Weekly email 5-27-2013: Ay Grabe Talaga

So as you can see in the pictures I sent my new companion fresh out of the MTC is a Samoan. So now I have another culture to learn. But really thats all ok hes very laid back and chill. The only problem we have is talking. He doesnt yet know Tagalog so I speak to him in English but he doesnt know a whole lot of english so in the end we try a lot of sign language. The next few weeks are really going to stretch me to see how I have prepared myself so far in my mission. But at the same time it hasnt been to bad.

 

My old companion got assigned in Alaminos San Pablo with his first Philipino companion so he got a new change also. Of course I am still In Calauag and will probably end up spending 6 months also in this area. Which is hard because the ward is really small and its hard to get a lot of support from them. Right now we hope to have some of our investigators baptized in June so hopefully everything continues to work out.

 

 

Its funny because everyone thinks my companion is a philipino and knows Tagalog and they think because im american I dont know Tagalog so they try talking to him and then I end up replying to them and they get a confused look on there face. Heavenly Father truly puts us in situations to use the talents he gave us. Thank you family especially for all the Birthday gifts and things I got it all on transfer day.

 

Love,

Elder Polatis

 

This skirt looking thing I am wearing is called a Lava Lava and is part of the Samoan culture. Of course its not very manly to smile while wearing something that looks like a dress so I put on a man face for this picture. Also observe our pure tile apartment with a hammock hanging from the pictures the only thing that would make this the perfect missionary pad would be some air conditioning.

 

 

Thanks for the balloons I gave a lot of them away to kids directly outside of our apartment which was a mistake because they are always coming back for more but thats ok the kids are funny here.