September 20, 2010

Well i sure do have responsibility!! Im in the office doing the flight plans!! What a shocker... i know! I couldnt even believe it... im the first sister in the office. Ok... joke-lang! Im not in the office... that would be funny... a sister in the office. Ok for reals tho. My new phase of the mission is being a trainer! Yep i have an anak (child in cebuano). Her name is Sister Larsen. She is from Orem and went to BYU for 3 years. She speaks french so sometimes she gets cebuano and french mixed up haha. She is amazing. I feel so blessed to have such a great greeny in my hands. I have been praying for her! She loves to run!! What a blessing... we are going running every morning!! We have been together 3 days now and we have done good. It makes things more difficult both being american. I am so used to having a filipina and if i dont understand at least my companion can. I have been blessed to have been able to understand the concerns of all the investigators and members. What a gift the Holy Ghost is. Im learning to listen much better!! I feel like there is a HUGE weight on my shoulders but i also really feel the help of the Savior making it lighter! I cant even explain how much help and guidance i am receiving. The filipinos are now trying to trick me with fair prices and such but i reassure them that im not dumb and i know how it works. Its funny to see their faces as i speak cebuano. I love being a missionary.

Sorry the email is short but i gotta be obedient and be an example to my anak!! I love her!

And i love you all!!

Gugma!
Sister Carissa Jones

Mom's Personal email...

Im SO excited for Jordan! I sent him a letter last week! Tell him congrats and i expect a letter from him since he has lots of time before he leaves. Even tho it is a while this will give him time to prepare and study!!

Love that the chiefs are doing so good! Elder Stringham and i have little arguments about the chiefs and broncos...

I bet the lunch was so fun! So many of the missionaries have talked about it with me cause all their moms loved it!

WOW 150 burpees... what more can i say!

Thanksgiving will be so special with all you together! Im really happy!

Love you so much! You are the best!!

Gugma Daghan
Carissa

September 13, 2010

Hello Family!

The work is going great!! We are so excited for the baptism of the Gadil couple tomorrow!! Ivy has been so nervous about bearing her testimony after the baptism so she has been practicing while she is home with the kids... haha. She says she is good to go now... she isnt nervous. I love this family! We have so much fun teaching and laughing with them.
We had a family home evening at the Gadil's house and two member families came and one investifator family. Filipinos play the funnest, most creative games! I cant wait to come home and play them with you! Also, if you lose you have to perform a talent so be working on your talents! It was so much fun and we had a great lesson on the Tree of Life vision. I encourage you to read and study the vision.... this is the scripture of the week... 1 Nephi chapters 8 and 11.
We taught them also about temples on tuesday and asked them how they felt after the lesson and they said "EXCITED!" They also want both S. Barroca and I to be there for their temple sealing next year. They have been prepared. They are a testimony to me that this really is the work of the Lord. My calling is big but i love it! You know they say... "go big or go home!"

We found some very talkative new investigators. Its a little difficult for me to follow them at times which makes me scared to possibly not have S. Barroca as a companion next week if she gets transferred. But then i just remind myself that this is the work of the Lord and whatever im called to do i can do. I need to always accept and magnify my calling!

So Sister Barroca wanted to go jogging this week. Her goal was to go every day but after the first day she was super sore and every morning didnt want to go... haha. At least i got to get out and run once. It felt REALLY good! Maybe ill be able to convinve my next companion to run with me in the mornings. Pray for me to have a athletic companion :)

Last night had fun learning some new games and playing snakes and ladders... i lost 9 times but won once! I love learning from the little kids here in the Philippines! They are the best help!

Well i love you and am praying for you all!

Gugma!
Sister Carissa Jones

September 6, 2010

Well the work is amazing! This is the last week of this transfer and we are almost positive that i will be getting a new companion but will be staying in Albuera. I will REALLY miss S. Barroca! President has been talking with me a lot about my cebuano and if i can teach all the lessons so i might become a senior companion. We will see... we will find out next tuesday (the 14th).

