Hey.... Sup

So ya skyped you guys this week... but this is what happened.

Mon- can't remember

Tue- Had district meeting which was good, then went to our Branch Christmas party haha which was... kinda lame but we made it fun. It was at the beach and we just played some games. Then taught Manuel and it was a great lesson- really felt the spirit- then the Badit family.

Wed- Christmas EVE, went to our less actives house who's always smoking but he fed us noodles. Then we shared a Christmas message with him haha. Then just went and worked.

   Taught Nanay Lazo which was sweet, she's really progressing. Then bro Tony. He told us to pick him up again for church (last week he said that too so we went and he wasn't there) so ya we went again this week, he wasn't there again... daaaang maaaaan.

Thur- CHRISTMAS!!!!!  Went and taught Manuel the 10 commandments which was sick, then just went to members houses and got stuffed with food... goodness. You can't so no here…

Fri- Recovered from Christmas hangover.... na JK LOLOLOLOL TEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH

   Skyped you guys. Went to Pudoc and taught nanay Leyte, she's like “imma come to your church this week”, guess what... she came! woo! Then we found a less active family who's way nice-- just shy to come back to church. Then this other gay named Nester Legazbi, who is a drinker, we had a return appointment with him and he really wants to change because his life ... sucks.

Sat- Taught Manuel Law of Chastity.. He had.... lots of experience there??? But said he'll live it (he also asked very weird questions). Then went to Ambalayat and did work on the Less- actives.

Sun- Church was good, 3 investigators came including Manuel and Nay Lazo. Me and my comp taught that class then I taught Elders Quorem.... Ya they ask me to do everything cause all the priesthood here are handiquaked but it's all good.

   Taught Nanay Lazo and she's like... when I’m in your church, I have the best feeling, I’m excited for my baptism!

   Then Bro Tony, we like chastised him for being a fag and not coming to church but he's cool.

   Funny story: we go to our investigators house (Reyes fam) and their grandpa just died and it was an open casket type deal so there like SHARE TO US WHERE GRANDPA IS NOW!!! So ya we taught a dead guy along with a billion people.... I just stood up and read from the Book of Mormon in Alma 40 and everyone was like… stunned but it was a way old school lesson... Like picture Joseph Smith just standing on like a milk crate and teaching all these… people that's kindof how it was...

But ya.. the week was good, Skyping/ talking to you guys always gives me a boost.. cause missionary work can repeat itself quite a bit... But it was great... after I got done skyping I turned to my comp and I was like “aight lets bounce” then he didn't say anything and he looked at me and he was just bawling...

But ya love you guys

-Elder Jones

Hey so, this week was all good.

Monday- We had P-Day.. ya basketball.

Tue- This day was all good. We had district meeting in Candon, then went to (see) Manuel. He's progressing again.  He went to church and has been preparing for his baptism in January. Man I love the guy. Since I’ve been here he's changed a ton and giving up all his word of wisdom (issues) so I really hope he can get baptized.

   Went to Carmen Lazo and she is also set for January 17 to get baptized. She's just got a cigarette problem… which is gay… but we are working through it. She’s sweet.

Wed- Today was transfer day and me and my comp are still here. We said good bye to Elder Almajeda (the other guy in our apartment) and so ya we got a new trouper in our apartment. Elder Curtis, my buddy, got transferred and a bunch of other cool cats, my district blows now, bunch a lazy *&&^%%.. But it's aight, hopefully it'll turn around.

   We went to Pudoc and our returning Less Active (Napoleon) worked with us which was sick.

Thur- We taught Manuel than we found a less-active brother Jose Somera and taught him with his son who's active. His son ripped into him. Then Jose came to church, which was sweet.

Fri- Taught Allen and Missy our "golden" ish investigators... But bro Allen is always drunk that’s the problema..

Sat- Went to Ambalayat that’s like a 2 hours away place with a bunch of less actives... Then walked home because there's no transportation at night.

Sun- Church was good, lots of people came. Then we taught our progressing investigators.

Ya this week was all good. Excited for Christmas... kinda... But ya in other news... I hit my 18th month mark in the mission last week…

-Elder Jones

So ya here's the hip hap.This week was good, lots of Christmas conferences and what not.

Mon- P-Day, played basketball

Tue- We went to Candon city for a zone training and we had to practice for a Christmas play thing we are doing as a zone at the Christmas conference. So ya we did that and me and Elder Curtis had a duet that we sang, “Once There was a Snowman” which was pretty fun.

Wed- Had the Christmas conference with President and what not. Tri-zone conference. It was good. We watched, “How to Train your Dragon” part two and… I'm not sure if it is the best movie ever created or I liked it so much just cause I haven't seen a movie in a year and a half!!.. haha.. But ya, cute movie, cute movie. We had like a gift exchange as well then did our play thing.

Thur- Went to Pudoc west and found some new investigator which was all good than we taught our Less- Actives who are now returning and our investigator with a baptismal date that can't walk... that's the only problem.

Fri- We got pretty wrecked today but we got to teach Carmen Lazo, the old lady who's husband is paralyzed, so ya we taught her which was sweet cause she came to church and excepted the invitation to be baptized. Then we taught Mergery who, if all goes well, will be baptized Jan 10. So we'll see how that goes. She's excited. 

