Week 47: Jewels

Hello family and friends!

How's everyone doing? Someone is expecting a new baby. This is the greatest news I got this week. Congratulations to Manang Micah and Rodney! That is hastening :D

Jhon Roi was baptized! He is 18 and full of pure intent. He bore a powerful testimony. Sister Calugay and I sung "We seek after these things" Ha. It was our first time both but we were like " Who cares? Jhon Roi's baptism will happen only once. Let's sing." Jhon Roi's mother who is not a member yet attended and Juana too. We knew Jhon Roi loves wearing necktie so we gave him as a gift and he wore it in the confirmation. Juana and JP attended the sacrament too. We had dinner last night with the Pates and received pasalubong from Bohol. We are loved. :)

So on Tuesday we traveled to Butuan with the zone leaders and couple missionaries for the mission leadership council. It was a great spiritual recharge considering I am still learning the ropes of  a new assignment .  Like always, Sister Calugay is patient and kind as I was full of questions Ha! A lot of cool leadership principles I learned but I want to share with you what I feel is the highlight for me. President Torres said "Leadership is doing the will of  Jesus Christ" No matter what our calling is, when we obey the Lord we are leading. :) I was happy to see S. Comiso and the Mankilam sisters and I was more grateful to be ready for the zone training meeting. One of our zone leaders had to travel to manila because of a health issue and we were asked to relay to the zone the welcome message of our president. To represent the Lord and our mission president in the zone was an opportunity.

Personal study this week was amazing beyond words. One hour is not enough so I try to find more time to read. I studied more deeply about Integrity. Its an attribute that is important to develop :) I love how President Monson taught about it in the last Liahona issue. He qouted Jabari Parker's father "Just be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light"I know that if we continue to have integrity we can become  the person our Heavenly Father wants us to be, even as He is and Jesus Christ.

Again, this is long! I love all of you all. I talk about you all the time to my companion! Continue being the Lord's jewels. :)

"And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."

3 Nep 24:17

Love,

Sister Javelona

throwback tagum :D Elder Figueroa made this! Very talented!

S. Sumalpong made us loombands :) 

Trento zone

Jhon Roi's baptism

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Week 45 & 46: Gospel in Action :

Dear family and friends!

The last two weeks been wonderful despite of the not so great news about Agusan. Know that your missionaries are safe. We were given instructions to proselyte only until 6pm my first week but we are now back to normal hours. 

My ability to remember landmarks is still not great but I'm glad S. Calugay is very patient with me. I have many people to tell you about. John Roi is back, he is progressing, we attended a baptism with him in Prosperidad, he enjoys wearing his necktie on Sundays and is great at keeping his commitments. He is ready for his baptism on the 9th! The zone leaders had a baptism. Mary Grace became my instant friend and we sang for her. It made me even more grateful for the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues. Juana, attended the sacrament too and Irene our recent convert continues to read for her since she cant read. The Lord will prepare a way for her children to learn the gospel. We have a Vietnamese investigator, Mia. The spirit was so strong when teaching her and we love talking to her kids who speaks their native language, english and cebuano. I met the P family and taught the kids who are recent converts. Brother P is also progressing very well. The family is doing wonderful in reading the scriptures. We had FHE with the couple missionaries and with our branch president and family. S. Calugay and I are goal achievers and spirit seeking missionaries. We clicked instantly about work especially finding more people to teach. Our companionship is climbing the charts of the happiest people in San Franz! :)

I taught the Gospel Principle class on Sunday. It doesnt happen very often in the mission and it was my first time. I love it when personal study proves to be a blessing especially when unplanned opportunities to teach arrives. Personal study is my favorite time! I love learning and sharing them during companion study. It's neat when the spirit helps me to find the relevance of my study to the needs of the people we teach. S. Macias inspired me to learn a little deeply about consecration. I know that if we consecrate our time and choices to the Lord, we can do His purposes. Consecration is gospel in action. :) We had our first exchanges yesterday too. I stayed in our area with S. Sumalpong. She is from Zamboanga, teaches from the heart, sporty and very cool. It was surprising because anxieties were all gone and I felt ready to serve and teach and learn from her too. It made me look forward to the exchanges with Bislig sisters.

Health is super fine! The sisters been dancing zumba and taibo for exercise and Im enjoying them so far. My water intake increased and I eat very right. Not to mention that the members invite us for dinner more often than not. :) Yes, I still monitor my weight but this isnt probably very important. Ha!

I stay excited for many reasons. I love teaching and learning. San Franz is the kind countryside that I love. This weeks baptism, working with members, taking care of their referrals, travel to Butuan and zone training meeting are some of the things I am looking forward to. I'll let you know how it went next week! We will be in Butuan until Wednesday for the council meeting. We'll see how new things will happen.

If there is anything that is not at its best is the haircut I got so no worries. :) I love you all so much! Like always, you are the best support system ever! I hope you continue to treat each other with kindness and always, always look on the heart. 

"... for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Remember that I will see you soon! ;)

Your sister in zion,

Sister Javelona

A baptism of our zone leaders. Mary Grace is the best!

 S. Calugay! Pretty smile!

 S. Sumalpong loves us so much she scrubbed it for us. She is a sweetie. Yep, we fetch water from here everyday. :) 

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Week 44: Twist and Turn

Hello family and friends! 

Let me tell you about my birthday first because I cant help but tell you how I felt loved over there. I had a great dinner with the Mendoza. It was a perfect dinner with full of counsels. I'm not sure if I told you already but President Mendoza served his mission in Bacolod. After dinner we had a family home evening with the Navarra family. Sister Abequibel surprised us with a birthday cake. That was the second cake, man! I super love the Navarra family and Im praying they will progress. It was the highlight of the day, spending the time again sharing the gospel. And when I thought surprises are over, I was blindfolded in the apartment and was surprised again with cake and poppers and sweet messages. It was a great start of the week overall because after big changes.

Okay, are you ready? My mind was blown of the events last week. I said goodbye to Tagum and to Sister Cestona. I spent a wonderful birthday up there then got transferred down to Agusan again. My new branch is San Francisco under Trento District. Its a couple hours away from Butuan. I was also called to be a new  to assist the sisters in the Trento and Bislig which is a part of Surigao. Very humbling. I am grateful of the calling and opportunity the Lord is giving me to serve in His way. This would mean several travels in a transfer cycle for exchanges and meetings. My new and 5th companion is Sister Calugay from Pampanga. She's 21 and been here for over a year already. I will send a photo when I could. It is exciting to make another great friend and sister again! I will miss the Mankilam but like the last transfer I can feel the Lord mindful of his people. Every transfer, revelations are put forth. The last 3 cycles went by very fast but they were very meaningful. I love the people there and Sister Cestona had taught me more. I many ways, she prepared me for my new assignment. I had to say goodbye to Sister Comiso too, my bestfriend in the mission as she was transferred in a different zone. Just wait until we are called to be companions! ;)

So the weekend was spent unpacking, getting to know the leaders and members and just appreciating San Franz. There are four of us in the apartment. Sister Sumalpong from Zamboanga and Sister Mercado from Tacloban welcomed me like we knew each other for a long time. We spent time knowing each other with your nutella and peanut butter :)

Okay, that's it for now but expect a lengthy email next week! I love you all!  Enjoy the photos!

Your sister in zion, 

Sister Javelona

P.S. I know that this is the Lord's work.  And  "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9:4) I love being a missionary and using the time of the Lord wisely! 

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