Hello. So this week was good, Christmas time... pretty crazy stuff.

            But there's not too much too talk about because I just Skyped. But, we got a lot of lessons this week and like 7 new investigators or something like that and they have good potential... We taught brother Mario Malilum again and his family and we asked him if he knows the BOM is true and he said yes, which was great, than he said "Hey I’m trying to come to church. I really want to but I can't because of my work, but I am trying to get work off Sundays." And we tried talking to his Italian boss but he hates our guts.

             Then just one of our new investigators, her names Clarisa, we taught her and she's going to college and said she read all the pamphlets we gave her and had some questions and is interested. 

            Then we went to Guinabang one of the days-- which is like the last barangay in our area-- so it's waaaay far away and we just contacted our return “Preach” by the way appointments. We taught this one gay named Jeremiah the first lesson and I gave him an invitation to be baptized and he said no but it was alright. Then we found this one lady just by walking around, her name was Annalisa or something. She asked us like what we were doing and what not than we started talking for a while and she said she doesn't have a religion right now. And her past religions are missing certain pieces so we were like..... oh cool... perfect (haha) but she talked about Catholics and why she dropped them and Jehovah and why she dropped them and also Born Again... So we will hopefully start teaching her. 

             We taught this family and although I’ve been asked this a lot this time was funny because the mom was dead serious she goes "You take my daughter to states?" I’m like..... “uuummmmm no haha.” Then she's like "No you teach us about Jesus than take Danica to states and marry" or something like that haha it was real funny........... and awkward. 

   Ya that's about it... this morning we went on a hike and stuff.... yup...

-Elder Jones

Hi family.. So here's what happened this week (:

   So besides the fact that you didn't answer my Skype calls..... My companion was having a great time talking to his family while I’m just sitting there awkwardly recalling you and getting no answer haha. But it's fine I’m over it..

   But besides that this week was good, we had our mission Christmas party and that was fun, later today we have our ward Christmas party which will be good. Our investigators and less actives are good. Saturday we taught the Malilum family about the restoration and I felt prompted to give them baptismal invitations, so I did and they all said yes which was awesome. But the problem is the father has this crazy Italian boss who makes him work pretty much all day everyday. His boss is like retired here and just hired Brother Malilum as a slave pretty much. But we talked to the Italian guy the other day and we are trying to teach him and eventually convince him to give Mario Malilum work off on Sundays but the problem is the Italian guy only speaks... Italian (Jake Stout we need your help) and we actually communicate through Tagalog because he kind of understands it so it's a weird situation...

   Than we found a lot of less actives this week in this Barangay Cabaroan, which has like 392876 less actives and only one active member so the missionaries in the past weren't so hot, but ya pretty much the less actives are all Catholics now and hate our guts-- but it's all right. We are still trying to get permission from Jessica’s mom if she can get baptized but her mom is gone...

   Anyways besides that ya all is good, my comps cool, my area is way cool, I love my ward (even though they don't help us too much) and opening an area is still a wild time to say the least... We've wondered some weird places and seen some weird things. Elder Alonzo lost our cell phone on the beach as well... But ya so hopefully you will answer my Skype calls so i don't end up resorting to not calling you (: But all the computer shops are closed Dec 25 (duh) 24 to you. So maybe we call Dec 24 23 to you? And Dec 26 25 to you? What do you think??

(Russ asked him what his favorite discussion was and he said)  My favorite...... dunno.... opening an area we teach lesson 1 principle 1-2 like a million times (families) but I like restoration.. or Apostasy.

(also from Mac)   Hahaha our apartment smells... but it's all right. I hit my 6 month mark Dec 19!

(about his companion) He's from Philadelphia, both his parents are Pilipino but they got divorced so he was raised Italian by his step dad. He's 20.... ya he went to BYU Hawaii

HI fam-A-rammmmmamamamamam 

            So ya week two in the lowlands is complete. It's been good. Literally all we do is find people and make return appointments so my people person skills are expectacular. But the problem is I really can't hold a conversation in English anymore... And I tried to pray in English and I struggled bad haha.. But ya all is good. We are finding some hidden miracles.

             Last Monday when we were looking for a family that we had talked to a few days previous I saw a girl (she looked 10 I kid you not, turns out she's 17.... ya) And I asked Kilala po ba ninyong si pamilya Arinetta? Which is just, “do you know this family” then she said no so we started talking then I tried to set a return appointment with her but she just said (her name is Belle) lets talk in the park, so we walked to this park and talked and it wasn't like a lesson it was more like a conversation which are the best lessons. We taught her but she would ask questions and was very interested. Then last Saturday we were going to teach her again so we met her in the park than I was like...... Hey where's your family? Can we teach them?  And she said yes! So she took us to her house and we taught her family which was awesome. They were way receptive. 

