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

Monday, July 7, 2014

Well this is it, my last email,

Well....Hi Everyone haha...This is my last email home....I only have 9 days left....Holy Cow...It just went by so fast...I knew it would go fast but I didn't realize HOW fast haha...
We had dinner at a members house the other day and ate a dish called Adidas.....guess why...because yes it was FEET...chicken FEET.... not a big fan it just tastes like your eating fat, cause thats basically what it is ha.


Me at the Temple.






My two companions and my eating at Ban Apple...an awesome American café.

 4 out of my 14 companions I've had in the mission.  Sister Sabiano and Sister Medina (my 1st senior companion) and my last two companions haha.  Sister Medina was telling me how she's getting married next April. sooo wierd!!

Our investigators at the Temple and Sister Sikotilani


Our investigators at our Temple tour day.


Jason...the guy we meet and taught a long time ago and then I moved to a new area and lost track of him. I saw him at the Mission home while I was waiting for my interview with the Pres and there he was..

This is Sister Bing, she's now active in the church.  and her 3 children, Hassel, and Iris and her sister Sunshine  at the temple! 

Sister Dimacuta and I

I found a new chain for my medallion..Yay. it's pretty again.


I'm not sure how to feel really, I'm kind of nervous..excited..anxious...but than there is the part of my heart that just wants to stay here forever.  I've completely fallen in love with the people here...this country...this language..It will forever be a part of me.  I've grown more here as a person and spiritually than any other time in my life. I've grown closer to my Savior, closer to my Heavenly Father... I've discovered more of who I am and what my potential is as a daughter of God.  My testimony of this restored gospel has just been solidified and carved in stone so to speak.  I've seen first hand the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it can cleanse us and renew us in order for us to be worthy to return back to our loving Heavenly Father.  I'm so grateful I had this opportunity to serve a Full-time mission in the Philippines Quezon City Mission as a representative of Jesus Christ to teach his gospel and invite others to follow his example by being baptized into his true church.  I've seen so many miracles, i've seen people who were burdened down with guilt and sorrow but they turned to the gospel and it helped them find peace and happiness again. 

It's been a blessing for me to teach a lot of people here....and I won't ever ever forget all of their sweet faces.... for the rest of my life I will forever live my life so that I can be worthy of their trust, and continue to live all the things I've taught them over this past year and a half. I'm excited to keep in touch with them and continue to encourage them to live the gospel.  thank goodness for Facebook!:) 

Now that I'm (almost) a return missionary, I know that Heavenly Father expects a little more from me because I know how important this work is, I know he will expect me to apply the things I've learned in the mission to share the gospel even more to his precious children that I come across in my life.  I'm excited to be a better Member missionary than I was before the mission.  I know this work is the Lords work, it's the most important work we can do here on earth, to share the beautiful news of the Saviors atonement to help them find the right path.  I'm so grateful that this work will never end, I'm at the end of my full-time service but it's not going to end their is much more for me to do.  There is a video from the apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that I love called "feed my sheep" at the end he expresses his gratitude this work will never end he says " I pray that it won't ever ever ever be over for me" I echo that statement.  I pray that it won't ever be over, and that Heavenly Father will continue to have trust in me that I'll open my mouth and share my testimony with those he puts in my path. 

 I just want to express my thanks to my Family and my close friends who have written me throughout my mission.  Your love and support have been so wonderful I feel beyond blessed for everyone the lord has put in my life to support me and encourage me as a missionary.  

In my last week many things are going on...very busy ha. The Orquin children and Hassel are getting baptized this Saturday.  After their baptism we have a missionary devotional.  Everyone in the ward has also been super nice and they know it's my last week so we have dinner appointments set up almost everyday this week haha. I feel so loved! On Saturday we had a goodbye dinner at the elders quorum president's home which is where Sister Sabiano is living.  They sang me a song while playing the guitar and sister Sabiano said some words and my past companion Sister Medina too haha she shared a scripture about how my husband will be more guapo (handsome) because I served a mission haha! I was laughing.  After I'm done emailing right now we will go visit my past areas, I'll go see Jenie, Nanay Romana and Nanay Evelyn and Maricel. So excited!! 

