This week has been packed full of super hilarious experiences and lots of OYMing and teaching.  First off this last week we had one investigator come to church, Anthony Bernardino.  I kind of got a reality check in that not all investigators actually keep commitments and do what they say they will do.  So at least 5 other investigators that said they would come to church didn’t come.  But as we keep trying to push them to do those most important three things for an investigator(1.Read the BoM 2.Pray 3.Come to Church) that is all we can do, because they still have agency, kinda stinks sometimes as a missionary, that agency thing;) Jokelang! The work is going well here in the LaPaz Branch. But we are still teaching the 3 Bad Boys: Nico, Luis, and Christian who are teenagers that are just the coolest kids ever! 

A whole lot of crazy things happened this week including FHE on Monday.  We went to a members house and they had a spiritual thought then we played a game.  Let me tell you this...Filipinos get into games more than anyone I have ever seen!!  It is the funniest thing to watch ever!  But in the game you had to pass the sign around and if you messed up, someone would get to draw lipstick on your face, I almost lasted the whole time without any until they gained up on me, it was hilariousJ 

Also this past week was the official Family Week!  So on Saturday they had a big FHE thing at the church.  We played crazy games that got super intense like Musical Chairs and a lot of other just plain weird Filipino games that I have no idea how to describe.  But I will tell you that the Laughing never stops here in the Philippines!!

On Thursday we woke up to find no water at our house.  None of our neighbors had it either, so we had to take a 20 minute jeepnee ride to take a shower in Zaragoza to get ready for the day.  We didn’t have much water that day but we survived, barely;)  One of the food adventures this week was when Elder Dela Pena climbed a coconut tree to get a coconut for us to eat, because we were starving and we don’t get much food here in LaPaz... Jokelang!! We get fed very well by members and the rice and ulam that we make is very delicious, so all is good here!  But he really did climb a tree to get a coconut, that wasn’t a joke.  And the juice inside tasted good too!!  Also a lizard fell on me as I was getting into the shower yesterday...That right there probably describes my week the very best:) I kind of screamed and Elder Lastierre my kasama died laughing, it was pretty hilarious!  I also ate BALUT!!!!  It was actually not too bad, surprisingly...  It was just juicy on one half and harder on the other half so that was weird;)  But this one was only a 19 day embrio so this week I want to try the 22 day embrio soon so I can taste the bones and see the head of the bird even better!

It has rained here basically every day at about 3-4:00 for the past week.  Up until the rain it is very hot, but once it starts raining it feels so good outside, I LOVE THE RAIN HERE!!!  The rain makes OYM’s so much fun, I just smile the whole time!  But the Filipinos are scared of the rain, it is so funny!  It will be sprinkling and they will literally be running to their houses to get out of the rain.  Around our apartment there was about 2-3 inches of standing rain for about an hour or two one day, but my kasama said it gets a lot worse than that.  Last night the lightning was lighting up the sky, it was so cool!  The lightning would strike every couple seconds and it was the coolest thing ever!

I have learned a ton this week!  Including lots of Tagalog, that I hope stays with me;) 

The work will have ups and downs, but we choose which one we want more!! As for me I like the ups!  

This week was so much fun!  Just keeping your head up and staying positive is the only way to be happy & successful at the same time!

I love the LaPaz members and am just starting to be able to communicate a little bit with them so that is the best!

Have a fantastic week and thank you so much for the emails!! 

Please keep them coming:) I love them!

Love, Elder Alldredge

MTC Group

MTC President and Wife?

MTC Branch Presidency maybe?

More MTC

and more!

Loving that Christmas tree in the MTC!

More Christmas!

Kyle and a couple him and his companion set up at the MTC!  They must work there.

Big, cool statue by the MTC

Kyle's new comp and all his trainees and their comps

Church by the MTC

Random path

Kyle's new house in La Paz

Looking pretty good after cleaning

Cleaning

Kyle and Elder Lastierre cleaning

Lots of rain

Not sure what this means

Rain outside the house

More rain

Outside the church?

Beds

Eating hamburgers at the super mall

La Paz

Neighborhood

Countryside

Out tracting

Typical huts and houses

More countryside

He claims the kids love him

more kids

The dab!

Dancing?

La Paz elders

Nice sunset

Eating Balut (Bird embryo)

Yes that is a beak - pretty gross, but good for him for being willing to embrace the culture :-))!