THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ALL THE GOODIES AND LETTERS IN MY PACKAGE!

 Magandang Hapon po ang Pamilya ko!



 Us girls being silly. Everything is better in the Philippines.

Our Dinner one night. Crab is YUMMY! 

Zone conference

 

 

 Boiled Quail Eggs for dinner. They are yummy too.

Our small but mighty district.

Tthe Abat family children, they are so super smart and speak English like Americans! probably cause there mom is super awesome and is a return missionary:) 

 

 Brother AL and his Fiancée Amy

 

 

 Part of our Zone at the ABCCBN activity.

So my sweet family and friends who are reading this I finally got my package that was sent 11 weeks ago with all the wonderful letters, cards, food, goodies and toys from everyone, we opened it up earlier and had tons of fun looking at all it's contents and squealing in delight when one of our favorite goodies was found inside haha! Thank you to all who contributed to my package I feel so blessed and loved to have so much support from my friends and family.  Heavenly Father has blessed me so abundantly with the people who I've been surrounded with throughout my life, Sobrang nagpapasalamt po ako para sa inyo lahat (I'm so grateful for all of you).  I'm definitely going to be sharing it with everyone..... there is so much! haha grabe but it's awesome and hopefully next week another sister will be moving in so their will be 4 of us to work on eating it.  Thank you for all the candy and goodies I'll try to remember to always take a handful in my bag with me everywhere to give to all the kids who come begging, they would like that:) But I can't say thank you enough and I could probably fill up a few paragraphs thanking everyone separately but for now just know that I am grateful and you know who you are! 

 

This week has been magical.  Brother Al was baptized and it went so so good, the spirit was so strong and after he even bore his testimony and it was so sweet.  He expressed his thanks to the missionaries for teaching him and my heart just felt like it was going to burst.  Him and his fiancé Amy are going to be married in a few weeks and they have a goal to be married in the temple, I'm so excited for them and it was a great experience to teach him and help him to prepare to be baptized.  His brother in law confirmed him yesterday as well and Al just had a huge smile on his face after.

 

Sister LynLyn (Annalyn) is really progressing and we had a lesson with her the other day and I have to say it was probably one of the strongest moments that I've felt the holy ghost in a lesson before.  We came by to teach her and her cousin harry and we walked in and she had been studying the gospel principles manual, she had her book of Mormon and Bible laid out on the table with a journal and marking pens nearby, I was so excited! We have only been teaching her for a few weeks and she's already having daily scripture study, she's wonderful! We were only 2 minutes in the door and I started getting teary eyed just looking at her and seeing how excited she was about the gospel.  We asked her to be baptized that day and we are all crying including her, she explained to us that when we had first came and taught a lesson in their house that she wasn't  interested but stayed to listen anyways and then she came to church with Harry and she just felt something inside that made her want to keep coming and until now she has continued to have those same feelings.  We explained to her that it was the Holy Ghost speaking to her and testifying to her that all the things she has heard at church and in the lessons with us are true.  She really started crying after we asked her to be baptized and  is so excited and anxious to follow the savior and be baptized..  The spirit was just overflowing and everyone in the room was crying and on our way home I  thanked Heavenly Father for putting me in this area and putting LynLyn in our path.  She has truly been prepared to hear the gospel.

 

I am just so happy...I can't even put it into words.  Since I've been in the mission it's probably been the hardest thing... teaching the gospel and knowing that these people need it so badly in their lives but they just don't accept it and it's so hard for them to understand and than they just stop listening, but to watch someone like Sister LynLyn except it so quickly and powerfully and know already that it is true,  it  is a testimony to me of how true this gospel is. Some have been prepared to hear the gospel and some are not yet ready, and that's okay and they have their agency.  But I'm grateful to be here and have the opportunity to find those who are prepared and who are waiting for us to knock on their door.  I love this work and moments like that moment with LynLyn make all the hard times here so so worth it.

 

This week we  said goodbye to President Delamare at our Zone Conference.  He and his family all shared their testimonies and than he sang us "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" and his voice is just heavenly and so sweet.  It made almost the entire room cry haha I'm really glad I was able to be under his direction for the 4 months I've been in the field, I will miss him very much he was a great mission President for us.

 

I'm excited for President Revillo to get her next week though, I guess he's the Human Resource person for Kellog's so I don't know what to expect but he sounds really cool and I know the lord has prepared him to be our new mission president here in Quezon City:)

 

Not much more for this week we've been keeping busy with our less-actives and investigators and...the mouse in our apartment! We have had a little mouse in our apartment for the past few weeks and we've been trying to catch it but it's unbelievably fast and we have no idea where it is right now but it's somewhere in the apartment haha! Every few days we will see it and run around screaming and moving things trying to shew it out and we have no luck, so hopefully this week we will succeed in our endeavors to get rid of little mousey.

