room bamboo hut in the middle of one of our remote areas (you have to hike through the jungle to get there). Bro. J saw us walking a couple weeks ago and he just said "Sisters! I want to come back to church! Will you help me?" So he is very enthusiastic and his wife has been searching for the right church for years. We invited them to general conference and we didn't really expect they would go because he has to work a lot, but their entire family went to priesthood session, Saturday morning, and both Sunday sessions! He texted us on Sat. morning as priesthood started and said "sisters, is it ok if we go in?" and we told him yeah but they were so scared so we had to quickly text some elders who were there and tell them to take care of our family! We were so impressed they went to so much conference, especially since they have little kids and they don't understand English very well (conference is only in English). Then we taught them and they are making tons of progress reading their Book of Mormon. We are so happy. Please pray for the family.

Remember last week how I was laughing at how I hadn't got sick at all. Yep, I jinxed myself. I started to feel sick like an hour after I sent that email. The next day I was totally sick (Sis. Balledo's case #21 this month of LBM in case you were interested). I basically just curled up in the fetal position all day. Also had a fever and felt like I was going to throw up the whole day. We taught a lesson but then I had to go home. But don't worry! I'm better now. I feel perfectly fine. That was not a good experience. So awful.

General conference was great because it talked so much about member missionary work! We wish more members would have been there to hear it. They have general conference at the stake center. I think that's the only place you can see it. Sunday morning session the chapel and cultural hall are completely full. The rest of the sessions? Like 1/4 of the chapel. Our little family was so diligent! But we thought the talks were so great…Because one of our biggest problems is getting help from the ward. Also, it was great how they talked a lot about less actives because we have like a million of them. Last night at MCM, we talked to Bro. G a lot about how we can involve the ward more. Brother G is high priest group leader. He does so much for the ward.  Their family is great. His wife is our laundry lady, and their kids all are strong and have leadership positions in the ward. Bro. G works with us all the time.

So, about the typhoon. That's all we heard about for like 2 days. It was supposed to be signal 3. That means that elementary, high school, and college don't have school. And apparently signal 3 is so stormy that tin roofs are flying around. So we made sure we had enough food and water and our apartment and then it just never came. I think people died in other parts of the Philippines, but it never hit us. Seriously, people were freaking out and all the stores were so busy because people were stocking up, but it never came so that is great! It's also great because it was supposed to come on Saturday, but it didn't, so everyone could go to general conference!

This morning there was a giant furry striped spider the size of my palm in our apartment. Yesterday, Sis. LT saw some guys grilling a dog (thankfully I didn't see it). I walked across a super long rickety bridge that was swaying back and forth a lot. We met a woman who told us she was a daughter of the moon and then we pulled a furry caterpillar out of her hair. I feel like the fascination with me being an Americano was amped up again (especially by creepy drunk men-- don't worry, they're really small and I could beat them up). We were surrounded by dogs... like they were circling and growling and one licked me. When that happens we just make our umbrellas long and get ready to whack them.

Thank you for your comments from your mission and your update on America, dad. I really appreciate it. I’ve decided I can live in America for the rest of my life, but I'll probably only have these crazy experiences once. Last night after we taught the family, I realized that I love my mission even though it's really hard.

I hope you all have a great week. I love you very much and I am very proud of all of you. Thanks again for everything and I love you all!

Love, Sister Mortell

 

 

San Fernando Zone at District Meeting [Photo courtesy of the Dinkels]