Jessica's Third email October 26th, 2013

 Third Email! October 26th 2013

OK! I have the best family in the whole world. Thank you so much for everything!!! Mom, to answer your question... NO! You do not send too many dear elders! There is no such thing! Christie writes me one every day I think and it is the best. I love hearing about what you all are doing!! So please! Write me haha it makes such a difference. It sounds pathetic but I love to hear about your days.

Heidi Hachtman sent me the nicest package! So many yummy snack, nail polish, a CD, so much!! Cute craft from Ryder. Thank you Heidi! Also thanks Brit for those Cd's you gave me before I left! Music is wonderful!! Stacy, I love that lip stuff and love the sneak peak to Jack's costume hahaha. I was DYING laughing. Thank you all for thinking of me! Mom I think you said you got my 3 page letter this week?? But thank you SO MUCH for that amazing Halloween package!! And I still am in love with those family pictures. I look at them all everyday. I love our family. Christie sent yet another amazing package complete with DC, popcorn, mints, and Halloween decorations! Thanks!! I am probably good on diet coke for now :) We don't have a fridge so at night we go stash them in a bush and they are arctic come morning time. Probably one of the better ideas I've ever had... like in my life. And mom. Yes! I got the cookie/ cinnamon bear package. THANKS! But you really don't need to keep "fattening me up for the Philippines" hahah. I am doing just fine on that without the extras cookies. Not that I don't love them and eat everything everyone sends but yaaa... 

Ok I really hate this part. But there are some things I need. Some sleeping pills would be prime. Usually I am way against that but I wake up like every hour and after 5 there is no hope for falling back asleep. So if that's legal and what not I would love that. I think I already told you this but just sometime before I leave the MTC that would be great if you could send a small battery alarm clock. I think we still have that blue one in the hallway. Mom, you said I could buy a skirt from the bookstore and I was gonna say no way but then last night some lady told me my skirt was a little too short and it was one of the ones I have for a lot of shirts. So I think they have skirts for like 17 bucks and I might get a tan one if they have it. Thanks. Okay so my teacher says it's good to have a SMALL English quad. I went to the bookstore here and they don't have the one I want. Idk if everywhere is sold out or just here but if you could look around and send me one that would be AMAZING!! I think you get a pretty good discount if you tell them it is for a missionary in the MTC. I want the new edition small black quad with the snap in the front. The new ones only come in brown and black so I like the black. Let me know if you can get one please. They are smaller than regular but I think a little bigger than mom's maroon ones. Thanks a lot. Mom I checked my debit card and it expires march 2015. One month before I come home haha. Inconvenient. So if you can try to send me a new one before I leave the MTC that would be awesome. Thanks.

For the bank stuff mom. I leave Nov. 18 at like 3:30 am so can you just make sure the bank knows that so they don't shut off my card. Also I sent the packet home yesterday with all the info so you should get that very soon. I can't check my account balance so let me know if I am close please. Also, I am getting my last two shots on like Nov 12th I think. They will be around $180 and then I will send a claim thing home or something that you can submit to insurance. Not really sure how that works but can you just make sure I have that in my account that day? Thanks! 

I am healthy and well! I thought I would be very sick since it's winter in Provo but I'm like the only one in my district who hasn't been sick at all... knock on wood. Maybe it's the lemon drops in my water!!! Hahah. When does Clayton get home? I think aunt Shelley said like 17 days in her email?! That is so exciting!! Yay clay! Dad, I laughed so hard reading your dear elder. Only in the Richmond fam do you and mom both end up in Vegas the same day and casually fly home together haha. My comp couldn't believe that mom flew to Vegas to meet up with some friends for the day. hahah. Christie... you are so right! Downeast shirts are the WORST! haha. Turtleneck... BRING SHADE BACK!! So sad... I can't wait to see the pics of Nugs all dressed up haha. Cute family costume idea!!! I hope you are recovering well from the wisdom teeth!! Should I have gotten those out before I left? LOL oh well... I don't think I have any or something. Feel like that would have come up at some point. Mom.. I am sorry I used to get so mad when you sneezed 20 times in a row. What I would do to hear your funny little sneeze right now haha. I promise I will be more patient in a year and a half. I also really liked your google translated Tagalog mom. Were you saying have a beautiful day? I'm glad you and Chris both got your Philippines shirts. Rep it! I have realized something... my 4 biggest fears are as follows... 1) Lightening/ storms. 2) Bugs/ rodents. 3) Gross food. 4) Earthquakes (7.2 last week?!?!? sketchhhh). Haha so as I was thinking about this I was also thinking about what the Philippines are most known for... repeat previous list. It's gonna be a crazy year and a half I guess.

