18 April 2000

Here I am, 63 Real Street, Tacloban City.  It's hard to find time to write in my journal when I live in an apartment with five other elders, especially when one of them is Elder Werner.  We're alone right now because we came in a couple hours early because of my toe.  I went to see Dr. Carpio again yesterday, and he seemed pleased with the progress.  I'm starting to actually see improvement now myself.  Hopefully, I'll be wearing shoes this time next month.

Tacloban's not so bad.  Working here is okay.  The branch I'm assigned in (Tacloban 3) has come cool members.  One of the families I already have a connection to.  On 3 March, I mentioned that I went to Borongan to interview a guy for baptism.  His name is Manulo, and he's from here in Tacloban.  He was only temporarily in Borongan for his job.  He'll be returning next month where his wife Nancy and their children live. They got baptised here.  Nancy's nice, and her kids are really cool, especially the nine year old daughter Janice, and the three year old daughter Jasmine.

We had a zone training this morning.  That was the third time this month that I've given the same training.  This zone is very different than Borongan zone.  There are eight sisters, which are all Filipinas, two Samoans (one of them grew up in New Zealand), and only six of us are from North America.  A lot of Filipinos.  There were 20 of us this morning.  The office staff doesn't go to zone and district trainings.  It's a cool zone.  The sisters are cool.  I'm glad I have a zone with sisters in it.  The health sisters (Kagahastian and Fernendez) are in the zone.  They're really cool, especially Sister Fernendez.  She's hilarious.  Marciano and I went to the sisters' apartment at noon to get their phone bill, and they made us eat.  Typical Filipinas.

Finally!  I'm the tall companion!

Elder Werner and Elder Richens