Jessica's Fourth Email! November 1st, 2013

Jessica's Fourth Email! November 1, 2013

Ok first of all. So weird that you are in Provo right now mom!! Hope you're having fun and enjoying your Nugget time. Hopefully you have time to be home and relax soon. It sounds like it's been a busy week or so. 

To start I think I will tell you about some Tagalog things. They don't have direct translations for most of my favorite words! Such a bummer! These words include but are not limited to: arctic, ideal, critical, struggle, or legit!! Makes it way harder to say what I want to say! But don't you worry!! There is a word for party! It is salu-salo. Probably won't need it tons in the near future, but for sure still a good one to have I think! There also isn't a word for whatever so I just say ano-ver because ano means what. My teacher tells me every time that doesn't mean whatever so he probably just thinks I'm really dumb and don't remember. I just like saying it though. ano-ver. It's got a good ring to it. And if anyone was wondering what the word for "will remember" is... you should buckle up. maaalaala. Now just try to say that out loud really quickly. Andddd welcome to my life.

Mom. You keep asking what I want you to send me and I keep wanting to say nothing but unfortunately I have thought of 2 more things. I would like another lemon oil or 2. I use it everyday so I may need a little backup supply. Also if you can get me like 3 of the finished seam garment tops that would be way nice. Just the ones that we saw that you have to order online or whatever xs tall if they have it. Thanks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Hanna Watkins in 3 days!! yayyyy. SALU-SALO! Hope it's a good one!
Phil Wing sent Lindsey and I the nicest email which consisted of ward updates and of course a cougar recap for the week. So nice! I love hearing about the cougs KILLING it!! Sounds like a good week down the street. He also mentioned Jack and Cole's baptism! That is so fun that they got baptized together! Give them a congratulations hug for me somebody! And dad... shocked to hear you didn't dress up for the ward Halloween party. Whaddup with that?!

It wasn't the most eventful week, but there were some fun/ funny things that happened so I will tell you about that! First of all, we did our first TRC last Saturday night. So cool. So there was a couple with a baby who volunteered. We didn't teach them but I saw them walk by and started crying. Like legitimately crying. I think it was cause the baby made me think of all the kids I hung out with this summer. She was SO cute. haha but super embarrassing. My teacher was like uhh why are you crying?? I was like, didn't you see that baby?!?! Poor guy probably misses having all boy districts. Sorryyy.

CASEY! This one's for you. Our service project is to set up the gym for devotionals every Tuesday afternoon and Saturday night. Every Saturday I think of that guy on vine who makes those Saturday night videos. I say Saturdayyy nightttt like he does but nobody here understands. Hopefully you can appreciate it a little better. But ya... Saturday nights setting up chairs gets pretty crazy!

Last Sunday some of my friends came to the temple! I was so shocked! It was so fun to see them! It was Mak and Sav and Kevin and some of his roommates! And Molly was there so it was a mini 22 reunion. So fun... until Molly left on Tuesday. Saddest thing EVER! She was like the last real friend I had to say bye to so that was kinda rough. 

Last Sunday night we watched the Joseph Smith movie. I forgot how powerful that is. Anyone who hasn't seen it... watch it!!! It made me realize that maybe waking up at 6:30 everyday isn't as bad as I thought. Watching the sacrifices of the early saints made me feel so blessed. Dad you were right. When the goin gets tough, think of them! And then get over it haha. You didn't say it like that, but it's true.

SUPER EXCITING! We gave a lesson in Tagalog and our teacher/investigator understood what we were saying! The spirit was so strong and we felt pretty good about it after we finished. Then after class he came up to us and was saying that whatever we did to prepare we need to do every time because it was so good and he felt the spirit so strongly and all this stuff. I can't wait to feel that with real investigators.It was an amazing feeling!

One of the members of my branch presidency went to Lincoln high school. HAH sketch. He's super nice and we always talk about San Diego. I gave them a list of places to go next time they are down there. I love our branch presidency!

On a less nice note.. on Tuesday we were setting up chairs and there was a man there, like maybe 50, who works there with like the electric stuff or something I think. He was asking where a group of us were from and one of the elders said I was from La Jolla. He said you're from La Jolla you little princess? And I was like, uhh ya?? He said "So you're a spoiled little rich brat." It was just me and like 6 elders and they were all like laughing but super confused why he said that. Not cool... some people here, I tell ya. People here aren't prefect!!

