Week 11 Arizona

     So this week was a little unproductive. My companion's knee has been hurting for a while so we've been to the doctors a few times and they're thinking she has a torn meniscus, but they cant say for sure until they get an MRI. We've been to the doctors twice this week, which isn't very fun.  

     Arizona City is a bit of a drive from Casa Grande (where civilization is) and we usually go there 4 times a week for meetings and church, but because we had 2 Dr's appointments we were up there 7 times last week... lots of driving.  That was pretty sad because it meant not much teaching, but the highlight of the week was that we got to go to the temple on Wednesday.  We saw the new presentation which was cool.  The Mesa temple is super pretty, the colors are a pastel pink, green, and gold (not my favorite,) but the paintings in there are all these amazing landscape/nature paintings.  There is this one wall that is just a scene of Joseph Smith and the apostles teaching Native Americans and the other side is them teaching the Lamanites, it is super cool.  

     That's pretty much all the news i have.

I love you all.

Sister Raynor

Shout out to David - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And tell Karin I am praying for her

CORRECTED ADDRESS FOR ASHLEY:  Sister Ashley Raynor
                                                      C/O Dale O. Luff
                                                                     PO Box 837
                                                                     Arizona City, AZ 85123

Philippines Week 16

So this week was actually a little bit uneventful.  We had Zone Conference  in San Antonio about a 30 minute bus ride.  I got to see my trainer Sister Enguito, her companion is sobrang maliit (small--like 3 feet tall). I also got a sweet Christmas card from the Barnes!  Thank you - such a sweet family.  I love you guys.

     We celebrated Valentine's Day-we all got a heart shaped mini cake=di-masarap (not delicious).  We also had the old branch president come home from work in Australia.  While he was there he was able to spend a day with Sister Hart's family.  So yesterday we all went to his house for lunch- it was so...normal.  Like everything was just really nice.  Sister Hart's family also gave him a little duffel bag of stuff for her.  It was a pretty good day. 

     Today, I am emailing from Subic (this is where the Mission Home is, the town next to Olongapo) because Elder and Sister Gorringe are taking us to Olongapo to go shopping today.  That should be fun.  This week was nanay Anita Facelo's birthday.  Anita is the nanay or mom of Michelle Moyo (our newest convert).  She turned 63 so we got her a cake and celebrated with them.  It was super fun.  I don't know what I am going to do when I get transferred away from them-- I feel like part of the family. (Pictures below)  

Take a look at Chirstaly--she is in the middle of the group picture.  She reminds me so much of Cali.  She is awesome.  She always say "ingat po" (be safe) when we leave every night.  She is awesome.

This picture is our district after Zone Conference at the nicest restaurant that I have been to here in the Philippines.

This last picture is Laman (my pet turkey) in the sink.  I just heard all of this squealing one morning and so I went out and she was just hanging out in the sink. 

Well, I think that that is it.  But I love you all so much.
Love Sister Raynor  

PS: Happy Birthday Chanel Barnes.             Happy almost Birthday David. 

Arizona Week 10

My birthday was nice, I didn't really tell anyone about it because I don't like being the center of attention, but on Tuesday we had interviews with President Toone, so we were in Casa Grande.  So Sister Douros and I got sushi for lunch and that was pretty fun.  

On Thursday we had dinner with two of our ward missionaries Corky and Ruth and they made me a chocolate cake.  When we were eating it I saw that there was something in my piece, it was long and stringy looking, when I asked Corky what it was, she said shredded coconut, but it didn't really taste like it. When everyone finished their piece of cake, Corky announced that it was not coconut chocolate cake, it was sauerkraut cake!  Apparently she got this recipe from an Amish lady back east but since Corky doesn't like chocolate she had never really made it, but when she found out about my birthday (Sister Douros snuck them a note) she decided to capitalize on the opportunity.  Very sweet, very nice...

So this week....We hit the Standard of Excellence again.  I think because we reached it last week, we knew that it was an attainable goal and that we could do it...and so we did it and that was awesome.

On Saturday (2/8) one of our investigators is getting baptized, and this guy really does not like me, but it's okay because I don't care (I just care that he's doing the right thing) and it's kind of fun having someone to banter with (missing Katie a little here??)  

Hmmm, I guess this is a short one.  I keep forgetting my SD card but I will get some pictures to you eventually.  Don't forget to go to my Face Book page.  (Sister Ashley Raynor)  

I love you so much

Sister Raynor

Week 15 Phillipines

Oh my Family!  

SO this week has been so short.  We have taught so many lessons this week, which is pretty exciting because that means that I am speaking Tagalog in each lesson.  On Friday, we went to the mission home for Sister Pizon's follow-up training.  It was fun just to hang out there.  One of the Assistant to the President is actually our old Zone Leader.  He goes home in two weeks.  He is from Boise and is totally a country/farm boy.  It's super great.  So I was able to hang out with him and just visit with the other trainers for a while.  I also got a package from mom which was SOOOO exciting.  

On Saturday we had baptisms.  Then we went back to our house and ended up getting into a huge spaghetti fight with the Branch Missionaries on the porch.  It was super fun--almost normal.  

