Manilla is just BEAUTIFUL!

Kamust po kayo, aking pamilya?
     This week on Sunday we had our first fast and testimony meeting. Oh and speaking of Fast Sunday, thank you all for fasting for me this last week. That's so thoughtful of you! So our testimony meeting was a really good one, all in Tagalog of course. But I understood what everyone was saying, and I even bore my testimony in Tagalog for the first time over the pulpit. So that was kind of neat. Let's be honest I'll probably be doing that for the next 16 months in the Philippines:) But for the next couple months I probably won't be able to understand as much as I did this past week. Oh well though:)

     This last week we had a district of four elders that left on Tuesday to go to Quezon City. It was actually kind of sad saying goodbye to them. We became really close with them. The elders were older in that district, three were 21 and older so it was fun getting to know them. One was from Australia and New Zealand and had the best accent ever! It was a lot of fun talking to him about Australia and culture and such. But yeah as we were saying goodbye to them and giving them a... handshake, the Samoan elders were all singing this Samoan farewell hymn that was SO pretty! It was neat. It made me realize that that's going to happen a lot on my mission. I'll be just meeting people and getting to know them well for a couple months and then having to say goodbye to them. So I guess that was just a first of many for me. And in the Philippines I'm sure it will be worse.

     We had TRC yesterday, and it was our first time teaching a 40-minute lesson. It was actually a lot of fun. We had two sisters that we have had a couple times before, and we really like them. So we just chatted and then talked to them about Ang Plano ng kaligtasan (plan of salvation). It was a good lesson. We mainly focused on the atonement part of the plan. It's fun at the TRC because they are members, and you can have a talk a little farther in depth about the gospel in contrast to teaching an investigator and teaching it simple. We only have one more TRC which is just crazy because the last Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we won't have TRC. I've heard that we'll be doing a service project and then a devotional or something. But I don't know for sure.
     This week Elder Wilde and I got called out of class to be filmed. They asked us different questions about our stay and the MTC and such. They said that it was going to be shown to all the Asian area teachers at a training or something.
     So a funny Tagalog word that I learned this week that I just have to share with you. Mostly I've just been learning gospel words, but one day I just wanted to learn some fun words that I'll use when just having a conversation and introducing myself. So I looked up the word "art" and guess what it is in Tagalog... sinning! haha yep that's the word.  Isn't that funny? I was like... well if that isn't a sign to not spend my time doing art while I'm on my mission, then I don't know what is:) haha. So yeah thought I'd share that.
     These past couple weeks on P-day I've been practicing the piano, and I've been accompanying Sister Dennis as she plays the flute. It's been a lot of fun, and I just love the flute. I think it's so pretty. But we don't have enough weeks for us to actually perform it, and Sister Dennis didn't really want to. But Sister Young who is our new roommate is an amazing singer! She used to be a vocal performance major, and she'll sing for us sometimes at night. She just has a gorgeous voice! So today we're going to go try and find some sheet music, and I might accompany her at a fireside or devotional or Relief Society. You have to audition, but we'll see how it goes.
     My knee was doing better this week. But then this morning it was hurting so who knows. It's really weird. But one day this week I was able to run almost a half of a mile before it started to hurt which is by far the longest I've been able to. So that was a huge improvement. 
     My friend Elder Alonui from Samoa that was in our district for like two weeks and then headed to Manila e-mailed Elder Tamonavoa (Samoan in my district) and told him to tell Sister Stromberg that Manila is just BEAUTIFUL! So that got me excited!!