Love, Elder Menzie: Week 72: There (in Cabarroguis) and Back Again (to Santiago)

25 November 2019

Week 72: There (in Cabarroguis) and Back Again (to Santiago)

This week was pretty hectic. We went on splits with the Elders in Cabarrougis again on Tuesday, because they needed to have some baptismal interviews done, so we made that trip again, and I hope you'll all be proud to know that I did not misplace my camera case even once. it was great. We got fed dinner by a really nice family. Here is a picture of that:

That girl in pink in the background is a return missionary from the Philippines, Davao mission, which is cool, because her mission president is from my 2nd area, back in Tuguegarao, and his brother was in the bishopric and our landlord. Small world.

We also went on splits with Elders Hansen and Moser in Cordon (which is a LOT closer than Cabarroguis) because we had a baptismal interview that needed to get done, and it was super fun, because it was Elder Hansen's 20th birthday!!🎉🎉🎉 Happy birthday, Elder Hansen. We also got fed by some really nice members in Cordon for his birthday. There was cake and it was yummy.

After lunch Elder Hansen interviewed Barrientos family!

The Philippines is full of some of the most humble and kind people on the planet, but if I'm being honest, I think the Barrientos family just might take the cake (not Elder Hansen's birthday cake, I ate that). The first time we even talked to them, we hadn't even taught them and they gave us a bag FULL of bananas, almost too many bananas for 2 elders (which is a lot of bananas). They sell bananas and pineapples on the side of the highway so for the past month, we've had a lot of fresh fruit around the apartment, so you don't have to worry Mom. They're super great, and they're getting baptized this Saturday, which I am super excited for.

Love,
Elder Menzie

Tagalog NXS:
Masyong maraming saging -- An excessive amount of bananas

AREAS and COMPANIONS

MTC - Provo, Utah 7/11/18-8/12/18 COMP: Elder Heslop
MTC - Manila, Philippines 8/13/18-8/27/2018 COMP: Elder Heslop
Aurora, Philippines 8/28/18-11/21/18 COMP: Elder Leausa
Aurora, Philippines 11/21/18-1/2/19 COMP: Elder Anderton
Aurora, Philippines 1/2/19-1/3/19 COMP: Elder Guancia
Gosi, Philippines 1/3/19-2/12/19 COMP: Elder Adams
Gosi, Philippines 2/13/19- 6/4/2019 COMP: Elder Pino
Bambang, Philippines 6/5/19- 7/30/19 COMP: Elder Salas
Bambang, Philippines 7/31/19- 9/9/19 COMP: Elder Hererra
Santiago, Philippines 9/10/19-10/4/19 COMP: Elder Walker
Santiago, Philippines 10/4/19-10/6/19 COMP: Elder Adams
Santiago, Philippines 10/6/19-10/14/19 COMP: Elder Powell and Elder Moser
Santiago, Philippines 10/15/19-1/13/20 COMP: Elder Walker
Santiago, Philippines 1/14/20- COMP: Elder Pampliega

ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

English and Tagalog (also known as Filipino) are the two official languages of the Philippines, though there are several other major regional languages, most notably Cebuano (spoken in the Central Visayas region), Ilokano (spoken in northern Luzon), and Hiligaynon (spoken in the western Visayas and Mindanao).

About 90% of the population in the Philippines is Christian, with the vast majority belonging to the Roman Catholic Church.

Philippine culture is influenced by Malay, Spanish, and American cultures. Events such as barrio fiestas (neighborhood festivals) are common events featuring music, food, and dancing. The use of English as an official language has helped make many American trends popular in the Philippines as well, such as fast food, rock and hip hop music, and films. Basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines, though boxing, soccer, and volleyball are also popular. The Philippine martial art style Arnis is considered the national martial art.

Rice is one of the staple foods in the Philippine. Corn, adobo (meat stew using pork or chicken), meat and vegetable rolls, seafood, empanadas, and several varieties of fruit and vegetable are also commonly eaten. Roasted pig is often served as the main course for festivals and special occasions.