Dear Fam,
Yes, I am indeed still alive. Surprise! As I email you,
Typhoon Karen is out of the area, so we are back to normal. For typhoons, level
1, we prepare, and then proselyte in a nearby area. for me, that means in
Calbayog, not Sta. Margarita. Level 2, we stay in the apartment, prep, and just
make it until it's over. Level 3, we go to Calbayog chapel with 72 hour kits
(which for us, is just a huge box full of canned sardines, top ramen, soy
sauce, and rice), level 4, we go to the chapel, bring food for a week, and
hunker down. Level 5, we evacuate. no questions, we get to a safe evacuation
site. Karen is a Level 2, so we just hunker down in the apartment. For us, that
meant BOM studies, working out, eating, talking, preparing, and sleeping. it's
a great routine, and all is well here.
To Morgan, I do receive your emails, but it is very hard to
fit all my emails into 90 minutes, so I have to send one giant one and maybe 1
or 2 more if need be. I love to read your emails, and it means a great deal to
me to read about how you are adjusting to high school life.
I am very glad to hear that all is well at home. All is well
here as well. I really enjoy it here, and the work is progressing. We recently
found 12 new investigators, and that is wonderful! I love to be able to share
the gospel and to help others move forward in Christ and his gospel. Lots of
work to be done here. We recently found a new investigator, and
right off the bat, she was interested in the gospel. She has the potential to
be a golden investigator. lot's of good and honest questions as well. The rest
of our investigators are doing very well. We have one, who is
one week away from his baptism! The rest are going to take a little more time.
but none the less, one more soul is about to be brought to the fold, and that
is already more then I ever dreamed. I also learned of an area we have where it
is very hard to visit because it's in the bu-quid, or forest village. We will
go and visit it Wednesday. Thursday, we have interviews with President Maurer.
Always nice to talk to him.
This week, I'm going to share a story about a current
member- He hid from the missionaries because he didn't
want to hear the message, nor did he think he was worthy of the message. This
is common in the Philippines, where people will hide instead of cancel a meeting
with you. What is amazing is that he hid for 14 YEARS! he moved to manila for a
little while, and while there, he decided he had to quit hiding and meet with
them. 2 years later, he returned to Sta. Margarita as a baptized member of the
church, and today, he always loves to come and teach with us, and he has a very
firm testimony of the gospel. He is currently wanting to convert some of his
old drinking and gambling buddies.
The food here is good. I love Balud, which is dryed fish
that is salted. it is literally impossible to eat it on it's own, because it is
so salty. so, you bathe it in vinegar, and then, the taste is amazing! I miss
chocolate, which is SO EXPENSIVE HERE. Jerky is another big thing that would be
nice to have here. other then that, finances are good. clothes are still good.
thrifty and wise, is our motto for spending. so, we are being smart with money
and food.
that's all for this week. I love reading Emails from the
family and friends, and love my work here, hard as it may be sometimes. Best of
luck to all of you this week, and make sure the Whole family knows that I love
them dearly.
Until Next Week,
Elder Kuehne
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