September 12th, 2008

We're probably going to email earlier from now on. I don't know if I don't have mail from all of you because it's still early or if just dad wrote. But, I got his two about Idaho and about BYU football. J Haha. I'm just fine withthat though because we just had transfer day and I got mail. Lots of letters from mom but still not that one dad said he wrote and sent about the whole new job moving thing. I also got another letter from Becca and her companion who is from here in the Philippines and from ANDREA! Finally! Haha. As for transfer day, Sister Victorino is my new companion and she is of course good at Tagalog since she's from here and is also very good at English. She is very hard working. Being in a companionship teaches you a lot. Different people’s personalities, strengths and weaknesses and seeing how in their own way they leave the area different and they leave you different. But, I do believe in one thing. Just do the simple things and submit yourself to God and follow the rules and the commandments and give yourself up to something and you will be happy. You will overcome obstacles and you will feel the spirit and you will help your area. Sister Victorino goes home in January so we're not sure how long we'll be together. They could go off and decide to leave me in this area forever and I'll stay until she goes home and until I train someone new on the area -- March Yikes. Or, we could only have six weeks together so that she'll get two more to train someone new on the area before she goes home. Or, we'll get two transfers and then she'll have only one transfer to train someone before she goes home. For now, I have each day of hard work and continuing to learn this language before me. We had a fun surprise and Sister Hill was at transfersafter all because they were put into a three-some. Elder Cheney was also there because his companion was transferred so our entire batch was together again. Elder Cheney is senior now and district leader, he looked a bit worried! As for going home, I don't really know about that. If you need to book flight now I can try to ask about it early. I think they send you "trunky letters" throughout your mission and I could be getting one soon or it might be far away still. They send them to help us plan for things like this. All I know is that there is no transfer at the end of July so I would either come home three weeks early or 3 weeks late. Maybe, Aug 12th transfer. Rules change a bit if your parents come though and I would most likely leave earlier than transfer then we would fly home on the same scheduled time. Wow, I have no idea with that. I’ll just have to ask if you need me to right now. Strange to talk about it and even more strange that I was thinking I have just one year more. But, now it's not one year it is less. Man, I need to improve my language skills! I do feel a lot more confident all of a sudden. But, I'm sure that something will help me feel a bit humbler again soon J. Actually, I always feel humble with language here so no worries about that. I still frequently don't understand what's going on and can't fully express myself but I speak Tagalog! Isn't that amazing! Even if I went home right now, I can communicate with people in another language to a pretty good degree. It's just amazing even if it's lacking. Amazing! As for Elder Murdock, I've heard the name but am not sure I've met him. Sister Victorino says she knows him. There could always be more than one Elder Murdock in the Philippines but if it's him it will just go well with my "Iknow someone no matter where I am in the world" story from all my different moves and activities. I'm really curious about when you actually plan to move everyone and how the girls all feel about it with school and all of that. Maybe I have letters coming that will inform me better. Living in a hotel and traveling so much does not sound like so much fun though so I hope it all gets worked out soon. Don't forget to do the simple things every day. Don't forget to put God first and He will take care of everything else for you. That doesn't mean everything will be perfect because we're in a fallen world. But, in the end that will all be worked out because Adam fell and Christ was risen up so we all will be also. Christ makes it all fair again and fixes the consequences of sin. We will have to look towards that, follow that and allow it to be in our lives because we have that agency. But, that understanding brings so much peace. You can rest easy now. J Well I have to go now. Love Brit