Hello, Everyone!

Cige so before I forget momma:
Philippines, Tacloban Mission
Fatima Vlg, Tacloban City
6500 Leyte
Philippines

So we only get mail through the mission home. It gets sent there then
we get our mail like once a transfer.. Haha. It's pretty awesome. Also
I guess packages are super duper slow so they take like 3 months and I
think it's three weeks to a month for letters also. I'm not sure if I
told you already but if you get like Jesus stickers and put them on
the mail it will keep it from being stolen.
So anyway!!
This week we had a training down in Tacloban so instead of getting to
work very much we just got to take a very very long 7 hour bus ride
and then home again.. Haha so fun. But it was awesome because I got to
see my batch! Elder Lowe looks so good! I missed him so much. He is
already such an awesome missionary. I have pictures with him and
Sister K and Sister G and Dial but it's really hard to send pictures
here cuz they easily get corrupted and I really don't want to lose any
of these pictures from this beautiful place! So I can probably print
and send some, we will see.
I am excited to get back to work this week. Sister Perdida went to
church again! She is so good. Like seriously a golden investigator. We
taught her sons too and they are so so good! Sister Bessy was out of
town so no church for her.. We are really grateful though because she
is not as shy as she used to be. She is ten and she used to cover her
face with her hands every single time we asked her a question. But she
came with us to FHE and she was super talkative and cute. We are
hoping to have her baptised soon but she keeps missing church.
So besides that I guess there's not a whole lot to say. Oh yeah!
Brother Nickko! I am so so happy that he talked to Jamie. He is
seriously my favorite ever. He was inactive last year and he came
back, and ever since then he has worked with the missionaries EVERY
SINGLE DAY. He is leaving soon and I am so sad. He was really excited
that he talked with Jamie also. I asked him if he was leaving the
other day and he said "Of course not! I promised Jamie Sprouse that I
could protect you!" Haha so funny. He is the best guy ever in the
world.
My language is still not good but I can get my point across and
understand a little.lt is helpful that almost every single Philippino
knows English.
There are so many inactives in our community because it seems that
some missionaries a while back taught everyone only like the first
lesson, baptized them, and never came back. That's the reason that
Bro. Nickko was inactive. It is super sad. We try to visit everyone as
much as we can and pray that they will have the desire to come to
church.
Well that's all for now! Love you all so so much!
Sister Sprouse

First Week in Philly(pines)

Oh my goodness I just knew that you all would be anxious when I didn't write as soon as I arrived. Haha. I am writing you as soon as I possibly could though! I love you all! All the emails that I received made me feel so loved. 

The Philippines are amazing! I love it here! There are so many new sights and (interesting) smells! Haha I'm trying so many things that I never have before. I keep having the wish that I could just snapshot every moment so that you could enjoy it with me. 

The mangoes here seriously taste like candy! Haha I love it. There's also this really interesting fruit that I have no idea what it's called but it's so so so good. I actually like the humidity which is so interesting but yeah. Haha. The Filipinos are so kind! They all are really loving to me. Everywhere I go I feel like a champ because everyone stares at Sister Woodruff and I and yell "Americanos!" Haha so I am basically famous. 

I am going to be speaking Waray Waray S. That has been a challenge because I was so good at Cebuano! All the Filipinos would tell me how good I was at it and I felt really confident speaking it. I guess I needed to be humbled. Waray waray has a lot of the same gospel words but the conversational words are not even close. Also I have an American accent so that's interesting. Thank you for fasting for me. That really means a lot to me because I was SO overwhelmed with the language on Saturday. Like really. I felt like I was going to die. But on Sunday I felt so much better about it. I still don't understand a lot but I'm overcoming it. 

We have no apartment yet, but we are staying with some sisters in this area and we went to teach nonactives with some members yesterday. All those that we were teaching bailed, but I have learning the language time so that was really helpful.

I just looked over my shoulder and 3 filipino boys were looking over my shoulder at the screen transfixed. Haha. I told you. Famous. (I'm in an internet cafe)

We did laundry today and I will never again complain about laundry in America. We have it so good here.

MAN. This place is built for me. I have seen over and over again the reasons that I have been called here and why they work perfectly for me. I am so happy. The Lord knows what he is doing. I'd better go, but I am safe and sound! I love you! Have a good week! 

Sister Sprouse

P.s please tell Jeff and Tiff how wonderful I thought their package was! I was so happy to get it! I felt like the most loved gal in the MTC. Thank them for me please!