CULTURE SHOCK

Wow is culture shock real or what! This place is no America. We have a "nice" apartment two stories but no shower no TP mom bless your heart for sending me TP. I dont know what i will do when i run out....Oh wait use good old lefty ;) I am safe. It is a lot dirtier here then i was expecting. The houses are usually half the size of my bedroom. I had to bear my testimony in church yesterday, that was very intimidating. I still dont know if they understood me but we had 5 investigators at church yesterday and one of them are getting baptized next month! Totally bore my testimony when we asked here if she wanted to be baptized. The problem here is not getting people to teach it is getting them to stay active when they are converted. I understood part of what my comp told me so I think he said in our area there are 600 members and 180 are active...do you see the problem? a funny story the first counselor in the bishopric was on his iphone on facebook during the sacrament meeting, the whole time! Dad i though you would like that ;) So i think jeepney's and tricycles are so fun to ride in! Even if when im walking on the street they almost kill me. Yeah there are no rules here on the road the only rule, dont hit anyone. People (including me now) just start walking into the road and cars stop right next to you and we have to walk on the edge of the road most the time and cars get inches from me haha so fun. The tricycles are fun they are like a roller coaster. Oh and today i rode half way in the jeepney and halfway out, it was very fun. Lou is a progressing investigator. She is my favorite, she is "rich' she has the nicest house besides the mission pres. house i have seen so far and she has two cars very rich haha. Anyway every time we go and teach her she gives us food and some sort of juice and it is tasty. She know english pretty really well so i have conversations with her (: She showed me her daughters wedding and we talked about her husband. Her husband died last year in November from cancer and I told her i was very sorry and then i told her about Tyler. She is so awesome, but one time last week she tried buying me chicken intestines and pig blood but luckily they were out at the market. Phew! There is a lot of sketchy food and sometimes I just have to eat it...not my choice. Next there are a lot of gays and of course they hit on the american.  I have a million mosquito bites so I bought a net and we will see if that helps. Okay so they sing in chuch in english and it is so funny they pronounce every letter so they are off with the music haha. It is very entertaining. Say family like they sing it  Fam il ly, imagine that with ' i have a family here on earth' yep pretty funny. They started celebrating Christmas already! Something about everyone here including my companion is they are all very snoopy so it is annoying they will grab anything i am holding and start looking at it and ask a million questions, they dont realize that some things i dont want them to read/look at. Including this my comp probably is reading that right now haha

Question time:

1. How was the flights? 

Flight was good and relaxing. except the first one to LA

2.How was the Hong Kong airport?  Could you see any of the city from the plane?

Hong Kong was sick. I never realized how pretty the mountains were there

3. Where were the Sister's from that flew out with you and the other Elders?

The sisters vegas, st george, and kitabati. Elders Utah, Idaho and kitibati

4. Did you get any sleep on the flight?

Some sleep and I have jet lag it is wearing off though.

5. Did you get to sleep at the mission home when you got there?

no we went out and taught the same day

My mission pres and his wife are way nice and have good advice. My comp is cool for the most part. He is from Philippines. Quezon city 5th ward is my area. Apartment is decent bugs everywhere no spiders so far (big ones that is) The windows are permanently open. Gross. I have been doing my own laundry by hand and my clothes i washed dont smell well haha. 

My letter address its the one they sent you guys. The thing that says " tell friends and family to send to mission office until they get there assigned area' unless i go to Mindoro that wont change so let family and friends know, please.

Dad, the letter you sent me was fine. People do pick pocket here but i am cautious. I havent had a problem with my camera. I know people here who have decent phones and people who dont have phones so im not worried. Great job on working out, keep it up! PDAY is Monday so i Write about 10 pm Utah time which is 12 pm here i think.  It is really hard here but i think it is just the culture shock. The culture shock really sucks because all you can think about is I have to live with this for two years? Instead of being in America. So yeah its hard but there is good too.

I am glad Austin did well on his talk, i knew he would. I miss all those guys. Yeah  It is so hot here sometimes i take three showers a day and then when i get out of the well bucket and water i start sweating again, fans actually help a lot but some investigators dont have fans which sucks but its not too bad. I wish it was cold here haha never missed the cold so much in my life. 

CORY congrats love you mate! 

I get two hours to write woo! 

I will be trying to send pics right now then go shopping for food and rice and rice. ;) I love you all! I miss you all!

Love, Elder Jordan Marlow Salisbury