Happiest news is that we will have a baptism on the 14th! We just got permission from President to move the baptism up of the Gadil couple (Glen and Ivy) so that it will be before transfers. They really want S. Barroca to witness their baptism. They are the most amazing investigators and were really prepared by the Lord. This last week we have been teaching them all the laws and commandments. They accepted the Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity and Law of Tithing with NO hesitation! They already know that the church is true and are willing to do anything to bring their lives in line with the gospel doctrines. I love them SO much! Their 3 little kids are just adorable and love us... maybe its cause we always bring them candy tho... haha. Glen bore his testimony yesterday and it was by far the best one given... and there were some great testimonies given. He said to anyone investigating to not doubt because its true! I dont think there are words to describe the feelings you get from missionary work! I think about the language we will speak in the eternities and i think only that language contains these kinds of words!

We have some other good new couples and families. One really cool experience this week... We were punted and so decided to go somewhere where we hadnt planned to go... none of the investigators or members were home so as we were walking out people were calling to us. At first we didnt pay attention because this is nothing new... someone is always yelling "sisters!" or "mormons!" But then a girl came walking behind us and told us that they wanted us to go meet them. Of course we decided at that time that we needed to go meet them. It was a mother, Gina, and she has been taught by missionaries before a long time ago. She was beyond excitment to meet us! We got this burst of energy (remember we had just been punted multiple times). We didnt even have to invite her to church... she said she would be there before we even said anything about it. And she did show up to church! And brought a friend that is interested in the church as well! WOW!! Miracle do happen and Heavenly Father knows exactly where we are at all times! I love being a missionary!!

Scripture of the week... Ecclessiates 7:16 and 7:3 (just some funny ones that Sister Barroca and i read... we had a good laugh... hmmm)

Gugma
Sister Carissa Jones

August 30, 2010

Work is great!

This week we didnt do much teaching because we had a Leadership Training Meeting. There is new curriculum from the apostles and a few missionaries in all the areas are being trained on it. My comp and i were invited. It was a spiritual retreat! Three days packed of knowledge and the Spirit! Cant even explain how great they were. Ive never done so many rold plays in my entire life!! It was fun to get to know some of the missionaries in the mission better! And our assistants right now are amazing... love them both! Each night we went out in Sogod (thats where the training was) and visited members and investigators. The cebuano was a little different but it was fun to learn and adapt to. you change the y's to j's... kinda funny. We had some great visits and really relied on the Spirit!
Back in our area Sat night we applied our trainings to one of out investigator families that we love so much! The Gadil family. The Spirit was INCREDIBLE! and that experience has changed me and my mission. Best lesson and feeling i have ever felt! And they kept their commitment and came to church even tho they have many persecutions from family!

Also at the trainings, President pulled me out to do a mini interview. He asked how my language is and if i can teach all the lessons in cebuano. There are a few i still need to work on so he told me to study and practice those. He also ask if i was ready to step to the next level and ready to take responsibility. I am nervous but i will do what the Lord calls me to do. All week he said he was impressed with my language and thinks im better than i realize. This gave me great hope! But i still have a long way to go... pray for me!

Scripture of the week.... Moroni 6:8

Gugma Kaajo
Sister Jones

August 23, 2010

Scripture of the week... This morning i read Mosiah 24 and remembered how much i love that chapter!

Highlight of the week... We were treading through a field and it was SUPER muddy... i lost my shoe... twice! haha. I love the mission! When things get tough the best thing to do is laugh!! We laugh a lot! haha

Gugma

Sister Jones

Some of Mom's personal email....

I love those really spiritual uplifting days on the mission. When you really feel the love of Heavenly Father, nothing is better. We really do belong to the one and only true church of Christ. How blessed we are!

normal week of lessons is 30 maybe. Every transfer is 6 weeks. this is my 2nd transfer here in albuera and my 4th transfer of the mission. The next transfer will start Sept 13. and then every 6 weeks from there, so you can keep track. I dont wear long sleeves to escape the sun.. i love the sun. I wear them on colder days... in america these "colder days" wouldnt be cold but they are cold here... haha. My body is learning to be filipino! haha. Im not that incredibly dark cause we are for the most part we are teaching and covered from the sun. The bugs are in abunance so they are great... im learning to deal with them better and come to terms with having not so attractive legs.

