Called to Serve in the Philippines Quezon City Mission
Speaking the Tagalog language
January 2013 to July 2014

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Sister Sabiano thinks I will be training next transfer.


Hello po my beloved family!

This week sounded really great for you all, Emily looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding gown:) and so did you guys in your outfits.  I'm kind of scared to come home and see Amelia so freakishly tall. In the pictures she looks super tall.  ha-ha  Yes I’m sorry about my crazy email last week lol sister Taupale is doing very well she's actually training now and it seems like they are doing well.  And yes mom we had alerted the mission president, his wife was actually meeting us at the hospital when we got there.  It wasn't the first time I guess last transfer everyone woke up one morning and she just wouldn't wake up and was just passed out cold for a few hours, they took her to the hospital then too. Sister Sabiano was actually her companion at that time. 
Everything is going very well here I'm no longer the newbie in the house ha-ha Sister Taupale is training a Filipino sister from Cebu her name is sister Maagad.  She is super nice and a joy to have around the house.
 
We had our transfer meeting and it was so fun cause I got to relax the whole time while everyone was worrying about where they were being transferred too and who their new companions were and I was just there to sing.  I was able to see everyone from my batch from the mtc even Sister Wilson! We caught each other’s eye down the hall and ran to each other and gave each other a big hug hah! She is doing very well and we were just talking about how much we love the mission. It was sooo good to see her :)  Our song went great and I received  lots of compliments after, people kept telling me I sound like Ingrid Michelson hehe.  We sang Brightly Beams our Fathers Mercy-which is mine and Mom’s favorite hymn:) It was really fun though and I don't feel so new anymore cause I have been meeting all the missionaries and others were coming in.  I guess next transfer we are getting 10 new sisters so Sister Sabiano thinks I will be training next transfer.  I'm hoping that isn't the case! ha-ha I still have so much to learn!

Well I got to watch General Conference this weekend and it was truly wonderful .  It was so nice to sit in an air conditioned building watching it with other members J I took a lot of notes and listened carefully, I think it was the first time I had watched them all straight through the first time.  It was a great spiritual experience and there were so many great messages from the prophet, apostles, and other leaders of the church.  One of my favorites was Elder Bednars talk about Chastity, He was bold and firm in his words but, they were said with pure genuine love for all of us and our wellbeing.  It seemed to me like the theme this year was about building strong foundations especially in our homes and with our children, which is very appropriate for this time that we are in because we are in the last days...and Satan is trying harder than ever to tear and break down families.  Because they are the source of true happiness and love in this world and are the ideal environments for parents to teach their children the principles of the gospel.  I'm not getting trunky (homesick) or anything but the whole time I was just thinking of my future family and how much I just want to take all the things I've learned here in the mission so far and use them to strengthen my own family.  I can feel myself really changing and becoming better from all the things I’m learning here.  I have gained a strong testimony of the importance of prayer and studying the word of God.  After General Conference I just felt really empowered and driven to work even harder to testify of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ because it is through him that we receive eternal life with our families and exaltation in the world to come. I felt so good when they announced the number of missionaries serving around the world 65,000+, and to know that I am one of those:) I am really grateful to be counted in that number.  "No force on the face of the earth can stop this work from progressing" -President Hinckley.  How true that is!

Sister Sabiano and I have had a lot of great spiritual experiences with each other lately and we talk about them every day and how much we are grateful to be with one another at this time sharing these experiences with each other. 
I'm glad you enjoyed all the pictures ha-ha especially the Balut ones ha! I thought you would get a kick out of those:)

 Oh goodness, gross story of the week ;o(  So we are teaching a lesson with Sister Maricris and her son Jiero who is 2 years old and poor kid he was having the worst stomach problems and crying the whole lesson.  In the middle of our visit he throws up this 5 inch long parasite worm in the middle of us all, we were all freaking out.  It's not the first time I've heard of those parasites I've heard of a few missionaries finding those in the toilets after they use it etc.. yucky.. no wonder his poor tummy was hurting, My heart was hurting from him.  I'm not surprised that he would have something like that though cause the river bend they live on is absolutely filthy...so nasty.  And all the kids play along the side in the dirt etc.. I pray that I never get one of those oh my goodness it was just disturbing. 

The saying in our mission is "it's more fun in the Philippines" ha...sarcasm de ba? ha-ha

Well family I love you all so so much, know that I am doing well here even though it is insanely hot (it's summer here, and it's only rained one day since I’ve been here) can you believe that.  I love you all so much, I’ve shown some of our investigators my pictures and they always tell me how I have such a beautiful family:) Thank you for your prayers and your support, I can't tell you how much you mean to me.  Amelia I’m excited to get your letter:) but it will be 3 weeks till I get it ha-ha. I love you all so so much have a great week and be safe and keep sharing your spiritual experiences with me I love them:) Mahal ko kayo! Ingat po!

Love Sister Jones

P.S.

 Sige iyun..so that box sounds NUTS I’m kinda scared ha-ha! Hopefully I'll be able to lug it back to our apartment.  I don't really need too many things.  Any kind of snacks are good cause they are too expensive and all we eat is rice, noodles, and vegetables. Maybe like a box of captain crunch cereal? I miss cereal sooo much. Also floss is outrageous expensive so I haven't been buying it so FLOSS lots of floss please ha. And yes we have a little toaster oven seriously like the size or smaller of Amelia’s little Easy Bake Oven thing.  We do not have a full size oven just the little one.  yah the little powder mixes would be so cool to make little muffins or something! We buy little packets of soap for our laundry so I won't be needing the strips and we actually just got a washing machine today hee hee. I laugh because it looks like a little toy or something, it's just a little plastic tube looking thing that comes up to my hips so that will be cool (maybe) probably will still need to wash most of my clothes by hand cause that little machine doesn't look like it would be very affective.  Also the little candies would definitely be cool to give out to kids it's totally allowed, anything to eat they love.  
list:

-floss
-bugspray (i get attacked! and bug stuff is expensive here)
-cereal
-nutella (i'm addicted to it here but it's  too expensive)
-little candies for kids
-harddrive (to put pictures on etc.. and filipino music to bring home after)
-clean and clear facewash (it has little tiny hard beads in it and smells like mint, I used it before the mish and I'm almost out of the one I brought and they don't sell it here)
-baby wipes! they are so expensive and they are a life saver cause I just wipe my face, legs and arms down at the end of the day.
-snacks, candy heehee

That's all that I can think of right now if I think of anything else I will send it next week.


***** A little letter from Ammah’s companion to me (Shannon).  I have been writing her a little email each week as well as Ammah. She is full Filipino, but speaks English pretty well.********

Dear Sister Jones,

Thank you so much for the inspiring letter. I really felt that you are including me in your prayers cause I really felt the strength in me to go on.. We had a very good experience together this week. We had splits last Wednesday and sis.jones can really lead the area on her own.. I am so amazed while listening with her in our teaching appointments because she can teach the full lesson in Tagalog.. We really enjoying each other’s company.. ;) Your daughter is so sweet and I am really learning with her. I am more obedient now than before..hehehe. Thanks for the prayers..

Love lots,

Sister Sabiano

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