Jessica's Seventy Sixth Email! March 29th, 2015

OK! I know these emails are supposed to get a lot better as the weeks go by, but here we are, one email to go and I'm just gonna let you know this will be the worst email you will get from me! It was a wonderful week as always! We had exchanges with the San Fernando sisters and I worked with Sister Ramos! We were here in our area and got to visit a lot of really great people. We had a baptism on Saturday! Our 2 investigators, Jam and Joshua got baptized! Joshua's still 8 but only his grandparents are members so technically he's a convert, but that kid has been coming to church forever! Jam was soooo happy. We were in the bathroom after while she was changing and she said it was like the best shower she ever had! Clean inside and out! Then she bore a great testimony all about the blessing of repentance and forgiveness! Like I said, a new person! We also just had a district activity at the beach!!! It was so beautiful. My companion cooked some delicious food and we had a lovely game of volleyball. It was quite the hike to get there! Makes blacks feel like a piece of cake! I have no pictures from the baptism or district activity! Elder Ondivilla has a nice camera so he is the designated photographer and I will copy his pics next week! haha just picture a really good time!

I can't really think, I never sleep anymore!!! Like I'm up all night! And I just hit my head getting off the jeep which doesn't help! I swear that has happened at least once every week of my mission! These things are just not American sized!

Oh!!! We had zone conference on Friday. Such a highlight!!!!! Oh my! And we watched Meet the Mormons which was AMAZING!!!!! Such a cool movie to show we are actually normal people! Loved it! If you haven't seen it yet, you should!!! Also I was sitting next to two elders from Salt Lake and that Snowbird scene got us!!!!! We were dying. I told them I'll be there in 2 weeks, so let's pray for snow hahah.

CHRISTIE'S BIRTHDAY!!!!! Happy birthday to the best sister ever! Love you so much! Hope you enjoy your day!!!! :) I'll give you your birthday hug next week! And yesterday was Grandpa's birthday! Miss him every day! Such a good man. Not sure what it was about this week, but we ate lots of spaghetti! That's what everyone here eats for birthdays! Question... do we put hotdogs in spaghetti?? I can't remember. I feel like I thought that was strange when I first got here, but now I can't imagine it without?? Also the spaghetti is really sweet here.

Another perk of this week, free rides! On the highway there are always buses going to Manila and they won't stop if they know you are going local. Well this week there were like 3 nights when we didn't have another way home so we stood there trying to wave them down. And all 3 times one stopped and let us in even when we said where we were going! Then when we went to pay they said it was on them!!!! SO kind! There was the creepy guy who said our payment was our phone number, but he let us ride for free too even though we didn't give it to him! These people are just the kindest!
Could this be any more all over the place?? The work is good! We have progressing investigators and found 8 new solid investigators this week!!!! I hope you all enjoy conference this week!!!! When I email next week, mom and dad will probably be heading to the airport to come here. SO INSANE. I am excited to work hard this week. We have MLC tomorrow and then the rest of the week will just be GO TIME! I love you all!!!!

Sister Richmond


Top 10
1.  Jam and Joshua were baptized!
2. 7 more cold bucket showers
3. Watched Meet the Mormons at zone conference!
4. Got letters from Sister DONCHEVA and Sister RAY!!!!! Good day :)
5. Personal study in Jesus the Christ. I'm learning so much from that book!
6. District activity
7. Perfect score on cleaning check
8. I can swim when mom and dad come!
9. Free bus rides!
10. A progressing area!

Jessica's Seventy Fifth Email! March 22nd, 2015

We cleaned for over 4 hours this morning! No exaggeration! It was like I was in heaven. I couldn't even sleep last night cause I was so excited to clean the house! It was like Christmas morning. Even invited all our cockroach friends for the festivity! But I'm being completely serious. It felt so good to scrub every corner of that house. We actually turned the house into a lake, just for a few hours. Took everything out from the first floor! We're talking the fridge, table, stove, chairs, bookshelf, EVERYTHING. Then we started at the side, away from the door, and just poured buckets of water down. Mixed a generous amount of bleach around (was that safe?? idk...) and got scrubbin! Then swept, and mopped for the final touch. Scrubbed everything down outside (appliances, fridge, all that stuff I said) and organized! We even rearranged a bit cause you know I love a little change in the room arrangement! It was a spiritual experience. And now we are soooo late emailing, but it was worth it! We better get a 60 on our apartment check this week haha. 

