Jessica's Fifty Second Email! October 12, 2014

EMI GOT HER MISSION CALL!!!!!! YESSSS. Okay, so I have to tell you how I found out. So hilarious. Marez, our investigator, was sitting outside of her house on a tricie on her phone. We walked over to shake her hand and when she looked up and saw us she ran over to us and was soooo excited. (In super fast Tagalog) "Sister Richmond!!!! I saw on Facebook that Emi got her mission envelope! She is going to England! Wow! So lucky!!! She is so beautiful." I started jumping up and down screaming, serious?! Are you kidding?! Really?! No way!!! Like literally 100 times and she just kept sitting there shaking her head yes and smiling haha. I was SO HAPPY. She had forgotten the rest of the details though and said she would check and tell me later. We walked to our furthest area right after that. I was totally dreading the walk before, but then I was just on such a high and practically skipped the whole way there. Ecstatic. Then later that day we saw her riding her bike and she said, "Hey!!! Manchester, England! February 12!!!" Ahh I was so happy. She is so funny, said she looked up Manchester and it just looks great and Emi is so lucky and she just went on and on. Emi! You are such an inspiration to me. Bummed I won't see you for 34 months... but I've been wanting to go visit Manchester soo.... hahah. That's actually where I flew in last summer and then took a 4 or 5 hour train ride to London. Beautiful countryside up there Emilia Doncheva. GET PUMPED!!!!

Just such a great week overall because, HELLO, conference! Can't be beat. SO many notes, can't wait till next month's Liahona comes out though with all the printed talks! All you lucky kids with iPads, watch those talks everyday. No better way to start the morning! Also! If there is anyone reading this who is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, PLEASE watch Elder Bednar's talk from the Sunday afternoon session. It should be pretty easy to find on LDS.org and you will understand so much better why I am in the Philippines and why 88,000 missionaries like me left their studies or work or whatever to go teach people about Jesus Christ. Such a good talk. So many good prophet ones, right?!

Also, at conference, Marez had her baptismal interview and PASSED. She came to all 4 sessions and just loved it. Elder Eatough, our district leader, was talking to me after the interview about her. SO funny. He said she was just hilarious and said since he got to interview her, she would interview him too. Asked all about his mom, family, hopes and dreams. hahah I love that girl. And surely enough on the jeepnie ride home she spent the whole drive telling Sister Deyro and me about Elder Eatough's mom's worst fears and family vacations and haha. Couldn't stop laughing.

Sister Deyro and I taught District Meeting this week! Even though we forgot some stuff (the PRIME PMG DVD) it still went pretty well. I think we won em over with the Jolly Ranchers for answering Q's. (Thanks mom!) So much participation hahah.

Okay, gotta tell ya the saddest thing. We found a new less-active in our area this week. Turns out she was baptized after her husband died and super active for a few years. Then someone suggested she go to the temple and get sealed to her husband. Well, she misunderstood and thought they wanted her to go marry another guy in the temple, so she left the church!!! WHAT?! So sad that a small miscommunication like that would stop her from the blessings of an eternal family! Coulda been perfect! My heart literally broke listening to her story. Also said she wasn't a fan of family history!!! Said she doesn't even know her grandparents, so how in the world was she supposed to find out their names?! Ahhh. Sad. We walked out and Sister Deyro said "what are the odds you would be the missionary to find that lady. You love the temple more than anyone I know and she clearly doesn't." But wow, being able to bear testimony for my love of the temple, such a neat experience. She still doesn't want to come back to church, but at least she knows we didn't want her to have another husband. I really do love the temple. Such a happy and peaceful place. Our branch is on their yearly temple trip in Manila right now. Wish more than anything we coulda gone! Oh well, 6 more months!
k, sorry this is so long. Just so many happy moments this week. Also, I realized I forgot the pledge of allegiance. Such a shame.

I know that this is Christ's church restored to the earth. I hope we all are working on strengthening our testimonies DAILY. Like my wise father always told me, "every day you don't progress, you digress. There is no standing still in your testimony." So true. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Richmond



Top 10
1. EMI'S CALL TO ENGLAND!!!!
2. SAVANNAH RAY'S CALL TO BOISE
3. General Conference
4. Hit my 1 year in the mission. Mixed emotions!
5. Marez's baptism is this Saturday!
6. Stopped by our investigator's house to see if she had her baby yet. She had, 15 hours earlier!!!! Ahhhh Babies are the best. Congrats to Brit Mann as well. Can't wait to meet the lil' guy!
7. When Sister Deyro prays for my fam she always says, "please bless Sister Richmond's family and Emi." Haha such a part of the fam.
8. Drove a padyak
9. Bought 2 scented candles last week. Smells like the beach in my room! :)
10. Finally found the REAL clothes whitener. The trick is sodium ladies and gentlemen!

 This one is for my cool dad who says NBD even though he'll be 50 real soon

I figured Jess might like this one. 

Sorry. graphic

 Those are ants

 Marez's cute lil bro

 Probs not sanitary. Sorry mom

 District service activity

Padyak

 Lola putong

 6 months to slim hahah

 My comp is a bully and documents this garbage

 The "taxicle"

 Sister Buena

 At general conference! 

My homegirls Sister Coons and Sister Oliva

 Elders love to take selfies

 My batch at conference, minus Sister Moulton :(

 Alice (recent convert) and Marez (about to get baptized)

 Apartment-ship shirts

At our district activity this morning. 

So many fun games from back in the day. 

Capture the flag got intense!