Family and friends thank you AGAIN for the goodies and letters in my package. Salamat talaga sa inyo lahat! Mahal Kita lahat! Ingat till next week. 

 

Love, Sister Jones

.....guess what.....I finally got my package!! haha but...

Hello po Family!

Our Temple Tour Group. Annalynn is in Pink. Isn't she adorable. Sister Wilson is in here with her investigators too.
 

Aweeee. Mom those pictures were great, Bobbi is THE cutest thing! Her smile just melts my heart haha thankyou, looks like you guys had fun:)  and no I didn't get any of the videos, I got one over a month ago of one of the girls dancing but It wouldn't let me watch it soo hindi ko alam...sorry!  Paroo.....guess what.....I finally got my package!! haha but....I can't take it home till next week cause that's when we get our mail..... but I've seeeeen it at the office. HAHAHA  it got there this past Thursday so I will be able to take it home on Monday yay sobrang excited ako talaga, and it took about 8 weeks so not too bad just one more week of being patient haha.

 

Grandma Thalman emailed me all about your guys' trip up to Show Lo  and how much fun you all had, sounds so great I can't wait to see their cabin in real life.. someday haha it sounds great:)  and I'm so jealous that Andelyn got to go fishing...I loveee fishing, sounds like she really enjoyed it .  We cook fish here in our apartment often, we buy it at the market around the corner, it's soo good! 

 

Well this week has been so great and we've been way busy.  Saturday we had a temple tour so we took 4 investigators and a few less actives with us to go around the temple, It was a great experience for them they loved it.  Especially for one of our new investigators Annalynn, (sounds almost like Andelyn huh? haha) we have been teaching her for just 2 weeks she came from the province to stay with her cousin Harry who is one of our investigators so we met her at his house and started teaching her as well and she is just so wonderful and kind and really interested in our message.  She's come to church now twice, the temple tour, she comes to baptisms of kids in the ward haha she's just soaking everything up like a sponge, I'm so grateful that we found her talaga and we've become really good friends too, I love this area. I got to see Sister Wilson and we even got a pic together with our temple tour investigators,

  

Also last week I had a great but kind of nervous type of day... but none the less a great opportunity cause we had MTC exchanges. so because our zone is so close to the Missionary Training Center here, every other Wednesday we get assigned missionaries to come out and work with us from the MTC for 3 to 4 hours, and they are all foreigners who don't know the language.  So I took two missionaries from somewhere in the Polynesian islands out with me into my area by myself and we went to a few appointments and even went tracting and found a new investigator.  I was so nervous be cause I had only been in this huge area for 3 weeks at the time and I still don't understand completely everything but it went really good and was a great experience for me to feel what it would be like to train someone.

 

THEN the next day the sister trainer leaders surprised us in the morning and told us we had exchanges with them as well so we got split up again and I took Sister. Sabiano with me out to my area for the whole day.  So we were companions again for a day Yay. I love her so.  it was so fun and we got a lot done that day and found 3 new investigators together, it was so great! 

 Today we had temple day which was of course heavenly...and I just keep thinking to myself of how blessed I am that I have a temple in my mission.  What are the chances that out of all 16 missions in the Philippines I get sent to one of the two who gets to go to the temple...Heavenly Father must really love me haha so like I said this week has been busy talaga but so so great.  I absolutely love the work here and love this area, hopefully I don't have to leave soon but it's up to the lord:) my sweet family thank you for all your prayers in my behalf, I hope you know that I as well am constantly praying for you in return.  I love you all with all my heart! Be safe..! 

 

Mahal kita!

 

Love, Sister Jones

Everyday it rains.. and it doesn't just rain it POURS.

 Hello po Family!!


My new Filipino watch. Pretty cool huh?

This is the MTC in the Philippines. they are building more on to it.  they are going to be sending all Americans serving in the Philippines here soon as well.  They have a lot of building to do haha.  Wealso get to have some of the missionaries work with us from the MTC every other week for 3 hours.  We did it two weeks ago and we are doing it again this week.  I'll be taking some of them with me by myself to part of our area to teach some lessons.  kinda cool huh? :)



Part of my area, the green pretty part haha  we travel through this area sometimes on tricycles and I always sit on the back of the motorcycle right behind the driver faced towards all this green it's so pretty,, it's my favorite!

 

Hello po Family!! 

So good to hear that you all are enjoying your summer activities and now that your crazy schedules have settled down you can all take a breath and relax for a bit haha. Sounds Like Andelyn is having so much fun in Show Lo with Grandma and Grandpa talaga! And Amelia hangin out with all her friends sounds like a great summer.  

