Adventures and more...

So, to start us out in a jolly way, we had an intruder in our apartment last night...

Now this wasn't the normal intruders that are my mortal enemies (those super ugly gross bugs we call cockroaches), but instead a much more ferocious, monstrous, and... surprisingly cute intruder...s duhn-duhn-daahhhhmmmmm! haha it was just a little guy, but i could NOT figure out how he managed to invade our apt... but he sure gave sister Fernando a jolt! I was minding my own business while she was frying her fish, when all of a sudden, she shouted and ran across the room for the door. I was startled and asked if she got burned by the oil. she said no... and i was thinking of what could possibly cause her terror when she said the word "frog"!! haha! i turned and looked. sure enough, in the corner of the kitchen cabinets on the floor, was the little leaper. he seemed pretty scared himself :) don't blame him.  i started devising a plan for us to get him outside, but sis fernando insisted that there was no "us"... she was there for moral support only :P hahah! what a kidder! so.. i rallied my forces. i retrieved a brown paper bag from the cupboard (let me interject here and say that they actually use brown paper bags for groceries in REAL LIFE! crazy. i know. i thought that was only in the little critters books, like the one where he mows the lawn. but it's true. they are finally enforcing the ban against plastic here in Cavite. astig.) and readied my weapon. "i'll just capture him" i said in good ol' taglish. i brandished the open paper sack at him, awaiting his self-inflicted destiny: a leap into the prison that would quickly open again to free him into the wild. ....... but it didn't happen. he refused to jump. And the more i brandished, the more he tried to escape! that little booger! he even tried to pull a Houdini! he started CLIMBING up the crack in the corner, between the cabinet doors. SNEAKY, i tell you! plain sneaky. but i was sneakier! i took that brown paper bag and swiped him down the space until he was back on the floor in his little corner of doom. and at last, i filled my lungs with a breath of courage and swooped in on him! it took a few swoops, but i got him! and took a quick peek at his slimy belly before tearing across the room to the door, where i threw him out--bag and all! After all our hollering and squealing, we just stood there at the screen door, breathing for a few minutes before we returned to our lives... cooking fish and updating the area book. the end :)

thanks for indulging me in the story of the week! sorry about all that. anyway, we sure had fun! and it's been a successful week. we saw amazing blessings pour down on us from the windows of heaven as the chapel was fuller than usual-- with less active members!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D we were SO HAPPY to see them! And the ward noticed and helped us make them feel welcome! it was wonderful to see them. and such a good feeling.

Tessie was baptized on Saturday :D she's incredible. her testimony was simple and powerful. she knows the Church is true. She knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God. She knows Joseph Smith is a prophet, who restored the Church to the earth. She knows Christ is her Savior. and she wants to share all these things with EVERYONE. she's great :D hers is one of the pics i'll be sending.

Alyssa, that was incredibly beautiful. i can't thank you enough for what you shared with me. i'm so proud to call you my sister. what an inspired goal! i want to be like you and do the same. and seeing you was my best Christmas present, too :D  the Spirit always helps me feel closer to you. i'm so grateful.

Ash, you have the most beautiful daughter ever!!!!!!!!! and you're so gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow... i'm so proud of you in every way. you're such a good mom and you amaze me! more to come-- promise ;) xoxo

Mom, you ROCK! as per usual! THANK YOU for all the things you've done for me! what a wonderful blessing you are to all those around you! especially starting in our own home :D can't say enough there, but i'll leave it at that since i'm almost out of time. i hope all is well. as far as the advice, that's actually been on my mind a lot, ...unsurprisingly, since you and i are usually wavelength, especially with the Spirit. i'll keep thinking on it, dearest gorgeous blonde.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy to My Auntie Bob, to Christina the Manninghead, and to Jar.. the head. :D i loooooove you alll very very much and hope you had a super good one!
 As for you, Daddy-doo, I laughed out loud again! I think the best use for that weight set is to get Annie geared up for my return...just saying ;)love you soo!

