Letters from Legazpi: "Goldfish (crackers) are...too wonderful to look at!"

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Hi family! Sorry this week we had pday on Tuesday because it was transfers. We weren't transferred because I am only halfway through training, but every 6 weeks Ill have pday on Tuesday wether I am transfered or not. Its good though becasue there was no power anyways yesterday in this area. Today is the 1st day weve had water and power this week, and so we stocked up, and now the waster and power are on and off, but its really cool becasue of the storm, it feels nice. It sounds so weird to write about these things, but its just a part of my life now.

This week was really crazy, we had a crazy schedule on a lot of days. We had exchanges with our STLs. They were amazing and I learned SO much from Sister Pascua. She reminded me a lot of Anna, and was a fantastic missionary. Exchages were an answered prayer for our companionship becasue we came back with a few really helpful things for our teaching, and teaching more simple docrine. After applying them this week, we have had really powerful short lessons. I love discerning peoples needs through the spirit, I know the gospel applies to everyone, and helping them feel that is amazing! I also had my 1st interview with Pres. Guanzon. It was great of course, he is really just very spiritual and it was like an interview with a father.

I got your package and got to open it...YESSS!!! Goldfish are precious, I havent opened them yet because they are too wonderful to look at. We had a brown out (no water or electricity) for a lot of this week which means we cant go out after 6pm. The day I opened your package we had this, and so we opened it and had a lot of fun reading laughy taffy jokes and trying to explain them in Tagalog, and looking through the package. It was so fun to open, and it felt like Christas! Thank you!

We had one really crazy, and hard day this week. We had an investigator who had a really big problem happen in her life, and she had to leave her house in a hurry. The problem with the family broke my heart and she had to leave. We were able to read a scripture with her befre she left about our burdens being lightenend through Christ. It was SIster Carol, the picture with all her kids. It was also a really bad day becasue it was Bagio type rain and wind, no power or water, and everything seemed to be going wrong. After being really sad, we of course had to go nd teach other lessons. I leanred that nothing is about me, that other people needed the gospel and a happy and ready missionary, and so there was no time to cntinue to be sad or to overreact to all the many things that were going wrong. I have never been good at this, but I really learned how to be strong this day. I can do hard things with God!

I can officially say I speak Tagalog!!! I speak it all the time now, and its not as hard, it might not always be fully correct, but hey I SPEAK TAGALOG!!! I love it, and I love babling to and conversing in Tagalog with our investigators, members and kids here. Also I really feel at home here now, this is my home and I love it. THe work here is going so well, and the people are really progressing.

I love you all and hope you have a great week. I know I am doing the right thing in my life right now. I have never done anything so fulfilling, and I love it here. Be happy! I love you all!

Love,

Sister Goodwin