First 2 weeks in San Pablo

  October 12th   2014    ..... Philippines is crazy! Since I am white everyone wants a high five or says I am super tall and what not haha! I realize how bad I am at the language but it is slowly coming! I ate Balot which is that bird thing haha and chicken feet already haha! I eat with my hands and I shower in a little bucket, we wash our clothes in a bucket too! our water shuts off at 8:00 and then turns back on at 3:00! ...... anyways I love it here the roads here are insane! lets just say I cross the street when traffic is coming both ways and make it across fine! my new companion is awesome and hes tongan too! his name is Elder Vaitohi and he does everything for me, I love him and he is huge.. not tall but jacked! the philippines is like so poor and sad but there all so happy! like our house is a mansion compared to here! some people dont even have roofs or clothes here! I am sorry for complaining about food or our house or anything, I realize how much I truly had! Everything is so cheap here I love it and everyone like rides motorcycles or scooters! transportation is fun! Everyone likes to talk to me about the NBA and about america in general! Its a kids dream to go to temple square in salt lake and it kinda makes me feel so bad, I take so much for granted! the little kids here are awesome and they love touching my hands and feeling the hairs on my arms and giving me high fives! the kids say "Up here" = high five haha! there are alot of people who ask for money and I tell them wala akong pera... which means I have no money! there are elders here that have cool weapons and I can get a weapon too for super cheap! oh Basketball jerseys here are so cheap too! Its dirty here with all the dogs pooping everywhere and you can throw you trash on the streets and no one even cares! I try to find trash cans though! Oh did I mention its super hot here and I sweat a ton but drink alot of water! the food here is pretty bomb and :....... My area I am in is called Lucena 3! its also very beautiful in some areas too here forgot to say that! It gets dark quick here and :I am starting to get used to waking up early! so that picture online of the mission home is nice but around the mission home is poor and ghetto in a way! So love you guys, I will send pictures soon Mahal Kita, Love Elder Herrin

October 19th 2014.....Our apartment we are in is a lot nicer than a lot of the members and just homes around us but it is small and we do everything else like them haha like shower in a bucket and all that! I love it here but on thursday through today I have had a stomach ache and last night and today I have had a fever... I am feeling better now though! Other wise tho  I am doing great!:) Its hard to explain it here its crazy here and something cool every store here has a cop with a shotgun or AK47 guarding it! I love my zone and my mission leader and mission president I love them all and the language is coming along but I have along way to come!........ we have a little stove thing that is way small but it works haha! .....Oh I forgot with the water thing as long as its sealed on top its clean water haha so I am fine and doing well with that! But Richard G. Scott gave an awesome talk I loved it! I love my mission and was so blessed to be called here.. we teach a lot of lessons and have some baptism dates set in november so the work is coming along! my companion is awesome and is so funny I love it! But it is a humbling experience and I am glad I am hear in the Philippines! oh and we walk a lot but we also drive around on those little motor tricycles haha! its fun here.. like everything is legal here haha but not murder and theft haha! anyways I am doing great..... I love you guys and am excited for everyone back home Mahal Kita, Love Elder Herrin

A few more pics at the MTC.

We just got his SD card and so I thought  I would post a few more of the pics he sent us. Lucas got a really short email on Tuesday that said "Its crazy here and I will write more tomorrow, I get to san pablo tomorrow! Love you by! P.S the storms here are awesome and hard! tell everyone I am well and that I love them."  We have not heard anymore from him yet.

October 3rd 2014

Dear Nanay-

I am here safely and Its pretty cool! We went to bed but everything here is awesome even the beds are nicer! ........Today for breakfast we got noodles, liver, rolls and some weird type of milk! The airplane food was awful but they had some good music and movies on the plan! The tokyo airport was okay but I couldnt understand anything! But the hot chocolate here is bomb because we add our own sugar haha! I got to talk to Jayden and Holly for a short time! It is soooo humid here, like I am dying because of the humidity haha! like right when I got off of the plane it hit me! Oh and on the super long flight I slept for like only a half an hour! oh we took a bus to the MTC and it was insane driving we could have like died a hundered times its so fun and crazy to drive here, there are like no rules besides don't crash haha! But I love it here and will try and send pictures another time! I dont have long! But It is 11:30 A.M. here so thats cool the difference! I get to go street contacting here in the MTC! But we leave to our real mission areas wednesday or tuesday for you guys I think! Love you guys and I was super glad to have that long layover in Portland!...... Love you Mom all is well and am glad you are okay! :) Mahal Kita, Love Elder Herrin

 By the way I like the MTC here alot better!

Traveling to the Jungle

 October 2nd 2014
Our entire family had the opportunity to talk to Tristan throughout the day. He told me about getting to see his Taylor, his Grandma and Christian at the MTC. He  was able to spend some time with Christian that evening and then spent the night talking with the other elders going to San Pablo. He was very excited to go. He was given a water purifier and told not to drink anything that didn't have a sealed cap. He was also told that he was going to a very poor area and when offered food, accept and eat, but not very much. His main meal will be Rice in the mornings they will prepare for themselves. He told me he tried to gain some weight in the MTC and thought he had gained a few pounds. He was excited to be leaving the MTC, but would be staying in the Manila MTC for a few days when he arrived. He shared his testimony with me in Tagolog, I was surprised at how quickly he could speak. He said he is enjoying learning the language. His travel time was over 24 hours, he left the MTC at 4:30 AM and arrived in Manila at about 8:20 AM the next day. They are 14 hours ahead of us. His last words to me were not to worry, that he would be safe and him and our family will be blessed for his service as a missionary.

Final Days in the Provo MTC

 October 1st
Tristan "borrowed" a Host badge and was able to meet Christian at the curb when he was dropped off at the MTC.

 October 1, 2014
 Dearest mother... I will send a picture of my flight plans, its about a 14 hour flight but 21 hours all together I think! but not forsure! I fly first to portland then to japan, then too manilla! I am so excited I leave tomorrow at 4:30 but I dont think I arrive until like later! I will send a pic! but I will look out for christian! I am so excited to see him! love you mom i will send the flight plans soon! :)
ps. I already am Tarzan!
 September 20, 2014
  Dear Nanay-

This week flew by! We got our flight plans! I am so excited!!! We only have one partial regular week left! ....... but I like trying and talking in the language its fun and hard though! I am trying to get it down but there is more and more to it every time, haha but I know I will get it! Let everyone know I love them and am praying for them constantly! I want to share some good quotes with you from Richard G. Scott, He came and talked to us tuesday! he said "The lord called you to succeed not fail." 

"The stronger your faith the better connection to god." And finally "Without Faith you can do nothing." Those were some of my favorites he shared with us!....Love you guys thanks for the story and write back only if you have time!:)

ps. Oh mom I also saw a bat hit a wall and we picked it up, It was soo cool! haha