On Sunday, we got a new Branch Mission Leader.  Our old BML" is going on a mission in two weeks.  Our new BML is actually an RM who served with my MTC teacher in San Pablo. He is 21.  Its crazy but I feel like the Youth and YSA do so much for our branch.  I also realized how much I miss just sitting in a WARD not having to worry about anything or any investigators.  I mean, I love it here, but sometimes I just miss English and the ease of Sundays :)  

Today, Monday, we had a zone activity because we met the Standard of Excellence again.  We went to IBA (one of the bigger cities up north) and went to a resort--a beach.  There wasn't really a ton to do because its super hot and so we all just kind of sat around and "hung-out" for 6 hours in the shade.  But we also got to hangout with Elder and Sister Gorringe -the senior couple.  They are so great.  After the activity they took us (the missionaries from San Felipe--me, Sister Pizon, Sister Laguerta, Sister Hart, Elder Christensen and Elder Flores) to a grocery store.  A real grocery store. It was so expensive but so amazing.  We only had 30 minutes but it was the nicest place I have been to in 5 months.  It was mind-blowing.  I'm also super excited because Sister Pizon needs clothes and so we need to go shopping in Olongapo next Monday.  Elder Gorringe actually talked to President for us and offered to drive us and go with us.  I am so excited.  They are so normal and fun.  

Well, this is all I've got for this week.  But I love you all.  

Shout out to everyone-Happy Valentines Day.  Pre-shout out to David- Happy Birthday.

Love you all, Sister Raynor

1)Daniel (left) and Journey(right) eating spaghetti on our porch.  Daniel works with us all the time.  Journey is our new BML.

2) Our Training batch.

3) Me asking Sister Hart to be my Valentine.  Inside joke.  But just saying-I'm king of the best.  (She said yes...) 

 4) Elder Fonnesbeck.  Our old ZL that became an AP.  He is the best.   

5+6) The fish that we ate at the activity earlier.

7+8) The "resort" from our activity earlier today.  That is the owner asleep on the table during our activity....

Week 14 Philippines

I hope everyone is doing well!  I always feel awkward with these letters and so I'm just going to jump right in:

Jason and Michelle Moyo:  They were baptized last week and then confirmed this week.  Jason is amazing.  It says in Preach My Gospel (missionary handbook) that you can't convert someone past your own testimony.  I totally disagree.  I think that we cant teach someone past our own understanding but I am so positive that Jason has a way stronger testimony then me.  It amazes me.  After he was confirmed (in English, but he doesn't speak any English) he came down from the stand and he said "sister Raynor, i understood it all- hindi mga salita pero ang ibig sabihin--not the words but the meaning).  It was amazing.  Then he was crying during testimony bearing because he wanted to bear his testimony but he was so overwhelmed by the spirit that he couldn't stop crying. He is so cool. Michelle asked me where she needs to apply in order to become a teacher at church (she wants to teach the investigator/gospel essentials class).   They are awesome. Their niece who lives next to them looks like a Filipina Cali Sherry.  She is so cute.  I always flick her and she laughs.  Just like CALI.  

Nikko Placido:  So Nikko was a LAR (less active return).  He has been less active for two years.  He is 13 years old.  He came back to church last month.  He is now super active and goes to all the activities.  On Sunday, I looked over in Sacrament meeting and saw him passing me the sacrament.  It has been amazing to see his progression from not going to church at all to loving it.  

Sister Hart: Probably my favorite person that I have met so far on the mission.  She and I will be together for 6 months of our missions.  

Elder and Sister Gorringe: The senior couple assigned to our area.  I love them.  They are from South Jordan, UT.  They are adorable.  He is in charge of the finances and she is the mission secretary.  They are the best.  They always come and visit us and we all just speak English to each other-its great.  

The Philippines: Yep, still the same.  Pretty crazy.  The highlight of this week was Sister Hart begging me to pump water on her from the water pump things in the back while she sat in the laundry tub-yep it was definitely that hot. And yep, I definitely declined. Its still more fun in the Philippines. (just kidding, sometimes its really not).  Whenever anything happens people just say its more fun in the Philippines.  I don't know.  But no crazy stories this week.  

I can't believe its already February!  Its almost been 6 months... pretty crazy.  Happy almost Valentines Day.  And almost Happy Birthday Davy.

 I love you all.  Cubo.  Sister Raynor

PS--ASHLEY PARKER RAYNOR YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WRITE ME.  THANK YOU.

                              The Meat Section of the market.

                                    More of the market.

                         The normal section....yuck..  :)

SO these are FHE the other night with the Abundo Family.  

Arizona Week 9

This last week has been incredible.  Last Friday during weekly planning, Sister Douros and I made it our goal to reach the Standard of Excellence so we set our key indicator goals accordingly.  The Standard of Excellence is a set of numbers that our mission president has really prayed about and he feels that if we can reach these goals then we will really see the miracles come.  They are 16 lessons with a member present, 6 new investigators, 4 investigators with a baptismal date, 6 investigators at church, 5 referrals from members. Our other goals were to have 4 progressing investigators and to have taught 4 lessons to recent convert/less active members.  

