Week #38: I'm getting fat.... and my stomach just keeps growing.

Hello everyone!

So we have been extremely busy here in the office. We barely got out to work. We have been preparing for the Christmas Zone Conference.

We also had the chance to decorate the office Christmas tree last week. Actually the whole office is decorated. Elder Bulseco told me that, in the Philippines, they celebrate Christmas starting since September. So on our Christmas tree, if you look at the photos, you will see that it's a missionary Christmas tree. There's a daily planner and pass-along cards. We had to find some way to decorate the tree.

Preparation has been super tedious. We spent a whole day looking for a video camera but found none. Sister Barrientos wants to film the dances and the skits of each zone. I guess we'll just film it using a regular camera. We also had to deliver mattresses to certain apartments here in Laoag because we have to put all 120 missionaries somewhere to sleep overnight. We're just squeezing them all on the floor. After we delivered mattresses, President and Sister treated us out to dinner because it was late. We really haven't eaten in our apartment. We won't even be sleeping in our own apartment for the next two days! We'll be sleeping in the office. We'll be fed well for the next few days. I'm getting fat... Weigh in: 143.3 lbs. Yes... and my stomach just keeps growing. Well that's after I eat. We had nilaga in the mission home for lunch. Yummy. Patis and kalamansi. I just miss those kind of dishes. We're too lazy to make it because it takes time. We just cook sisig, bicol express, pinakbet... and whatever. We have so much meat in our freezer.. we didn't really touch it last week so we don't have to spend much this week... or the next week.. or the week after... or the week after that too... It's transfer week next week.. then Christmas week... then New Years week... So a lot of being fed. It's nice.

To prepare more for Christmas Zone Conference, we had to make 220 standards cards. After we finished folding and slicing the cards, we received an pdate that we need to make a change to the card! So restart... As I was slicing the papers, I accidentally sliced off a small chunk of my finger at the tip.. That wasn't fun. But I'm still alive.

By the way, Happy 25th Anniversary mom and dad! And happy 20th Birthday Jordan! And happy birthday to papa. There's so many Birthdays this month that I don't remember who.. oh and happy birthday uncle Michael! I think that's it.

And so we I have a sore knee. And that's it.

Much love

Elder Morales