GREAT NEWS!! :D

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!:D So, I have found somebody here in the Philippines and I have decided to end my mission early. Mom, don't be mad! I promise you will like him. He is so great. He is tall, nice, sweet, and temple worthy. So it works, diba? He served his mission here in Urdaneta, he actually just got home last December pero he decided to come back and visit the members here. I met him last month and things just clicked. HAAA! JOKE LANG!:) I doubt you believed me anyways. I just did that to freak my mom out because she said before I left not to find a Philipino and not come home haha. So yeah, anyways. My week has been pretty stressful. Actually, VERY stressful. My area was split last Sunday and I just got a new companion last last Friday so she wasn't familiar with the area yet...actually she still isn't haha but thats ok we are learning together. So anywho, because of the split we lost a lot of our progressing investigators. So this week we had to a lot of finding and preaching by the way. Thursday we didn't go out because a little incident happened between my companion and another sister in the other apartment and there was crying and depressions and what not. It was difficult. And then my companion and I had a little spat on Friday so we didn't go out until about 5. We were both just super stressed about the area and the other sisters and yeah. So we went out and had the most SPIRITUAL lesson that we have ever taught in the entire time we have been on our missions. We taught our progressing investigator Raymond Dela Pena. He is 23 and he is just so magalin! He is the kind of investigator that once he is converted he will be converted forever. Nothing will change his mind or anything. We began teaching the 10 commandments and got to number 4 (keep the Sabbath day holy) and one of his hidden concerns came out. He was really doubting Gods love for him because 2 years ago he was in a tricycle accident and badly injured his leg and now he can't walk very well. It was so spiritual testifying of Gods unconditional love for him, my companion and I cried. A LOT haha. So yeah that was my spiritual event for the week and now my time is up so I will talk to you all next week. I love you, have a wonderful week!!:) Mahal KITA! -Sister Ramsey:)

Slow Week/Transfer Week 3/2/14

Sige, so I don't have a lot of time to write but I just want to share my week really fast. We had transfers this week so therefor we really didn't teach much because my companion got transferred and she wanted to say goodbye to everybody. So she got transferred on Friday and I got a new companion. Her name is Sister Marivic Alvarez. She has been on her mission for almost 9 months now and she goes home next January! She is so great and so nice. I absolutely love her!:) We get along so well. Pero, I knew her when I first came to Villasis because she was in Villasis A with Sister Navarathna and then she got transferred to Carmen and now she is back in Villasis with me:) It is great. So yeah that is my short week! Love you all, have a great week! Bye!:) -Sister Ramsey

Baptism...for real this time! 2/24/14

OMG! We had a baptism this week on Friday! It was the best baptism that I have ever been too. Talaga! The Sister that was baptized (Sister Racquel Obando) has such a strong testimony of the restored Gospel and I know that she was prepared by the Lord to hear our message. I know that she was definitely ready to be baptized and that she felt the spirit there for sure:) It was such a great experience! After the baptism we had FHE at her house and it was so much fun. The other 4 sisters came with us so we had a lot of people for games which is always fun:) I love my area here in Villasis! The ward is finally starting to warm up to me and I can understand a lot of what they say so its not 'as' difficult talking to them haha...it has taken almost 3 months, but better late than never, diba? Haha. Anyways, on the not so plus side...my memory card for my camera broke...therefore, all pictures of the last 4 months...gone:( Which totally stinks, pero what can I do? Nothing haha, so I am just stealing pics from my comp:) She is great, I love her. It might have been hard at first but now we are doing good, and transfers are on Friday so we will find out on Wednesday what is happening there. I really hope I don't get transferred, which I don't think I will, I am pretty sure that I am going to lead the area. But, who knows, it is a possibility;) Anyways, today we went on a super long hike up a super big mountain and I got a little sun on my cheeks and my neck. I am so happy because now it will tan and I will start blending in a little better here;) haha joke lang, pero totoo;) That is why I am on kind of late and I missed emailing with you (MOM:() But we had a lot of fun! And Elder in our zone, actually our zone leader, is going home tomorrow so we had a little going away party for him as well. So, yeah that has been my week haha. I would send pics pero hindi pwede lol. I love you and I hope you have a great week! Talk to you next week! Ingat ka lagi:) -Sister Ramsey

