Aug 1: The action

Happy Birthday!!! This is to myself and also to my brother and sister's birthday that I missed. I remembered them up until I got on the computer to write email, and then forgot. I love you anyway.

This we has been a whorl of fun. Zone Leader's Conference was fun. We played basketball, ate amazing food (lasagna with real cheese), and then sat as brilliant men of great faith were inspiring us. President LeSueur's older brother is now serving here with us. It is crazy. I guess for mission presidents, missions are a family occasion. A few weeks ago President LeSueur sang a duet with his daughter who is serving a short mission here. His brother will be in the mission presidency and will be over Palawan.

Then on Friday, I went on exchanges with Elder Hogan (yes, my trainer or as we call it on the mission: tatay or daddy). He was sick, but still work. He is assigned in to farthest area that is not on the island, Alfonso – a small struggle branch that is a 2-hour drive from Dasmarinas. While I was down there I also interviewed a couple that had been investigating the church for two years now while faithfully attending church. They have waited so long because they could not get married before. The brother's birth and baptismal certificate have different names so they could not get it cleared until Elder Hogan used the church typewriter to fix that, hehehe. The work will go on. Well, at four in the morning I awoke a saw a text message on the phone. I read to but wished I had not. It was that stake president from another stake that was got to perform the wedding because he was the closest person we could find with a license. Apparently, he cannot work outside of his stake without First Presidency approval. So that morning we texted the APs and long story short, a few hours later, we had gotten the First Presidency's permission.

Earlier today, we had our zone activity, which was well planned yet still stressful for me. We went to a beautiful lookout called "People's Park in the Sky". There we took pictures, played games, and ate food that the wonderful sisters prepared. We had a time limit, but sort of broke that. It was a success.

I love you all and am ever so grateful for your love and prayers. I plan to have a quite personal birthday, as I have grown to think of them as another gift from God, sort of like New Years but a personal one. Please know that I am well, but still pray for me. I could not have gotten this far on my own. I refer not only to God help, but also to my family – loving parent and amazing brothers – and to my dear friends that have supported my in doing what is right.

Ok (this is the most common bye in Tagalog, this or "I'll go first" as you are leaving).