Rae and Aaron, i'll print, read, and respond! i've got stuffs for you!

i love you all and think of and pray for you constantly.

love, sister r

I love you!

Dear family,

wow!!!!!!

i love you so much~!

do you know that?!?!?!

i hope so!

I thought i'd share quickly the feelings i felt earlier in my personal study... gratitude. I am so grateful to thing of you and the blessing of the restored gospel in our lives together. i can't imagine any longer than 18 months without you--and i thankfully don't have to! we've got eternity :D and i'm the happiest person ever because of that.
i love every moment i had to talk to you. it was absolutely the shortest 40 min of my life. a blink, to be honest. but i know the time will also come quickly when we'll be able to be in the same house again and share all sorts of wonderful things together. like ugly letters, yummy lasagna, dish-washing, kitchen-slaving, giggles galore, and ... lots lots more! hehee

i'm so glad you met the strombergs! please tell me all you can about her homecoming when that rolls around! she rocks, i tell you! i'm glad they brought comfort after a really rough day :( aw, my mommy and daddy.... argh. you are certainly good examples to me!

i know that we all need the power of the Atonement. we need it today, to forgive and to be forgiven. we need it today to change and be a little more like Christ. we need it today to have our burdens lifted and our yoke made light. we need it today to be free and experience the joy of love and peace that accompany the prospect of exaltation with those we love. we need it today to be closer together. we need it today to share with those who are wandering, lost in darkness and pain without it. we need it to heal our yesterdays, make the best of our today, and give us hope for our tomorrows. i know it's real. i know it's possible. i know we have it because of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

i'm so glad you had a great birthday, daddy! we got to go to Br. Teodoro's house to celebrate his birthday with him--on your birthday! you were both born Jan 5! but he's 59 this year :) you've got a ways to go... hehee! i want to send pics, so i'll try to hurry.

Rae, thank you for your sweet email. i'm so happy for your break and for your techno-pump ;) hehee i had no idea you had one of those nifty things! where'd it come from??? haha you are soo good and i just want to give you a big hug and tell you to keep it up! share w me what you can when you can! i love you, sister! do send me the pics if you can!

i won't be able to send all the pictures, but here are a few.

love you! all the best! congrats to aaron on the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that will be sooo cool for you!

love sis r

Happy NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, you are the best, i must say! some things never change, no matter how many years go by!

mom, i'm sure the Spirit helped you say exactly what you needed to in that talk. thank you for reminding me of what's important. as we got stuck in traffic earlier, i read Pres. Uchtdorf's talk "Of Regrets and Resolutions". it was beautiful. i love the messages of general conference so inspired and inspiring. 

because of traffic and a delayed district meeting earlier, as well as Philippinos who love to light of really big--and prob illegal--fireworks as soon as the sun goes down, i don't even have an hour to email you, so forgive me if this is brief. we have a 6pm curfew bc that's when it will get dark--and it's past 5 now and i still need to email President Stucki. 

anyway, Mom, i am so proud of you. thank you for being an example of following the Spirit and praying with faith. i know that faith-filled prayer is immediately followed by faith-filled action--and that's something i am striving to do better: to pray and act in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't you fret about that sweet old lady. she may or may not be right about what should be sung in primary, but that song is just so funny and i'm sure the kids had a blast :) plus, no one should treat my mother that way, even if they have an opinion to share. i'm sorry... i can feel what you must have felt in that moment and it's not a fun experience to imagine. i inherited the waterworks from you and i know what would have  followed had i been you  in that situation ;) you're so cute, ma.

i'm sooooooo glad alyssa's doing better!~!!!!!! i could definitely tell!!!!!!! it was so good to see you all. it went by in a blink. i can't even describe how delicous the feeling was just to see and talk with you. 

