Kumusta (hello)

Dear Mom,

So this week was pretty fun!  The language has been so much easier to learn now and I'm really starting to get the hang of it!  Don't worry about me and Kimarie (girlfriend), we talked a lot about what is going to happen.  It's all going to happen for a reason.  So don't worry about that!
 

So far it has been such a crazy schedule!!  We wake up in the morning and we study for like an hour.  Then we have classes on the language and we study again.  Studying is basically the only thing that we do which sucks because I don't like to study at all.  But the language skills are really improving!  I can now talk about my testimony and say prayers in the language.  So that's pretty cool!!  We are teaching the people or our investigators in Tagalog so its so crazy.  We have to use only Tagalog and they pretend that they can't speak any English at all.  So study is what the day consists of!!

The food here is just totally weird.  We eat so much fish and it sucks because they don't cook things they way they do in America!!  We have to eat the food here.  We rarely get anything that is from America!!! This Monday and Tuesday, we got American food.  It was the greatest food I have ever eaten!  But it was also the worst American food that I have ever had because it wasn't made right!  But that's OK because i just really needed some American stuff!

As for cards, I haven't gotten anything yet.  They say it takes forever for it to get here.  So I have no idea when the things you sent will arrive.  I would start sending things straight to my mission address that you guys have because it will probably take until then for them to get to me.  (I'll post the new address in about another week.  I think the weather is the reason things haven't gotten to him yet.)  I haven't sent anything to you guys yet.  We can only send cards or letters.  It takes up way too much time to write out a whole page of a card when I can type and get so much more written in the time that I have.

I'm mad you guys went to Vegas!  I really wanted to get some dancing done there (haha).  I knew you guys were gonna rot!  So you might as well enjoy it while you can!! hehehehe

Elder Anderson's talk was really cool.  It was my favorite thing so far.  As for my companion, we actually get along pretty well!!  It was pretty cool, a whole new batch of missionaries just arrived today.  We haven't really gotten to know them yet.  A lot of them are from Murray and some other areas in Utah, so it's cool.

We get to go to the temple on Friday's.  So today, when I was there, I was just pondering the things that have happened in my life.  When I was in the celestial room, I said a prayer.  What happened next is probably one of my most favorite memories I will ever have!  I felt like the Lord was speaking directly to me.  It was like He was there and talking to me, telling me that it is all going to be OK.  That my family and friends are being watched over.  That they will be safe.  The spirit here is so strong!!

I just love the people.  They are so nice and so welcoming!  They just kinda laugh if you say things wrong and then they will help you out!

Well I'll get going now!   I'm going to try and send some pictures!! (in another email he wrote:  I can't get the pictures to work.  I'm sorry!  I really am trying. I will keep trying but it might be until I'm out in the field that i will finally get it working!! SORRY LOVE YOU GUYS!) 

So I love you guys!!   Tell Jessie to aim for the heads of the zombies and it will help out a lot more!  (Jessie - his sister - wrote this in an email to him:  I learned how to play black ops so don't worry while your gone.  Being the oldest at home, I feel it is my responsibility to keep us safe from the zombies and now I can!)   Love you guys!!!!

Love,

Elder Hedman

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys that it really hasn't rained very much here until the past couple days. But when it rains it is soooo cool and it feels soooooo amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love the weather here!  I love you guys! Remember the church is true!!

* all items in parenthesis were added by me