Aloha from Waikiki Beach

Dear Family-
This week was insane. There are tons of stories that I am gonna tell you so ill start right away.

Everything started wednesday. Wednesdays are our district meetings and so we hop on a bus at 9 to make it to gumaca by 10. Well, elder Etcitty had stayed the night before because last tuesday was zone conference (where we went to the mall and stood outside of the movie theater and watched the previews for all the upcoming movies...trunky nation...). So, as I said in my last email, elder Lee was emergency transferred and Richens was put in. Richens is a guy whose father has paid for everything he has. He has no respect for anyone and puts himself above everyone else cause he is rolling in cash. He always has to one up everyone and he will not accept the fact that someone is better than him. Well, Elder Etcitty was born with a birth defect on his face. It is like 3 inches high, 2 inches wide, and like an inch and a half deep. Richens made an EXTREMELY rude comment about him being fat and his birthmark and Etcitty smacked him across the face and started swearing and stuff. Then Richens came over and was insulting him even more by saying grow up and stuff so Etcitty threatened him and they were about to fight and all this drama garbage. I felt like I was in 11th grade like for real. It was retarded.

So, everyone is in a wierd mood because the f word was dropped in a missionary apartment along with other choice words so we rode to Gumaca in silence. WELL, on the bus I sat down next to this guy. He seemed nice to me, and was way quiet. Well, I started day dreaming and I was rubbing what I thought was my bookbag. I wasnt paying attention so I was doing it for like 5 minutes. When I finally got out of my daydream, I looked down and saw that it most definitely was NOT my bookbag that I was doing wierd circles with my fingers on...it was the guy next to me's leg. I was like OH FREAK..uh...sorry, I didnt notice your...leg...there... and he just looked at me. I dont know what was more creepy-the fact that I was rubbing a dude's leg like a pet for 5 minutes...or the fact that he didnt stop me. COOL. I was told I would have experiences that I would never forget on my mission...oh how right they were.

So, life goes on...until Saturday. We live right above an OB/GYN. It is this maternity clinic that is downstairs. Well, Francisco and I had opened our fridge to defrost it cause the freezer had TONS of ice in it. We thought that the little catch tray would get all the water-WRONG. Saturday we went to this quadruple baptism of these cool teenagers and the zone leaders got a text saying that there was water leaking from the ceiling onto the people below. Yea-we had so much ice it like flooded our kitchen floor (which is just wood) and the water seeped through the floor and was pulling a niagra falls on all the pregnant ladies below. Ha, sad, but kind of funny at the same time.

I also had a funny incident with elder Francisco. Since we became companions, he has been improving my Tagalog, and I am helping him with his english. He will give me a sentence to translate, and I will tell it to him, while I will ask him if my Tagalog is right or not and he will correct me. Well, the other day we were tracting and he was apparently getting sick of teaching the first lesson. So, he, as he has done many times before, told me something and I was to correct him if it was wrong. He tried to say "I am tired of the first lesson" but only said "im retarded..." and then he was like wait a minute, thats not right..im retarded...retarded...im...im retarded and he was trying to figure out how to say it. It was a funny thing to happen because it allowed us to laugh at it and have something to laugh at for the rest of the day.

I also had this cool experience last night. I must admit, I have fallen into the cliched mindset that those who are inactive have completely bailed on the church and are lost in the woods without a light. Last night, Elder Francisco and I visited this 19 year old inactive and I thought it was just gonna be another cookie cutter inactive visit-"you are welcome to come to church" "ill think about it" and they dont come. We started teaching her and we asked why we hadnt seen her at church and she said it was because she has to work 6 months at a time to support herself and her family but that the church hasnt dropped in value since she was baptized. She then bore one of the most powerful testimonies that I have ever heard. It just made me think about how awesome the women in our church are and how I got a reality check as to how much I want my wife to be just as involved with the church as I am. Good times.

Ha that is way funny about your experiences in Hawaii. Did you get manly flower power leis when you got off the plane haha? Just think of it this way-how memorable would a vacation be if there was no missed planes, tsunamis, food poisoning, or lost luggage? Ha exactly:) By the way, about coming to pick me up, I was talking to some elders about it, and both you and dad need to come. I wont be released from being a missionary until I am back in the states so Dad would be my new companion. That would be awesome if you guys came. Spending money wise, 200-250 dollars a person (10,000-12,500 pesos) would most definitely cover it. We would rock all my areas, and I would share the amazing culture with you all. But, of course, the plane tickets arent the cheapest so that is something you all would have to look into. We could stay a week or so and rock all the places I want to go (like Puerto Gallera-this AMAZING tourist spot like white sand beaches, baby blue water, the works) and such. They have some of the worlds most beautiful beaches here so we could go visit that, plus the volcano, and the temple. But, its up to you cause thats a couple g's out of your pocket so whatever you guys want!

Right now, I am studying D&C HARDCORE. There is so much in each stinking section its flippin bomb dig haha! I am also studying the pearl of great price and comparing the different elements within each chapter to the symbolism found in the temple. I am SO STOKED to be able to dominate the temple again. The temple is probably the 2 most missed thing by me only superseded by you all. The pearl of great price definitely has some stuff that you wont want to miss ha so pick one up and get to work! Ha no, just kidding. Elder Francisco and I are...still living. There is definitely less than love in our companionship. He wants to chill at members houses and I want to work. He wants to go buy tons of stuff and I want to teach lessons. I will say this-I am so excited for transfer day. Elder Francisco and I seem to be 2 positively charged magnets that just repel. There have been some heated battles to the death because he doesnt want to work, and I do. But, only like 11 days left WOOOOOOT!!!

I was thinking about the whole 6 months thing earlier. Man, 1/4 of my mission gone. I have had some AMAZING times already and it is only 25 percent done. From losing my wallet to getting ingrown toenails to stroking a guys leg-a mission rocks my socks. This past 4 months in the Philippines has BLOWN by. I am kind of bummed that in 18 months I have to come back to 10 dollar haircuts, work, and no Tagalog, but its ok.

How is everything at the house going? How are Samuel and Ben doing? How is Brady doing? Hmm...turning 14 eh? You better tell B-Rady that I said he better be staying away from girls. Haha he will probably blush. He still hasnt emailed me back that lazy bum haha:) Tell him to get off my Serta downstairs, turn off the xbox, and come email me before I dominate him ha! I hope you are all doing well and I hope you are all staying safe. There is something that I learned the other day-

"Ang palay ay parisan, habang nagkakalaman ay lalong nagpugpugay"

or

Imitate the rice stalk, the more grains it bears, the lower it bows

I think it is funny about how people are finding out how important humility is. Random, but cool!

May 9, or Mother's day is quickly approaching!!!!!

Keep on keepin' on!!!

Love,
Jake
aka Elder Muller