Baptism! :) 2/16/14

Well, we didn't have a baptism this week, but...WE HAVE ONE ON FRIDAY!:) I am sooo excited because she is definitely one of our "Golden" investigators. She is so magaling in everything and she is so excited to be baptized. Last Friday the other sisters had a baptism and we attended and brought her with us and she asked "Can I get baptized now", I was so shocked but so excited haha. She can't wait for her baptism. Her daughter is getting baptized too, she is 8. Sister Gonzales and I have a lot planned for the baptism. I am singing a duet with a member in our ward, I think we are going to sing come though fount. It is going to be sooo good, he has such a good voice! And we are decorating...we are literally going all out:) Sobrang excited ako! Haha. Next week is transfers and we are pretty confident that I am staying here in Villasis and Sister Gonzales is going to be transferred. Either one though I will be ok with:) Although I do love this area, and the members are just now starting to get more active in helping us! So a part of me really hopes that I don't get transferred haha;) Yesterday we had stake conference! I got to see Kimberly and we took pictures together, I have missed her so much! She keeps me updated on stuff back home haha. I just love her:) We had a nice conversation during conference haha. It was so nice getting to see her. I also got to see my MTC companion Sister Shaw whom I have missed A TON! Thank goodness we are in the same stake because if we weren't able to see each other every once in a while it would be so hard. We really do boost each other. I can't believe that on the 28th I will be done with my training and on the 23rd I will be 4 months into my mission already...wow the time really does fly! I can't believe it. I am so blessed to be here though. I know that this is where I am suppose to be and that there are people here waiting to hear the message that I have to share with them. I absolutely love it here. I don't want to leave haha. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

 Love you<3 Mahal Kita!

 -Sister Ramsey 

1: Our investigators that are going to be getting baptized on the 21st:) Sister Raquel Obando and her daughter Zoe Jean 

2: Kimberly and me!!:) 

3: FHE at the Mencias families house:) Brother Willie is the one I will be singing with at the baptism.

This Week...2/9/14

Kumusta everybody! Well, for this week, it has been kind of slow. The best part was on Friday! The other two companionships in this area had baptisms. One of the companionships had a girl who is 21 get baptized and the other sisters had a man age 92 get baptized. Yes...I said 92! He told the Sisters that he didn't want to get baptized until he knew for sure that that was the right thing for him to do, and then when he finally realized that it was the right thing for him to do he said he would only do it if he could get baptized on Friday haha. He is such a sweetheart. He speaks pretty good English and he told me Friday after his baptism when we went to his house for FHE that when I get done with my mission and I need a house to be made that him and his son would build me a house in the states free of charge haha. He's so nice! We are going to his mango farm today during P-Day just to chill and enjoy some nice fresh mangoes;) (Be jealous mom;)) haha. I am pretty excited! And then on Saturday we had an activity at the church..we had a movie night. Pero, Sister Gonzales and I were the only one who had an investigator show up:/ It was all the missionaries and then our investigator and his two younger cousins...I felt so bad because they were like all alone kind of. But, the movie we watched was really good! We watched Joseph of Egypt and it was just really good. He is progressing so well in the Gospel, he came to church yesterday and he is keeping his commitments! We are planning on extending an IBD to him this week!:) I am excited! So yeah that has been my not so exciting but very spiritual week!:) Talk to you all next week I hope!:) and I will send pics next weet too!:) -Sister Ramsey

