Filipino Food

For the first week and a half or so I tried my best to make my
favorite American foods using what I could find here in the
Philippines. I was pretty disappointed. For example I was super
excited to eat my favorite food ever: spaghetti. But the sauce I got
tasted kinda like the sauce from spaghetti-Os, but not kinda sweeter.
I don't know, I didn't like it.
But this past week with the help of my companion I have learned to
cook Filipino food. We have had Adobo, Tinola, Menubo and pansit. All
with lots of rice. It's been great and I have found myself much more
full and satisfied with the food.

I ate at a member's home for the first time last week. It was quite
the experience. We had just finished teaching a recent convert family,
and afterwards they offered us dinner. We just sat there on there
floor (a good portion of our lesson we teach just sitting on the
flood). We had plates but no silverware, we just ate with our hands.
We had rice, fish and chicken feet. No not a chicken leg, chicken
feet. I tried it, and it actually wasn't that bad, but I only had one.
Also I have never been a big fan of fish, but I was actually able to
enjoy the fish that I ate. I'm just grateful it was kinda dark,
because I think looking at the fishes eyes the whole time would have
grossed me out. I was grateful for the experience. Hopefully I will
quickly be able to get over being a picky eater!!

Fun Fact about the Philippines: Eating with just our hands is not the
regular thing. Usually every meal is eaten with a spoon and fork. But
you don't use the fork to transfer the food from your plate to your
mouth. You use your fork as a knife, or mostly to shovel the food to
your spoon. You use the spoon to get the food to your mouth. It's
actually pretty fun, you should try it :)

This week our Elder Nielson of the 70 came to our mission. Back at the
MTC we were pretty lucky because we had important guests like this
every week. But out here it a more rare and special occasion. We spent
almost all of Friday with him and his wife and President and Sister
Martino. It was a pretty neat experience. In preparation to Elder
Nielson's coming, he asked us all to read Elder Bednar's talk about
the Enabling Power of the Atonement. You should look it up, its pretty
good. It reminds us that the atonement is not only to help us receive
forgiveness for our sins, the Atonement is also here to give us
strength. I am so grateful for all we learned.
He also had some training for us. Something that I found interesting
was his reminder to us to not only teach the poor people. (That is
pretty much the only people we are teaching) Our mission call was to
all the people of the Philippines, not just the poor ones. It was
pretty interesting.

This week me and my companion went to find a less active member who
lives in a province of our area that neither of us has ever been to.
It was fun because we would ask all the people if they knew the man we
were looking for and where he lived, and then we would tell them about
our message. We haven't found the man yet, but we found other people
who are interested in our message. I'm excited to go back.

I got my first letter here! It was a “DearElder” letter from Samantha
Park :) I don't know how long letters take to get to me, but I know it
takes a while. Everyone should date the letters you send to me so I
have a better idea of when you sent it. Tell people that they can
email me, (abish.curtis@myldsmail.net) that is the fastest way for me to hear from you. I'm just not allowed to email back :( I would love to get letters!!!!

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fullness! God loves us!

Love,

Sister "Chicken Foot Eater" Curtis