December 1st

Christmas came early this year!!

Well it is December!!! Christmas season! How crazy is that? I got a sweet surprise one day when I came home. Elder Christensen and Elder Swan put my packages that my parents sent under our Christmas tree. So when I got home and I was exhausted it was way sweet to open some early Christmas presents! Thank you family!!!!

Well this week was great we got more new investigators going to church so we have a good pool of all new investigators. We were really busy because the sisters had to move apartments so we got to help them with that. I was also able to baptize Helen. She lives in Kalibo so that was really cool. She is awesome and was way way excited.

Something pretty sweet happened yesterday. It will be a little hard to explain but I will try my best! Well anyway we decided to go visit a girl named Unna. She was an investigator before and the members said it would be good to visit her. Anyway when we asked around for her people took us in to a house which was so so dark and nothing in it but a suitcase. And then we saw this 30 year old girl in the corner crying. I am not going to lie. It was really scary at first. Anyway we tried talking to her and told her we were missionaries. She still was crying pretty bad but we got her up and she was like how did you know it was my birthday??? This is a true story. She was way way sad and depressed. We had no idea it was her birthday. But Heavenly Father knew and I believe he sent us to her because he cares for each one of his children. He loves every one and does special things for all of us to show his love. I was hit so hard with the feeling that wow He cares about a 30 year old girl who was having a rough time. I felt the love that He had for her. It was an amazing experience. The girl was feeling pretty hopeless but she felt like Heavenly Father knew her and knew her situation. Wow ......it was amazing. I hope i explained it OK. But I know that Heavenly Father cares about even the little thing in our lives and does little things that some might not notice as miracles but they are just to let them know. Hey I am here, I know you, and I care about you. I felt that so strong yesterday!

Well I got to roll out. We are going to have a sweet feast tonight with all the missionaries in the zone! So I am way excited about that. Its going to be way fun. Well I feel great here. I am staying healthy and trying everyday to get better at the language and teaching. I still have a lot to learn but I don't really feel new anymore so that's great! But thanks for all of your letters I love you all so much. My family is amazing that's all I can say. It sounds like you took full advantage of the Cabin and snow! Keep it up!!!! I love you all! And hope you have a great week:)

Love,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne

Live crabs some lady gave us

Helen Escolada

November 24th

Hello!!! Wow I cant believe it has been a week since the last time I emailed you guys! Every day is way fast and every week is even faster! Its been a great one full of great experiences. I have been really really healthy this week and ate more vegetables than I ever have in my life. I also ate dog this week! Ya I am still not sure what to think about that. And I am not sure what to think about how good it tasted. Well I had to do it for the experience. Eating dog isn't very popular here. So ya that was last week for a family home evening at a members house! So ya that happened.

Yesterday was really cool we met a nice lady Betty Ramos and a member told us we should meet her friend that is less active. and that she would meet us to go to her house. I felt like we should teach one more lesson and be a little late to meet the member. I am not sure why I was kinda regretting the decision because I didn't want to make the member wait but I had about 20 min and I didn't want to waste 20 min to wait for the member. So anyway after a great lesson we met the member about a half an hour late and she was a little mad. But anyway we met this girl who knew the missionaries where she lived before and was so happy that we came to her house. She just barley got home and said you are way lucky because I came home a little late today and if you guys would have came a couple of min earlier she wouldn't have been here. So she was so excited and kept saying this is perfect timing for her!!! So I just felt like we were in the right place at the right time which is a good feeling and makes me feel like I am doing something right. Anyway we are having a few people come to church now. We had Maracel, Alfredo, Harvey and Jean. So its way cool to see. We are getting more busy every day its great. Everyday just goes by so fast we don't have enough time in a day really!!! And the houses are so far away from each other it kinda takes a while to go from appointment to appointment. But is so sweet i didn't know how much I would love walking in the sun. But after it rains for a while I love those long walks in the hot sun. I just soak it in. It is not as hot here as I thought either. Its pretty nice. I thinks its different because I am on the beach and we have a nice breeze. But the weather is so nice!

