Brian in Baguio: I'm Going to the Philippines!!!

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Dear Everyone,

This week has been one of the longest and shortest of my entire life. I keep thinking about how I'm going to the Philippines in just 2 days. HOW CRAZY IS THAT!!!!! I am sooooooo excited in case you haven't noticed. Haha! I love serving the Lord. There is nowhere else I would rather be in the whole entire world. I love it here. Everyday I get to feel the spirit so strong, and every day I get learn something new about myself or come to a better understanding about gospel principles.

Wow, ok so to go over this week. It started really slow because I just wanted to go to the Philippines, but as the time grows closer, I'm starting to find more and more that it's soooooo close. I don't know. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it feels like yesterday that I got here, and now I'm already leaving. I think the best way to describe it is to say that the days are long but the weeks fly by. Haha how great is that!

We also had infield orientation this week. It was long, but I enjoyed it. They gave us a lot of really good info about what we need to do to make our teaching effective in the field. I learned a lot.

Brian and Elder Giblette

So to start there is an elder in the other district from Kitapes (I have no idea how to spell it.). It’s a small island in the middle of the ocean. Anyway, he says and does some of the funniest things. I mean he is always “what” but he is super loud and in an accent. Idk [I don’t know], he is just funny.

All right, so there is another elder in my district who does some pretty funny stuff, too. He is the funniest kid, but you wouldn't expect him to be. He is super quiet pretty much all the time. I mean he talks, but he is kinda shy when you first meet him... like me! When you finally get to know him he does the funniest things.

Ok, so to the story. We were sitting in the residence getting ready to take a nap. His companion, Elder Ball, threw a pillow at him, so he (Elder Giblette) threw his mattress at Elder Ball. I mean, he took his mattress off his bed and threw it on top of Elder Ball. He then proceeded to jump on the mattress and pin him down. It was so funny. I about passed out I was laughing so hard.

Elder Giblette on Top; Elder Ball on Underneath

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I don't think I can show you how excited I am to go on my mission. I mean I am SOOOOOOOOO excited I think I’m going to explode. :P Well I'd better stop now. This has already been a super long e mail.

Mahal po lahat kayo ng ko!!!!!!!!

Elder Christensen.

Excerpts from Separate Emails:

Yes! I got the package, and I loved it. I just hope I can get it all to fit. :P I'm going to be sending a package home on Monday before I leave the MTC so be looking for the next week. :)

Yes, I got the phone card. I haven't had time to read [the instructions] yet, but I'll get to it tonight, and I'll call you Monday night while I'm at LAX. :)

I can call anyone I want. If you can set up a conference call I would just call home, and you would have to figure out how to make that work. But I think that would be cool. I'm doing fine, and I can't think of anything I need before I go so we are all good there. Plus if I did, I don't know how I would make if fit and not be over my weight limit. Haha But that's the way it goes, I guess.

Oh, no I'm not traveling alone. I'm just going with the other zone to the Philippines because they are going to my mission. [Dad: How many in the other Zone are going to your mission? Elders? Sisters?]
I'm not sure. I know there will be at least 4 sisters, and with me there will be at least 4 elders. But I'm not sure exactly.

Pictures of Life in the MTC