Week 3 in the "Pines"

Well time is flying by for sure! This week just floated by. For starters, the whether here is crazy. Not 5 minutes ago it was sunny and nice, now its dumpin buckets outside. Its crazy. It kinda reminds me Cali because of all the overcast. This week we tried to help those people in our area with Baptismal dates to keep their commitments and not  relapse on some of their problems. We have a Brother who is 18 who used to drink so its hard for him deal with that, and he relapsed on a little bit of alcohol. He was kinda down about that, but we made sure he knew that no one is perfect and that we can always try for the next Saturday. We offered to give him a blessing to help him with his addiction. It was a great experience. After he gave us both hugs. He is such a cool kid and is really trying to learn all he can about the Gospel. I can understand the language for the most part...if an American is speaking. The Filipinos talk so fast its rediculous, I hear one word and think about it and by the time I've tried to piece that sentence together they are already done talking...it sucks. But it'll come one day, I got 2 years haha. The other day we got invited to eat lunch at a members house. They served us crabs, fish, rice, and this adobo with some kind of meat. They said they had already eaten and to go ahead. I didn't really pay attention to the meat as I threw it on my rice and ate it. I tasted it and couldn't help but cringe. Elder Hatch was sitting across from me and he started laughing and said it was chicken liver! Ehhhh! It was so nasty! I didn't like it at all haha. Everything else was good. I also had some of the famous bananas here, way better than ours. Another funny story was when we got done teaching the JarabeJo kids, Jarome caught this baby Gecko played a joke on my by throwing it on me. It was dark and I thought it feel on the ground and ran away so we laughed and started to walk home. About 200 yards down the road I felt something on the collar of my shirt. I jumped onto my neck and I flipped out and tried swatting it off haha I looked like some crazy guy dancing in the street haha. Today is the elections of their Kagawads or Counselors here so we can't proselyte
 tonight. I don't know what we are going to do. Throw a party or something haha. Maybe  we'll have a bonfire with all the banana trees around here. I don't know we will figure something out. Anyways thats all I got for ya this week. I love y'all and can't wait to see ya in 2!

Elder Akins

 

First Week in the Philippines

Well shoot, where do I begin. This place is freakin crazy!!! I'll start with when I got off the plane. First step off the humidity hit me...then the smell. I'm used to it now, the smell that is. I don't think I will ever get used to the humidity. And its the dry season...not even the dryer season! Haha anyways so they loaded us up and sent us to this church in Legaspi where we meet our new Trainers and had a meeting with President Guanzon. My companion is Elder Yu from Cebu. He's awesome. He's really patient and kind with me. And he speaks pretty good english. Then we were assigned our areas. Mine is the Gubat 1A area. We then drove for like 4 hours because we had to drop off the other missionaries at their apartments. It should've been like a 2 hour drive though haha. The way people drive here is UNREAL. I have never seen anything like it before. They just pass each other whenever, they drive on the left side of the road, and there is like zero traffic rules. Haha no stoplights too. As we were driving to our apartment I looked off on side of the road and this drunk guy was walking around in pink underwear with a bottle in his hand haha such a ronny. We got to our apartment and I met the other two elders that live there. Elder Pascuel from Cebu and Elder Hatch from Elko? Nevada. They are both way awesome. Then I passed out on my bed which smelled way wierd. The next day I just got settled in and we did a lot of planning and studying. Took my first "shower"...bucket and ladle. Oh and no TP by the way if you catch my drift...the toilets can't handle wet wipes either...soooo ya. We went and met some members the other night. I ate some fish head soup that was actually pretty good. Rice with every meal...I ain't complainin. At the store they sell this like bread with some sweet like jam kinda stuff in the middle and it looks kinda like a danish...anyways I eat like 1 of those a day. I've started to drink lots of water too, I need it. Everyone stares at me everywhere I go. It was cool the first few days, but now its getting kinda wierd and annoying. Oh well. I'll get used to it. There are dogs and cats everywhere. And chickens too. On Sundays there is a big Cockfight competition in one of the villages between Gubat and Sorsagon. Thats some peoples lives here haha but a lot of the men do it for side money. They all have their prized Roosters tied up by their house somewhere.Life here is just like whateves. Way chill. People just like walk in front of jeepneys and trycis all the time. Their houses are way humbling. Although it was told to me that they don't need much of a house because its never cold here, just as long as they have something to cover them from the rain and they're good. I rode on top of a Jeepney the other day haha its so fun. You kinda just chill and let the wind flow through your hair. Conference was legit...again. Although this time I didn't pay attention as well...I thought about the deer hunt and fishing quite a bit. Whoevers got a tag this year and is reading this make sure you email me and tell me how it went...I'm getting depressed about not being there haha jk but seriously. We played ball today. I kinda just rebound everthing and drive it back in because everyones afraid I'm gonna run them over or something haha. Filipinos are good though, they pass alot...like alot. They beat us both times, we played whites against darks. Haha they are way funny too. They all ask who my "Barly" ({Girlfriend} we will say) back home is and they say I have to choose one from our Zone...haha they are so dumb. But I love them so much already! The people are amazing too. All the old ladies let us talk to them. I placed my first Pamphlet the other day! We don't do BOM's because a lot of the time they will just throw them away. Also I shared the scripture Mosiah 24:14-16 with an old lady who is going throw some hard times the other day. Awesome experience. The works going well, I can't really understand anyone except kids because they talk so flippin fast but I am trying my best! I love you guys so much and miss everyone! I loved talking to the FamDamly the other day and I realized that I have the best family in the whole world! Thanks you guys, I'll keep you in my prayers!
Love Elder Akins

Last Email From the MTC

Well, its finally here! We leave for the Philippines on Monday, and I can't wait. The MTC's been great to me, but I'm getting sick of it. I'm ready for real investigators and all those wonderful experiences I'm going to have out there. If you are wondering why I'm emailing on Thursday instead of Saturday, its because on Friday we have "In Field Orientation" and Saturday and Sunday are Conference. Last Sunday we had Fast and Testimony Meeting. My whole District got up and bore their testimonies. It was awesome. After that we walked over to the Main Campus to go see Elder David S. Baxter of the Seventy speak. On the way I could have swore I saw Kim Gubler in a white SUV driving past the BYU baseball stadium. Ask her if it was her Mom. I was so mad because I saw someone from home and I didn't even get to say hi! Then when we got to Main I was sitting on a bench and Elder Graft walked up to me! I was super happy! We sat together at the devotional on the 2nd row! It was so sweet. I saw the pic of Mason with the Alligator! Haha I showed everyone in my District. So funny. I hope I don't have to deal with any Crocs in my mission. So sketchy. Recently I've picked up some dope ties by my mad trading skills. My new favorite is a grayish, silvery background with large red, crimson paisley covering it. So sick. Well my times up, but I want you to look up a scripture. Its Alma 26:37. And I want you to know that I know that no matter where we are, God is mindful of us. Regardless if its me in Philippines, or y'all back home! Know I love you and miss ya!
Love, Elder Akins