Jessica's Sixty Seventh Email! January 25th, 2015

Life is so convenient when you have a personal assistant!!! haha Christie is so legit at organizing everything and planning classes and all of that! Okay! This week! Super great! We had exchanges twice!!! The first one was on Wednesday with the Libmanan sisters, Sister Falcon (from Peru... but has lived in California for like a long time) and sister Delicano (from the Philippines). They are both so awesome and such good missionaries and I just learned so much from them! In the morning I worked with Sister Delicano and then afternoon I was with Sister Falcon. We were able to teach so many lessons between me and Sister Salima! So fun. We talked to everyone, worked hard, and had fun. I still didn't really know the area or the people so it was quite the adventure! We walked up and down the same street like 5 times throughout the day looking for these people. A few times we couldn't find them so we just started talking to random people and trying to teach them and once they let us in it turned out that almost all of them were actually already investigators haha. So confusing. But a good day and they are so good at cooking so Sister Salima and I were in heaven since usually the 2 of us cooking is quite hectic. I think if we made a cooking show it'd be pretty entertaining. They even brought cookie mix and made us cookies that night! The day was golden. I really just loved talking with and getting to know the sisters since I had only met Sister Delicano, and only briefly. Naga mission has some phenomenal missionaries!

Then the other exchanges were on Saturday. One of the sisters called us and said they were having some trouble finding in their area so we went and split with them and worked in their area for a few hours. So I was with Sister Micibani (Filipina) and we just talked to tons of people. Got them a bunch of potentials to go back to. Should be good. When me and Sister Salima first got there, they were still out at work so we had to wait for a little bit. They have a rooftop patio on top of their complex and it was a good time. So cool, you could see all of Naga centro and it was fun. Anyway, after working with them we had to go into Naga (they live super close, like 10 minutes from centro) to get my medicine and it was weird being back in the city haha. A week and a half in Pamplona will getcha! We had to stop by the mission office and drop some stuff off and we met the new couple missionary. So fun! Americans!

What else.. oh Thursday! Interviews with President and Sister Reeder! I just love them so much! They are the best! They each do a separate interview with us and both asked me plans for when I go home and stuff. It was weird! But I loved what President said. He said to keep working hard until April and then to be ready for the next chapter when April comes! Getting near the end of a mission is a VERY scary thing. But it was so good to be able to talk to them and they always just say the best things!

We did some apartment checks this week as well. It's weird being the one checking and I feel mean when their 72 hour kits aren't complete and we have to mark them down haha. But I actually hadn't met a lot of the sisters in our area so it was nice to go and see them and talk to them a little. Also, their houses are soooo nice! One of them has a volleyball court outside. So jealous haha.

It was a lovely week as always and we saw some real progress in our investigators. I still feel like I don't know them well so I am trying to work on that. But we have some who are progressing towards baptism! We met a ton of new people also and I am way excited to go back and teach them again! We reached almost all of our goals and really saw the hand of the Lord in our work. I know when we have a goal and give our all to that goal the Lord will give us a hand. And that's not only for missionary work, but for everything!

I got the Circuit's Christmas card this week! So cute! Also Heidi sent some pics. These kids are getting huge! Especially Jonas and Brody! I can't take it!!!! Loved the pic of Madison at the airport and Emi after the temple. Great people doing great things! Keep it up! Love you all!

XOXO, Sister Richmond


Top 10
1. Interview with President Reeder!!!!
2. Two awesome exchanges! Love these sisters
3. The sisters cooking/cookies during exchanges
4. Discovered that you can see the Mayon Volcano from our rooftop! Our landlord is the bomb. The shower wasn't draining so he came and cleaned out the drain. Full of Black hair (I'm innocent). hahah I laughed thinking about dad coming out of the bathroom gagging after cleaning the drains. Dads are the best!
5. Smores 4 dinner
6. Sister Salima's 50 peso uki uki suit coat score (it got pretty cold one day while we were out at work)
7. Elders in our district went to Naga and brought us back mang inasal. Heaven.
8. Jogging in the mornings... never gets old.
9. Finished all our washing and cleaning this morning
10. Killed the rat/ cockroaches/ and spiders who have been harassing me this week.

 Sister Falcon 

 At Brother Allen's house (Sister Taylor's convert)

 Cookie Time!

The Uki Uki find! Haha