Wala'y Tubig

The plumbing in our CR (bathroom) is broken, so the landlord shut off our water until they fix it. So, for the past 24 hours there hasn't been any water in our balay....it's tough to shower, cook, brush your teeth, and wash your face, etc. with no water.... 

we had to ask our neighbors, who have a hose, to fill up basins and trashcans with water. Then we used a ladle flush the toilets and to "shower". 

Sometimes at night as I'm hanging my laundry (hay-hay) out on a line, still in my dress, out on the terrace under the palm trees, and then dump the extra water out over the side of the terrace, and then go down to iron (plantsa) my other dresses, I feel like I'm living in the 50's or something. It's kind of cozy, but mostly it's a huge hassle haha. And I'm not very good at it- I have a burn on my hand from the iron- now a permanent scar.

I have a year left of my mission! haha. It's interesting to be a foreigner and speak a different language. I'm now the only American living in our house, so I spend most of my time trying to understand and join in. Sometimes I'm successful! and sometimes I'm not haha. Because the language uses different ways of saying things and has different "sayings", you kind of have a different personality if you learn a different language. It's weird to think that there now exists a side of me that my family might never really know or understand. 

It's the same for Jared, he will come home being an expert in Italian and in the cultural ins and outs of Italy. I understand now why RM's either always want to talk about their missions, or never want to talk about it. 

The Philippines has a thrift store kind of thing, called an ukay-ukay, and it is quickly becoming a huge weakness of mine! :) it's just tons of clothes piled in a tent and they're all really cheap. Every month my companion and I stop in and buy a new skirt or a new blouse. Then we have to hand wash it (because who knows where it's been!) and line dry it, iron it, and spray it with a little fabric softener and there's a new outfit! Sister missionary weakness. The salesmen recognize us as "Mormons", they all say "Sister, sinina! sayal! blouse!" (dress! skirt! blouse!) haha. They know, now, that I can speak to them so now they try to persuade me to buy all kinds of things, but we are very frugal in bargaining with them. It's a good opportunity to share the gospel because they ask us why we are so dressed up? Do we get paid for missionary service? NO? Whey then, are you serving a mission? It's a great way to bear testimony to them of the gospel and our purpose as missionaries.

Yesterday I was just sitting in church and then the Branch President announced that I would be the concluding speak, give a 20-minute talk about prayer. So caught unawares, I just went up and found that I was able to comfortably deliver a 20 minute talk in Bisaya about the principles of prayer and the importance of individual and family prayer. I felt so much love for the people looking out at all of them from the pulpit.

Our area just went through realignment, so it's a lot smaller now. That means we really need to focus on less active members and finding new investigators.

I love you all, have a good week.

-sister bertoldo