Email October 27th

Something "Tricky" did end up happening. It must be because it was the October transfer. I mentioned the few things I thought would happen to me at transfers and then I said if that didn't happen something tricky might and that's just what happened. I had it all worked out,who might be my new companion and where I would be going and then the names kept getting knocked off, there seemed to be no places left for me and I was a bit confused... and then I was going to the "other" island. I thought there was a chance at the one but I knew the other was not possible -- oh was I wrong. So here I am in Pola Mindoro with Sister Thompson, an American! She hasn't really been here that much longer than me. Ten months meaning she's at her one year mark if you include the MTC. Life is definitely different on the Island, and if you end up not getting an email one week don't be too worried. I don't think it will happen but the email place is now really far away and who knows, so just to warn you ahead of time so you don't call the mission or anything. I also don't think i'll be sending pictures quite as often as I used to because only when we go off the island is that possible, but who knows. I talked about how the spiders are also huge here but I didn't know huge until I got to the apartment on the Island. My first night there was a nice big one crawling around on our ceiling with something white attached to it. That would be its egg sack so when we knocked it down from the ceiling and smashed it all the little spiders went all over and I started spraying the floor as we stepped on them all. Later there was another large one by my bed, I can't smash the big ones it completely grosses me out so I'm pretty glad that Sister Thompson has no problem with it, anymore. She's from Utah, Smithville, and turned 22 this October. She went to Utah State University before her mission and we both just kind of struggle with the language, we both have no idea why we were put together since there are only five American sisters in the entire mission -- but maybe we'll get some insight as time goes on and maybe from president tomorrow at our zone interviews. The branch here is what you call starting out and President called STP - Same Ten people... they just trade around the callings every year and have multiple ones and try to get everyone else to help out. I played the keyboard for sacrament, shared my testimony and then taught one of the classes later that day as Sister Thompson taught another -- they are good and patient with my language skills, for now. I get the feeling I'm going tobe forced to teach myself for now and it's going to be good, yes it will be good we just keep telling ourselves it will be good, right, good? Haha, I was so shocked at the meeting that when I stood up to greet her and move seats my legs were shaky and I felt a bit hot. As for you coming here again-- I need to tell Sister Victorino something about what you think about having her be your tour guide and what your plans are, I don't really know what's going on with that for you. As for the package -- I think I sent a letter talking about some more things I would appreciate and don't know if you got it get or what I said in it for sure and also the official best thing to wear here on a day to day basis, especially on the island where it is not easy to wash my clothes and dry them and be hot all the time -- Jody Dresses -- I have two but if you want to send me another it wouldn't hurt my feelings. If they are super long, well I had the ones I bought altered to be shorter just because it's easier here anyway Sister Abad and Sister Mabalot would like 5 tops and 5 bottoms each, meaning 20 pieces total and I'm pretty sure they want caranessa bottoms and the silk tops -- and that they don't really understand the sizes because sizes are different here. Sister Mabalot and Abad are about my height, not super short like others, and Abad is a little bit bigger, if you have pictures you can compare her to me. My bottoms are the hmmm... XS 24/26 or something i that is a size or maybe the S also, I'm thinking that's more what sister Abad would need and then Mabalot is tiny so maybe more like Mom's size or a little bit smaller as for tops I don't really know -- :) how do you like that information? I'm glad Maddie enjoyed her birthday and dad survived the movie, truthfully those are not my favorite either :) I remember the first time I saw it was because I was trapped on the couch after jaw surgery and the girls were watching it over and over again, haha. As for speaking when I come home, am I really going to end up speaking in your ward?Hmmm, and don't expect anything from me that might just disappoint you, haha a talk just comes out as it does when it does kind of like teaching does sometimes here, and not to mention if I do speak it would have to be pretty quickly if I end up going back to Provo and it's strange to teach in straight English right now, because you express life different in Tagalog and that's what I'm around all the time -- who knows. Anyway, if you haven't noticed about my personality I don't really like to have people have expectations of me, it's kind of a bad personality trait and makes me try to avoid letting people know much about what i'm doing, or feeling like I have to live up to something because it stresses me out and then I feel like I'm doing things for the wrong reasons, well I can'texplain this but anyway that's how I feel and probably part of why way back when I didn't really want to speak when I left either, but I did, and now you're moving so I'll never see those people again. I'm kind of excited for the moving part to be over and hear how everything is going, it's like limbo right now but I'm here so life is going fast fast fast -- half way like you said, but some days are still slow slow slow. Thanks for the letters and the emails and the package, yes i got the package at transfers and already ate all the licorice and the american Elders were really excited to eat some starbursts for the first time in forever also -- they've been here longer than me. As for that necklace from your letter way back when, when I got it there was a huge hole in the envelope like it had been ripped through then taped again and there was a chain, a small chain necklace and that's it and I wore the chain for a while until the sweat make it irritating to my skin like all the necklaces do if I wear them here and then i put it away in a safe place but if there was a vile attatched I never saw it, it probably didn't travel well in just a normal envelope. I don't have too much more to talk about because life has been full of travel and unpacking and cleaning and that's about it for now and I'm feeling a bit crowded at this internet place because there are tons of little boys crowded around the chairs to the side of me playing internet games and it's kind of hot so i'll try to write more about things, maybe you can ask specific questions about something you would like to know so I'll know what you want to know and good luck to everyone with everything else and that's about it for now, love Britney