"Be not afraid...only BELIEVE"....

Hellooooo!

This week was good!  I LOVE sister Montenegro and our super cool Kabahi's Sister Miller & Sister Bonediano.  Monday we had FHE (family home evening) with some members and investigators.  After we tried balut ....not going to lie, probably the grossest thing I have ever eaten, but it was pretty hilarious!  Tuesday, we had a great district meeting!  And learned about how to better recognize the Holy Ghost in our lives. Which is so important for us to recognize the promptings Father gives us through the spirit.  We went to our far area with our branch president and his beautiful wife on Wednesday.  It's about an hour from Baguio, it is beautiful.  Friday we went to new missionary training and it was great.  We learned about KFC..."Keep Father's Commandments"...and, we also feasted on KFC so it was pretty great.  Towards the end of the week, I lost my voice but I was so proud and impressed with Sister Montenegro for opening her mouth and teaching (sa tagalog) when I could not.  My favorite quote of the week comes from "The Mortal Christ" talk given by Jack R. Christianson (look it up)....

"Be not afraid...only Believe.

To those whom God calls, He qualifies...."

 

"The Mortal Christ"

Popular speaker Jack R. Christianson is back

with his warm stories, personal experiences,

and inspiring insights that will bring you closer to the Savior.

Drawing on examples and teachings of Christ's

mortal ministry, brother Christianson explains

the importance of getting to know Him.

He teaches that we, like Christ,

should seek to please the Father,

help others live, and follow

the promptings of the still, small voice.

The Mortal Christ will motivate and inspire you

to strengthen your relationship with Deity,

and help you to enjoy the blessings of the gospel more fully.

 

I LOVE YOU!

Sister Jenkins

 

 

A Filipino delicacy, balut, is a culinary fascination a

round the world.  18-day-old fertilized duck egg!



Joy of laboring in His vineyard....

This week has been AMAZING!

The first half of the week, I was with Sister Antenorcruz in Mangaldan.  We were pretty sure she was transferring because she has been in this zone since December.  Sister Antenorcruz was pretty much packed by the time transfer awareness came.  Wednesday, we found out I was actually being transferred which meant I would be training in an open area!  I was super excited.  I know Heavenly Father is so aware of us and has great things in store for us!  So, Wednesday night after attending the farewell party for Sister Santo's, I got all packed and Thursday morning I headed to Urdaneta to meet my anak! 

My heart was pounding the whole way there! 

 

What would she be like? 

 

Filipino or foreigner? 

 

Where would be our new area?

 

When I got there, I introduced myself to each of them!  There were two Filipinos, two Poly and three Americans (which as kind of cool because there are only three American sister missionaries right now).  We headed into the meeting and President Deyro started calling companions and areas...and, slowly by slowly the two Filipinos were called, one Poly, two Americans and it was me and another trainer plus American and Poly trainees left.  Then a few seconds later, it was just me and the American sister left!  I jumped up and gave her a MASSIVE HUG (hopefully, I didn't freak her out too much...hahaha).  Her name is Sister Montenegro, she is from Las Vegas and I seriously love her so much!  We look and kind of talk similar so we have been asked if we are related a few times.  Hahaha

 

Our area is the wonderful Binalonan Branch and our zone is Urdaneta North.  This has been an Elders only zone, so we are the first sister missionaries there!  We are way excited!  We have had to seriously deep clean our "celestial" apartment out, we love it!  The branch leaders and President are great and have been working with us, helping us get familiar with our area and we had FHE (family home evening) & met tons of members.  Sunday we had dinner with a family and we got some new names to contact. 

 

I am so grateful for the trust the Lord has put in us to help strengthen this branch!  I love my Sister Montenegro.  I am excited for this transfer and the hard work ahead of us, all the awesome memories we will create and the joy of laboring in His vineyard! 

 

Love to all!

Sister Jenkins

Binalonan Branch President, his wife and family and me & Sister Montenegro!

 

Loving our new area and my new companion!

One of my last days with Sister Antenorcruz.



HIS hand in my life....

First, I would like to give a huge shout out to my beautiful sister and her wonderful husband on the birth of their sweet little baby girl, Indie Pearl.  I am so excited for you and your cute little family! 