February Already...holy cow! 2/2/14

So I decided that since I usually don't write a lot here that I would bring my journal with me so I can remember the week so I can make these emails a little longer haha. And surprisingly I have written in my journal every single day since entering the MTC...awesome right! Anyways, lets start with Tuesday:) So, Tuesday my companion and I visited a bunch of our less active members in our area (Puelay). And one of our "Golden Investigators" as well. His name is Julie. He is 16 years old and he lives with a less active family here in Puelay. He is so good! He reads the scriptures every day and when he finishes his assignment that we give him he continues to read something else in the BOM. I am excited for him. I really think he will be baptized:) Wednesday we visited our far area...Labit. I love the drive to Labit because we get to pass all the beautiful rice fields and I get to see the rice grow more and more every week. Just like the faith of our investigators:) Its a beautiful thing! We also had Zone training which went really good. The ZL's and the STL's taught the importance of 15 minute member visits. Anyways, back to our time in Labit. We taught Bro. Wilfredo but he was sick so he wasn't able to come with us and be our member present which is ok because he needed to get rest to feel better. That day we had FHE at our IBD's house. The Obando Family. I LOVE THEM! They are just so great and the funniest family I have met here. They are so sweet and kind and so welcoming. They are so ready to be baptized. They are getting baptized on the 22nd of this month. I am so excited!:) Thursday, not much happened. We taught some less actives in Baracca and then went to the Ancheta family and taught them the Plan of Salvation. Bro. Julie's dad joined into the lesson and so now we get to teach the both of them. We are really excited about that. He had some really good questions about the Plan of Salvation so we are excited to share our knowledge with him:) Friday we went to Labit again and Bro. Wilfredo was able to work with us. It was pretty much the same routine as Wednesday except no FHE haha. Saturday was a fun day! At 4 o'clock we had an activity at the Church (which we are going to do every Saturday at 4...have an activity at the Church) we played a bunch of outside games. It was fun! We played basketball, bad mitten, and some other games. Our investigator Julie and his cousin/member Angeline and Janloid came to the activity. I think they had a fun time...especially beating me at bad mitten haha. Sunday, we had church and then we taught a BUNCH of less actives. It was a pretty tiring day but very productive. None of our investigators came to church though:( So that was a bummer, but a lot of our less actives came to church which was a plus:) haha. So yeah, that was my short and sweet weekly overview:) Have a wonderful week and I will talk to you next week!:) Mahal Kita! -Sister Ramsey

Such a Good Week! 1/26/14

Kumusta everybody!:) Oh my goodness this week has been sobrang mabuti! We taught a total of 29 lessons this week which is the most that we have taught since I have been here. But, it has been like the best week I have had since being here. It literally flew by. Like I feel like yesterday was P-day haha. This week we found 7 new investigators and extended two IBD's. One of our new investigators came to Church on Sunday his name is Julie, he is 16 years old and he is living with an inactive member family. He was taught by the missionaries before pero he moved so he wasn't able to get baptized or finish the lessons. So I am really excited to teach him and his Grandma Sister Clarita Ancheta. She has been listening in on lessons that we have taught to the inactive members but she told us that she wasn't ready to have the lessons for herself and that she would let us know when she was ready. Well, she is ready now:) I am so excited for them!:) Then we have an IBD set for a family on February 22nd and I am SO EXCITED for them. They are so ready to be baptized and they are progressing so well:) Brother always has such great questions and concerns:) It's great! And our other IBD is set for March 8th and he came to church this Sunday as did the other family! I am so happy. This week has just been great. And our investigators are like all keeping their commitments and everything. It is great. I don't know what more to say other than it was a great week haha. 

All together we had 5 investigators come to church yesterday. Thats the most we have had since I have been here. I am so glad and lucky to be on a mission. This is the best decision I have ever made in my entire life! I can see the miracles that the Lord is performing through me and my companion every day we serve him. It is a blessing that is for sure. I know that this is the work of the Lord and that I have been called to share his true Gospel to the people here in the Philippines. I am so privileged to be a representative of Christ and to be an instrument in his hands. I love the work of the Lord. I can't express it enough. I hope you all have a wonderful week and I hope to hear from you next week. Mahal Kita at Ingat ka lagi! -Sister Ramsey Pictures!

1:Me and the chair with a face:) 

2: Me and a water buffalo (For Justin:)) 

3: Me and a nice mango tree (For Mommy:)) 

4: Sister G and I in a tryke...yeah you can't see much haha.

5: My iguana friend Enrique:) 

6: Our wonderful free filtered water stand:) 

7: The Talong festival...which is a festival for eggplant. 

8: And last but not least...the gay pageant. There are sooo many of these and the participants actually look like girls. And they are so pretty! It is so weird and crazy. Just thought I would share that with you haha:)