All of a sudden I can understand everybody...it's so weird.

 

Kumusta po kayo Fam?:)   Holy smokes you guys are so dang busy this week, I hope everything goes smoothly with the dance recital and camp, How fun! my two favorite things haha please be safe going back and forth to all those activities especially with Andelyn driving ha scaryyy but glad to hear that she is doing better and getting closer to getting her license that will be fun;)  Tell everyone I say hi back, aunt coco and rick and the kids also Grandpa and Grandma Thalman when they come to stay with you next week.  Yay and so glad Amelia got her letter I will try to send more handwritten letters more often:) 

Sige..so to answer your questions... I got transferred to a new area and it's called Quirino, it's in the heart of Quezon City down towards the South.  So... no more jungle, and bamboo bridges for me  Ha ha. I'm just a city girl now.  But I really love it. Actually, it's NICE in comparison to my other area and it's close to the temple. Also Sister Sabiano is still in my zone so I see her still quite often which is awe-some!   I am now in a threesome companionship.  Sister Medina is the senior companion she has been out for 7 months in the mission, she is Filipino, 23ys old, and she is training my second companion who is fresh from the Provo MTC Sister Doucette.  She is 19 years old from Centerville Utah.  So it's just the three of us:) I absolutely adore them both they are really great.  Sister Medina is spunky and kind of crazy ha-ha and we warmed up to each other right away and then we got our trainee a bit after and we just all get along great.  It's fun having sister Doucette here and seeing her experience everything that I just got done getting used to. She even ate balut on her first day!!

 

Ssomething crazy has happened this transfer because all of a sudden I can understand everybody...it's so weird it's like it just clicked suddenly.  I was really struggling still and just the past 2 weeks I've just been able to understand everything and my language has really been improving.  I still have a lot to learn and I'm not fluent yet but I just am so grateful because I know that Heavenly Father has made it happen, and maybe it's because he knew I could help Sister Doucette, she doesn't understand a thing and it's all so new for her but I've been translating things for her and telling her what's happening in meetings and appointments.  I feel really good in this area, I know this is where the lord needs me and we have some great investigators here that I'm excited to teach and work with.

 

I miss my old investigators badly, but I feel a lot of comfort when I do think of them, I know they are in the lords hands and even though I didn't get to see them get baptized it's okay cause I know that I planted that seed within them and I helped them to grow closer to the Savior which is my purpose here as a missionary.  I'm really grateful that we have Sister Doucette with us because even though I'm not her trainer I'm still one of her first companions and I need to be an example for her, so this new companionship is going to be really great and will prepare me for when I will have to train which will possibly be this next transfer because we have a whopping 12 sisters coming into the mission on July 3rd ha-ha grabee...But it's going to be great we really need the help.  I'm excited for this area and for the work that we will do here and all that is in store for us three here.  Also Sister Medina is a great cook and she's been teaching me how to cook a bunch of Filipino food:) masarap siya talaga! oh and I also got to hang out with Sister Wilson for a few hours on the transfer day cause we were both waiting for our companions at the mission home, it was so great to talk and be together again :o) My area now is actually her very first area so she was showing me pictures and telling me about the ward and stuff which was so great. We got a picture together but I forgot my card reader so next week  sorry:)

Well Fam I sure love you please be safe in everything you do, I'm doing great here don't worry about me, I love you all so so much.  Andelyn and Amelia be good and safe and listen to the promptings of the spirit, Heavenly Father loves you and so do I:) Say your daily prayers and Read your scriptures they will help to strengthen your testimonies of the restored gospel and help you grow closer to our Father in Heaven.  Mahal Mahal ko kayo! muah! 

Love Sister Jones

 

I bought a new scripture case. A lady from my area makes these from leather. Cool huh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'M BEING TRANSFERED AND MANGO TREE PRAYING

Hello po:)








Sister Houser! We were in the MTC together and have been in the same zone for the past 2transfers.Us sister missionaries. Sadly I am parted from my dear trainer and companion Sister Sabiano in the center.

 My and beloved trainer and comp Sister Sabiano and Sister Wills

Elder McDonald. (has a sister who lives in Mesa.  .On ValVista even. 

