Family,

Thank you so much for your emails! I love hearing from home. Emyrie is getting so big! I feel like I'm missing out on her growing up. But I know that I'm in the right place. 

What a great week! Elder Y and I are working SO hard. We're focusing on finding, to expand our teaching pool because we're opening an area. I love finding so much. A lot of missionaries hate it but I just love talking to people, especially now that I can get by with my Tagalog. We're trying to find families. Our area is tough but it makes me more focused. I feel like it was a lot easier to get lessons in Aringay, but here we have to work harder. And I love it. 

Our zone is doing great too! We've been having zone training's and I been giving a lot of workshops. I think that's my calling. I love teaching in a group setting and trying to get to the source. Our zone is awesome and everyone is working hard to make this zone successful. I'm just having a blast. 

This week I got my ingrown toe nail taking out. I've had one for over a month now and it hurts so bad. But I didn't want to go the hospital because there is this missionary that got a medical released because he had too many surgery's on his toe and the church didn't want to pay for him and now he's home. I don't want that. So I tried to be the tough wrestler but it got really bad and really infected. So, Elder Y and I decided to fix it on our own. Mom you might want to stop reading here. We went to this really crazy part of town and went into this broken down nail spa. We showed them my toe and they said they'll try. For a second I thought they were going to cut it off. But they poured cleaning alcohol and I kid you not they lite it on fire. My toe. I guess it was supposed to burn away the puss. And then they got these pliers and just yanked it out. No numbing stuff. It felt so GOOD. Probably the most painful experience of my life. But don't worry it I'm good now. And no, there are no pictures for the sake of my mother. 

Well, have I mentioned that I love being a missionary? I do and sometimes I wish I could do this forever. Serving the Lord and sharing the happiness that I feel from this gospel. I love you all and I'm so grateful for what you've done for me. Don't worry about me, I being watched over. Till we meet again.

Your Valiant Missionary,

Elder Strader