Typhoon

1.Where is Elder De Luna from? What was the transfer date? (for the blog)

He is from Cauayan. July 17th was transfers it was moved a day because of the storm.

2. How was your week?

Great and so quiet in the house! I hate not having four elders in the house. 

3. Tell us all about the Typhoon...details, please? Was it scary? We kept tabs on it from the internet...so we saw quite a few pictures.  Also, Pres. Revillo sent out an email letting us know that all missionaries were safe and accounted for.

I said a lot about the Typhoon in my email but it was big but all of us Elders in the ZL's apt were hoping for bigger and long or at least longer. It was awesome fun and slightly scary the first night at the ZLs apt one it woke all 8 of us up at 3 in the morning. And I was sleeping with the door open because I didn't have a fan plus the power went out. But other than that no. That is good they let you know. How were the pics of it? 

4. We sent you a package before we went into the MTC...have you received it, yet?

not yet I am sure I will soon though.

That is cool you have Porters cousin in your mission. 

Batch means people I came in with like Elder Criddle we came to the mtc at the same day so we are "batch" Philippines slang. 

Turns out Elder Suarez is just in my zone not my ZL. 

 First the Typhoon was awesome! We got to stay at the zone leaders house for two nights. It was so fun! We talked about movies for like 4 hours straight, we made paper airplanes and parachute things threw them off the top floor of the apartment into the Typhoon (I have pictures). We weren't allowed to leave the apartment for two days so the ZLs did not have enough food and our phone calling has weird things that make it so we can't call so we texted some members from our area and said can you order us food and we will pay you back. So she did and she ordered it for us 8 elders and then she insisted that she pay for it! It was so awesome! And delicious. Next was the best part about the staying at the house. We spent the dark part of the day Playing Marines And Assassins! So the ZLs apartment is the nicest in the mission with 3 stories and hot showers (oh yeah I had a warm shower it is so nice) But any way it is really big. So what we did was we had 3 Marines clear the house in complete darkness using one small finger light thing and our hands as fake guns, then the assassins have to touch us and we have to point our light at them and shoot them. The assassins get time to hide then the marines go and clear the house in darkness with a cellphone at the third floor with an alarm and we have to "defuse" it. So yeah the was so fun! We were so sad when we had to stop and go to bed at 1030 haha. Also the typhoon winds were really strong and the rain too but not much happened in our mission besides a lot of fallen trees and brown outs. So all is well. I heard Kolton's mission got it worse though so I hope he is good. I didn't get an email from him today. 

Typhoon "Rammasun"

So the work this week was very good but really hard with only two elders in two areas. We don't have enough time in one day to go to everyone. So we are going to have to drop non progressing people. Oh yeah and you know how I said this is the nicest place I have seen in the Philippines well the others elder which is now my area is one of the worst squaters areas in the mission. If you don't remember why the call it squaters it is because people squat and use the the bathroom...I won't go further. But yeah you see weird things in squaters areas. But the people are so much more willing to listen there. 

Mom and Dad I have some Q's for you. 

1. how do you make mashed potatoes. My comp wants to learn oh and he is teaching me how to cook Filipino dishes. I learned how to make a soup yesterday. Masarap! 

2. Dad if you guys send me a package in the future if you can think of any easy magic tricks I can use on the kids you should send them. My comp does some easy ones to kids and it is so fun to watch. 

3. Also do you want University of the Philippines shirts? 

That is it for my week there is more I could share but yeah. Investigators are good, the ward is good (oh and we now have a ward mission leader!!) I am good.

I love you family. 

Love, Elder Jo Salisbury 

Sounds like a crazy week mom and dad! It dosent sound like you are complaining Dad it sounds really stressful though haha. You both sound like you are doing so awesome! That is more than a handful. Haha I need to remember this email next time I want to complain about updating the area book. One thing that I have noticed on my mission is the small things that keep me going. Like the fun stay at the ZL's apt last week, district meetings, baptisms or just little tender mercy's god gives his missionaries. I am sure you have this as well when you see progress or meet a new fun missionary or MacDo ;). When It is hard think about those and the next moment like that that will happen. Love you fam!!