March 22-28

kumusta kayo! Zone conference was this week. it was sweet! but very long though. we had to wake up early at 5 to take a bus all the way to Iba. It was awesome to see E. Davies again, my roommate from the mtc. He is doin great! and it was way cool to see E. Gillett again. It stinks he is leaving after this month. Time is starting to go by pretty fast, and I'm kind of getting used to the heat. I am still a little frustrated that I don't know the area or tagalog very well. The kids are totally awesome! One time I was passing by a bunch of kids that were playing in the river, and I said "Kumusta iyan?" (hows that?) and one boy replied "Masarap!" hahaha. It was way cool. And another time I was passing by a bunch of kids and they ran up to me and shook my hand over and over again and they were saying "Pare! Pare!" which means like Bro or dude. haha. The people here always yell "Hey Joe!" when they see me cuz I'm white. I don't mind.
We got two people to commit to a baptism date. The one is sister Roxznne Erise and she is way cool. It was totally sweet when she said she wanted to be baptized and be a member. I really learned then that the holy ghost and the book of mormon converts people, not us, cuz I don't even know tagalog. :) There was also this one 20 year old guy we met this week, Ferdinand. It was so cool. He is so interested and had so many questions, during our teaching of the restoration. He has been searching around many and he believes us. He even said "I think God has planned me to meet you. I think this is the way." During our lesson I couldn't even understand most of what was going on but I felt the same thing he said. He even asked if he could go to church. Way awesome. I'm doing great! The Philippines are sweet! Miss you. Mahal ko kayo! Elder Pennock

1st Baptism

Kamusta! I'm doin awesome and still healthy. Just one time I was frustrated because we were teaching someone and i didn't know what to say or what they were saying. When I would talk I sounded real dumb. But, after we left them I passed by a bunch of kids, who gave me high fives and handshakes and there were even some girls who said I was guapo. =) Then we went to this less active and he wasn't reading the Book of Mormon, and I taught the whole lesson on the BOM and how great it is.
Our district leader is awesome! Elder Gillett. We went on exchanges and he went with me and my comp Elder Macasadduc for a day. It was sweet! E. Gillett only has one month left, and he is awesome. He is even a guest speaker for the local school graduation. I also went on splits with Br. Portalazo, while my comp went with some other members. It was sweet, but kind of crazy that I was in charge of what we were doin cuz I'm the missionary. I don't even know the area very well or tagalog!
We had a baptism this week! On Saturday the 20th. I got to baptize Sis. Sharon Binoya even though I only taught her a full lesson once. It was awesome! I baptized her in tagalog. She is 22 and really excited about the church. So cool! Alright I got to go. Talk to you later. mahal ko kayo. IIngat - E. Pennock

I made it!

Yeah i made it to the philippines!!!! I hope you got the email from the mission president telling you all kinds of good stuff. (we didn't) my first area is San Marcelino. Its awesome!! There is a small town with a palengke (market). its like that small town we were by in brazil. the philippines are alot like brazil. but they play basketball, they are asian and short. but totally awesome and friendly. Its way hot!! but its ok. me and one other missionary from my district in the mtc are close together in the san antonio zone. I am so glad i came here cuz they speak tagalog here and not where the other two missionaries from my district went, sis. anderson went to the northernest part and elder alms went to the east, where they speak somethin other than tagalog. my companion, elder Macasadduc is way tight, he is filipino. he has been on a mission for 24 months now. My house is cruddy, some people say its the worst one in all of olongapo, but its not too bad. i have a bucket of cold water for a shower, its not too bad. i eat rice and some kind of meat for every meal, its good. good thing i like rice. they eat with a fork and a spoon, and put everything on the spoon to eat. you should see the palengke, fresh fish, chicken, chicken legs, pig, all kinds of wonderful stuff. :) You can imagine the smell. :) my mission president and his wife are totally awesome. they are the best. at times it feels so weird cuz i have no relationship or connection with anyone i knew before. thats why i am glad i am in the same zone as elder davies. i can see him like once a month. Tagolg is so crazy! i cant understand much at all what other people are saying but i can say kind of a lot, with my limited vocab. i hope everyone is doin great. look up the philippines on the internet its sweet!! P-day is still Monday. sige. ingat kayo. mahal kita.
-Elder Pennock

Call from Taiwan

Just got off the phone with Elder Pennock. He was in the Taiwan airport. It was 8am on the 10th. So weird because it was 4pm on the 9th here. He said while he was flying last night he thought "Oh boy, I'm going to a place they don't speak English". I think it's dawning on him. He also said he had some weird chicken thing for dinner with some green sauce on it. And for breakfast he ate an "omelet" but it was some egg puff with a slab of ham in it and on the side was some sausage potato hashbrown thing he wasn't quite sure about.
It was great to hear him and his excitement and enthusiasm. He also said that the airport in Taiwan looked like Hello Kitty. Bright pink everywhere. I told him to take a picture. He said he couldn't cause he packed his camera. I said "Who helped you pack". He said, "Some of my district". So, probably no pictures of the Hello Kitty airport. :(
Oh well. He said he mailed me some pictures in the boxes he sent home. So I'll try and put those on if possible.
He also said he gained 20 lbs in the MTC. That was his goal because he was told that he'd lose 20 once he got there. Since he didn't have 20 to lose, he needed to gain some! He said he was up to 160, but only one pair of pants were a little tight.

Phone Call Home

Entry by Dad: It was fun hearing from Zak tonight. He was calling just before getting on the plane headed for Manila by way of San Fransisco and Taiwan. He gave me the whole door approach in Tagalog. I could only understand, Elder Pennock and mensaje and Jesu Cristo. His Tagalog is rockin.

Last e-mail from MTC

oh dang. sorry that dad thought it was at 4:30 am. i am so glad its pm. I will call a couple phone numbers. I have a calling card with 500 minutes on it. so im good :) oh and yeah you havin control of my worldly life is just grand :) i do hope you dont do dumb mom stuff :)
love you mahal kita. i cant wait to call you and talk on the phone in both SLC and SF hopefully. and maybe in taiwan. i dont know. but thanks again talk to you later :) elder (your son) pennock

More detailed flight plans :)

Hi mom! I am gonna get to san fran at 9:02pm today. And I leave San Fran at 12:05am. on Delta on March 9. then go on EVA airways to Taiwan, arrive there at 9:30 am on March 10. Then go to the philippines on EVA and get to manila at 11:45 am on march 10. My plane Delta leaves SLC at 7:50pm today. I can call you from the airport so ill call you in SLC at around 5:30pm or so. And i will call you again in san fran at 10:00 or 11:00 pm Cooool??!

Flight plans

hey mom. i can't think of anything i need. i got money though and i'll get stuff if i need it. its real cheap and the mtc gives you money on this blue id card thing every week. And i will pack as much food and stuff i need as i can. and send all the stuff i dont need like my volcom suit and long sleeve shirts and stuff. the suitcases have to be less than 50 and the carry on has to be less than 15 pounds. i got my flight plans. im flyin to san fransisco then to taiwan then to the philippines!!! cant wait to tell you all about the philippines. and i can call you in the airport so i will do that for sure. :) i leave the mtc at 4:30 pm on march 8. woohoo!! thanks again for everything. Mahal kita. Ingat Elder Pennock