Well this is it, my last email, they will probably let me call you at the mission home the day before I get on the plane... if not...I'll see you on Wednesday at the airport! haha 

Family...I love you guys so so much! see u soon! 

Sunday, July 6, 2014

June 2nd... I was just meant to be here

Well this is feeling pretty weird now... this is my second to last letter to my family & friends...

Throughout my whole mission I've really tried to make my letters come from the heart and from the spirit.  I've tried to explain about the things that I'm experiencing as a missionary so that you can feel like your there with me.. and I've always tried to share spiritual experiences, thoughts, and testimony with you.  I hope and pray that my letters have been able to strengthen your testimonies about the Savior and about missionary work:) in return.....The letters from all my loved ones back home have just inspired me to continue on and work hard till the end.  I may not always respond to friends and other fellow full-time missionaries every week, but I'm so grateful to for all the words of comfort and advice given, Heavenly Father has blessed me so so much by putting friends and teachers in my life who have helped me come closer to the Savior and be a better person.  Especially my family:)

Well...this week...haha..don't really know where to start. It's been kind of crazy and a bit stressful.  We got a call a week ago from the Assistants, we learned that Sister Morrell would be emergency transfered to serve in another area and Me, Sister Sikotilani and Sister Dimacuta would be combining our areas and be a threesome companionship.  We were pretty surprised and Me and S.Morrell were so sad to leave each other, we had really enjoyed each other as companions. But well that's life so now it's just us 3 in one big area for the next 2 weeks till two more missionaries will come to the area.  We are crazy busy now trying to keep up both areas, the members and ward missionaries have really been helping us and going on splits with us so that we can go to all our appointments throughout the day.  The areas are just so far and we can't hop back and forth, we would just waste a lot of time doing that.  I was pretty stressed at first but I can just see the blessings that are coming and Heavenly Father is providing ways for us to visit all our investigators still.  I'm actually now happy about all of it, We are so busy and it's helping me not to think about home, I just think about our sweet investigators everyday and who we need to visit, what our we teaching etc...It's a blessing really.
The Orquin Family is doing so good (the Children of the Sister who was less-active) We teach them almost everyday, preparing them for baptism and teaching them the lessons.  They are just blowing me away they are  smart and are so eager to learn and learn.  They have a cousin her name is Hassel who will also be baptized with them.  She is probably one of the most interested investigators I've ever had, She reads a few chapters of the Book of Mormon every night, she takes notes during the lessons, she even told us the other day that she wants to serve a mission when she grows up....ahhhhhhh I just love her! So it's the four of them who will be baptized and every time we come to teach them they are always inviting their little friends to come over and listen.  So we teach them in a room full of 10 little boys haha they make me laugh. You would think it would be hard to have the spirit and teach the doctrine to them but they are so reverent and answer all the questions like they were already members of the church.  The spirit is always very strong and I'm  blessed that I'm here and able to teach them.  During our lesson last night I was just looking at each of their sweet faces and thinking about how I will have to leave them in 2 weeks.  I just started getting teary eyed, It's gonna be hard to say goodbye.... This weekend we have a trip to the temple planned.  We are taking them and some of the little friends and also our recent convert Iris (the 8yr old) with her grandma to go see the temple.  They are so excited haha and so am I:) It's gonna be great!
Something really great also happened this week, We went to the mission office for one of the investigators from the other sisters area to get interviewed and I was standing there at the counter talking with one of the Office Elders...and than I just hear this voice yell "Sister Jones!" I looked over to the door where they came in and was just so shocked, it was one of my former investigators from the area I was in with Sister Dickison.  His name is Jason, he's about 20 years old and we had found him one day and started teaching him.  We only taught him about 4 lessons before I left and I never heard about what had happened to him.  Turns out that he had unexpectedly moved but was found again by missionaries in another area.  He was there to get interviewed by President too for his BAPTISM.  I was so surprised, I never thought that I would see him again.  He invited me to come to his baptism this Saturday so I'm asking for permission from President to be able to attend his baptism.  I just know that he was meant to have the gospel, he moved but then was found again by the missionaries and they continued his lessons, Heavenly Father knew he was ready for the gospel and prepared a way.  It's gonna be so great to see him be baptized:) He was so excited to see me, I didn't even think that he would remember me again.  again...another blessing from Heavenly Father.  I just love my mission! Everyday I just see miracles happen, the gospel is a wonderful thing:)
I'm just so happy, so many wonderful things are happening.  Such a great way to end my mission.  I was a little bummed at first about having a last area for just 6 weeks, but I've realized that it was  inspired.  I was just meant to be here, people I needed to find who needed the gospel in their lives, people who needed to be invited to come closer to the Savior. 
I'm so blessed....
Well, I just want you to know that I love you guys so much! Have a wonderful week, your in my prayers always:) Ingat po.
love, Sister Ammah Jones