Alright this week! There is no way it has been a week! I feel like it's been maybe a day... if that! On Monday night we were blessed to teach 3 member-present lessons! That just doesn't happen on a Monday night! Then Tuesday we headed to Milaor and I worked with Sister Mariano while Sister Gisala worked with Sister Apsay! It was good! Learned lots from her and it was a great day of hard work! It's not about the numbers... but Sister Mariano and I taught 12 lessons that day! Fun to work in different areas and see what we can change in our own work! 

I make a lot of enemies during apartment checks though!!! haha on our way home on Wednesday morning we also stopped by the San Fernando sister's apartment and checked there! But I am passionate about clean apartments haha. No I'm kidding, it's always the area book that's the problem! But I think we'll be friends again one day.

Wednesday was just a normal day of work in our area. Thursday was my LAST DISTRICT MEETING!!! Can anyone believe it?!?!? We have zone conference this week and then zone training the next, so yep! My life of district meetings has come to an end! Weird! It was a good meeting though!!! And then we did a little potluck for our district lunch after! We brought rice and cookies from the mix mama sent! Thanks mom! The elders brought the BEST chicken curry I have ever tasted in my life!!!! And the best mango float!!!!! Too good. Thursday work was good as well. We literally have so many progressing investigators that the hardest part is just finding the time to get to all of them! It's a great problem to have as a missionary! 

Friday we did weekly planning and then just as we were getting ready to go work, the secretary called and said we had 40 minutes to get to Naga for Sister Gisala to take her Michigan test! The test so she can apply to BYU after the mission! It was so fun though cause there were a ton of missionaries there so we were just waiting for our companions who were in taking the test. And it was at the institute building! So fun. Maybe I'll try out institute when I go home! 

Saturday we were soooo busy trying to catch up on all the appointments we planned for Friday!!! Also!!!! Jam and Christian had their baptismal interviews and both passed! So they will be baptized on Saturday along with one of the Elder's investigators. Life is just too good to be true sometimes! Like yesterday when we had 7 very progressing investigators show up for church. That was like I was in a dream. I love these people. And I love the Lord for trusting us with them. He is so good to us. I am happy, healthy, and well! I just don't get how time works! Have a wonderful week and keep smiling. Life is meant to be enjoyed! Until next week :)

Sister Richmond

Top Ten

1. Tons of investigators giving up coffee!

2. Deep clean of the apartment. 

3. Rearranged the apartment! Much more functional now! And we get use of a window that used to be blocked my a bookshelf!

4. Threw away soooo much junk this morning!!!! I think I get it from my dad, my favorite thing!

5. Exchanges in Milaor with Sister Mariano

6. Last P-day was so hot that when we got back from emailing allllll of those clothes we washed were totally dry!

7. Had a few days of rain. Not my fave, but I was starting to feel bad about the farmer's rice crops! 

8. Mom and Dad's plans are getting real. You are coming!!!!!!

9. Baptism this coming Saturday!

10. So much progression in this area! 

Jessica has had trouble uploading all of her pictures the last few weeks so many of these are up to a month old. 

 I think his mom is trunkier than mine!!!

An elder counting my weeks hahah

 Sister Falcon on the left and Sister Gonzales on the right

 Food you gotta work for!!!!! 

The worm/snail thing I told you I tried!

 Are you jealous??

 After tatay told me I'm not good at eating Suso

 and I should just stick with the fried chicken hahah

 Sister Apsay on the left and Sister Mariano on the right!

I forgot how much I love COOKIE DOUGH!!!!! Thank you mother

District selfie with the Zone Leaders