An Early Christmas

Sister Warner and her companion made a little Christmas tree out of paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls.  The leaves were out of cardboard and her District had an early Christmas party - too funny!!!  This picture was taken the beginning of November at the MTC in Provo.

Enjoying the Philippines

Kamusta kamo?!

Well, it's hot here. Like REALLY hot. But seriously it looks like a scene from Lost - so beautiful. I'm now in Consolacion - Lacion for short.  Our apartment is very nice. We even have a shower! All the water here is only one temperature, though. Like...not cold by Utah standards, but it's not warm either. I thought I was gonna die at first, but now it's amazing. 

There are like mosquitos EVERYWHERE! My legs and feet are seriously turning into the Duggar family of mosquito bites...24 bites and counting...Oh they're so itchy, but Pinoy's put this menthol stuff on them and it feels so good :D

Driving is like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland - SO scary sometimes! I don't think there are any rules except half of the street is one direction and the other half is the opposite direction. There aren't any crosswalks either, and Sister Yap and I have to cross the National Highway every day. It's seriously scary - you just kind of look both ways and then go and hope that you don't get hit!

Every day we take tricycles and sometimes we take jeepneys and habal-habal. The habal-habals are my favorite, but the most expensive. And trying to straddle those things in a skirt is not the most lady-like thing I've ever done ;) but it's super fun! And jeepneys are a great way to talk to people since you pack in like sardines. Opportunities! Tricycles are what we take most often cuz it's cheaper than a habal-habal and the jeepneys don't go where we're going. Tricycles are okay...definitely not my favorite mode of transportation, but hey, it gets us where we're going!

My trainer is Sister Yap - she's super cool. She's from Ozamis City here in the Philippines. So Visaya is her native language. She's so helpful and she's so bold when she approaches people. It's amazing!

Haha. The language. Well, let's just say that when my MTC teachers said that on Cebu they shortcut things, I should have listened! Seriously they remove like as much of the word as they can - very shortcut! And they're huge on the eyebrows here. You can have like almost an entire conversation in just eyebrows. It's actually pretty hilarious. And if you don't want to talk, you don't have to. Just use you're eyebrows.  Yeah all the short-cutting was difficult at first, but I definitely understand a lot more now than when I first arrived :D

I got two mailed letters from you and one from the 4th Ward Laurels. I got one dearelder from you! Thank you very much :D I love mail. Hermana Mora wasn't kidding when she said that Hermano Mora still loves getting mail. It's awesome. 

Speaking of the Spanish Branch - I'm so jealous that Carla will be in the MTC for Christmas! That is so awesome. Tell her she's lucky and I'm jealous, please!

There's this family - the Escorial family - they are AMAZING! All of the kids who are old enough to have served missions have served, and they're all like Ward Missionaries and they're always working with us. I love them so much! And like all the members here and the people in general are just ridiculously nice. I think half of it is cuz I'm a foreigner...if I'm ever feeling bad about myself, seriously all I have to do is walk down the street.

I got a "sexy" on day one! Just like Sister Stringam said, with the hand motions and all. SUPER funny! I was trying so hard not to laugh! But yeah. This place is so awesome. The people are amazing. And I'm so privileged to be serving here.

It's so interesting. We go to these homes, and it's like a shack, and they won't have a mattress to sleep on - just like wood or metal or something, but they'll have like this crazy sound system with nice speakers and usually a karaoke machine. It's very interesting. But even though most of them have nothing, they are SO happy. They understand how important family is. They seriously remind me a lot of home in the Branch. So kind and so family oriented. This place truly is the Mexico of Asia :D

Oh the food here...it's SO lami (yummy)! There's this stuff called Halo-Halo and it's seriously like icy heaven in a cup. I don't think there's anything like it in the U.S....or at least that I've ever had. I don't even know like WHAT it is exactly except that it has jello and ice cream and beans and ice and some sort of milk stuff...it's so good.

Sunday night at the Escorial's house, I tried balut! Two 16 day eggs. It was...well it tasted like eggs and chicken, but the texture was more like...well the yolk was like normal boiled yolk, but the little bird was like...a boiled tomato? If that makes any since. All signs of pescatarianism are gone!

Also, the other day while we were waiting for an investigator, I felt itchy on my feet and legs and I looked down to find that I was standing on a red ant hill! AHHHHHHH! You know how I feel about ants....Luckily, after a brief moment of freaking out, I got them all off of me, out of my socks and shoes and skirt. I'm okay now. 