            And there's just a bunch of things like that that have been happening... Opening an area is purtty hard but it's fun because our area is half beach (way pretty holy cowzerz) and half Jungle way in the middle of nowhere.

   Other than that we Preach by the way to a Gay guy...................... It was weird because he literally asked us 76043 questions about how our church hates gays and I tried to explain that's not true than he asked if I hated gays and I was like.... "hhhhhaaaeeeeeeaaaeeee nooooooooyaaaaanooooooooyayayayayanoooo" and I didn't know what to say because I don't hate gays but..... If they didn't exist I would like life more... Anyways....... Back to the other stuff.

   So ya than we had a stress conference training for all the trainers and trainees in the mission and so Elder Fulivai was there and we just messed around and he is in Kias now (my last area) and he said he dropped every investigator haha because they all asked where I was so he said as soon as they mentioned my name he just dropped them. I was dying.

   As for our teaching pool we had 6 lessons this week!!! holla!!! (my last area I would get 20-30) We have like 3 investigators like 2 less active but we have an IBD Baptism date for Jan 11. Her name is Jessica she's like 8 or 9 and she wants to get baptized but her mom doesn't want her too... So we are trying to teach the mom, the dad is LA so we will let you know how that plaaayzzzzzz out. Other than that yaaaaaa k that's it.

-Elder Jones 

 OOOHHHHHH SHAAAMP where do I start??

So I got transferred out of Baguio... Where I’m at right now is literally 310943 degrees. I literally die everyday-- I’m not kidding. My new area is Bacnotan C. It is Brand Brand Brand new... like... way brand new like............. all we do is find..... It sucks... and I’m training. My trainee's name is Elder Alonzo from New Jersey, he's Pilipino but he doesn't know Tagalog. It's all good though, he's a cool dude. But ya so I’m opening my second area, but this time there's like no members and I’m training so these next few weeks will suck haha but whatever... patience right??? Ya. I miss Baguio so much but it's all good. 

   Elder Fulivai got transferred to my old area and he's training. That's funny. But ya we've taught a few less actives and stuff. In my area there is 300 members and only like 60 active—soooooo-- it's some good stuff we will have to find like cruuuuuzayyyyyy. My area is part ocean, part crazy nutssss jungle... 

   It's going to be a hard next few weeks but I’ll try to do my best... It's just the last area I opened I was with a seasoned missionary (elder Dela cruz) so we really worked together... now I’m like doing everything on my own but it's alight... I've gone through worse.

   But ya other than that all is good... Just trying to figure out what's going on. No joke.. Anyways much love to ya'll.

-Elder jones

(Russ told him to meet the Bishop and ward mission leaders…)

I met the Bishop. He's a cool dude but I want to chastise him and the other members... they really don't care. But the first councilor in the Bishopric worked with us yesterday, which was good.

(Jolene asked why he wanted to chastise the Bishop)

Like our Bishop on Sunday went to like a groceries store nearby and bought tons of food, which ticked me off.

Hey Hey.

             So all’s good in the Baguio Hood fam. Slow week for work, I only worked in Kias (my area) 1 time this week because of exchanges and all that Jazz. I got a call from President and he asked me if I would train and I said yes so I’m actually training this transfer haha... I'M GOING TO HAVE A SON!!!! I went to San Fernando for a training the trainers meeting which was fun-- Elder Fulivai's training as well. When we saw each other we went crazy, haha. There are 30 missionaries coming in December (HOLLLLYYYY MOLLLLYYYY) President asked me if I would be willing to open up another area and I was like, “uhhhhhhhhhmmmmm okay President even though I enjoy my area now” So I might have to open up another area which would kinda suck as I’m training but whatevs.

Other than that I was sick all day Thursday with the worst headache and other bodily functional things. I was sick Thursday until now but it's gotten better each day. My companion elder Dela Cruz leaves tomorrow to go back to his home in Quezon city which is super sad for me. He's been a great comp. 

             We got rejected hardcore this week by some lady so I’m getting really bold tonight. She was progressing and said she know the BOM was true but now she always rejects us and her sis says she's not home when we can physically see her looking at as... So there's that. We got a referral (wow someone finally shows me some love) and it turns out to be pretty golden!! The family is awesome and has great potential. The President of the Philippines President Marcus... Ya our referral is his brother haha.. 

            Other than that today I played basketball forever-- no joke. And Thursday was thanksgiving??????? Yup I didn't even know that! Hahaha wowzers. But ya, there is really nothing else to say. Transfers are this coming Friday so I will get my anak (child) (trainee) and figure out if I have to open another area or not... 

So maraming salamat pamilya ko. mahal kita tallaga. maligayan pasko (Merry Christmas) 

-Elder Jones