Hello!!!!! It is so crazy! I am sitting here at the Manila MTC. It is so beautiful, tropical plants and palm trees, etc. It is so warm here but not unpleasantly, I guess these are the cold months of the year! It has been raining lightly all day. This training center is beautiful!!! It is small, only 120 missionaries! And almost EVERYONE is filipino, it is so great!
The flight, it was awesome and tiring haha :) We flew for a total of 17 hours, not counting layovers, and we lost a day of our lives, that never existed because of the time difference!
It was so weird to land in Japan, we took lots of asian pictures! And then Manila, it is HUGE, a very crowded busy place! Mom I think you would have had a heart attack if you rode with us from the airport to the MTC here. The driving is absolutely awful, no one stays in their lane and people pass each other at alarming times, hahaha it was a great experience tho! Sister Jensen and I are just having such a great time! We keep freaking out that we're actually here! We had rice for breakfast and bright red sausages! Haha and our shower is a spout about knee high, but atleast there is warm water! :) I love it here.....
The more I think about it, the more I realize that this short 5 day experience at this MTC is such a blessing and will help me so much when I go to Laoag. We are here primarily for Visas, but we also get to go to the Manila temple, (which is GORGEOUS!!!!)
and visit the American Memorial site here
and we get to go proselyting on splits with the fulltime missionaries here! We have a teacher(who served in Laoag), and we are learning so much more about the culture, getting used to the quick pace of talking.
I am SO pumped and I feel so much joy, not just because I'm in a different country, but because I know God wants me here and I have a purpose and role here that is important. There is no greater work than missionary work, bringing people to God and to joy and peace in their lives.
and visit the American Memorial site here
Well... I'm safe and happy and can't wait to send pictures! :) I love you all and I have never been so happy. I LOVE being a missionary!!!!!!! I love the people that I've met, and the language and the experience.
Next time, I'll probably write from Laoag!!! :)
Mahal ko kayo! :) Have a mabuting linggo! (good week)
Sister Andelin
