mom, dad,
well ok, where do i start. lets just say im am culture shocked,and wow. ok so i arrived in tacloban on wednesday about 5 pm or so. and when we landed on this tiny airport strip, they brought the stairs to the plane. and we walked down, and it just looked like a jungle! it was cool to experience that. and so we grabbed our bags, and the mission pres. and the AP's were waiting for us. and we have this pretty nice vans for the mission. and while we were getting in, a little kid ran over to us and asked for money. it was really hard to say no..well actually it was cuz i don't know what he was saying...cuz that wasn't the language they taught us in the mtc! so we started to drive away, and it just looked like a city got dropped in the middle of a jungle! and i notice that there are NO traffic laws! and people were going as fast as they wanted and would just pass eachother even when oncoming traffic was coming! even our mission pres. was driving like this. it was scary at first, but it was awesome! i wish they drove like that in the US. so we got to the mission office. and had our interviews, then we went to the mission home for dinner. and the mission home is by far, the nicest house on the island! and it has air cond.! then we went to the AP's appartment to sleep. and it was hotter inside than outside! and thats when i took my first bucket shower! i was so tired!! we traveled for about 35 or 36 hours! and we had to get up and be at the McCarthur memorial by 630 pm and thats where we got our assignments for which area we're going to, which LANGUAGE we'll be speaking, and who will be our trainer. so i got assigned to Elder Allanic, he's filipino, from mindanaw. and doesn't speak alot of english, which is good cuz then i'll be able to,Hopefully, pick up the language faster. and we got assigned to the Abuyog area. and its a mix of waray waray and cebuano. they mostly speak warayx2, but they can understand cebuano. but let me just say, I CANT UNDERSTAND ANYONE!!! def. not the language they taught at the mtc, and they speak super super fast! i really wonder if i'll ever be able to understand them! ha i hope so! and so we got to my appartment, and walked in and the 1st thing i saw was a spider about the size of a baseball...and cockroaches, ants, lizards...and i thought to myself...this is going to be a long 2 years! ha but i am getting us to it. we probably have the nicest place in abuyog. everyone else has dirt floors!! i just can't believe how they live here! they are so humble! and i eat rice for every meal. usually with an egg. so im learning how to love rice. haha and i take bucket showers...and i won't explain what going to the bathroom is like....

but i like it here! and we've taught a couple lessons to some less active families, and i thought i got my point across okay, but the spirit was there and thats what matters! and thats when it got fun! and on saturday, we went into the jungle and helped rebuild a house of one of the members...a little hut is a better word to use. it was fun, even tho i don't know what the heck they're saying. and my companion has already tried to sell me...and they like to talk really fast to me, and then laugh cuz i don't know what they said. they think theyre pretty funny. but i love the little kids! the little kids think im like a celebrity of something. they just stare and stare at me. and they love to get high fives from me. and they call me Joe. they'll say "hey Joe" as im walking down the street. i stand out like a huge red sore thumb! haha and i tower over everyone! its quite a culture shock over here. and i just cant wait til i understand them. thats the only thing that i'm really struggling with. i've learned to just laugh with them when theyre making fun of my language. but it was really hard not being able to understand them..still hard! but it should pick up.
so email is the best way to communicate with me. and mondays are my p days. but its so cool here! the country is beautiful, and it reminds me a jurrasic park...with all the mountains, palm trees, jungle...i could totally see a t rex living here.haha and i love the mangos here!! they're so good! i eat them for like every meal!

but im enjoying it. im grateful for my companion. he's a good trainer.he's really supportive, and encouraging, and helps me alot! and he's a good example too! well, i know this work is the lords work and that the church is true. or else, i wouldn't be here! i love the gospel, and i love sharing it! thanks for all your love and support! email me!
I love you all!

Love, elder nelson