Jessica's Sixty Fifth Email! January 11th, 2015

DEVASTATING NEWS: I am leaving Daet tomorrow morning!!!!! They changed the transfer announcements in our mission so now we get a call... on Monday morning if we transfer. And then Tuesday morning is the transfer. So I just found out a few hours ago and so much to do and whew... it will be a long day :) It was SUCH a shock because Sister Araja has been in the area for a transfer longer than me, so we were sure she was the one going!!! But, she's staying! And! Our kabahays (the other 2 sisters in our house) are pulled out! So the Zone Leaders called like Wednesday I think to tell us that their area was closing and we needed to plan with them and go see their area and stuff. Cause we split their area between our area and the elder's area. So Thursday all 6 of us met at the church to decide the divisions and stuff. Then Saturday morning we went and worked with them in their area. Well, we thought that maybe one of them would stay with me here so they knew the area but nope! All 3 of us are going and Sister Araja is the only one staying and will get a new companion tomorrow! So crazy!!!!! Expect the unexpected?? But as much as I really really wanted to die here, (Missionaries say die and that means finish their mission in that area, not actually die) and really really thought I would, I am excited for another adventure. I know that we are called where we are needed so I am trying to be humble and accept this. I really do love this ward though, and the area, and the beach ;) Kidding. But really, these people.

The De Guzman family is the greatest. I will miss them all so much. And all the members really. And our recent convert, Julie- Ann. And our investigators, ahhh the investigators!!! So many who are just so golden and I KNOW that they will be baptized within the next few months. We have 3 couples getting married so that they can be baptized (2 of the men are less active, so their wives will be baptized, then one couple will be baptized). Ahh their lives are changing and I sooo wanted to be a part of it. But at least we can see them all when mom and dad come and hopefully they are all baptized and on the right path. It's breaking my heart even more to think about them all!!! Oh and this one girl, the cutest! She's 16 I think. Her dad is wayyy less active but her grandma and aunts are super active. She's waned to be baptized for years, but her mom was very against it. Well, on New Years their mom left the family, off to manila, not coming back. So she is staying with the grandma and she will be baptized on Jan 31. She always tries to convince us to move it to the upcoming Saturday and she just couldn't be more excited. Man. Leaving will be harder than I though, getting kinda teary eyed and I know from experience when Christie told me she was pregnant that crying in computer shops is beyond awkward, so I'll stop telling you about her. Just know that I LOVE these people. I am so grateful that I was assigned here in Daet because I literally can't even imagine my life without some of them. God really does know exactly where each one of us needs to be.

Tomorrow morning we will head down to Naga for transfer announcements and I will be assigned my new comp and area. Missions are just a roller coaster of emotions :) Wouldn't trade this time for anything. Wish I could slow this clock down cause April is coming up so quickly. I am so excited to see you all, but I still have so much more I need to do and become!

Speaking of missions, this week my friend Sav enters the MTC and then Emi is a month from today. Ahhhh, get ready for the best experience of your livessssss. I love you all so much. I love being a missionary. I love this ward and I love Daet. I will fill ya all in next week on where I am :)
Mahal Kita,

Sister Richmond


Top 10
1. 3 beautiful months in Daet (the promised land)
2. Sav is heading off to the MTC!!!! wooot wooot, good luck :)
3. My comp decided to reveal her amazing cooking skillz this week. So much good food!
4. Got to serve with Sister Araja. So many people just become your best friends who you just NEVER thought would
5. Emi will be Sister Doncheva in 31 days
6. We have so many super progressing investigators getting ready for their baptisms!
7. Slap killed 3 mosquitoes this week.
8. Had a dream I was driving around running errands with Christie and Daniel's baby. I cannot wait to be an aunt! 
9. Got the Heap's and Neri's Christmas cards
10. Off to another adventure

(The first 33 pics are from Jessica's companion's camera... so there are some a few months old. After that are Jessica's pictures from this week.)

One of our first nights together

First Sunday in Daet

Canlas family

Awkward family pics. Meant to send this for Christmas!

Christmas Eve at bishop's

Christmas Eve caroling

Dinnerrr

Rafer family

So at home. Don't worry, this is allowed in our mission :)

Watching 17 miracles after nightly planning

The district. We were all together for 12 weeks!

Nicka's baby's blessing

Lester and Nicka

District activity. 

Finished up here at Catherines with some lunch

Arleen

The Morales couple

Church at Basud. 

They meet in that little red building behind us.

Cows at the beach... it's whatever

Sister David. Goes home tomorrow!

Well, it was fun while it lasted

Nanay killing the chicken. So epic

Quite the process. So fun they had me watch it all!

Since Christie loves my "easy bake oven" hahah. 

New years cookies!

So flooded. The whole city was like this

Got a lil chilly during weekly planning hahah

Our investigator and her baby the day baby got blessed! :)

We brought Nanay Eden Redula flowers. 

She's the best

And Julie Ann :)

Sorry. I had to.