 To answer all of your questions the language is pretty good. I still have to pray for help everyday but I am way happy its the coolest things when you talk to them and they just respond with no problem and are way excited that you know Tagalog. Its the best feeling in the world. I am not fluent that's for sure there are always times in lessons where I would be like this would be perfect if I could say this in Tagalog. But my comp is way good and helps me a ton. We get along great too. So ya everything is great. I remember a song I think its off of some old show. But it goes like " O what a beautiful morning o what a beautiful day. I got a good kind of feeling everything is going my way" I love singing that every morning and just gets me ready for another great day where everything just goes my way even if it doesn't:)

Well gotta give a shout out to EASTY!!!! o man what a stud he is was sweet and I miss him a ton! I hope you had a great day! 10 years old that is way crazy! Well Family I love you all so so so much and hope you are having a great holiday season. Our apartment is all ready for Christmas and we have been listening to Christmas music for a month now!!! So I feel great and I love everyday. I am not just saying that either. I really am loving it here. There is nothing like this in the world. I love it just so much! Thanks for all of your letters its way nice to still feel close to you all. I have the best family in the world!!! I am so proud of all of you and so excited to hear from you every week! Even though I miss you I love it here and this is what I want to do!!!!

Love,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne

November 17th

Wow another week has gone by so so fast. Time is so different now. I don't know where it goes. Well before I start I got to give the best mom in the world a giant shout out and mix it in with spiritual thought for the week! Happy birthday momma!!!! I was thinking about how perfect my parents are this week and how they never really told me what I had to do but just gave me an example and then showed that they trusted me. I loved that feeling and always felt lucky to have great parents but now being on a mission I have really realized how amazing they were! So like our Heavenly Father he has given us an example to follow. Jesus Christ! And he too has shows us and puts tons of trust in us! This week I was trying to ask Him for what I should do. I wanted Him to show me what I needed to do. I didn't really receive anything but I just felt like he was saying. You know what Elder Craythorne? You know what you are doing. I trust you! It felt great. Not like he abandoned me but just a great feeling that he trusts me! It just made me think of how my parents were the same way! I love them so much. I hope you all spoiled mom to death cuz she deserves it!! I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Alight well this week has been the most exhausting week of my mission. We have really done some searching for people kind of really far our there. So we did a lot walking and I mean a lot of walking. We found some really sweet places with some really sweet people. The only problem is they are so far away from the church!!! Well I paddled my way to Pinamukan this week! Ya just a little boat. We went for a service project and there were no other boats. So ya that was way sweet! We had a new investigator come to church this week. Arvey Tolintino! Its always way sweet when they show a leap of faith and come to church. We have only taught him once and just met him this week. So we are excited for him. He is a real thinker and really wants to learn more! Alfredo got really sick this week. But we went to his house and gave him a priesthood blessing. His wife who is blind. Had no food because her husband was really sick. It was so sad! But we were able to cook her some food. But yesterday Alfredo was feeling a lot better and felt like the Priesthood really helped him! So that's way cool!!!

Well the computer shop today is super super slow so I can't really go into a lot detail about my week. But hopefully you can get the gist of it and if you listen to the voice recordings you can get a better idea. This week I can say that we worked really hard and gave it our all!!! I am proud to say that. So ya I am still loving everyday! And can not believe how fast it is going by! I love being a missionary and has so much more to say but just can't type them! The mission is awesome! I love everyday! I love you all so so so much and hope everything is going well at home and you aren't getting too cold! It doesn't look like November here that is for sure! Well Thanks for all of your letters and examples!!! Until next week!!!

Love,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne

November 10th

What its November?? Where is the time going? I hear it is snowing at home!
I am not going to lie it is weird to not have much change is the weather.
It feels like perfect summer all the time! It does not feel like November!
I cannot believe how fast this has gone. It seems like I was just in high
school! Well I am getting forced to really grow fast here. I love it thechallenges just keep coming. And you know what?? Bring them on I am ready
for them.

