Week 32

Hello family, how are you all?

What has happened this week? I don't know... lots.
I made an observation... back home I always ate a ton, right? I was a
bottomless pit and I ate and ate and ate, as long as there was food in
front of me. My appetite here has changed a lot. I hardly eat
anything anymore, even when I love the food! I think it's because I'm
not as active as I used to be. Even though I exercise every morning
and walk all day, the intensity level is way lower. It's the opposite
for Sister Patricio. She never exercised at home and now she eats a
lot more than she used to. It's weird. I still feel healthy and look
the same, I think..., but I just don't need all the calories I used to
need I guess. Hopefully when I go home, everything will go back to
normal. I played soccer a couple weeks ago and was able to play just
as hard as I always do when playing sports, but ended up getting
really sore, haha.

Here in the Philippines people want to be white. White is beautiful.
It's the opposite in America, where everyone wants to be tan. Where
we have tanning lotion and like to be out in the sun to get darker,
here people wear whitening lotion and always carry umbrellas with them
in fear of becoming darker. Interesting the differences, huh? :D By
the way... I'm not getting any tanner here. :( I thought I would, but
for some reason I don't think I am.

We had District Conference yesterday. President Pagaduan and Sister
Pagaduan came to speak as well as the Cebu Temple President and his
wife. I was surprised to find out that the Cebu Temple President is
President Pagaduan's father! It was a nice little family reunion for
them all! :D They definitely look alike! And his mother too. It was
fun sitting next to one of our deaf members and trying to translate
for her in sign language. I'm getting better! :D

The Karay-a is still a challenge for me a little bit. They understand
my Ilonggo just fine, but I have a hard time understanding their
dialect sometimes. And my companion speaks mostly Tagalog in lessons
which makes things even more challenging sometimes. But it's getting
better. The Karay-a is fun to learn.

This testimony will be mostly Ilonggo, but with some Karay-a mixed in.
Kamaan ko nga matuod ang simbahan. Nagbayad si Jesucristo para
kanaton tanan. Kon magbasa kita kang libro ni mormon adlaw-adlaw, kag
sundon ang mga kasuguan, mabaton naton duro nga bugay. Kamaan ko nga
kon magsalig kita sa Ginuo kag mabaton ang ebanghelyo ni Jesucristo,
makabalik kita kanaton nga amay sa langit kag mabaton ang kabug-usan
kang kalipayon. Makabalik kita kana bilang mga pamilya para sa walay
katubtuban. Matuod gid and ebanghelyo kag importante gid nga magsimba
kita kada Dominggo. May duro nga pagtilaw kag problema sini nga
panahon, pero kon may pagtuo kita kay Jesucristo kag sundon ang mga
kasuguan, malampuasan naton ang aton mga pagtilaw. May ara kita mga
problema para mangin baskog, pero kon hindi kita padayon hasta sa
katubtuban, basi madula naton ang aton panaksihon. Padayon kamo kag
magpangamuyo pirme para mangin lapit sa Dios. Salamat gid sa tanan,
Halong kamo,
Palangga ko kamo,
Sister McClellan