Sat- Taught Manuel and it was like a perfect lesson cause we finally got a member with us to teach him. We retaught L1 (restoration) because it wasn't too clear to him and we've taught like everything else then he had a lot of questions for the member—Kasi--which was perfect. It's way better to have a member (when teaching), they can relate to the investigator. Missionaries can too but this is like.. our job... so Manuel asked our member lots of questions and it was perfect because our member (Elmer) was a convert as well so it really helped... He quit smoking and drinking and what not and wants to get baptized again buuuuut ya his wife like.. kinda left him recently so he has to watch the kids which makes it hard for him to go to church.

Sun- Today was good, we went to pick up one of our investigators but they were unexpectedly in the hospital so that was GAY but it's aight. Still kinda rough, we thought a lot more people would come and like half way through the second hour sister Carmen Lazon busts in the door (she's like the loudest old lady ever) and I got pumped. Then we went to a Christmas devotional. 

But ya this week was aight. Kinda slow around Christmas time cause everyone is bouncin around but it's aight. Thanks for the package by the way that was sweeto. Loved it. Except I’ve yet to see an oven in the Philippines so the muffin and Brownie mix was a struggle haha but we made it work in a toaster haha. 

   And I talked to the AP and if you guys still want to pick me up (which would be sweet now that I think about it) coordinate with the mission a.s.a.p. so they know. But if you aren't gonna pick me up just save that money for a car (: sweet thanks you're the best. 

   Ya and the sisters in like, my MTC batch our now on the way home.... So it's kinda weird to think if I was a sister I would be coming home from my mish now.... ya.. 

-Elder Jones

(from Elder Jones explaining why the muffin and brownie mixes I sent to him were so hilarious)

ya things i'm yet to see here.

1. an oven

2. dishwasher

3. laundry machine

4. fireplace

5. toilet paper... 

Hey KuMuStA kaYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So this is the hip-hap

Man this week was... rough-ish/ okay/ ya actually kinda sucked/ it's aight though

Mon- P-Day, So ya, than we got home and went to an FHE

Tue- Had district meeting and my workshop was on prayer. Then had exchanges with Elder Done from Arizona. I worked in his area to see what the problem was because yaaaaaaa they are... not working very hard-- so I told them to step it up a bit.

Wed- Came back, this day we devoted to finding… so we found a lot and opened up some areas we've never been too. There’s no members here, so it's fresh. But we got 6 lessons just by finding which was... super sick. 

   We found this guy named Allen Lazo and it's a cool story how we found his house, because he's our investigators son, and he has his own family now so he told us to hit him up sometime. So we were finding in Cabaroan and just knocking doors then we came upon his house without knowing at like 4 o’clock, and his wife came out and she's like suuuuuuuuuuuuuuup we've been waiting for you, but Allen’s not home, so come back like 6 (because he's a tri cycle driver so he works all day). So we went and taught another appointment then went back to him and they were super cool beans and said if they came to know it was true they would get baptized (like every Philippino says so it's actually not too special).

Thur- Went to Pudoc and taught the Less-Actives there who are returning which is sick. It just took a good ripping into and then showing our love to them. Now, they are almost active.... 1 of them (Napoleon) hasn't been to church in like 10 years but now he's come the past 2 weeks and wants to work with us haha... sick he's like 45.

Fri- honestly can't remember

Sat- Went to Ambalayat and taught the lady (Nanay Lariossa) who always cries when she see's us cause she thinks we are like............. Angels? Because where she lives is like... Phillipines to the max. like jungle and stuff. It’s suuuper far away and I’m like the first white person every to step foot there so everyone just like goes crazy haha. 

Sun- Yaaaaa so the week was good until Sunday... No investigators came to church. We have a solid 5 that have a baptismal date and WANT to be baptized then like a billion others who said they would come to church. Which I've been on the mission long enough to know that stuff like that happens but lets recap Elder Jones Golden Investigator progress sheet in his Stay here in Tagudin:

1. Marichu, wanted to get baptized, after the 3rd lesson she got cancer and is going to die soon.

2. Leony, told us this is what she needs in her life, accepted the date our first lesson. Turns out her Mr. (they aren't married) left her with her kids and no job (this all happened last week), so she's looking for a job and has no time for anything any more.

3. Manuel, was supposed to get baptized this Saturday but he and his wife got into an argument and she moved out and left him with the kids (this happened 2 weeks ago) He can't come to church because he has 5 kids all under the age of 13. We taught him this day and he's wondering why right before he's about to enter in the Mormon church he's had more trials in his life than ever before. I bore one of the strongest testimonies I’ve ever born my whole mission because I was pushed to my limit and I told him to suck it up and read and pray, The spirit was strong and he said he will... So that was cool. 

4. Lovelyn, was supposed to get baptized, moved to Manilla. 

5. Fema and Mergery got the okay from there parents to be baptized, but…no one, even their land owner, knows where they've been the past 3-ish days.

So ya I’m learning a lot. I am the best most skilled I’ve ever been my whole mission and things are just not going to hot. But it's all good. I’ve seen the fruits here. I just want a baptism… I thought we would have a lot but I’m being tested or something cause I’m definitely learning a lot with this experience.

   On the bright side, our Branch President got the approval from the Stake President to look for land to build a chapel, so no more meeting house because our attendance has been up to standard the past while. So that's sick. I feel good to be a part of that. Other than that ya mission’s great.

love you

-Elder Jones