Well, outta time, but I love you all and miss you lots!

Kinasingkasing,

Sister Warner

Sister Warner in the Philippines

Pictures are hard to get from the Philippines; there is a little power from a back up generator so....  we wait patiently for emails and pictures.   This is hard because we are NOT patient!  We got this picture from Jayme's mission president - she looks so happy to be there and she is beaming with joy!   We hope to get a few more pictures this week (if there is power).

Have a great day!

Dear Family and Friends,

After a LOOOOOONG flight I am safe in Cebu! Goodness gracious it's so gorgeous here! Everyone has super swollen feet and ankles from the long flight - we didn't do the exercises and now we are paying for it! Mostly we just slept! But we're all still super tired...

 

It's like 6:35 pm here right now and we just finished eating pizza and ice cream! For lunch (since we missed breakfast and arrived in Cebu like 4 hours later than expected) we had pancakes with guava and mango jam! And fresh bananas. Seriously I'm never going to be able to eat those nasty ones we have back home ever again!  This food is amazing and I am in paradise!

 

The mission home is a MANSION! Beach front property in a gated community. There's a pool with a bridge over it, and President and Sister Tanner are SO great! Tomorrow I meet my new companion/trainer and find out where I'm going. I don't think I'll be able to email again for awhile so you'll just have to wait until p-day to know where I'm at! President Tanner did say he's not sending any new missionaries to Bogo due to the destruction, so I definitely won't be there.  That's a relief!

 

Speaking of p-day, I don't even know when that is. However, I did find out that if we're on Cebu, we can go to the temple once a month! SUPER EXCITING! I've been taking a lot of pictures, so I'll try to get some to you next time. Right now we only have 3 computers and all the missionaries have to email.

 

We have 2 new Filipina sisters and a new Filipino elder. They all call me Snow White! I was standing in the sun today and they like dragged me out of it and told me not to stand in it! They're so cute and I definitely feel loved!

 

Oh for Taylor: So this place is pretty close to Taiwan....and let me tell you...you might want to reconsider seriously wanting to serve there cuz it's SO hot! Just standing outside - it's so humid that you seriously feel like you're swimming and it's so hot that I start sweating just standing outside not moving! Even when it was raining it was so hot that I was STILL sweating! All of those poor elders with their long pants...but I definitely wouldn't trade it for anything. It's hot as Hades year round, the rain feels like a hot shower at home, but I love it so much already. So yeah. If you don't like the hot/humid....it's like a billion times worse than Florida in the late spring. On the other hand, it is beautiful here!

 

Got a lot of tips from a companionship of sisters who were just reassigned here from Tacloban. They're super cool and awesome. Just gotta accept the fact that my arms and legs will probably be permanently scared by mosquito bites. But it's all good. Maayo siya.

 

Well, I'm gonna go let some other missionaries email. Just a heads up: if I end up on Bohol, I probably won't get a lot of time to read emails, so you won't have to forward me anyone's emails cuz I won't have time! We'll just see how it goes :D

 

Oh and my stinking district! Elder Jacobs and Elder Ellis left without saying goodbye! Elder Archibald would have as well if Sister Grigg and I hadn't climbed into the wrong vehicle and found him in there! And Elder Lasalosi, too, but his luggage got "lost" so he had to stay.

 

Love you lots and it was SO wonderful talking to you! I would have called in Manila, but the plane was delayed because we stopped in Honolulu (yeah, I made it to Hawaii!), then we missed our flight to Cebu and had to go to transfers, and they put us on a plane that was leaving just after, so we had exactly 11 mins to get through customs and all that. Then they didn't have enough room for all our luggage, so when we got to Cebu, we had to fill out lost luggage forms, and the people only spoke Cebuano, so I thought he said that my bag was still in LAX and so I was freaking out, but, tender mercy of the Lord, the lady had put it all the way through to Cebu, so it came in on the next flight.

 

Yeah, just to close up, I love you all! I miss you, but this is gonna be so worth it. Today Elder Johnson said something that struck me. He said: "Everyone keeps saying that part of the reason they're serving a mission is to try to pay back the Lord in some way. But I know we can't do that. Honestly, sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven. Serving a mission is basically just us giving our Father in Heaven and our Savior more reason to bless us." And it's so true. Since coming here, I have been SO blessed.

 

Love you! Amping! Kita Kits!

