Hi Everyone,

Another good-ish week. We got our new mission President and he came down to Nueva Vizcaya his first full day to meet us. He is trying to meet everyone in the mission asap and he is doing that. In the space of not even a week he is going to meet everyone. He should be a really amazing mission president. I will miss President Villanueva but President Carlos will be great too. He is emphasizing love and showing the love for our investigators and the members. I think that is great. He spoke to us and told us to focus on loving and helping people and that numbers of baptisms are not important to determine success. He said that we could have many baptisms but if we didn't change and become better people our mission was in vain, he also said that even if we don't get any baptisms but if we change and become better that is success on a mission. I think that is great. That is the philosophy that I have carried with me in my mission. People have laughed at it but now our mission president confirmed it.

On Saturday I got sick and that was not fun. We could only work about half the day before I finally called it quits. I didn't want to do that but I was is pain. Now I am better and that is good. I hatted getting sick at home now I hate getting sick here because I am on the Lord's time and not mine so I don't want to rest to get over my sickness. I'm good now and that is all that really matters.

It was really funny yesterday at church. Some kid caught himself a mouse on his way to church. He tied it on a string and took it with him into church. It was funny all the kids playing with this mouse in church, including young women. Of course that thing cannot be clean but they played with it.

Last week, I didn't email this but we were in Macdo getting an ice treat after a meeting that we had in Solano and we saw an American in Macdo. I am alway curious what other Americans are doing in the Philippines up here in the provinces. We sat close to them and I listened. They started talking about Idaho and that is when I couldn't take it any more so I started chatting with them. They are in the Peace Corps and they are teaching English here. We had a good little chat. It was interesting to talk in English to someone who was not another missionary. My companion didn't understand what was going on, he said it was to quick and slangged but he asked me about what they were doing and he was very impressed that people would take time to go volunteer to help people in another country for a few years. I then asked him if it was any different than what we were doing and he thought and said, "yes and no." because we are helping spiritually but they are help physically. It is good work that they are doing and it is also important work that we are doing.

Last night as we were walking home we saw a van thing that said, "Philippine Mail, Do Not Delay." Here is the thing the van was parked out side of a bar and the drivers were inside drinking. Philippine Mail, DO NOT DELAY. So I will be sending off some letters today, if they take time to get there just remember they are in a van that says, "Philippine Mail, Do Not Delay." But that might just mean to not delay their drinks.

On that note I hope everyone had a good 4th of July and I will write again next week

Tyler
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Enjoy Life,

J. Tyler Bates