I <3 the Rafer kids

I <3 my batch. Saw these lovely ladies last night at the area broadcast

Jessica's Sixty Fourth Email! January 4th, 2015

You know how much I LOVE errands, right?! It's just so unfortunate because on P-days the clock is always against us!!! Never enough time to get a full errand fill for the whole week! This morning we had a district activity so we will have to go home for studies after emailing... no errands! Oh well, it was a wonderful activity, ish, so it's all good! Started off raining but it cleared up and we were able to have a race, run around, and bury Elder Romanovitch hahaha. Like the good ol' days babysitting at the beach. It was fun though and then we ate at Catherines!

Oh! Sister Araja just leaned over and told me to tell you, thank you mother for the gifts! I always forget, but all my comps always say to thank you when you send packages, so here's a big thanks for the last year!

Anyway... good week. New Years kinda interfered with the work a little, along with a funeral in the ward and a baptism for a neat lady the other sisters teach. So all good things!! Just a little setback for getting to everyone we planned to visit! Also the week was totally FREEZING!!! Every day I was so sad I didn't bring my Patagonia jacket... who knew I'd need that in the Philippines! I don't know if I've just been here so long that it feels so cold, but I swear, it got pretty arctic! The showers were painful!!!!! Like I want to cry every morning. Yesterday we broke down and we just couldn't do it. So we boiled water to add to the bucket. It was divine! There was one day, coldest one of my mission FOR SURE. We were just soaking wet and it was rough! Getting home and changing into leggings, a sweatshirt, fuzzy socks, and my big blanket was the best feeling ever. I think I'll die when I go home.
Another unfortunate thing due to the rain (it's been raining non-stop ALL week until a few hours ago). I went to reach for my chapstick (this is where the addiction becomes a problem!) and our phone was in the same part of my bag.. and it fell... in a puddle... and broke. But luckily Brandon has gotten so many phones wet so I remembered the rice trick and luckily they sell rice everywhere here so I bought a bag and put it in right away and our phone lives!!!! Such a blessing!

Hope everyone had a great New Years!!! We got fed a lot... gotta love that Filipino spaghetti and fried chicken with macaroni salad :) We had a great time and partied hard.... no I'm kidding we went home at 6pm and studied... but still, a great time! At midnight the fireworks were so loud that I woke up even with the ear plugs! The whole room was booming and lighting up. Fun! The holidays are OVER! Kinda a relief for me cause now I won't miss any more! Well, there's still Valentines day I guess, but it's not like I've ever celebrated that one! haha.

Okay, like I said, the work was cut down a bit this week, but we still had such amazing lessons. And there was the coolest thing that happened! So we went to teach our recent convert, Julie-Ann on Saturday night. Before we left we decided to go up and say bye to Nanay in her room. We walked in and Nanay's son and his girlfriend were sitting on her bed. Nanay started like cheering and crying and laughing and was just sooo happy. We walked over and she hugged us and was holding our hands and just too happy to talk. After a few minutes she told us that she thought she was dying and so she called her son in to spend her last minutes with her. Then she prayed and told God that His will be done, but hopefully she could recover. We walked in and she said that was the answer to her prayers. The second she saw us she knew God had sent His "angles" (her words... not mine hahah) to help her. Her faith is so strong and she was so thankful and even made it to church the next morning! It was amazing and I felt the spirit so strong when we were in her room. I don't think us going up to see her made a difference in her health, but God knew just what she needed to lift her back up and he guided us to be there for her. It was amazing. She told us at church that she really does consider that to be a modern day miracle. I love Nanay, please keep Sister Redula in your prayers!
It's moments like that when I think, ya, it's hard to miss Christmas, it's hard to walk around and get rejected a lot, it's not always fun waking up at 6:30 am, but it is WORTH IT. There is nothing I would rather be doing at this time than missionary work. I have learned so much, I have grown closer to Christ and really learned to trust in God's plan for me. I am learning so much and I love my mission. I know God sends us where we need to go. I feel His love for me so often and I don't have a doubt that He loves us all so much. I hope we all can continue to really KNOW Him. We are so blessed. I love you all so much and you are in my prayers. Have such a lovely week.

Sister Richmond


Top 10
1. We included 2 sick members in our fast and both of them were well enough to come to church yesterday!
2. Saved our phone with rice
3. District activity this morning
4. 8 of our investigators showed up for church yesterday!
5. Hot water bucket shower
6. New Years Eve dinner at Bishop's and New years day lunch at Nanay Redulas (even though she was so sick! So kind!)
7. Finally got our November issue of the Liahona with all the conference talks! So good!
8. Lots of good food :)
9. Made no bakes for the district activity
10. Coolest lesson last night with this less active! Every member of the family was bawling by the time we left... the spirit was strong.

 Elder Llanera having lots of fun with Bishop's baby's book!

 Thanks mama for droppin by some holiday cheer in Daet! 

Christmas Morning!

 Sister Araja and all her gifts!

 Thanks mom and dad!!!!!

 Making Christmas cookies!

 Was there ever a happier moment?!?!? Such a highlight!

 Christams lunch at Sister Enova's

 Sister Enova

 Ya... to answer your question on skype... 

we really do laugh a lot haha

 Arleen Rafer, my bestie

 The rafer family! Wedding planned for Feb!!!

MY TRICY DRIVER WAS WEARING A CUTOFF TURTLENECK!!!!!! 

The funniest. Is Brandon still banned from wearing those?!?!?