Like Taylor Swift, Shake it Off!

Sometimes we'll have meetings in places 4 hours away and need to take one of the many coach buses that travel to far places. On one such trip, basically the only music that was played was Phil Collins-esque Filipino songs and Taylor Swift. To try and ascertain some spiritual truth from this experience, I would that ye follow the example of Taylor Swift and when sore trials come upon you, simply shake it off. Exasperated at Tagalog? Shake it off! Investigators not coming to church? Shake it off! Mosquitoes relentlessly plunging their fangs into your flesh? Literally shake it off! Immediately too, as several missionaries in my zone contracted dengue fever this last week. Hopefully I don't get it too. 

As always, I'm experiencing many exotic foods. This week was rambutan, which is similar to lychee, Ice Candy and the most famous, Halo-Halo. Rambutan has the funkiest skin, but the fruit inside is way yummy. Ice Candy is like otter pops, but sweeter. I like to have it on hot days...so basically everyday haha. Halo-Halo, which translates to mix-mix, is a shaved ice desert that has candied beans, pineapples, gelatin chunks and ube (purple yam) ice cream. It sounds weird when I describe it that way, but it was very masarap! 

A highlight this week was the baptism and confirmation of Katherine, a 14 year-old, who lives with her aunt and uncle. It was so sweet to see her bear her testimony after her baptism. I know that when we exercise our faith in Christ and follow His example by being baptized by someone holding His priesthood power, we can become thoroughly clean and feel God's love more prevalent in our lives.