Sunday, July 25, 2004
Well today I did the thing that most people dread and that I’d heard a lot of horror stories about. I got to talk in church. I get a brief message about the atonement and it went fairly well. The people all at least looked at me the whole time I was speaking. I was told afterward by the second councilor that I used too deep Tagalog and that they use “Taglish” here. I’ll have to work on that. The only problem I have is really being able to follow the conversation up to speed. I get better and better every day though. After our church meeting we taught Judy Santiago the 3rd discussion. She has a baptismal date set for this coming Saturday. I’m excited for her. I hope that she’ll be really malakas sa simbahan.[1] We also did some work with Nanay Jose who is just now becoming more active.
I’m getting used to the culture here and I’m almost adjusted to the time. One thing that really bugs me is that about three-o-clock in the morning about 800 roosters start to crow and I really can’t sleep.[2]
Oh yeah, I forgot, I got to help with three blessings today. They were really good.
[1] malakas sa simbahan: strong in the church. (roughly translated)
[2] Our apartment backed up to a cock fighting arena and everyone that fought cocks there also stored their animals there. It was stinky and noisy. I always thought that roosters were supposed to crow once when the sun came up but oh no, they start really early in the morning and don’t ever stop. Eventually you just have to learn to sleep through it. That apartment also was very unsanitary. There were not screens on the windows and the roof leaked on my bed whenever it rained.