Dear Family and Friends,
Well this week was crazy with New Years!!! Almost everybody was busy, gone, or drunk which made things pretty difficult for Elder Villanueva and I.  We even had one investigator who fell asleep on us in the middle of the lesson which kind of made me frustrated.  But might I say that it was the hardest thing to sleep on New Years Eve due to all of the fireworks; people here LOVE firecrackers!  Not a lot really happened this week.  It was one of those weeks where we got punted a lot and nobody really wanted to talk to us.  Well except for the kids of course.  Kids in our area haven given me three nicknames which they use all the time 1. Mr. Bean 2. Wacky? 3. Mickey Mouse.  Now why they chose these names I don't know; but they do.  I think I get called Mr. Bean more than any other one though because I love to make goofy faces.  We have 8-9 kids who all want to listen to us for "Bible study" so we just need to get permission from their parents first.  I think I'm finally starting to learn how to use my white skin to my advantage.

I know I put this quite often in my emails but I'll say it again.  I still can't believe I'm 1/4 of the way finished with my mission!  It feels like yesterday I entered the field and I didn't know a lick of Tagalog.  Now I still don't speak Tagalog very well (although I can understand it pretty well) and I have truly grown a love for these people and this country.  No I don't have the luxuries of home; but I have learned that material things don't mean anything compared to the gifts of God.  I love you all and I wish you the best 2014! Make it a memorable one because it'll go by faster than you think.

Mahal na mahal ko po kayo!  May God be with you till we meet again.

(This is what happens when you only have two elders, have a curfew, and when baby powder is on your desk.)