So, this week was packed.  I have had some very humbling experiences.  It amazes me how each week I feel myself coming unto Him and truly coming to see His plan for me and His hand in my life & my mission.  This week started with me finding out my sister had her little girl!  Lots of emotions flooded in my heart & mind after hearing the news, but I remembered the words of a friend who had once encouraged me to focus on my mission.  There is no going back to the way things were before my mission.  There has been so much growth in me since the time I first read the words to now.  I know that far better things lie ahead in the plan that the Master Teacher has for me.  Truly loving my mission has been the first step for me to really understand the importance of living in the here and now, not dwelling of the past or wishing for the future! 

Continuing with my week...

Wednesday, I received a call from the Assistant to our Mission President and received the word that I have been called to be a trainer.  I feel so humbled by the trust the Lord has placed in me to help train one of His precious daughters.  I am eager and hear there are lots of American sisters coming, so I am just trying hard to get ready for whatever happens on Thursday.  I look forward to meeting my anak!  Thursday, we met with our new Mission  President, President Deyro and his wife.  I love them and am grateful for them!  Friday, we had "train the trainers" in Urdaneta...it was fun to reflect on my own 12-week training and all of the wonderful & key things Sister Navarro taught me!  Sunday was great.  We had a very effective MCM which was great! 

So, I'll leave you with a funny story!  For those of you who don't know me, I am terrified of spiders...to the point that I can't even protect myself to kill them.  So, Sunday night I go to grab a letter from a box next to my desk and BAM....I see a HUGE spider leg jumping onto my desk.  I am crying...Sister Antenorcruz is beating the spider to death with a stick.  Let me tell you, it was the biggest spider I have ever seen.  HUGE!!!  It was unreal!!!

Love to all,
Sister Jenkins

Mom Notes....I asked Sister Jenkins a couple questions and thought I'd share her responses to give you a better glimpse into her life as a missionary.

• It's the rainy season here...I haven't seen the sun in over a week.  (We know Sister Jenkins loves the rain so I'm sure she is in heaven.)
• We are sharing the gospel with six wonderful Filipinos:  2 are in their late teens, a sweet couple and an amazing lady who is probably 30 years old. 
• I love our new Mission President & his wife!!!
• My zone is "14 brgy" which is like if you did the loop up Orchard Avenue to 10th Avenue then back maybe 2 or 3 times.  We walk a ton!  Most everyone in our zone farms or works in the fields. ----  Okay, so I had to google "brgy" to see what Sister Jenkins was referring to...."A barangay (brgy or bgy) is formally called a barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward."  When the first Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, they found well-organized independent villages called barangays.  The first barangays started as relatively small communities of around 50 to 100 families.  By the time of contact with Spaniards, many barangays have developed into large communities."  INTERESTING.

Enjoying some fresh corn...



A walk with my friends...

Always a good day to see Sister Smith!!!




Not my hand or our spider, but its identical twin...HUGE!!!

 

Thanks Bo...Go Chukars Baseball!!!

 

And, then Sister Jenkins sent this sweet photo & message to her Kendel...she writes, "...The pictures are beautiful!  I have a three photo picture frame I bought last week with pics of you and Indie in it....I cry too!  haha  Just sitting there staring at it, but I am overwhelmed at what an amazing Mom I know you are!  I got to take baby pictures for one of our investigators, she had her baby and the day after we went to their house & I saw her baby and we taught them about the gospel!  I realized their cinderblock walls were bare with no pictures, so I asked her if I could take  a couple pictures and print some photos of him and she was overwhelmed with gratitude.  It was so sweet!  I love you!" 

 

Sweet Filipino baby boy...

I am an AUNT

WOW!

 

This week was good! 

Crazy how Ken had her baby!

I'm bawling in the internet shop right now...hahaha....

ahhhh, I am dying. 

Literally, she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! 

I am so proud of Kendel and am anxious to return AFTER I do His will. 

She is "sobrang mataba"...hahaha....fat & chunky.

I bet Blake is so happy! 

She is the perfect mixture of both of them! 



I am an AUNT....

It's hard...

kind of a weird sensation,

a mix of heart break and mending! hahaha

Mom note:  I love this girl...I pray her heart will mend quickly!!!

I felt like it was happening because this week I have been totally in love with it here and everything has felt good! And when you feel at peace, us missionaries kind of learn that usually some refining moment is headed your way;)

Its been raining constantly and hasn't stopped for 38 hours.  It is starting to flood, so I'm going to do some retail therapy later and buy some rain boots.  

Suddenly, nothing seems too eventful about my week. 

Wow...wow...WOW!!! 

Flooding fields

 

I love you all!!!

Sister Jenkins