 

Well here in the Philippines...the rainy season has arrived haha grabe..everyday it rains.. and it doesn't just rain it POURS.  We pack all our stuff into plastic bags and than put them in our proselyting bags, take out our umbrellas and go out to work.  And we are walking in water up to our ankles, it's just so weird cause the first part of the day it's super hot and than within a half hour it's pouring and a full on thunder storm with lightning and everything, it's crazy but it's also really fun.

On our way home we are just laughing and giggling running through the streets under our umbrellas trying to make it to the last jeepney to take us home before we get completely soaked.  it's great fun you should try it sometime ;)

 

The work is going good, our investigator Al is getting baptized for sure on the 22nd and it will be my first baptism in the field yayy:) I'm excited for him, he is  prepared and so ready to take this step in following the Savior.  We had a great day on Sunday because many investigators came and less-actives came that we have been visiting, it just warms my heart to be sitting in church and watch them come walking in.  We have been teaching this 13 year old boy named Erwin for the past week or so.  His mom found us in the street and asked us to come teach him because he has never had religion in his life and has had a hard past.  They don't get along at all because of that past so she wants us to teach him without her, it's a weird situation but for now we are  teaching him and hopefully we can have her start to join as well.  But every lesson we teach him, it has been some of the most spiritual experiences I've had in the mission.  We teach him along with his uncle who is 18 and has also had missionary discussions before and he is very interested, I don't know what exactly it is but the spirit is very strong every time we teach them and I  feel completely guided by the spirit and the Tagalog just flows so easily with them.  Sis. Medina, Sis. Doucette and I came out of our last lesson and we were walking down the street and we all just looked at each other and were like "wow! did you feel that"?! the spirit was strong!  We talked about it all the way to our next lesson

.

 Before when I first came into the field I didn't know how to teach very well, it was so hard for me to say what I wanted to say even in English, the biggest thing I've learned here is how to rely on the spirit, while my companions are talking I try not to think about what I'm going to say I just wait.. and listen.. and pray for myself as well as my companions that what we will say will be what heavenly father will have us say. 

 

 I just love missionary work so much!  It's not easy siempre but it's all worth it.  We have so many wonderful people we are teaching and I am so excited for them when they start coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon.  This ward is also GREAT, the bishop is awesome and so helpful and the ward members are genuinely  friendly to the investigators we bring to church. 

I'm getting to know the investigators and less actives more and more every week which is good, I still have a lot of people to meet,  this area is so big it's kinda scary but ayoslong the lord will help us continue the work in this area.  

 

Today I got a package from my singles ward  the Mountain Park Ward back home, with a bunch of candy and sweet notes from 10+ of them, such a SURPRISE and so so sweet and thoughtful:) I feel so loved. Really I do!

 

Hey Mom! Sorry my email is so late tonight  I couldn't get on till later today cause sister Medina had a checkup at St. Lukes so she went with sister Wood the older sister who serves with her husband at the missionary recovery center.  So sister Doucette and I waited for 4 hours at the MRC office cause we didn't want to go to the hospital AGAIN.  It would have been my 4th time going in the past week so we hung out at the MRC and studied, played the piano, puzzles, and I read my emails all in the comfort of air conditioning aaaaah!.  AND... they fed us tacos just like the ones you make at home haha! So yummeeey.   I got my skirts today!! and they are actually extremely long... like they almost go down to my ankles haha, so I'll just spend a few pesos and get them hemmed up which won't cost much but they are so cute! thank you, thank you, thank you:)  

Things are good here I love being a missionary mom, it's so great and I'm learning so much that I know will bless my life forever.  Some are not even spiritual things but things that will help me be a good wife and mother in the future like cooking haha.. I know. ."what?" I actually have a great desire when I get home to take some cooking classes at the community college  cause I'm kind of falling in love with it, it's just so fun to cook.  Funny how it took a mission for me to realize that ha! I'm learning a lot about patience in this transfer too...

I love you mom, thank you for all you do:)

 

p.s. next week is my temple day so I won't email till Tuesday and we also have a zone activity that day so I wont be emailing till late in the day. I love you so so much thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement I enjoy reading your letters every week, they make it easier for me not to miss you guys so much when I'm out working cause I still get to be so connected to you.  mahal kita:) 

 

Daddy - Happy Fathers Day for next Sunday. You are the best Dad I could ever ask for. I love you so very much and hope you know I will be thinking of you on YOUR Sunday! Have a Great Day.

 

Family, I love you all so so much continue to have a great summer and remember to be safe:) mahal kita!

Love, Sister Jones

I AM SO USED TO TAGOLOG NOW

    Hello Family!

My two new companions Sister Doucette, Sister Medina and Me.