Anywayyy. Awkward story. Our teachers will basically only talk to us in Tagalog so we have to try to ask them questions with what we know. I meant to ask brother Roxas if he would bring in a family picture to show us but instead I asked him if he would bring me a picture of him. He looked so confused and was like uhh Bakit?! (why) everyone started laughing and told me what I asked. Whoops! Think twice, ask once?

Updates on my health... I have gained 3 POUNDS!!! Ahhh and I'm barely over half way at the MTC. This is not good. Cutting back on all the candy and dessert I eat here. Also, my knees are suffering from all this kneeling to pray-every-hour business. Haha they seriously hurt and have like cuts on them. Oh well. Prayer is good!

Terrie Petree sent me the yummiest mint cookies from Australia! They were SO good! I loved them!

A few in my district have picked up meowing... mission complete! Haha Casey you should be proud. And mom you should be proud with this next one! We had a sub yesterday and he taught us how to say "you're weird." Sister Coleman whispered it to me and so I gave her a nice death glare (if you know me you probably know the look pretty well... sorry). The teacher asked if we had any questions and so I turned to face him to say no but I guess the glare wasn't quite gone. So then I flashed a quick smile. He started laughing and said that was such a flight attendant smile. I guess my fate is clear. I'm all about that fake smile life. I have in my notes to write you about seal burgers. Not really sure what that's all about so I guess just laugh and think of the boys asking the protesters if they sell seal burgers??

Sister green doesn't appreciate my style of 7th ward seminary popcorn reading... you know the one where you say the last word while they are finishing their paragraph. Ya... she doesn't like it when I do that during our study time. Haha. oh well. I guess I'll just have to pick it back up in a year and a half. Some boys in my zone were telling me and the other sisters in my district about shark-nado's. They made it sound veryyy believable so we all bought it except for sister Green. Embarrassing but anoever. Sorry I am trusting!! Look it up, I guess it's a movie or a show or something?? Anyway. Don't worry. Turns out there aren't actually shark-nado's in the Philippines!

Top 10
1. Lesson with Boboy
2. Halloween party/rave (the sister training leaders had a 10 minute shin dig in their room on Halloween night with chips and salsa and candy. One girl even sat at the light switch flicking it on and off so there was a strobe. haha MTC livin at it's finest)
3. Sand volleyball
4. Friends at the temple
5. First TRC
6. Brother Roxas laughed!!!! (He turned to face the board so we wouldn't see... but we actually got him to laugh! Out loud!)
7. Letter from Madison!
8. Devotionals
9. Slept through the night 2 times this week. yayyy.
10. Christie's wisdom teeth pain-meds-influenced letters.

Well! That's about my week for everyone! I am happy, healthy, and well! Mom! Your friends rock at writing. I hear from Sandy all the time and I also got letters from Wendy and Amy! Audz, Emi says you write Hunter a lot. I am your sister! I want to hear about your life! You too Don. Did you re-take the ACT yet? Well I hope everyone is doing well! Mom have fun in Utah! Dad try to relax now that the busiest 4 months ever are over. When you list everything out like that... we did a ton this summer! I miss you all lots and love you SO much! Thanks for all your love and support. Write me about life if you have a second. Mom, to answer your question, I like letters most, then dear elders, then emails!! But anything is wonderful! HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Love, Sister Richmond

PS- 16 more days in the MTC! yewwwwww
PPS- I really try not to write novels I promise. It just happens.

 My last night with Molly :(

 Remake of a pic we took back in our roomie days after we made bunk bed. HAHA

 Trying zulu? Braids I think they're called. FAIL.

 Our room is Arctic. Always. So I taped the vent shut. Life changing.

 Shark-nado drawn by Elder Rock. The 3 of us who fell for it.

 BYU vs. ASU. No question obviously but I figured I would humor her.

 OMgosh. Matching soap. Too cute. MTC Lyfe gets weird. IDK.

 Halloween socks from mom and decorations from Christie.

 Sis Green loves her socks too!

Teeth from mom. Brother Kovach, our teacher is on the far right. HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

 Nast Pic. Thanks mom.

 Yummy cookies. Those gross store ones that are SO GOOD somehow.

 Goodbye drawing from Elder Nebeker. Pretty much a bunch of lies in 1 pic!

 Elder Rock! The one I met in the temple in SD working.

 Night before Elder Rock and Elder Nebeker left for the Philippines.

 Elder Nebeker gave me baby food because he thinks I don't get enough nutrition.

 Christmas package from Grandma and Grandpa! Homemade fudge! YUM!