I've received some tender mercies from the lord this week

Family,
Best apartment roommates EVER.

Immigration office to get our travel visas...I ran into two sisters that I was in the MTC with it was so fun reminiscing about our MTC days...oh boy. hahaha...

Sister Morell and I in a trike on our way home from a very long day of work.

Well another week has come and gone here in TayTay.  It's been wonderful and Heavenly Father has really blessed us this week...Personally for me & as a companionship.  I've received some tender mercies from the lord this week and feel that I've received answers to some of my prayers. We had zone interviews this past week with President.  I'm so grateful for him and his powerful testimony and the revelation that he receives.  He was really able to help me find peace and comfort and reassure me of the work I've done here in the mission.  As I've gotten near to the end, I've been thinking about my mission and all the things that I've done here, and I just wonder...if it's been acceptable to the lord...have I done what he sent me here to do? could I have done better? I think for the past few weeks Satan has been influencing thoughts in my head trying to make me feel like I haven't done enough.  I've been on my knees often the past 2 weeks praying and praying trying to overcome these feelings.  My interview with President Revillo came at just the right time and I was able to tell him about the things I've been feeling.  He was so kind and understanding and I know the things that he told me were truly inspired and they were coming from my Heavenly Father.  He just told me that he's been so grateful for the work I've done and that I've been a missionary that he's been able to trust in, and than he looked me in the eyes and told me that as my priesthood leader what I have done has been acceptable to him, and it's been acceptable to the lord.  Tears just poured down my face...and I could just feel a weight lifted and I felt comfort and peace.  I think it was the Holy Ghost confirming his words to me.
I know I haven't been a perfect missionary....I've had a lot of weaknesses, and Heavenly Father has been oh so patient with me and my imperfections.  But..with his help I've been able to overcome my fears, and just try my hardest to bring his children unto Christ.  And help them feel the healing power of the Atonement and find peace in their lives.  Their may have been times where I could have done better and worked harder, but I know that Heavenly Father knows my heart and he knows the reason why I'm here and the desires I have, I know he knows that I really tried my best, and he has helped make up for the weaknesses I've had. He is such a loving and kind Heavenly Father.

He has blessed us this week in finding some great investigators.  We have 4 baptisms scheduled for the Saturday right before I leave on the 12th.  They are the children of a less-active women who is starting to come back to church. We met them last week they all came to church and the members introduced them to us and we scheduled an appointment to meet with them. We have taught them 2 lessons and they are just the sweetest things and just soaking everything up and they LOVE coming to church.  Their mom was baptized when she was a young adult before she got married and it's been about 14 years since the last time she attended church.  For the past year she has seen one of the members in the ward who lives in her neighborhood leaving to go to church every Sunday.  One day she struck up the courage to ask her what church she attended and was surprised to find that it was our church.  She still believed everything was true and than she was prompted the next Sunday to bring her kids to church, and that was the day we met her:) We sat beside them in church yesterday and at one point during one of the talks her little 8 yr old boy who was sitting beside me tapped me on the hand and pointed to his mom.  She was just crying, than she noticed me looking and smiled at me, I just smiled back.  I know the spirit was touching her heart, I think she was just so glad to be back and to have her children with her.