as for the work... i'm having a few personal challenges. i'm learning that outside circumstances really don't effect happiness and that true success is measured by our desire and dedication to our purpose. sometimes the results are not what we expect. others may judge or say things that may be true or false. of course we can find things to improve and change to be and do better. but we should not let the disappointments discourage us. we are entitled to the Lord's help in his work and we need to trust that he will help us and act on the help he gives. nothing can stop the work of the Lord. 

we have a wonderful investigator who is progressing so beautifully. she has been prepared in every way. she is changing and her friends are noticing. she is also sharing the things she's learning with others. she is a choice spirit and such a sweet person. we're so blessed to be a part of helping her become converted. what you said, mom, really makes sense about conversion and goals. i completely agree!

i'm so sad that you've gathered for special Christmas celebrations and have no note or anything to read the family from me. i have been such a slacker... i'm so sorry. please know that i'm going to respond to all those who have so generously sent their love and support. i love you allllll sooooooo muuuuuch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow, alexxa's getting married?~!?? wow~~\\\!!! congratulations alexxa!!

ah, daddy!!!!!!!! i just got a REALLY good laugh out of your hysterical email! you are soooo funnnn! :D hehee thank you, Dad! i'm so glad to know you and ma still have your tootsies and that your spelling is still sooperb :D

Aaron, my answer to your questions is : OF COURSE! haha :) i'm so glad to hear of your Christmas miracle! it's so good to hear  you're happy and doing well. keep it up! keep it up!

i love you, family! please forgive me, i'll tell you more about the work and everything next week. have a super new year celebration, be safe, and give each other hugs and kisses from me! 

love sister r

MALIGAYANG PASKO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Soooo.... I love and miss you! But this Christmas was so uniquely beautiful and wonderful! And I loved every minute! I know it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing and that helped me to truly treasure it. And it went by in a blink! I didn't want it to end except that I knew I'd be able to chat with my family today, but it was gone just like that! *snap* :) I really felt the spirit of Christmas as we just tried to do what we felt He would want us to do. The feeling was amazing.

And.. I JUST TALKED WITH THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE "LIVE" WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you SO MUCH family, for who you are and what you do!!!! We are not perfect, but together we'll get where we want to go! Plus, you're about the nearest to perfect of anyone I know! You can quote me on that. "We may not have it all together, but together, we have it all!" That is so true.

I'm sorry, i hope i didn't take too much of our precious time talking about people you don't (yet) know, but I wanted you to feel the joy that I feel in this marvelous work. It is an incredible blessing to be a part of it and I want you to experience what i'm experiencing! Thank you for the wonderful and uplifting things you shared with me--especially your wonderful personalities that make my world go 'round! Again, you're the best!

I'm grinning from ear to ear, Aaron, as i read your hum di du di lo di low... okay, so your text tune is way cooler than mine. but you know what? I'm so proud of you!!!!! You did so well this semester!!!!!!!!!! You and Maree both! I'm so proud of you and sooooooo thankful for your incredibly wonderful birthday package that i got to open for Christmas :D that was a superb blessing. Especially the part where you are still alive, even though you got in a scary accident (yeah, i ended up reading your email yesterday as well). taylor is SO CUTE! what a cute neigh neigh he is! i hope you gave him a big hug for me!

And thank you again to Sam, whose birthday gift i'm still enjoying :) that was super thoughtful and i hope you had a really great and wise Christmas. I hope you got to spend it with your family and loved ones and that it was really happy!

How are the Mannings? It's the first Christmas that's passed in years that I didn't get to spend over there. I hope it was a really good one and that everyone made it safely to you :) You are quite the company, i tell you. I wouldn't miss it for anything except for what i'm doing right now. You are super stars!!! :D hehee but it's true!

Merry Christmas to the Roring families as well! They are a wonderful bunch and i can't wait to see their growing family! And a cheery and jolly hello to our ward!!! Especially the Nessen clan and our sweet Miller friends! What a great neighborhood we live in! And a big hug and lots of silliness to the Ellis family from me! I hope your holidays have been as warm and happy as the pictures Aaron sent :) And--of course-- MERRY CHRISTMAS to my dear Delmy, Jamie, and Shannen and all the wonderfully fun people that i love! Last but not least, a tropical happy holidays to my southern beauty, Ashlynn! I hope all is well with all of you and your families and I love you very much!

