I'm in my shorts right now sitting in an internet cafe with a fan.....1st email from the Philippines!

Kamusta Nanay at Tatay!

Guess what? I get to email today! I have about
an hour. SO I'll just start off by telling you guys
the reason I am emailing today. The reason is
because they went to the temple last Monday
because they go every 6 weeks. So because they
had temple on Monday, their P-day is today! So
I get to email you and President Howard. So I have
one hour and 20 mins to email you and President Howard!

Oh I'm sorry I didn't have time to call you guys in
Hong Kong! It was really close to when we had to leave!
I really wanted to, but there really wasn't any time.

So going from Cali to Hong Kong was reeeeeeeeeeally
long, the food was awful, we had this weird looking
chicken and for breakfast I had this ham and egg thing.
Then on the plane from H.K. to Manila, it was really short.
I spoke to a few people beside me on the plane which was
kool. They said my Tagalog was really good for 9 weeks,
which was kool. Elder Diaz gave out a ton of pass-along cards,
which was awesome. He was from the other district in
my zone, he is from Utah. Anyways enough of the plane
ride I'm going to talk about the Philippines now.

So getting out of the airport was harder than I expected,
saying goodbye to the district could be compared to when
I left you guys to go the MTC, only not as bad. But it was
emotional. We Tatlo D'd in the airport, which was kool,
then we all said goodbye. Then Elder Comish, Elder Morris
and I met up with the Assistants and President Howard. So
the first thing I noticed when i got the Philippines, is that
people are really impressed that us white people speak Tagalog.
Elder Andrus and I were speaking it at the airport and a girl
working at the gate said she was impressed, which is kool.
A few other people were watching us too, which was funny.
When I walked outside, it was like walking in to a wall of
humidity, by the time I got to the car, I was sweating.
Getting out of the parking lot was crazy, there was a lot
of people. Driving to the mission home was also insane.
The rule here is nose first, and that's the only rule when
driving, there are no lanes....if you can go, then go.

So yesterday when we got to the mission
home, we met Sister Howard, shaved, got changed, got
interviewed and then had lunch. We had rice with meatballs
and fruit. The banana I had was amazing. It's weird,
I didn't think a banana could taste any better,
then I had one yesterday, and it was actually amazing.

We also met the zone leaders (there are 2 pairs of Z.Ls)
and we got to go out with them. I went out with
Elder Curwin (Utah) and Elder Palangko (Philippines).
Elder Palangko was funny. He said that people
here used to call him "Joe" which sort of means
foreigner, because he didn't speak Tagalog,
he spoke another Filipino dialect, but he
isn't a foreigner so he said that used to be really
funny. So we went out, taught 3 lessons to 3
investigators with baptismal dates. We
taught 2 lessons outside of someones home
whose house was smaller than the size of our kitchen.
It was an empty room, with nothing in it,
when it got dark, we had to pour wax on the floor and
then put the candle there so the room would stay lit.
We taught him about the word of wisdom and he said
that he would live it, which is really great! His name was Eric.

So after that the Z.Ls took me to have a halo halo,
which is this drink thing that has a ton of stuff in it.
I still dont know what was in it, but it was great.
Anyways, there a ton of people everywhere
where we went. There's kids in the streets and
they're all really friendly and stuff. It's great.
Everyone is really friendly, the heat is really the only
thing killing me :P but apparently you get used to
it. OH YEA! Yesterday for transportation, we took a
jeepnee which is fun. I'll take a picture and send it to
you sometime...

Later we went back to the mission home, slept there
and that was it for that day.

Then today we woke up had pancakes, with an orange,
and it was the best orange, all fruit really does taste
better here. Then we went to this American memoria
place which was really kool. Then we went back
to the mission home, had a small orientation.
More missionaries came in, these were the trainers
we were going to be assisnged to after
lunch, there were 5 of them for the 5 missionaries
in our batch (Elder Morris, E. Comish, myself and 2 other
missionaries from the Manila MTC.)
So before we found out who our fathers (trainers) were,
we had lunch. We had rice (we had rice for every meal
so I'm going to stop saying we had rice, because we always do)
and some beef thing with veggies. It was great. Then we met
our fathers (a father is the 1st companion missionary that
trains a new missionary), there were 3 Filippinos, and
2 Americans and guess what????..... I got the Filippino! yay!
Before I talk about him though I'm going to talk about
President Howard. He was in the army before and helped
open up the church in the Philippines. He
is leaving in June though, which is too bad. My interview
with him went really well. He said the theme here is
Magtrabagho (work) Magdasal (pray) and pagsunod (obedience).
The orientation went really well too, it was just explaining
all the rules.

Anyways, my kasama's name is Elder Gangiano and
he is done in 6 weeks, so i will be killing him (killing
a missionary means the other missionary is sending him home).
The mission president told me he is a great
missionary, this is his 4th time training someone, which
is like unheard of here. He's a really nice guy, can speak
English really well, but we speak more Tagalog than anything.
I will send pictures of us next Monday. The area I am assigned
to is San Pedro, I haven't seen much of it yet, we took a bus here.
I don't know where Elder Comish and Elder Morris are,
they both got Americans who have been assistants here
together, they seem like cool guys.

So, I don't know what else to say. I'm in shorts right
now in an internet cafe with a fan and I'm sweatin' like
a dog! It is soooooo hot here, but I really love it!
It's really a nice place. Anyways I made it here safely!
I gotta go now, i don't know when you will get this, but
you will! Hope you have a great day! I love both of you!

Elder Gagnon


Here are a few pictures I was sent by Brother Molina, Chris' Tagalog teacher at the MTC...they were taken the Saturday before they left for the MTC.....Thanks Bro. Molina!



Tatlo D!

















Elder Johnson, Bro. Molina and Elder Gagnon