Austin... are you still alive over there?!?! haha bunzy I miss talking to you!! Have you destroyed my IG yet?? Don thanks for writing me! Tell me about life... I'm glad to hear the Cougs won last night! Thanks for keeping me in the loop pops! We can hear the games sometimes but not really if we're inside. Just if we're walking around. So no, it's not too bad. If anyone was wondering, I eat frosted flakes every meal. I'm thinkin my health is probably really on the decline so that's less than ideal. haha. oh well. Fat and ugly isn't offensive in the Philippines! My teacher said you go to someones house and say hey! Is the fat man we saw the other day home? And they know exactly what you mean. Sad. I will not be easily offended when I get home I guess haha. In Tagalog my name is pronounced Hessica!! It's a dream haha. Megan Bertha will be so excited when I tell her that. Hey mom! No signs of that annoying youtube girl! Thank goodness. 

Ok! Two really good quotes I want to share with you! "Our success is going from failure to failure without any loss of enthusiasm" and "We're here to do our best and the Lord will do the rest." Love those! Also my favorite thing to say in Tagalog is bakit ako?! It means why me? Start saying it. I think it will catch on ;) 

Ok so my teachers are the BEST!!! I love them both so much! One is married the other is not. They both are in school and are just so nice and such good teachers! Brother Roxas and Brother Kovach. Yesterday I was having a kinda long day and Brother Roxas just wanted to do a quick demo to invite others to pray. I was sitting closest to him so he bore his testimony about prayer and challenged me to pray more earnestly. He asked me to say a prayer in front of the district and so I just started normal, no big deal. Then as I really sincerely prayed for the people we will teach in the Philippines and for help to better learn the gospel I felt the most incredible spirit. For sure top 5 for strongest times I have every felt the spirit. I started crying... in the middle of my prayer... in front of everyone haha. Luckily we are all really close now so it wasn't too embarrassing. I said amen and he continued with his demo haha. He had the question on the board "Did the person who you challenged show any evidence that they felt the spirit." Everyone was like uhhhh yaaaa. Haha it was so random but was exactly what I needed. So both of our teachers pose as investigators who they really taught on their mission and we teach them everyday. We are finally to the point that we can mostly get our point across... our grammar struggles haha. But this week we committed both of our "investigators" to come to church. YAY! I know they go to church and it wasn't real haha but it felt so good to feel that. I can't wait to really be out there teaching!!! 

Ok this is a super good scripture and I love it. look up D&C 130:2. I was thinking about grandma Giral and others who are very sick. Then I came across this scripture. So powerful. We are so blessed. 

Ok one last story. this one is a little scary but I am telling you about it because I know how much the boys love conspiracy theories so maybe you can use this to make one up haha. It's actually really sad. The other day Molly was flipping through her scriptures and there were two weird cutouts on two pages in like the shape of arrows. She read the pages and they were all about destruction and hypocrites. Scary. So then another girl in her district who also left her scriptures in the room overnight found a ton of red markings in hers in like John and around there all about liars and stuff. Super sad because 1) They both have to get new scriptures and 2) Some evil person (maybe cleaning crew they think??) destroyed scriptures in one of the most sacred places, messed up. She has calmed down about it now but it was freaky for everyone. Hopefully she accidentally tore it before she got here or something. 

Sorry to end on that note. And sorry for the novel. I really do love it here! The church is true! I can't wait to teach the people of the Philippines! Thank you for all of your love and support. Please write me!! I miss you all lots and love you even more!

Jessica wrote to me with the top ten because she had forgotten to include it in the email so here it is!:

1. Mail and packages 
2. I'm wearing jeans right now
3. This week went quickly
4. Nice weather
5. Sand Volleyball
6. We can get our point across when we teach... I hope
7. Molly is still here...Until Tuesday:(
8. Investigators coming to church
9. Family Pictures
10. Laminating parties! (You can get patriarchal blessings, family proclamation, etc. shrunk down and laminated for like $1!) 

Love, Sister Richmond

Amazing Halloween package from mom

Gym time- Splits!!

Prank from mom's Halloween package

Lyman!

M&M's and Almond Joy = Pre-workout

Keegan Roberts! (He is a Cravens relative and was in our ward for a little while! See him a ton.)

Connor Harris! One of Hunter's best friends.

PC church pamplets? Different pictures/races

NOT EVEN PLANNED! We must be BFF's

Package from Heidi Hachtman!

Hiding DC in the bust so it's cold the next day

Decorated door thanks to Christie's package

Quotes I like

She's an artist too

FALL!!!

Laminating party

After I had to change because my skirt was too short. Emo missionaries

Cute craft from Ryder!

I wonder if anyone has ever jumped?! They make it so easy.

More decorations from Christie

Had to capture a pic of sis Green's shades

Fall leaves + Mountains + Temple = :)

I guess it's been a long week

Sister Cochrane, Savannah, me, and Mckayla

Mckayla & Sav and Kevin & his roommates. Sucessful temple walk! 

Sister Green = NOT STOKED! 

#Sorrynotsorry Jokelang = JK in Tagalog