We had a delightful ward Christmas party last night and soooo many came! Members and investigators alike! It was such a jolly good time. I loved the spirit of warmth and friendship and care that just flowed through everyone. It made me so happy :D We also got to visit some wonderful people yesterday who were in need of the light of the gospel. I was filled with hope and excitement as I saw the glow that came from yesterday's activities :D what a Christmas to remember!

We had a fantastic mission Christmas party as well on Thursday! Tons of fun performances and the Spirit was really strong in the opening meeting. We heard from Pres. and Sis. Stucki about JOY putting first Jesus, then Others, then very last You (or ourselves). The experiences they shared were sweet and the Christmas spirit rang true.

I know that Christ is our Lord and Master. I know he descended below all things and made possible our Salvation. I know that God our Father loves us and that Christ's atonement is at the center of his plan. If we follow that plan and live the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we will have peace and joy in this life and eternal life in the world to come. We will be together as families in God's kingdom. I want to leave that brief testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! AND TO ALL, A BIG HUG!!!!! ? Or just .... MERRY CHRISTMAS! From the Philippines! Maligayang Pasko!

Family, did you get the Christmas package i sent?

love, sister r

I'M CALLING YOU NEXT WEEK!

Dearest family and friends,

I rejoice with you at all the miracles that we are seeing! Heavenly Father is truly blessing us beyond measure! There are many struggles that you are facing as well, i see and feel that, but i know His hand is in it all and that all of it is blessings! Because he loves us, he wants us to have the necessary experiences to endow us with power to faithfully endure to the end. i know that the things you are experiencing now are part of that. I know that my experiences are, too.

I can't believe my mission will be celebrating Christmas this thursday! i can't believe it's that close!!! but i'm very excited to spend the day with my sweet, wonderful new companion teaching about Jesus Christ a week from tomorrow! Sister Fernando is SOOO COOOL! she knows why she's here and she loves the Lord. she wants to be obedient and helps me SO MUCH with Tagalog! She ROCKS! I am learning how much i don't know and how much i need to improve as she and i go thru the 12 week training program. it's an inspired program and so is PMG. what a powerful thing revelation is! I am so grateful for my companion who shows a great example to me, even though she is brand new. I really feel like she came pre-trained and I keep thanking Heavenly Father for that! I need all the support i can get, as i still have many weaknesses in the work. I can see how all of the things that we experience in full-time service will help us to prepare for the things that will happen later in life, including planning, reporting, and being responsible for others. We are always do0ing those things in our daily lives!

I am so excited to feel your Christmas spirit! It's weird and a little hard with no change in the weather here, but i think it helps me not to be too homesick. It helps me focus a little more on what Christmas should mean to us. I love that you are so good at giving and loving and being examples! You know how to focus on the Savior and the significance and blessing of his birth and life and all he did. thank you for your example to me!

I'M CALLING YOU NEXT WEEK! That is SO EXCITING! we don't have pday on monday because we have a combined pday and temple day on wednesday the 26th, so this is my last chance to email you before i call.
here's what we'll do... i'll email you like crazy before we skype. i'll skype you at 8pm here on my dec 26th, so it will be early on your dec 25th. is that okay? i'm not sure what time that is for you.

sorry, i spent so much time figuring that out, i can't say anything more because my time is up. tell aaron i'm SO GLAD he's okay and i'm going to print and read his email, rae that i'm so proud of her success this semester, lou that i need a pic of her sparkly whites and i love her mini-me guts, joseph that i love all he is growing to be and i can't wait to hear his voice change, and boo that she needs to keep spreading her girly incredible-ness all places!

dad, i love that you can fix ANYTHING and mom i love that you can make anything look/taste/smell GREAT! i love you all and we'll have a wonderful christmas chat very soon! hugs and kisses! no worries about that package ;)

love, your s richardson

MONUMENTAL DAY!!! :) GOOD NEWS!

