Week 9: Ang first area ko! (My first area)

Kamusta kamo tanan!

Just a couple highlights:

I finally have an official companion! Her name is Sister Reyes and she is a native Filipina. She is so amazing and I love her already. :) She has only four months left of her mission and I'm just starting off in the field!

I'm officially in my [first] area now and I am in the center-ish part of the island, so no beaches yet pero ayos lang! My area is pretty big and it never occurred to me that there aren't really addresses out here, and spread out gid ang mga balag diri (the houses are really spread out). And my area got what you call "white-washed" kag ang buot silingon amo ang (the meaning is that) both my companion and I are new to the area! Grabe tungod (Crazy because) we both don't know where anything is and where the members we need to visit, pero it is an adventure for both Sis. Reyes and I!

Another crazy thing about [my area] is that ang mga tawo diri (the people here) speak a dialect called Karay-a. I thought it would be close to Hiligaynon pero it is barely similar. Kag abi ko (and I thought) it was a struggle learning Ilonggo pero trying to converse with people nga ginahambal sa Karay-a (that speak Karay-a) is another struggle! Honestly though I know that over time, Bugayan Niya ako (God will bless me). Just like how I was able to learn Ilonggo, I will learn to speak Karay-a and speak to people parte sa nga-a diri ako (about why I'm here)!

[All our luggage bags took up an entire trike!]

Just a couple things I love about being out here so far:  

The people make me feel so warm inside. Maskin indi ko makaistroyanay sa ila (Even though I can't communicate with them), I feel their love and I hope they feel mine too!  We ride tricycles everywhere, there are barely any jeepney's. Tricycle's are so fun! My first time riding one was when I first arrived [in my area]. Kag seguro the best experience with riding one so far was at night tungod I was sitting in the back and when I looked up I saw a bunch of stars!  It's so green here, as in GREEN GID ang area ko. My companion told me that its the most country-like area she's been to!

[Sister Cruz (the Mission President's wife) and I.
Fun Fact: Sis. Cruz knows my brothers girlfriend because she went to college with Sis. Cruz's kids!]

Tani, maayo gid kamo! (Hoping that all of you are doing great!)  

Halong perme,

Sister Ventura

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Send me an e-mail: 

elza.ventura@myldsmail.net 

Written letters and packages: 

Sister Elza Ventura 

Philippines Iloilo Mission 

Osmeña Street, 

Arevalo, Iloilo City, 

5000 Iloilo 

Philippines

*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.