 



       Our Church Building. No AC but it is really cute. 

       Crazy Bamboo houses that Filipinos build themselves and some like this one are even two stories high.  

     This is our service project area. We used machetes to hack down all the grass. This took us several weeks to look like this 

    This is our area that we hike most days. It's exhausting.

 

 

       There are crazy random stairs in our travels around the forest

 

   My knarly leg scratches. Got them sliding down a hill.

 

 

     8 year old Raquel. A super cute investigator who is so excited for her baptism.

 

 

Oh my goodness it was THE BEST to be able to talk to you all last week and see your faces (for at least a little bit ha!).  I felt like it was a dream, after I kept thinking all day did that really just happen?' haha  it really was so good and it gave me extra energy to just work even harder this week.  Thank you for everything you do and all the support you all give me, Sobrang blessed ako talaga!

Mom thank you for all the pictures they are great, Andelyn looks absolutely gorgeous in her prom attire and all the dance pictures I loved. 

Well transfer day is tomorrow and we found out this morning who would all be transfering...and....I'm being transfered! I don't really know what to say it's completely a surprise to the both of us because we are both being transferred.  I have so much washing laundry and packing to do today grabe hah.  We don't know where we will be assigned or who  our new companions are, we just know that we are transferring.  We will just pack all of our things tonight and bring everything to the transfer meeting tomorrow and we will find out then.

We were so shocked, we were certain Sister Sabiano would be transferred and that I'd be left to lead the area with a new senior companion but I guess President decided to white wash our area.  Which means that he takes out the missionaries who are there and puts in two new ones to the area.  Sister Sabiano started crying when we found out I was also transferring:( This area will be hard to whitewash for sure and we are thinking of our sweet investigators and they have baptisms coming up and they trust us and they are preparing for their baptisms but now they will get two new missionaries to teach them.  It's just so different.  I know that President Delamare receives revelation  to where to assign the missionaries here and I trust that this is what needs to happen and Heavenly Father will guide the new missionaries in this area and they will take care of our investigators and help them progress in the gospel.  Everything will be okay:) I'm nervous for this transfer and where I will be sent, it'll be a change but it will be good and I'm excited to see who will be my new companion:)  

 

We said goodbye to S. Taupale and Elder Tualetonu last night. They got picked up and taken to the mission home to prepare for their flights home, half of us were crying and they were both crying. I don't think I will want to ever leave because it does not look fun, everyone is so sad to leave! This week has been pretty good, except for two days I was sick and we didn't work for those days I was so nauseous I could barely get out of bed without almost throwing up ha sobrang fun de ba? but no I absolutely hate being sick in the mission. I felt so useless and missed going out so much and just felt blehh  but I'm all better now and we worked extra hard the rest of the days to make up for time we had lost.

Nemejio's sons are really progressing and I love those two boys to death.  Jaime(10yrs) and Ihonrin (12yrs).  they are so excited to see us coming and they have been reading and praying about everything.  Yesterday we asked them if they had prayed about what we have been teaching and if they got an answer that it was true and Ihonrin just had the biggest smile on his face  and he just blurted 'Oo totoo siya!' (yes its true) he told us that he had prayed up in the mango tree haha he's so cute! I'm going to miss them so much.  We found Nemejio and the boys in my first few weeks here in the field.  I know heavenly father will take care of them, but I will always remember them for the rest of my days and hopefully I'll be able to see them again before the end of my mission.

We'll see!   Well this upcoming week is gonna be cra-zy hah new area and new companion.  Wish me luck!  Be safe this week my family I love you all good luck in all the things you have going on this week.  Don't work to hard and make sure you make time to spend as a family cause I know how crazy busy you all are.  Be good and Pili and Tama:) choose the right. I love you! Ingat!

