October 13th

Well wow another week went by way way way fast. I am having a lot of fun and really enjoying my mission. The weeks are already just cruising by. It was so weird before General Conference they shows temple square and some trees. I could have swore that they had snow or frost on them already! Is it really getting that cold??? It just looked so weird to see temple square on the screen in the Fall! It still should be summer right! Well this week I think you would like to know that I got cold! Ya like shivering cold! It has rained a bunch they say it is from the Typhoon that hit Japan. We road in the back of a truck to an area way far away and just sitting in there so wet made me really cold. Everyone tells you that you won't get cold in the Philippines. I don't know if I am just a wimp or what but it was weird. I went back home and saw the temperature and it said something like 72 degrees. But I bought hot chocolate mix and totally had hot chocolate in the Philippines! Did not expect that but man did it feel good!

Alright well this week was amazing like always I really have enjoyed everyday of my mission and just really look forward to the exciting things that are ahead! I love where I am right now. I love my companion and the other two elders that we live with! We all just have so much fun together. This morning we got a pull up bar welded and bought some concrete and built us a little pull up bar for our apartment. Just little fun stuff like that makes the mission that much more fun! I have a great relationship with my comp! That really helps I want to try to have this for all of my companions if that is possible!

Well anyway teaching this week was awesome. I have built a great relationship with a part member family. The husband is a member but less active. Yesterday we taught about missionary work and we invited him to come work with us and come help us with our lessons because we need help with the language. That got him so so so excited it was way cool! He helped the missionaries before when he was younger he is about 26. Having him come and share his testimony will help him so much and help him come back to church and to get his wife baptized. She wants to but they can't get married because the boyfriend Irvin lost his birth certificate! So ya. But I am way excited to see how having him come and work with us will help him and his girlfriend! Sharing the gospel is one of the best ways to strengthen your own testimony. So I am way excited to see how this helps! Alfredo came to General Conference all the way in Kalibo. So that was awesome but I didn't know that it was going to be all in English. Ya General Conference here was 100% English which Alfreado really doesn't know English so I was a bit worried but I think it turned out alright. I don't think he understood the message but I am sure that he could feel the spirit of the speakers! I found out that he smokes. So tomorrow I am going to try to get him to stop!!!! Lets see how that goes!!!! I am way excited to try!!!

Wow General Conference what an amazing opportunity we have twice a year to listen to it!  And what a difference it makes when you really pay attention and take notes! It was packed with great messages. My favorite was probably President Uchtdorf. When he talked about how when Christ told his disciples that someone would betray them. They automatically asked. "Lord is it I?" How awesome is that? That would not be the first words that would come into my head. I would think about someone else. Not me. Never would it be me. But how cool is it if before we looked to think about others. We first turned in and made sure we were all good first! That takes humility! I am sure when we think of someone humble we have two or three people that automatically stick out! Man those kind of people are special! Well I am getting a little bit faster at typing so I can write a little bit more! But thank you all for your support and letters. I feel so so so blessed to be born in such a loving home surrounded by such amazing people in the great city of West Point (Zion). I have learned on my mission to really be thankful for challenges and even started praying for challenges. Because they are really worth a lot. They really help you grow and learn so fast! I am thankful for my challenges! Right now it is still a challenge everyday with me and my comps Tagalog. We just get out of our apartment not really sure what is going to happen or how we are going to teach. We just trust in our Heavenly Father and somehow it always works! It is amazing! I love you all and wish you all the best. Be safe and keep working hard! I love you all!!!!

Love,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne