Mother's day was great! I got to go back to my first area. It was a branch then but is huge now! It was how I remembered it. . not a whole lot had changed. Except there are so many kids now! It seemed like everyone Benjie would tell me about when I got here had a kid! It is kind of sad because the majority that I saw were out of wedlock. . . I sat by a member that we would always visit, Jemmylin. I told her that I missed her sizzling plate cooking and she got my number and invited me over. That is a good thing . . except that doesn't help them from all calling me fat! You wouldn't believe it! It seems like everyone tells me how fat I have gotten. I don't think this would be the best place for a self concious person to go if you didn't understand the culture. Actually, after watching some television shows and talking to some people, chubby is in! I should be a star here then!
After church there was a lot of confusion but finally we got a taxi and headed to Makati to pick up my teacher and to go to eat lunch with the Manila mission President. His daughter was in our Tagalog class as she served a "mini-mission" last year. Well, she is back with another friend to do another. They are just serving for 4 months. It was good to see them and to be with a family for Mother's day. It kept me from missing my Mother (and mother-to-be in August) so much. The house was amazing and had Air Con!! We ate a nice American meal and then headed to the other room and had some musical numbers! They even made me sing! It was a good time!
It has been confirmed to me once again how small this world is! Benjie has an office here in his home (good for me as I get free DSL and calls to California!). He is working for a guy that came back to start a business here and got married. Come to find out Ryan Robertson's brother Ian went to school with my friends Nathan and Michael. It has been cool meeting him and his wife. I even got to witness the blessing of their first child, Bethany. What a small world!
After lunch someone came to pick up Nanay (my teacher) and we went to Greenbelt to eat. It is amazing to me how amazing the Philippines is when you are not a missionary. . .I don't mean that to sound like I didn't like the mission but it seems like maybe our mission isn't as financially sound and thus as interesting to visit as Manila is. The food was amazing and I finally got to try Sweet rice and mangoes. It was really good. . .it may just be that the mangoes here are out of this world though! I have eaten at least 2 mangoes everyday that I have been here!
Well. . .this is getting long. I feel very blessed to be here. I am grateful for my Mother and for the freedom that we enjoy in the US. I am so blessed to be here with people that are so loving and understanding! Filipinos are amazing! I love this place!
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