Gugma Daghan

Sister Carissa Jones

August 16, 2010

Well it was a great week! i think i say that every week but oh well... its truth!

Sigi so... we were busy and we are already seeing blessings from our constant go go go! We taught 43 lessons this week! WOW!! And 7 investigators were at church, not counting the 7 kids that belong to the families that are under 8yrs old. Sunday was a good day and a great testimony to me of this work. Saturday morning was a struggle moment for some reason but Heavenly Father picked me right up and answered my prayers that i didnt think He was answering. What a loving Father in heaven we have!!

We have a new family investigating. We have only had 3 lessons and the love i feel for them already is undescribable! They are the family with the little girl who calls me a real life barbie doll. We had a great lesson with them this week. They have been reading the Book of Mormon together and praying! Glen even told us the story they read. They are awesome and we promised that God WILL answer their prayers! I have no doubt about that. The promise in Moroni 10 is 100% true! Its worked for me and God doesnt love me more than He does His other children. Sharing my testimony about these principles and how they have worked in my own personal life is one of the best ways to bring the Spirit.
So, they werent at church, which they said they would come so at 930 we rode out to their place to pick them up. Glen (the dad) was sitting reading the Book of Mormon, which put a smile on our faces... Since they had woken up late they were shy to come to church late. We told them it was ok and we would help them get the 3 little kids ready to go... They wouldnt let us help but said they would get ready and come. We went back and waited and they showed right before sacrament meeting!
Also another mother with her kids showed up that is investigating. We werent expecting her because we know how shy she is. That was a super happy surprise!!! We have been praying for her to progress and she is!!

It was SUPER hot this week and no rain so not fun but im getting surprising use to the heat and even where long sleeved shirts... which surprises me that i dont die. Maybe im becoming Filipino! YAY!

Love you all and miss you tons of course!
Keep praying and studying the scriptures...
Gugma
Sis Jones

scripture of the week

almost forgot...

Ether 2:25... try to apply it to life... what can you come up with?

August 9, 2010

WOW... thank you for the pics! I loved them all! Especially the one of the family with Kristin and Nick. Made me teary tho... not sure if im gonna want pics of Andrew and Stacey's wedding. We will see when the time comes tho. I got Kristins announcement today. It was beautiful. Im glad her reception was well even tho it was hot. Thank you also for sticking up for me.. haha... Those boys, those boys. Of course they all wanted to just go to Texas.. haha. I miss them... including Kyle. Was Stacey there at the reception? I love all the gifts you got for them... sounds perfect!

Im also excited for Cloey to go to school at ISU. Maybe ill change and go there and live with Grandma... haha. That was a joke... but could be serious someday.. hmm...

Let Grandma know i got two of her letters and loved them! Also i got letters from Amber, Kyle and Randi. Loved hearing from them all!!

Well mom, i dont have much time so im not sending a general email about my week. Just know it was great and im really growing spiritually. Today i spent 4 hours washing clothes... i didnt wash them all last week so i had more than usual! Im very tired and already feel the soreness in my forearms! hehe. It will be weird to use a washing machine again. Ill do all the handwashing clothes when i come home! Im pro!... well almost. haha.

The highlight of my week was going to a school and teaching 5 mothers. There is a little place for mothers to sit while their kids are in class and the wife of our ward mission leader goes there and she said the mothers had questions about mormons. We had one of the most spiritual lessons yet! It was amazing and we have return appts with them all! We already met with 2 of them again yesterday! One family is awesome and ready! Their little 3yr old daughter stares at me and they told me that after that first day at the school she went home and told her dad about me... that she met and played with a real life barbie doll! haha... how cute huh!!?
Mom... you are in charge of sharing the scripture of the week with the family cause you are the only one getting this info... 3 Nephi 18:25... Christ asks us to come to Him. If we dont we allow ourselves to to tempted. I know as we work to walk towards Christ the temptations in life will seem not so hard. Yes Satan targets us harder but if we are closer to Christ we are stronger too! We need not fear.

Well i love ya tons!!

Gugma Daghan
Your Daughter, Carissa