Monday, we had FHE with a part member family and it was super fun, we played restoration jeopardy. We had 1 member present lesson. 

Tuesday was an interesting day.  We had a meeting from 9-12 and after the meeting we had to go home so we could do companionship study and my training and then we had to leave for dinner.  After dinner Sister Douros said that she had had this really weird bad feeling right after our meeting that would not go away, and after she brought that up i mentioned that i had been feeling that way too.  Neither of us could get that awful feeling to go away so, we went home.  We went home and said a prayer, we asked for help because we did not know why we felt the way that we did and we needed the feeling to stop.  We asked to be forgiven if there was anything that we had done to cause this feeling and we asked that He would help us that as we went back out with renewed diligence that we would be able to get some lessons in and that we would get top meet new people. We went out and we got to see some people, and we even got a member to go out with us. 2 member presents, 1 less active/ recent convert(LARC).

Wednesday, we spent the afternoon in Eloy (worse than Empire). We got a member to go with us and we taught 3 member present lessons, 1 LARC, and 1 other lesson(no member present.) After dinner we went back to Arizona City and we had Ellie come with us. She is a laurel, she is 17 and getting ready for her mission, she has been great. Our ward is mostly made up of old people so getting members is kind of tough, but Ellie gets done with school at 4, so she is mostly free for the rest of the night and she loves coming out with us.  While we had Ellie, we had another 1 LARC and 1 member present.

Thursday we had 2 LARCs and 2 Member present lessons. 

Friday we went back to this (Less active/part member) lady's house and taught her and her son (9) and her nephew (11) the restoration and the 2 little boys wanted to be baptized, and we got 2 member present lessons that night.  Saturday we taught 6 member present lessons, and 2 LARCs. When we went back to the house with the little boys, there was another cousin there, and we were teaching the plan of salvation, and when we were finishing, Ramone (also 9) asked what do i need to do to go to the sun? he asked us if he could be baptized. By Saturday night, we had reached the standard of excellence on all accounts, but Sunday was going to be make it or break it, we needed to get 6 investigators there. We called everyone, we thought we could get 4 people there for sure, but then... 

Sunday morning came and only Ramone (9) and Christopher(9) showed up.  It was pretty disappointing. Not even our 2 investigators who were fully committed showed up, we only had 2 at church.  Then the miracles came.  After sacrament, a member came up and told us about this family that she met who wanted to come to church with her and how they showed up for sacrament (now we were at 4), then the young women's president told us that Arnice and Astrith (2 longtime investigators) had showed up too (that's 6) and then this part member family came (3 nonmembers) and we ended up having 9 investigators at church. 7 of them showed up out of no where. So, we hit the standard on every count and excelled in almost all of them. 

My testimony of the power of prayer has been strengthened and I have gained a testimony of setting goals in faith. I can now say that I know that if we set our goals in faith and strive to be exactly obedient and to be the most diligent missionaries, then the miracles will come.

Love you so much

Sister Raynor

Week 13 Philippines

TO lahat kayo!

Kumusta po kayo!  This week has been interesting- but most weeks are interesting here in the Philippines.  So on Tuesday, I was actually sick.  I don't like being sick on the mission.  Because 1.) I'm in the Philippines and 2.) Its boring and 3.) I'm in the Philippines.  Someone gave us this cheese stuff- they don't have real dairy cheese here and so none of the cheese needs to be refrigerated-- and I got super sick.  I could not stop vomiting.  So we stayed in for an hour of proselyting time and then we went out.  By the time we got to the our first appointment, I had already thrown up twice in front of the branch members working with us.  So we decided to go home.  The nanay (mother) that we were working with told me to drink some hot water or tea and it will settle my stomach.  She then gave me some herbal tea.  When I got home, I made and drank the tea.  As I was drinking the last of it, I read the back of it.  Yep, it was a laxative tea.  So I was super sick that day.  (I don't know if that is appropriate to talk about--I no longer have any personal boundaries).  Then on Sunday I found out that she knew exactly what kind of tea it was.  I was SO mad.  On Wednesday, we had leadership training in Olongapo.  Then nothing exciting really happened until Sunday when we had two baptisms. I baptized my first family yesterday. Michelle and Jason Moyo. Jason, the dad, looked over when he saw his wife in white holding their 3 month old and started tearing up.  I said kumusta po kayo (how are you) and he said masaya(happy) and then I said Jason, your family is going to be together forever.  He broke down crying  and said alam ko na (I know that). So cool. They are so excited to go to the temple next year.  I'm so proud of them.  They are incredible.  I will add pictures of them at the bottom.  I love you all.  I hope that everyone is doing well.   Mahal kita.  Cubo.  Love Sister Raynor

This picture is me on this old bridge that is over a mote that leads to a drug lord's house.  Super pretty with the water lilies though.

An investigator's house.

A sign written by a Filipino trying to use English.

Michelle and Jason at their baptism.

Michelle and Jason's baptism--Elder Flores, Sister Pizon, Michelle, Jason, me, Elder Christensen

my first family