Have you cried watching someone wash the dishes?

Dear Mom, Dad, & Jason,
I'm sorry I don't have time to write you all a personal letter this week. I have spent nearly 45 minutes typing my first letter to President Sperry and then my computer crashed so I'm on about a 15 minute time limit which leaves me about seven minutes to write you and then seven to president. Gotta love technology. I'll make sure to get someone to upload my pictures though.

I had a pretty quiet fourth of July, but a member family, the Biens, made sure I had a great dinner. They are the best! They call me "nosebleed," I'll have to explain that to you next week. We couldn't take a good picture so I'll just you pick which you'd like to look at.

Well this week has been really long. Our new schedule in the new mission puts our temple days on Wednesdays, so that's why it's taken forever for me to email. That's so crazy that Jason surprised you and made it home this weekend. What a kid right? Sounds like things are going a bit better for him at BYU and I'm sure they will. He's such a genius by the way. I'll have to forward you the amazing arrangement of "Families Can Be Together Forever" that he made for me. Awhile back I had asked him to make a song that had "Fear of Love" from my sophomore year marching band show because the melody is so beautiful. Well he did it, and it came out great.

The storms just keep on coming - no change there. It's crazy to see how people just are used to their houses being flooded. Can you imagine that in the states? I couldn't even think of what I would do if a little water got into our house.

Well this past week we were finally able to meet the Sperrys, our new mission president. They are awesome and I am so excited to work with them. They are from a little town in Salina, UT and are the nicest people you'll ever meet. Our interviews went great, and I'm glad I have to opportunity to work with President Sperry here in this mission.

Not too much else has happened this week, just the same old great work. Last Thursday, the twins in the San Mateo ward held their farewell party and entered the MTC on Saturday. We had another family night except in the other ward that we have. It was pretty fun, but sad at the same time. Its also crazy to see that I'll be hitting my year mark tomorrow, time flies so fast. They will split for the first times in their lives, one going to Naga and the other to Baguio - both in the Philippines. They are the craziest girls I've ever met, and I'll have to send you a video for you to know what I mean, I'm excited for them though and the great things they'll do.

Enrique and Gelo dancing at one of our appointments.

And of course, can't close an email without talking about Enrique and all the great things he's taught me this week. I sent you the letter he wrote you today, so hopefully that makes it to you well. He's just really such a great kid and my heart goes out to him. I think of you and dad when I look at him and how you were in the same situation growing up, and how by luck, your lives turned out great. He's kind of like dad, sometimes pretty blonde and not exactly the genius (Dad, that comes from love alright!), but he is really hard working and loves his family. He continues to touch me everyday, and I'll share a couple of the most notable ones in closing. Last week he was over for lunch so I could help him with his school assignment. After we were done eating, he got up and just started washing all the dishes. I noticed he was taking a really long time, so I went over to check to see if he was ok. I don't think I'd ever say this, but I cried watching him wash those dishes. I have never seen someone scrub so hard to make sure the dishes were perfectly clean. The way he rinsed them after is what got to me. He would turn on the water just a little swish it around, and then use that water to rinse the dish. While he put the dishes on the dish rack, he would turn off the water in between, although just for about half a second, and turn it on to rinse the next dish. I told him he could just leave it on, and he just responded that he didn't want to me to have to pay for that wasted water. He knows how hard it is, and they, like you dad, don't have running water in their house. He goes out everyday after school and takes two buckets, walks about 100 feet to the pump, and pumps the water out to fill the buckets and bring them back to the house for about three hours everyday. And sometimes I complain when we don't have good water pressure.

Last Sunday, he really amazed me when he came to church and said that he got up extra early and took Mac Mac to go to all the people we are teaching and invite them to church. I had nothing to say out of shock. He says he's so happy whenever he works with us and he just wants to continue to help these people. He also got pretty sad on Sunday in thinking about the possibility of me leaving. He shared with me a scripture that I'll include at the end, and told me that he really hopes that someday I'll be able to see him wearing a black name tag like mine. He thinks I'm changing his life, but he really is changing mine.

My time is up. Until Monday.

Love,
Elder Corpuz

Moroni 8:3
I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.