Love, Sister Jones

Skyping with Sister Dora the Explorer Honez

 

 

We got a call from Ammah on Mothers Day this past Sunday night around 8:30 . For those of you who do not know about the rules for a Mormon missionary, they only get to call/Skype home twice a year. Mothers Day and  Christmas.  She couldn't get to a computer to Skype for about 15 more minutes so she thought we could chat until she got a computer at the internet  café in Antipolo.   The call was dropped 1 minute into the call and we just sat and stared at the phone and the Skype on our computer for 1/2 an hour. Then blessed day.....Ammah was ringing in on Skype. YAY! There she was in all her SHORT haired glory. We asked her about her new haircut to which she explained..."yeah...they don't understand me here and when I ask for layers in my hair....I just end up with several inches lopped off the length...This has happened twice now and I guess  it is what it is..ha-ha" She says that the other missionaries tease her now because she looks like Dora the Explorer with her short hair and back pack on while hiking through the rain forest. They sing the Dora song to her as they hike the mountains. Haha...

Yeah...I'd say she resembles her a lot...what do you all think? Heehee.

 

 

 

We asked Ammah a hundred questions about her mission and what it's like in the Philippines. Here are a few details she relayed.

HOW LONG CAN WE SKYPE? A: We have about 2 hours.

She eats rice for breakfast and dinner EVERY DAY...sometimes they have noodles on top of the rice and as a treat sometimes they eat a protein mostly chicken on rice. Saturday they forgot to grocery shop as they were busy with appointments all day and realized when they got home all they had for dinner was 4 spoonful's of rice each and Ammah was saying "Oh.....if I only had my BOX". (It's on it's way Ammah...should be there in a month. HAHA) 

 There is no milk, no cereal and they can't really afford bread to often. (Missionaries live on a very tight budget, anything left over they don't use is given back to the Philippines mission so Poor families can send their children on missions in the Philippines) It cost 1800 Pesos to send a Filipino on a mission. The missionaries get 4000 pesos every two weeks to live on and pay for their travel around the city. They are asked to save back 1000 pesos for emergencies every 2 weeks and if they don't  use it, that is what goes to the Filipino missionary fund.

She has only been on 2 dinner engagements so far. The food was okay..rice!.

"People call me Seester Honez, they think the J in Jones is silent and add a z for the s. LOL."

I try to curl or straighten my hair sometimes but it's useless because as soon as I walk out the door my hair curls up all funny. 

No baptisms yet but 1 is scheduled for this Saturday!

The fruit is AMAZING and she eats a LOT of it.

She wears little rubber shoes everyday but Sunday she wears a nice shoe to church.

She is having 2 new black skirts made by a Filipino lady in her ward. (black because she gets so dirty climbing the mountains to see investigators)

Transfer day is this coming Monday and she has no idea if she will stay or go but if she goes the area will be a "white wash" and that's a sad hard thing to do. (white wash = no missionaries left who know the area/investigators and where they are in their testimony development or baptism dates.) 

Best thing about the mission so far? A: Meeting all the other missionaries and working together.

Hardest thing about her mission so far? The humidity and heat!! (Notice her hand held fan, she carries that and her umbrella with her where ever she goes, not for rain (yet) but to shield her from the sun) She says she pretty much just feels like she is melting all day and night.)

It was very hard the first few weeks trying to acclimate to her new environment but it is much better and easier now. She is not fluent in Tagalog yet but it is coming very well and she thinks she will be fluent in about 2 more months. She bore her testimony to us in Tagalog. It was AWESOME. Super fun to hear her speak another language like that.  

She is happy and loves serving her mission. She misses us but not to much.

We talked on Skype for 2 1/2 wonderful hours. It was so hard to say goodbye, except for the fact that it was almost midnight and we all had to get up early for work and school the next morning.

Surprisingly there were no tears at the end...just a few pouty lips and lots of blown kisses. Until Christmas my little Dora the explorer.

 Of course we can't wait to hear about her week in Sundays email. haha.

 

 

 



Sister Leaders? New position in the mission field.