Edgar also attended church this Sunday.  I mentioned him I think in my last letter.  I was so proud of the ward and the leaders, he was just welcomed with open arms into the ward.  At one point we didn't know where he was and we wanted to take him to the next class and we found him surrounded by the elders quorum president and a few other men they were talking to him and he just had a big smile on his face.  I just love this ward!

Me and Sister Morrell have had some great ideas for the ward and have been planning a missionary fireside.  We called a meeting yesterday with us four sisters here in Taytay 2nd ward and the other 4 sisters in Taytay 1st ward with both of our ward mission leaders.  Our objective for the fireside is to increase Desire to share the gospel and increase unity between the members and the full-time missionaries.  Were gonna have speakers, videos, musical numbers.  It will be in a few weeks, probably the Saturday right before I leave.  We are so excited and our meeting yesterday was really productive and we got some great feedback and great ideas from the ward mission leaders.  It's gonna be great, I'm so excited! I pray that the spirit will help us to know what to do so that we will be able to really bring the spirit and help the members get excited about sharing the gospel.  I love being a missionary!  and I'm excited to be a member missionary in 3 weeks:) I'm so grateful that it will never end:)

I love you guys! have a great week!

-Sister Ammah Jones
Hello Family!!:)

Well this week has been pretty great, We had 2 baptisms this week Ella & Iris.  Ella is the one who will be leaving for Japan pretty soon and she really wanted to be baptized here in her home town before she left, we had to teach her a little faster than normal haha but she was so prepared for the gospel.  Her younger brother just got baptized in January and he used his priesthood for the first time to baptize her, It was a great opportunity for him.  Iris is just 8 years old. Her parents aren't members but her Grandma is a very active member of the church and lives just next door so she was able to be baptized.  She is the sweetest and cutest thing ever! As they walked up to the front during sacrament meeting, they held each others hands and walked up together, my heart was just about to burst it was so cute.  It's moments like that that remind me of why i'm here and gives me that push to keep going and work hard everyday.

Iris on her baptism day
Sister Morrell and Iris
My lunch everyday this week has been dry tuna on whole wheat toast and fresh greenbeans.
Yummy fish that one of our friends brings to us to cook.
 We have found some great potential investigators just in these past few days.  One his name is Edgar, we came to teach our investigators Flor and Benji and he was there so we invited him to listen to our message.  He was so interested and just told us about how he had been having some rough times, he and his wife are separated for a time and he is living with his cousin in our area.  I think he's just been searching for something, so that he can find purpose and meaning in life.  I know heavenly Father put him in our path so that we could find him and share with him the gospel.  Even after the first lesson with him he walked with us to our next appointment and just asked me questions about the gospel.  We ran into a few members along the way and he shook there hands too and looked at me and said "I want to become a member too". say whaa? haha  So we set a return appointment and he's so excited for us to come back.  He's golden! 

I saw some of the Cainta members too on Saturday after the baptism.  One of the families was moving and they had a good bye party for them at the stake center.  I got to see Sister Polidario, she is the daughter of Nanay Romana (my sweet 93 yr old convert) she said that nanay is so excited for me to visit.  I'm gonna visit them in a few weeks and we have a lunch appointment scheduled.  So excited to see my sweet Nanay Romana again! I'm also gonna visit Jenie and Nanay Eveline and Maricel here in the next few weeks.  I'm so excited! 

Well that's been my week here in Taytay, it's great.  I'm getting a little bit of anxiety 4 weeks is gonna fly by.  my emotions are kind of all over the place ha.  excited but sad to leave.  It changes day to day.  But at least i have 4 weeks more to work hard and be a full time missionary.  I'm gonna make them the best 4 weeks ever:) Have a good week, love you so much! 

love, Sister Ammah Jones