Dear Mom, Dad, and Cole Family,

Well you guys have been waiting a whole week to hear where I am now
assigned so here we go.  I'm now in Minalabac (kind of close to Naga
City) and my new companion is Elder Ursua.  He's from the Northern
part of the Philippines.  Let me just say that Mom.... don't get mad
at me for this but I think his cooking competes with yours.  He is one
great cook and the great thing is that he likes to do it.  I don't
know what Heavenly Father was thinking, but he finally thought I was
ready to be a senior (I would have been satisfied with being a junior
my whole mission, it's a l lot easier that way.  Our area is still
pretty new and I'm the first American to be actually assigned in
Minalabac in like 4-5 years.  We live close to a catholic church so
most people are hard catholic which makes working rough sometimes but
oh well, the work moves on.  We almost literally have no investigators
so our work is almost pure tracting.... the thing that every
missionary "loves" to do.  Tracting's not bad, it's just a little
demoralizing when you get punted over and over again.  But we have a
lot of support from our ward which makes things easier.  It's weird
coming from a church attendance of 50 or so to 158.

On a different note, it was hard for me to leave Ragay but I'm looking
forward to working in Minalabac with Elder Ursua.  Let me just say
that it was an emotional night for a lot of people when we left Ragay.
(I didn't cry... but Elder Bolambao did).  There were a few people who
confessed  to me that they had a big crush on me which was pretty
funny because I already knew it before they told me.

Well as school is approaching I bet mom is getting excited to being
able to have the house all to her self for the first time in almost a
million years.  I love you all and miss you all greatly but my time
left here in the Philippines is almost up.  It may seem like a long
time but in reality I'm almost a returned missionary.  Take care and
good luck with everything.  Mahal na mahal ko po kayo.  May God be
with you till we meet again.


                                              -Elder Cole