Dear Family and Friends,
Well this week was great! We saw a lot of success here in Malasiqui and things have gone really smoothly! I was lucky earlier today to be able to Skype my family and see their faces, and wow, they have all changed, especially my sister Julia. It seems like last month that I called them on Christmas, it seems so weird that time is passing by so quickly.
This week I have a funny story. So one big change here for me is the amount of drunk people I see here. Living in Utah you rarely see a drunk person wandering around. Well we were getting ready to start a lesson when we noticed a tatay (older man) dancing away to some old Tagalog music (actually if you want to hear the song its called "pusong bato" which means heart of stone, quite catchy actually). Well he was having a great time, and it was fun to watch a 76 year old man dance, but tragedy struck. Here in the Philippines we have things called "Brown outs" which mean that the power goes out for a couple minutes (these happen almost everyday). When the power went out the Tatay was very sad that his dance music had gone away, and so he started to talk to me! He started telling me that there wasn't any electricity and that his life was very hard now. Then he started saying random things about dancing and singing. After a while some of his kids got him to go away by telling him that there was more liquor at the store down he road. All together it was a funny experience.
I also wanted to talk about mothers today, since its mothers day today. Moms are great aren't they? So I wanted to take a minute and highlight 3 moms that have made a difference in my life:
1- My grandma Marle. She is the Grandma that the grandkids can always count on for treats. She always has something, whether it was a cake, or cookies, or pie. She is always smiling and always doing (or baking) something for someone else. She also always made sure that family get-togethers were always special and that everyone has a great time. When we go up to Snowbird in the summer she always organizes a Grandkids party, which always a blast. She has been an example to me of selfless service, and having a happy attitude. I want her to know that I love her very much, and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!
2- My grandma Geri. My grandma Geri is fantastic! Since she remarried to my Grandpa Kent, I never felt like I was anything less than her grandchild. For other friends I had heard stories of feeling like a "step-grandchild", but I never felt that way around her. I always felt welcome around her, and that she loved me. She also served a mission before I left, and she was always willing to give me advice of things that I should do, and what to expect. She has been an example to me of quiet dignity, and accepting others for who they are. I hope you know that I love you tons grandma! So to I say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!
3-My Momma Jenifer! Well first things first, if she weren't here, wouldn't be here. But also she has always been there for me. I have never doubted for a second if she loved me. My relationship with her is something I will never have with anyone else. She was always there to laugh at my dumb jokes, always happy to see another "dance", force feed me ice cream, pick me up when the Jeep broke down, let me use the van for Senior assassination week, make me a Jello Cake (which by the way, still impresses me to this day) for my birthday, etc. She supported me through Hap-Ki-Do, guitar lessons (even if I played too loud), always went to my XC meets, and of course, she always takes care of me, even if I'm on the other side of the world. She is someone who I can always count on to listen, laugh with, and be my friend when I don't feel like I have any. I hope she always remembers that I love her with all my heart, my heart wouldn't be the same without her, I love you Momma! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!
There are alss very many other mothers that have made my life so much better and to them I also wish HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! I love you all dearly!
I hope everyone makes mothers day special, we all have some very special women in all of our lives, lets make them feel special, because life wouldn't be the same without them!
Till next week,
Elder Trevor Kent Johnson (TWMYK)
Well this week was great! We saw a lot of success here in Malasiqui and things have gone really smoothly! I was lucky earlier today to be able to Skype my family and see their faces, and wow, they have all changed, especially my sister Julia. It seems like last month that I called them on Christmas, it seems so weird that time is passing by so quickly.
This week I have a funny story. So one big change here for me is the amount of drunk people I see here. Living in Utah you rarely see a drunk person wandering around. Well we were getting ready to start a lesson when we noticed a tatay (older man) dancing away to some old Tagalog music (actually if you want to hear the song its called "pusong bato" which means heart of stone, quite catchy actually). Well he was having a great time, and it was fun to watch a 76 year old man dance, but tragedy struck. Here in the Philippines we have things called "Brown outs" which mean that the power goes out for a couple minutes (these happen almost everyday). When the power went out the Tatay was very sad that his dance music had gone away, and so he started to talk to me! He started telling me that there wasn't any electricity and that his life was very hard now. Then he started saying random things about dancing and singing. After a while some of his kids got him to go away by telling him that there was more liquor at the store down he road. All together it was a funny experience.
I also wanted to talk about mothers today, since its mothers day today. Moms are great aren't they? So I wanted to take a minute and highlight 3 moms that have made a difference in my life:
1- My grandma Marle. She is the Grandma that the grandkids can always count on for treats. She always has something, whether it was a cake, or cookies, or pie. She is always smiling and always doing (or baking) something for someone else. She also always made sure that family get-togethers were always special and that everyone has a great time. When we go up to Snowbird in the summer she always organizes a Grandkids party, which always a blast. She has been an example to me of selfless service, and having a happy attitude. I want her to know that I love her very much, and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!
2- My grandma Geri. My grandma Geri is fantastic! Since she remarried to my Grandpa Kent, I never felt like I was anything less than her grandchild. For other friends I had heard stories of feeling like a "step-grandchild", but I never felt that way around her. I always felt welcome around her, and that she loved me. She also served a mission before I left, and she was always willing to give me advice of things that I should do, and what to expect. She has been an example to me of quiet dignity, and accepting others for who they are. I hope you know that I love you tons grandma! So to I say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!
3-My Momma Jenifer! Well first things first, if she weren't here, wouldn't be here. But also she has always been there for me. I have never doubted for a second if she loved me. My relationship with her is something I will never have with anyone else. She was always there to laugh at my dumb jokes, always happy to see another "dance", force feed me ice cream, pick me up when the Jeep broke down, let me use the van for Senior assassination week, make me a Jello Cake (which by the way, still impresses me to this day) for my birthday, etc. She supported me through Hap-Ki-Do, guitar lessons (even if I played too loud), always went to my XC meets, and of course, she always takes care of me, even if I'm on the other side of the world. She is someone who I can always count on to listen, laugh with, and be my friend when I don't feel like I have any. I hope she always remembers that I love her with all my heart, my heart wouldn't be the same without her, I love you Momma! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!
There are alss very many other mothers that have made my life so much better and to them I also wish HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! I love you all dearly!
I hope everyone makes mothers day special, we all have some very special women in all of our lives, lets make them feel special, because life wouldn't be the same without them!
Till next week,
Elder Trevor Kent Johnson (TWMYK)