Let me start off by saying, BOY, have i got great news!!! We had stake conference on sunday and.... OUR STAKE SPLIT! We are still Noveleta Ward and we're still in Cavite stake.... and now there is another stake, too! Bacoor! It's so exciting to see the growth happening. and the new stake presidents were committed right there in stake conference to be able to split within the next 8 or 9 years of their service! so cool! it's longer here in the P because there are fewer members and therefore fewer qualified and prepared individuals for this calling. anywho, it's so exciting!!!

Then I've got some sad news... Sister Stromberg is being transferred... :( we're really sad that she won't be here for Christmas. We were joking with some members last night and they told me it's my fault she's being transferred because I told Pres. Stucki how much we love being companions and love this area :) haha. so that's how it is, huh? Anyway, i'm going to miss her a lot and i'm nervous to be left here, but i know Heavenly Father will continue to guide this work, as he's been doing, and this ward is exactly the help i need. they are so supportive and i'll need that. AH! She's going to my old zone!!! She's going to Mandaluyong 3rd! Astig! She's so excited to go to the city! we both hoped she would bc this is prob her last area and she's been in only province.

I want to thank Sis. Pinto for her address and bday wishes, as well as Craig and S. Murdoch for their bday emails as well! :) Thank you! You are fantastic!!! And I'm SO EXCITED for Priscilla! She's a missionary now!
And THANK YOU, NAY!!! I got sis. Gupta's package and it ROCKS! I HAVE INDIAN PANTS!!! coolest thing ever! and Thank you, Aaron!! I'm so glad all is well and your parents look so happy :) I know life is stressful and not perfect, but you're doing so well and i'm so glad!

I'm so glad to know alyssa's improving... this week was agonizing, to be honest. i wanted SO MUCH to know how she's been, though i have felt a lot of peace and comfort with you as i have prayed for her. what a sweet and impressive girl you are, lou!!!

Mom, did you tell aaron about that Maverik thing?? that's insane! haha copycats. As for the typhoon, we heard about one coming, but that was somewhere else. we've been pretty rain-free here for a while. still safe and sound!

Conratulations, joseph and maree, on great milestones in your life! You are fantastic in every way and i love and am so proud of you! Is little boo's foot better?? I feel, as Mom does, that we are indeed learning and growing together. i've never been so physically far away from you and had so much to focus on, but at the same time have never before felt so incredibly close and eternally linked with you. it is incredible!

Mom, if you have space for it, you can keep those things and i'll sort thru them in 9 months.. if not, you can ditch the big thing haha and save the books for me to sort thru then. i trust ya, love.

ah! there are so many changes with many incoming missionaries! there are rumors that the lenght of transfers will change... so crazy!

dad, can i just say you are so much like nephi? so humbly obedient and never complaining... i want to be like that! thank you!!!

I want to testify to what Elder Ardern said at our stake conference... The heavens are open today. We can receive revelation from God through his words in the scriptures and the living prophets he has called to lead his church. We have divine light and guidance in this, the last days before the Second coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ. We are preparing the way for his coming. it is our privilege and responsibility.

and with that... I have insanely crazy news... President Stucki has asked me to train!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I attended the training meeting thursday and i feel very nervous and excited and so blessed to have this responsibility!!! what an unexpected blessing and ... responsibility :) haha redundant, but true.

we'll sing the hymn s. stromberg shared in comp study earlier: although in agony He hung, no murmuring word escaped His tongue... His high commission to fulfill.. sacrament hymn. and more Christmas hymns to follow.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! love, sis r

I had a sweet birthday :D

Dearest Alyssa and Becca... I'm so proud of you!!!! I'm proud of you, Louface!!!! You are so so sos sooosososoo great! You know I miss you like crazy, but i promise i'll work doubly hard for the two of us this week since you're a little out of commission for the moment.. you'll be in my prayers every minute and i know Heavenly Father will be there to bless and comfort and strengthen you, as well as all those who are worried about you. Keep smiling your beautiful goodness to all around you and keep your chin up, chin up, put a little laughter in your eyes! Wear it, share it, even though you're feeling otherwise... You'll be happy-hearted once you get it started, up with your chinny-chin --chin up! i lOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loads and loads.

