Hello to you all. I had another good week here in the Philippines.  I forgot my camera at the apartment so I won't email pictures this time.  To start off Trixcel Martinez got Baptized this week.  Her Baptism date was set for Saturday, but then on Monday she called and says she wouldn't be there on Saturday.  We of course were saddened but then she asked if she could have her baptism on Tuesday instead.  (which was the next day.)  So we hurried and informed our ward  about changes and arranged to have people come to her baptism.  As it was it went well.  It could have gone a little smoother though.  The person who was supposed to be baptizing her didn't show up, so Elder Trujillo performed the Baptism himself.  It was really great though.  Trixcel was very excited.  Afterwards she kept saying 'Now I'm a finally a member of the church.'  I should also mention that Trixcel was found because of our less active effort.  She was a referral from a less active member.  Anyway we were very excited to see her baptized.  

     This week we also had a wedding.  The wedding was on Saturday so maybe it was good that Trixcel's Baptism was moved, that would be a lot of activities for one Saturday.   Christopher Nasis got married, he is an investigator right now and if all goes well he will be baptized soon.  His new wife is already a member.  At their wedding I was playing the piano, and after I played the Bishop got up and was talking about the program.  The Bishop said there would be four witnesses, he named the first three and then he was kind of stuttering and looking around, then he looks over at me and says 'Elder Merrill will be the last witness.'  So I ended up being the witness for the wedding.  It was an exciting event, especially because we can see the Progress of Christopher as he prepares for his baptism.  We are excited for him.  The wedding was very simple, only about 20 people there, but the Nasis' were happy for their wedding.  A wedding is a huge commitment in the Philippines, especially because the country doesn't recognize divorce of any kind.  The Stake President came up from Urdaneta to perform the wedding and I got to talk to him afterwards.  The Stake President is a really cool guy, he is a really good man.  He also really loves the Church.  He asked me a bunch of questions about Utah and how the Church is over there.  

        This week I went on exchanges again.  I worked in my area with Elder Tiempo.  Elder Tiempo is a Philipino trainee right now.  I know my area fairly well now.  On our exchange it started to rain during one lesson.  While Elder Tiempo was speaking the rain was loud, but bearable, then I started to speak and the rain was so loud that I was yelling and I still wasn't being heard.  Then Elder Tiempo started to speak and the rain subsided.  As I tried to speak again the rain again became overbearingly loud.  It seemed like every time I spoke the rain was loud every time Elder Tiempo spoke it was not loud.  That was the only lesson that it rained though, and the rest of our lessons went really well together.  Elder Tiempo also speaks pretty good English because he worked in a call center before his mission.  If you are wondering, yes, the people that call you over the phone are from other countries.  Elder Tiempo's accent is pretty good, but he says sometimes people would ask if he was from India.  

         There is one recent convert in our ward who has a lot of trees at their house.  They have many different varieties of fruit trees.   Every time I go over there they give me a different fruit to taste.  I have learned that there are many different kinds of Mangoes.  At least one is native to the Philippines but others were introduced later.  There are also many different bananas.  Some are very delicious.  I have also had some very sour kinds of fruit.  There are some that are shaped and colored impossibly  strange.  It is pretty fun though to see all these strange and different foods that don't even exist in America.  It is also fun to be able to eat mangoes and bananas right off of the tree.  

     I am doing great here  right now.  I am excited to teach.  I am glad to be working in this great area.  The work is progressing here in Pozorrubio.  

Good luck to you all and have a wonderful week,
                              

                                             Elder Nathaniel J. Merrill