 

- Sister Warner -

NEW CONTACT INFORMATION

We completely spaced changing Sister Warner's contact info!  There are still 3 ways you can contact Sister Warner:

1.  Email:  jayme.warner@myldsmail.net

2.  Pouch:  Go to www.dearelder.com and select Pouch (FREE) on the left side toolbar.  Select:  Philippines Cebu East mission and have fun writing a letter.  The downside is that you can't use any photos or clip-art; it only takes text.

3:  Snail Mail:  Philippines Cebu East Mission
                       The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Compound
                        National Highway, Bajac, Liloan, 
                       Cebu 6002  Philippines


 Please be aware that there is very little power in her mission area and what is available is being rationed.  We may not always hear from her on her P-days but when we do, we will post them.  Also, we may not get many pictures - I guess many of the internet cafes don't have that capability!  

Thanks!!!

We got a letter in the mail from Jayme today:


Sa Akong Pamilya!

I was looking at the countdown today and I only have 19 more days in the MTC! (today is Thursday, by the way).  Yeah!  I am so excited to get out into the field!!! I can't even express how excited I am and I can't wait for real people!

Well, since Sister Grigg and I were put in as the sister training leaders, I feel as though I have grown so much closer to all of the missionaries - I am going to be so sad to leave them all, especially my District because we are literally a family now!  They are all going to the Cebu mission and I am so sad!  But we are already planning a District reunion in New Zealand and one in Utah; either way we will make a pit stop in Kirabati to see our lovely Sister Tune and Sister Rimai.  Yeah, we are tight like unto a dish!

How is school going for everyone?  Most of the people in my District and Zone don't get anything but a couple of emails once a week.  I probably will only hear from you guys once a week or so while in the Philippines because it is FREAKING expensive to get stuff over there!

So since coming here, I've met a lot of really cool people.  An Elder Kahne from France, two beautiful Sisters from Puerto Rico, two Elders from China and Hong Kong, tons of Polynesians and a couple of Elders from Peru, an Elder from Spain... ummm... many more than that - I am just forgetting.  It is like such a melting pot and so interesting to hear their perspectives about America and Americans.  Seriously, most of them know more about America (especially politics) than I do and I passed AP U.S. History!  It is nice that they are pretty much like all of us!

Also, in the residence hall, I share a hall with the Sisters going Taiwan; most of them are at least half Asian and they are amazing!  There is a Sister Henderson who is going to Taiwan; she isn't Asian at all but her parents are mission president/wife somewhere and so she got to go a little early; she is only 18.  She is awesome and definitely a great missionary!

The other day we played in the leaves ... it was Sister Rimai's and Sister Tune's first time ever with leaves!  They've never seen snow before and so they were so excited - we are going to build a very tiny snowman!

So some interesting things have happened the past couple of days at the gym.  First off, Elder Ellis was playing volleyball on the team opposite mine and he spike the ball straight up and knocked out a ceiling tile!  It's more impressive when you consider that it's like 3 1/2 stores up - it was hilarious!  Then the other day, the volleyball game went completely rule-less and turned into a half soccer, handball, volleyball, wallyball whatever game.  One person hit it over the net to the other team, where Elder Neilson kicked it right into the other Elder Neilson's face!  Funnier was the fact that they were both on the same team and only about 5 feet apart!  Then last night, during volleyball, Elder All punched the ball and cut his hand but didn't tell anyone.  He bled all over two courts and two balls before the coaches made him stop!  So Elder Reudena, Elder Lasalosi, two gym coaches and I spent most of the gym time sanitizing and cleaning up blood!  One volleyball totally had a wilson handprint!

Oh my gosh, I found this awesome erasable pen in the bookstore - it's black and says "remove by friction" at the bottom.  It's done by Pilot and it is awesome!  I highly recommend it!

I love and miss you,

Sister Warner   

Although it isn't P-day, we thought we would let people know about the missionaries in the Philippines Cebu East mission. 

In September, there were several typhoons in Jayme's mission area.  There was a lot of flooding and damage and people lost personal possessions.  In October, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit her mission area; afterword, the missionaries and other leaders banded together with the community for clean up efforts.  The missionaries have continued to work with others as food and hygiene kits are delivered, roofs are fixed, houses are rebuilt and bridges are rebuilt.  

Please take a few moments to read this article and look at the pictures to see what people of all faiths, who work together, can accomplish.  

http://www.mormonnewsroom.ph/article/relief-efforts-in-bohol-continue

                                          Philippines Cebu East missionaries