 

Wow, thank you so much for all the pictures they were so great:) looks like the recital went really good and oh my goodness Amelia looks so grown up.. Ano ba yan! Sister Medina looked at all of them with me and she kept saying that you two girls are so beautiful :) totoo siya! And thanks Mom for your list of questions haha I'll try my best to answer them all for you AND I have a few pictures for you as well so enjoy!  (She only sent one)

This week has been pretty good it's been hard getting used to the new area and feeling new again but I'm really trying to get to know the area and the people, so far so good.  My companions are wonderful they are both so patient and loving and the new apartment is great too.  Not as big as my last one but we don't need much here, just the spirit:) Our area is HUGE because we are supposed to have two sister companionships in this ward but because we have a shortage of sisters our areas are combined so we are covering both areas right now which makes it hard because we can only visit some investigators once a week.  Plus Sister Medina had stomach surgery 2 weeks ago and Sister Doucette has been sick the past two days with a 101+ degree temp poor thing she woke up Sunday morning with a 101+ fever and rashes all over her whole body. We thought it was Dengue fever for a bit but a big part of Dengue fever is headache throwing up and nausea along with the rashes and fever but she hasn't been throwing up and no headaches.  She is better today the rashes have gone down a lot and her fever keeps between 100 and 101 still but she says her body feels much better.  She could barely get out of bed yesterday.  We think it's because her body is adjusting to the climate here and the climate is really weird right now cause the seasons are changing from summer to the rainy seasons.  On Saturday it was so hot and not a cloud in the sky than by 5pm it was literally pouring  buckets of rain  and we were out walking all day in it.  Sooo fun haha.  

 

 Hopefully the Lord will bless us all with good health for the rest of the transfer so we can really get some work done here and help the people here progress in the gospel.  One of our investigators who we are preparing for his baptism on the 22nd of this month is really progressing and he's super nice and so prepared to receive the gospel into his life.  His name is Brother Al he is engaged to a member of the church and they met each other through their jobs they are both English teachers so he speaks really good English and prefers to read all the pamphlets and Book of Mormon in English because it's easier as well as speaking so we taught him in English and it was  weird haha. It was actually harder for me to teach in English and I was so nervous I am so used to Tagalog now, my brain is really switching over  and good thing too because the president sent the whole mission a letter this week that in the next two transfers we have 28 Sister missionaries coming in so almost all the sisters here will be training in the next few months and most of them coming in are foreigners so every sister learning Tagalog in the mission is asked to have an extra hour of language study everyday so we can learn the language faster and to  teach the new missionaries....Grabe...ha crazy! An hour and a half to two hours everyday from now on.. It's going to be great fun...haha but I'm so excited that we are getting so many missionaries, the lords work is truly progressing I got chills just typing that out haha! It's great I'm so grateful for the prophets revelation from God to change the ages of availability for missionaries. I'm so grateful and blessed to be a part of this great work!

Sige so to answer some questions for you mom, my new area is great. It's mostly city, we have some squatters (very poor Filipinos that create makeshift houses from tin and cardboard, from an aerial view it looks like a maze with little pieces of tin for roofs)  and some nicer houses, plus some areas with a lot of greenery and it's sooo beautiful.  Our apartment like I said is small, we still just have a bucket for showers but we do have a working toilet. Yay!.  We have a little toaster oven and a little gas stove that works great and also a tiny little washing machine but I still like to wash by hand for most things.

Our New mission president gets here on July 3rd which is our next transfer day, that's going to be really great to meet him I'm excited:) umm..lets see..yes we have had dinner appointments haha. We have a nice lady in our ward who feeds us every Tuesday night she is so kind and her brother in law who lives there is not a member and he joins us for dinner so we are going to start teaching him soon.

 

My companions are great I love them ha and guess what Sister Medina loves Balut and eats it all the time so I've also eaten it twice these past two weeks and... I ate the whole thing,  I have to admit it really isn't bad, I'm excited to come home and teach you guys how to eat it one night for family home evening or something hehe I bet you guys can't wait!!;)

 

No box or packages yet. I can't wait though.

 

Thank you for all your prayers my sweet family I am so truly blessed.  This area is great I'm loving being a representative of the lord, and seeing how the gospel blesses people strengthens my own testimony of this restored gospel.  I know it's true! Keep up with all your missionary efforts family that is so great,  you guys remind me of a scripture which I love  in D&C 64:33 It says 'wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great' Never be afraid to share the gospel, the lord has promised that if we open our mouths they will be filled and I know that is true, I have come out of lessons with investigators and just wonder "what in the world just happened?'  the words just come so easily and I know that it was because the spirit filled my mouth with what to say.  I love you all with all my heart have a great week and be safe. Mahal  Mahal ko kayo:) Ingat na long po kayo!

Love, Sister Jones