Kumusta po family!:) 

Andelyn congratulations on making Pom!!! How fun will that be:) especially for your senior year I’m so excited for you Talaga! and Amelia I heard you danced beautifully in your dance concert, mom tried to send me a clip but I can't open it and watch it on this computer but I know you did great.  I'm so proud of both of you and all you guys are doing, I miss you silly girls:) I can't wait to Skype with you in 6 days ahh!! It’s goanna be so weird because I haven't seen your faces in so long haha but it will be so great! Sounds like your guys are all keeping busy with school and dance which is good.  You two are almost done with the school year excited kayo de ba? 
Well this week was real busy for me as well we were busy preparing for our ward social night that we had on the 3rd.  After months of preparing the night finally arrived and it was AWESOME! We were really focusing on it being a night for the less-actives and our investigators to come and mingle with the members and we had a great turnout.  To be honest I was pretty scared that not many people would come but thanks to our awesome members it really came together.  We had about 140 in attendance which is twice as much as our turnout in sacrament meeting ha ha. We had about 30 investigators there and tons of the less actives came. We also invited President Delmare and he actually came which is an honor as he is so insanely busy but both he and sister Delamare came and stayed for the whole thing.  They were so impressed and kept telling us how great it was.  The youth and the Relief Society and Elders Quorum both had presentations and they did Hawaiian dances which were actually  awesome I was impressed ha-ha than we had a church tour where each auxiliary had a presentation in each room about all the different programs in the church like, Relief Society, Elders Quorum, young men’s, young women’s, and sacrament meeting, and they each talked about what goes on and the investigators just went around to each room than after we had rice and ulom prepared and everyone just sat around eating and talking while the kids played, it was seriously perfect  and it couldn't have gone better.  Sister Sabiano and I prayed and prayed for weeks that it would all come together and that our investigators would be able to come and it really did.  Hallelujah!:)

 

I fell and scraped up my leg real bad on Sunday night ha-ha it looks pretty nasty and stings.  We were coming down the side of this mountain from a members house and it was dark and I just slipped and fell and skidded on down a while ha! So now my leg looks pretty knarley and EVERYONE keeps staring at it and asking me what happened...ano ba yan..I just tell everyone that Sister Sabiano pushed me ha-ha! but I’m taking care of it with peroxide and Neosporin. 
 
Our investigators are doing pretty good, sadly no baptisms... soonish maybe, we are really trying to prepare Nemejio and Jaimie but Tatay has work all week and he works from 6am to 11pm so that leaves us no time to come visit him for a whole week so now his baptism is pushed back:(  Here in our mission something that is required for baptism is that they have to come to church 4 times in a row.  Which is HARD. That’s the main reason we haven't had any baptisms.  That rule is in place because we need to make sure they really want to be baptized and they are committed to coming.  Or else we would have tons of baptisms and they would all go inactive after.  For the members here it is a true evidence of their faith when they come to church, because they have to wake up early climb up the mountain, pay for fair to get to the building etc.. but Filipinos are so nice that if you ask them to be baptized they will say yes just to be nice, so when they come to church at least 4 times in a row that shows that they really have that desire to follow Christ and be baptized. 
We have a lot of great investigators that really have potential though and it's been a joy teaching them even if they don't come to church cause you can still see the change that is happening as they accept the gospel.  
This week we had a zone training and we talked about the atonement.  We just went around and talked about the role of the atonement in our lives and it was such a great spiritual experience for everyone.  Some shared experiences about the atonement and how it had blessed their lives and at one point or other we all had shed tears.  The spirit was so strong and my testimony of the atonement grew even more from all they had shared.  The reason I decided to serve a mission is because I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real.  I know how important it is and Heavenly Father put into me that desire to share the healing and forgiving power of the atonement.  
I am honored to wear the name of my Redeemer on my chest every day and to share his gospel with the world.  I love this work! 

My next transfer day is May 22nd, and I’m almost completely positive sister Sabiano will be transferring.  They made a new leadership position for the sisters in all the missions around the world called "Sister Leaders".  They are like our zone leaders but for the whole mission.  There will be 4 sister leaders over all the sisters in the mission and they do 24 hour splits with us.  So they go to each area of all the sisters and work with them for 24 hours twice a week.  I'm 99 percent sure sister Sabiano will be one of them ha-ha she denies it but I know.. I know she's one. That leadership position starts this next transfer.

Family...I get to talk to you in 6 days and I really cant wait :) it will be great to see and hear you hehe, be safe this week.  I will talk to you soon.  God bless you my sweet family,  Sobre Mahal ko kayo!

LOVE,

Sister Jones