Thank you for your wonderful example, family. you are the best in the world. I'm so proud to call you mine and so blessed to be yours! thank you for being an example of strength and light and love to me and to those here in the Philippines! I LOVE YOU!

Let's sing those great songs! i love them!

How was our Raisy's birthday?? How is everything?

Business is business: Let's get the nitty gritty out of the way here so i can get crankin' on story telling! I have a couple requests... Sister Stromberg would like the recipe for banana sour cream cake, if you have a minute... :) You're da best, Mom! and a wonderful sister in our ward realllikes cole slaw, which i know you also like, so i was wondering if you have a recipe for that as well? she would like to be able to make it.

Another note, Sister Dyer is going home and her parents came for a visit before she does... She is taking home a small package from me to you for Christmas! She'll give it to the Strombergs and they'll call you. THey live just in Logan, so if you get time when they're available, I was hoping you could meet up with them or swing over there to grab it? It won't be mailed unless you want it to... The only sad part is that other ppls' presents are in there too and if you wait to open it Christmas day, they won't get it in time. but if you open it before, it'll ruin the surprise (not like it's insanely cool). so if you want, you can ruin the surprise for you and separate out the other ppls'... or you can just wait til Christmas and extend my friends' cheer :) it's up to you! But there's something for Aaron, Craig, Ricky, Ashlynn, and Sam. There were of course more ppl I wanted to get things for. Sarah especially, because she's been writing me so much and i love it, but i just haven't had time to look for much of anything else. i will make sure i bring back something happy for everyone :) that's the plan.

On the upside, I had a sweet birthday :D on tuesday, S. Stromberg had an FHE birthday party planned for me!!! It was so cool! We played a game and shared thoughts and it was a TOTAL SURPRISE! I knew she had something underway, but i had no idea it would be then! the ward missionaries were out of town for my bday, so we celebrated early. And one of our returning families and a favorite investigator came! :) and my whole district! it was fun! and we ate cake! We still have some big balloons at our apt and Br. Wilmar gave us the strand of Christmas lights!!!! You know how happy that makes me!

What makes life even better is that we had 2 CSP (community service projects) last week! the first was on tuesday, when we went and layed out fish to dry for an hour or two. S. Stromberg has some good pics of that. haha and they took a sneaky picture while my back was turned, too! they made a slideshow for me as well :) hehee those clever people! Sister S is all over creativity!

The dried fish thing was really fun, but we need to do it again because we didn't get to do it for JohnMark like we were supposed to. they hadn't had fish come in yet at the right time, so we helped some other people.it was really fun and gross! it stinks a lot and we got really icky, but i loved it! and i'd love even more to help John Mark at his job. that's what he does every day! He will be baptized this month! he is incredibly cool! he's the one who came to my birthday.

then on my actual birthday, we had another CSP where we cleaned at a member's home with the other sisters in our zone and their district. it turns out, it was the home of our bishop's wife's sister! that was cool. they fed us yummy food after. and we ate dinner at another member's home after we taught another wonderful investigator, Tessie. That lesson was so good and the Spirit was so strong!!! And she is so... wow. She is really searching things out for herself in all the right ways. She is such a sweet girl. And then another member wanted to feed us! Crazy stuff!!!

Jason, thank you so much for the fun note and picture! haha that's so crazy! i'm FAMOUS! joke... how's your job??

A big thanks to Sam from me! We've been enjoying the chocolate and yumminess! Thank you so much!

Is aaron okay? I haven't heard from him for a couple weeks... I know he needs a letter from me but.. at least he gets news. how's he doing?

all my love, sister r