Marinda in Manila: Designated Coachroach Dispatcher

Dear mga kaibigan at pamilya (friends and family),

Once again, this email will be all over the place since I've just been taking notes on what to say and there's not really organization to it. For starters, we have a new batch of non-language training missionaries in. This time, we have Indian missionaries, which is so cool! they're all from India and will serve in India. The first day they were here, though, I assumed they were Filipino even though they didn't really look like they were and started trying to speak Tagalog to them. They looked at me weirdly and my companion said, "Sister Larsen, they're from India." Hahaha. I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament meeting on Sunday (they post up who's talking the night before and then you just give a 3 minute talk on a chosen subject they give.) My subject was "God is Our Loving Heavenly Father." I felt really good about that topic, and used Mosiah 2:41 and 2:34 and spoke about how we should always thank God for our blessings and recognize that we should always remember that Heavenly Father walks beside his missionaries even during (and especially during) their trials as they serve. Also that we should look forward to and press forward steadfastly towards being able to return to live with God after this life. I had only a couple of notes jotted down, true to form of how President Carter advises missionaries to give talks (essentially - kind of wing it while going by the Spirit.)

This will surprise people who know me, but I can honestly say that out of everyone (all the language training missionaries) who go to gym (about 60-70 of us), I work out the most out of anyone. There aren't organized bball games here, only just shooting hoops, playing volleyball, or kickball in the gym. So there's a bajillion people in the gym and a billion balls flying around and I quickly realized I wasn't a fan of that. So I went to the small room off to the side where they have 2 ellipticals and 2 stationary bikes. I started running on the elliptical. And running and running. Every time I go to gym now, I take my mp3 player, put on some MoTab and RUN. The entire time (with a 5 minute break halfway through - but I'm slowly phasing that out too.) So that's an hour of hardcore exercise. I'm sweating a lot, but I feel really good when I go to bed and sleep really well/have more energy for the day. Everyone else is doing stationary stuff, and I'm that crazy fit person in the corner getting all sweaty, but I dig it. This mission is already making me more hardcore.

Part of the reason I want to get in shape NOW rather than later is that we go proselyting next week! On Wednesday we'll go on splits with some of the missionaries already in the field and we're going to go out on the streets and tract with them (I think maybe go to appointments with them as well.) I'm crazy scared of that but also super excited. Our Tagalog (well, Taglish) doesn't seem anywhere near good enough for that, but I'm sure we'lll learn a LOT and I'm so thankful we have that opportunity here at this MTC! I'm so very excited to go out into the field.

People in my district. I can't even... words can't even describe. The people from places other than the U.S. (and even those in the U.S.) have had difficult lives and many trials. My companion from Fiji and my teacher both grew up in homes where there was no electricity, they used fire to cook their meals,and they harvested coconots or papaya to try and make a living. My companion walked 3 hours to school every morning so she could get an education. My smiley and wonderful (completely wonderful) teacher was not supported by his family when he chose to serve a mission and before his mission would either do odd jobs on Saturdays for church members so he could afford to take a jeepney (Filipino bus) into town or if that wasn't an option he'd walk for 4 hours to get to church on Sunday. He is a truly amazing person. We met his wife and adorable little baby, and it is clear that the blessings of the Gospel are real and tangible. Eternal families are amazing, and only possible through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It may seem hard at times, but we can all overcome our challenges especially when we have the Lord to support us. I can't even describe how much my heart is already being touched by these people, and how small and insignificant my challenges seem when I talk to them.

Now for some funny things. Elder Zou, one of the Elders in our district (from China), knows a little bit about American history but not much. When he found out I'm from the South, he used the amount of English he knows to talk to me about it. Then he said, "Did your family own slaves?" We all had a really good laugh over that one and I blushed hardcore. He thought he had offended me but I assured him he hadn't. Another funny instance was when I said hello to two Filipino Elders. One looked at me and with wide eyes said, "Sister - your skin is so white.... you look like a walking milk!" The other Elder then nudged him hard and said, "He's just jealous." We had a good laugh over that as well. I seriously have gotten used to just being stared at on a regular basis because of my ultra whiteness. It's going to be weird to go back to the U.S. after my mission and not cause such a sensation when I'm around people, haha. This new batch of Elders has straight up started to call me "Sister Taylor Swift." They didn't have any contact with the other batch of missionaries, so I assume that I will probably get that comment throughout my mission.

I am the designated cockroach killer. There have been 3 we've found live in our room, and about 6 dead when we've woken up in the morning. One day one was alive in the morning and crawling around on our bedposts. We were all freaking out and I was hoping Sister Tilley (who'd seen/beena round them in Fiji) would kill it, but she didn't. I knew it had to be done, so I grabbed a shoe and squished it. That one was the size of my index finger. The other one I killed was smaller but still big. So, everyone else is too afraid to kill them now, but I know it must be done! I can't imagine how many (or how big ) they'll be out in the field since it's an ultra clean environment here in the MTC.

Sister Kelsey from Utah got sick this week so we ended up spending a day and a half up in our rooms. All the Americans (Sisters especially ) are sick with all kinds of ailments. I'm glad for my health, but I hope I don't have an american companion for a while in the field because I want to do the work and not be laid up all the time with a sick companion (or be the one who is sick.) I've had upset stomach on occasion, but nothing I couldn't power through.

One day, we were talking about the haka (polynesian war dance ) and I said I kind of knew it. Some of the people from my district said I had to do it for them, so I did. They all thought it was the funniest thing ever, some lil white girl doing some scary war dance. They said I was scary though, and just like when I did it before I have bruises on my thighs from slapping them so hard. Later that night, some of the Sisters from Kiribati (an island - 90% of the language training missionaries speak 2 languages at least) were doing some of their cultural dances. So some of us Americans did the Cotton Eyed Joe and the Macarena (technically spanish, but oh well.) they thought it was hilarious.

It rains here hard almost every day, and there's a ton of thunderstorms. I enjoy it though. Very wet, but the climate is similar enough to Virginia I'm not having a problem with it so far.

Some funny Tagalog grammar - our grammar books have a lot of stuff wrong in them (doesn't inspire much comfort, I know.) One was, "Magkano po ang asawa ninyo?" That would say in our language "How much is your spouse?" As in - how many spouses do you have. But in Tagalog, it means "How much (money) is your spouse?" That may not make sense, but we all though it was pretty hilarious. Clearly, if the grammar books are messed up because words are interchangable (they have about 5 words for each type of thing - and 3 words for rice, depending on what stage of harvest it is) it's gonna take us a while. Our grammar is kind of non-existant right now, but we are getting more words as we teach and the trio is nice cuz we can pool our knowledge of the language as we teach.

This week I ate tiny little cooked birds eggs at lunch one day. They taste like normal eggs, I like them. I don't know what bird they're from, however. I also have been eathing papaya, palm nuts in a drink (squishy clear things - super weird but awesome), and fried bananas. The bananas here are not my enemies like the ones in the states are; these have a more mild flavor closer to potatoes or something.

That's what I've got for now. We're progressing, and by next week I will have experienced a little bit of serving in the field. Looking forward to it! I'll send along some more pictures with this too, hopefully they work!

Nagmamahal,

Sister Larsen

Marinda's district plus Mongolian and Filipino districts