Update on Mysterious Photo and Latest News

Apparently the Filipino people love to play games and have challenges. They also like to have "penalties" for the losers. The brown stuff on their faces is their "penalty" for losing--mud on their face.
Sam is working hard and finding much success in Iloilo. He met a woman the other day who said she went to the LDS church as a young girl, and was happy to have them come and discuss the gospel with her. She had had a dream that 2 men in white shirts came to visit her--this was just before Sam and his companion came into her neighborhood. Experiences such as these are strengthening Sam's testimony as well as our own. He has met and baptized some wonderful people, helping them overcome challenges and repent and come unto Christ. He is loving every minute of it.
He said a nightly ritual is taking off their soaking wet shoes and socks and putting them in front of the fan to dry out over night!

Mysterious Photo

We are not sure what the brown stuff is all over the faces--can't wait to hear the story!

Sam's Stitches, August, 2011

Apparently, someone went up for a lay up during basketball and the result was Sam getting stitches above his eye. We will be happy if this is his most serious accident while in the Philippines! He said the stitches are already out and he is back to playing basketball!

After a Very Rainy Day!

After a very rainy day, Sam waded through this water for 15 minutes on his way to an investigator's house. I hope he was wearing sandals! As you can see, the people there are very used to this kind of thing! He said his legs got a very good workout.

Yummy Food and a New Assignment!

This is a photo of Sam indulging in chicken intestines! Yum!

An excerpt from his email: 6/20/11

I have been transferred to the neighboring area in the city, Manduriao, awnd am ith Elder R. as zone leaders of Iloilo zone. It's the biggest zone in the mission, so no pressure right?! It's crazy that the amount of responsibility just went up again, but I’m very excited for it. I am happy to be able to serve the elders and sisters in the zone.
Just for a fun story, my first night in the area we went to one of the furthest members in our area, and got to walk for about 15 minutes through knee-high water on the roads because it rained so hard earlier in the day! That was fun. Gave my legs a good work out.

Watching a Tiungee

Sam is doing so great in the city of Iloilo! He has had some great experiences teaching people that turn out to be so ready to hear the gospel. He is coming up on his 1 year mark, and we can hardly believe it. But we are not focusing on it because we do not want to begin a "countdown". We do not want him to waste any minutes of the year he has left. Recently he was asked by a lady to watch her "tiungee" and he attached this photo so we knew what that meant. I swear the kids in the Philippines are the cutest things I have ever seen! OK--not really "things" but you know what I mean. This other photo is of him and his companion Elder B from Idaho. I think they are 2 peas in a pod!

Transfer to Iloilo

Sam has been transferred to the city of Iloilo. It is very different from the areas he has worked in so far. He is the district leader over 12 missionaries. He was very sad to leave the people of his last area on Guimaras Island, but very excited for a new adventure. He is companions with Elder B from Rexburg, Idaho. He says they are exactly alike! Now that might be a problem :) He is happy and loving every minute of it. Before he left Guimaras Island, he participated in a festival called manggahan where they try to eat as many mangos as they can--Sam ate almost 5 pounds! The picture is of him eating mangos. Yum! Also a photo of him with one of his investigator families who he is sad to be leaving. All is good, though. Next month he will have been out 6 months!