Elder Nathan Michael Clark: 2014-08-31 My First Area

So yes, I'm on Palawan! We are the northern most area here! We are about a 5 hour bus ride from the city Puerto Princessa, You should google earth search Taytay, Palawan, Philippines. Be careful though, I think there is a Taytay on the mainland too! So will you guys send the BYU Provo application to me when it comes out? I want to apply! Hailie, don’t complain about potty training, try doing it with no Diapers, or even underwear. And no toilet paper hahaha.

So about the Area, it is very very unique. There isn't a ward or branch, it is only a group. About 32 people attended this week, including all the little kids, but not counting us missionaries. The missionaries basically run the ward here because it has had problems in the past. I got called as the second counselor in the branch presidency yesterday. The showers are really cold, haha, we just get a bucket full of water and pour it on ourselves. We are one of three companionships that ride bikes in the whole mission. But its hard to ride a bike especially when its pouring. It rains a lot. We are right on the cost though!! I see the ocean a lot, in order to get to one place, we have to either walk through some shallow ocean water or walk on rocks right by the ocean, but its completely safe though! We also baptize in the ocean, so I'm determined to get a baptism!!!! Haha i know that shouldn’t be my motivation, but it helps hahaha.

One of the hardest things about this area is that we only have electricity from 5:30pm to 5:30am. It Is Soooo, humid and hot here, its so hard to do early morning studies for 4 hours when you are sweating out of your mind! You have to be in full proselyting attire during those studies too. You have no idea how much just a fan helps, so it stinks we don’t have it during the whole day. There is also black-outs, there called brown-outs here, but one happened in our lesson last week!

So not like the mainland, not many people here speak english. I haven’t met anyone that can actually. A Lot of people can make simple sentences, but thats all. Its supposed to be a lot better to learn the language here because you are immersed. My mission president and his wife are the bomb! I love them so much already! They are so nice! My companion is Filipino, but he speaks perfect english. Something i didn’t know is that every missionary is required to learn english if they don’t know it already. My companion is good though! I'll try to send pictures next week! Love all you guys! So Im sure you got the email about the mission blog from the mission presidents wife! I didn’t know about it! thats pretty cool!

So Thanks for the pictures, But send more, get one with our whole family + Ryan. So the ones from the wedding. I can print them out here i think. i will try next week!

Comment from Mike Clark:
Nathan's Mission President sent a link to the mission blog, here are a couple of pictures of the Palawan Island and TayTay area.