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

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Well family....ha this has been a crazy week!

Kumusta pamilya ko! This is my City Cogeo. I walk these streets everyday. I took this picture from an over pass that goes  over the top of it. We live near here.
 
So I have to say I am so jealous of you all that you got to watch General Conference this week, we get to watch it this weekend at the stake center with the rest of our stake I am so excited! I really feel that I took it for granted when I was younger and through high school.  How blessed are we to be able to hear the words of a living prophet of God, Talaga?!That is something I am really looking forward to this weekend:) 
We have transfers tomorrow....and....I'm staying here in Cogeo as well as my beloved trainer. Transfers are so crazy you have no idea what is going to happen, any four of us in the apartment could have gone.  Sister Fuertes was the only one to go she is packing her things as we speak, we won't know till tomorrow what area she is being transferred too.  Sister Taupale is going to be training so I'm not the new one in the house and our district anymore! yay ha-ha We will meet her tomorrow.  If you aren't transferring you don't go to the big transfer meeting where everyone goes to collect their new companions etc.. but sister Sabiano and I are going because..  I'm singing at the meeting with sister Taupale.   So that should be fun and Sister Wilson will be there and I'm VERY excited to see her it's been 5 weeks!  Thanks for all the updates mom I was actually going to ask you how Cole was doing ha-ha but that's great that things are going better for him.  And I cant believe Kyle gets to hang out with David Archuleta on his mission what the heck?! I am so jealous! the Filipinos here in the wards loveee him  they always listen to his music on their phones, I always hear it playing.  But that is way cool jellyy ko!
 I have no doubt that Amelia is passing me up, in all the pictures you send she looks sooo tall.. ano bayen! So glad to hear that she made elite, congrats Amelia! I love you and wish I was there to see your concerts but I know you will do great as usual:)
 Also shout out to Aunt Emily, I am so happy for you and I hope you enjoy one of the most special days of your life I'll be thinking about you and wishing you the best on your wedding day:) Taylor is a lucky guy! I love you!
 
Well family....ha this has been a crazy week, I really don't know where to begin!  Last week on our p day after I emailed we had a district activity and we went out to the elders area to this resort which was about a 30 minute jeepney ride from our area.  Tons of missionaries have gone there for activities so we didn't see a problem with it.  Anyways it was absolutely GORGEOUS. You can stand on these decks that look out over rolling hills of green mountains I felt like I was in Ireland for a little bit :0) a breeze was blowing and someone was playing the guitar down in the mountains somewhere and it was so peaceful and  beautiful oh my goodness it was so cool! We didn't stay long cause we had to catch a jeepney going back or we were going to be stranded out there, but we couldn't find sister Taupale and sister Fuertes.  She had fallen off this rope bridge that they had there it was about 4 feet but sister Taupale is VERY prone to injuries. she has been to the hospital 4 times in the last 2 transfers, she fell off a moving tricycle last month and she has problems with her heart but this is her last transfer on her mission so they haven't sent her home yet.  Anyways she sprained her ankle and we all got in the jeepney, then she passes out on the ride home and starts breathing really weird so we told the driver to take us to the hospital.  so he's laying on the horn flying down the streets of Antipolo and we get to the hospital but they were completely useless. The only good hospital is St. Lukes and that was another 30 minutes away.  This hospital was so lousy that they didn't even help us get her into a taxi so we all wheel her out on a stretcher and pull her into a taxi she's still out cold.  So we all pack into this taxi van and I'm squished in the back part squatting on the floor with Sister Fuertes Elder Sommer and Elder Mondejo.  15 minutes into the ride S. Fuertes gets car sick cause the driver is swerving all over the place so we can get there faster and she throws up in the back and then I feel my butt all wet cause it came over to my side ha-ha so I'm sitting in her throw up and sister Taupale is passed out and we are all freaking out.  We were at the hospital till 1am.  Sister Taupale is doing fine now We don't know exactly what happened but she was passed out for a good hour and a half it was really freaky.  Everyone agreed that it was one of the craziest nights most of us had had on our missions so far, and it happened that it was in my first transfer in the mission  of course!  Definitely an eventful day for all of us  but everyone is doing fine no worries:)   
I tried balut this week! Sister Fuertes loves them so we bought a few on the way home one night cause she was in our companionship for a few days while S. Taupale was at the missionary resource center resting for a few days. Yup... I ate balut and it actually wasn't that bad I just freaked out cause I looked down and saw that I had bit into the body part ewww!! It actually tasted fine it was just the fact that I knew I was eating a boiled baby duck!

Another cool eating experience... when we had our service project for this week and they fed us after we were done.They just laid out two huge banana leaves  and spread rice all around and ulom (anything you put on top of rice, which is everything but rice pretty much ha-ha)  yah everyone just gathers around and just starts eating with their hands.  They all taught me how to do it the right way ha-ha I didn't know their was a specific way to eat with your hands??  It was so weird ! You just pack it with your fingers and than flick it into your mouth with your thumb.  We had cooked fish just chilling in the center and everyone just grabs chunks with their fingers and eats it.  It was definitely a new experience for me. 
We had a temple tour this week and we invited Tatay Nemejio and Jaimie to come and they did.  It was so  great to bring them and have them feel of the spirit that was there.  Especially because Tatay has been trying to get his answer about all that we have been teaching him.  So yesterday we asked him how he had felt about it and he said he really enjoyed it and he felt something really good inside :) He has been coming to church every Sunday and this past Sunday we had testimonies and one of our ward missionaries bore his testimony and the spirit was strong and Tatay actually told us that while listening to Brother Marks' testimony he received the answers he was looking for and he knows that all that we are teaching him is true.
    Tatay and Jamie with Sister Sabiano and Me! Yay...Good Day!
Family, never be afraid to bare your testimonies at any opportunity and when the spirit prompts you because you never know who could be listening and what your testimony can do for them.  You could be the answer to some ones prayer :) It has been a great blessing being here and watching people change their lives for the better and accept our Savior into their lives.  This plan that God has for us is so special and so wonderful and everyone deserves to hear the message we have to share.
I have really been doing great here on the mission! Of course it's hard everyday and we return home completely exhausted but as I'm reflecting over the days it is all worth it.. I love being here.  I love you guys so much. Thank you for all your prayers I truly am feeling them, cause when things get hard and I get frustrated something inside pushes me to keep going and I know it is from all the supporters I have back home.  I love you all, please be safe:) have a great week and listen to the spirit!
Love Sister Jones
 Our apartment from the outside. We are bottom right.


 Our zone

 Ward missionaries and investigators goofing around.
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
    
 

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