Mga kaibigan ko at pamilya ko,
I hope you all are having just a wonderful time in your lives. I know that struggles sometimes come, but it’s really just an opportunity for improvement. Whatever your life is like right now, I’m praying for all of your welfare.
Dito sa Pilipinas, all is well. We hit our first rainstorm, so that was fun. Rice is still delicious, and we eat it almost every meal.
I had my first exchanges this week. Exchanges are when a missionary spends a day working with a missionary other than his or her companion, usually one in a leadership position, in order to better gauge the status of the work. For me, I got to go out and proselyte with the district leader, Elder Campo, in Vigan. It was a very different experience than Magsingal, and I learned a lot.
Dahil binili ng aking mga kabahay ang basketbol, nag-babasketbol kami araw-araw para sa morning exercise. Magaling lang si Elder Peck, pero we all try really hard. It’s fun to be able to start each day with some exercise.
I think I’m really getting used to the Philippines. Tagalog is still hard, pero the culture and the scenery are becoming normal to me. I hope that I can continue to love it here everyday.
I’d love to hear as well from all of you. How are you doing? What’s going on? I love to hear even super short messages from you.
Salamat at pag-ibig,
Elder Tripp
The district leader’s apartment when he went on exchanges
In Vigan, by the apartment
Puraw, the best doggo ever
The alley that leads to “secrets”
Answers to Mom’s questions: I bore my testimony on the first week here because it was fast Sunday, but haven’t been asked to speak again. Because there are four “new” (new to the branch) missionaries in our branch, other missionaries have spoken each week. It will probably be my turn soon. Thanksgiving was noted, but not really celebrated. However, Thanksgiving night we were blessed with a ride and feast, because after we stayed late for dinner (fish and rice) at a less active member’s house, the Facilities Management president gave us a ride home and gave us pizza and Pepsi. Truly blessed. In terms of people we’re teaching, one of the craziest experiences we’ve had so far was with a man who I’ll call J. We first met J when he was drunk, and he called out to us passing by in the street. He told us how he wanted to change his life and how he drinks because he hears voices. He pulled out his knife and surrendered it to us, saying he had already killed someone and didn’t want to kill anymore. We took him home and gave him a priesthood blessing. After we left, weeks passed. We visited his house four more times, hoping to meet him, but teaching his relatives instead. Finally, we saw him again and he was drunk again. He was repentant and asked us to give him a second chance. I was trying to speak to him in Tagalog, to calm him down, when suddenly he began to shout at my companion and me. I couldn’t understand what he said, but my companion later told me he said he was a devil and that God wasn’t helping him. While he spoke to us, you could hear a loud creaking sound throughout the whole cement house. We were really scared, and he told us to never come back. We still haven’t returned, but we did happen to see him one time, completely sober in another part of town. He seemed like a totally different person. Hopefully his family can still progress.
Tagalog
Mga kaibigan ko at pamilya ko - My friends and my family
Salamat at pag-ibig - Thanks and love
Dito sa Pilipinas - Here in the Philippines
Dahil binili ng aking mga kabahay ang basketbol, nag-babasketbol kami araw-araw para sa morning exercise. Magaling lang si Elder Peck, pero -
Because my households bought basketball, we played basketball every day for morning exercise. Elder Peck is good, but