So right now I am training a brand new missionary. His name isElder Cruz and he lives around Manilla! So he is perfect at Tagalog!!!

Yay!!! He has already taught me so much. Because he just speaks to me in

Tagalog all day and if I don't understand he is good enough at English to
explain what he means! Its way sweet and going to helped me a ton!!! He is
way prepared to be a missionary and is a dang good teacher. The best
teacher that I have had yet as a comp. And he is brand new!! Its awesome!
Now we can really clarify what we are teaching. Because last transfer it
was a really big challenge and we had a limit to the language but now we
don't!!! YESSSS!!! But he is just like me when it comes to Aklanon. So at
least he understands what I feel like!

Well this week was pretty crazy. I had to head down on Tuesday to the
mission home for a Trainers meeting. Which that is a pretty good bus ride
right down the middle of the island on a dirt road! It took a long time and
then I picked up my new Comp on Thursday and we did the bus ride to the
other side of the island again. A perk of being on of the farthest areas
from Iloilo!

Since now I am the District Leader I get to do interviews for the baptisms
of the missionaries in my district. So On Saturday I got to interview a
whole family of 6! The Marcelo family. It was so cool and they are amazing
and so ready to be baptized. Each one was such a spiritual experience. And
I just feel so good that I can communicate with them! I love it. So this
week I was not really home to much but I am way excited to spend all week
this week in my area and strengthening it! Alfredo is now done with coffee
and Cigarettes. Cool right? Its way sweet to see the difference in his life
and how happy he is now!

Yesterday we had about 10 members who wanted to go to all of our lessons
and help us it was way sweet but just a little overwhelming  cuz there was
so many and not a lot of houses are built for that many people but it was
still way cool and they are really helpful. That is why the Philipino
missionaries are so prepared because they work with the missionaries so
much at home!!! Well another crazy week has gone by and I am loving
everyday!!! This is such a sweet thing that we get to do! Missions are
awesome. I love it so much! I love you all and hope all is going well in
America!!!

Love,
Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne

Elder Kei 

First Family I Interviewed for Baptism

November 3rd

Talon's Last Area

Wow another very fast week. I will start with kinda the bummer part of the week. So someone our house owner has been switching our water bill with another one. So we have been paying for someone else water. And I guess the other house hasn't been paying for ours. Because on Thursday during my shower. Our water got shut off. And it still has not been turned back on yet. I had no idea how much I rely on running water. We now just go to one of our neighbors to fill up buckets. I am way lucky to have running water. I remember just complaining all day Thursday and then when I went and talked to some people about how hard their lives are I felt terrible about feeling bad for myself because their lives are way tough and most of them have never had running water their whole life. It just smacked me in the face how much we have. And I feel bad for myself when we don't have water for a week. I still got it way easy compared to the people that I meet. They have taught me a huge lesson.

Well at the beginning of the week while my comp was in Iloilo I was in Banga which was Talons last area. Pretty sweet that we have worked in the same area. People always talk about how good he was at the language. I am way proud to say that si Elder Adams ay ang pinsan ko.

An update with Alfredo. Is he has been off cigarettes for two weeks now which is way fast. Pretty much ever since we taught him about the word of wisdom he dropped his habit. Its awesome. But for some reason coffee is way harder for him. He says he now knows why coffee is so bad. He is way more addicted to coffee than cigarettes. But he decided this week that he does want to get baptized. Which is AWESOME!!! And kinda crazy because we are so still really limited with our language there are times when he asks or says something and we have no idea what he is saying. But man this guy knows!! He has changed!!! Its so crazy and I know that he has been taught by the spirit and not me because there is no way that me with the very limited language I have can teach someone that good. I just always go out of that lessons just so amazed and I know that Heavenly Father has prepared him and the spirit is teaching him. That's how I know at least I am doing something right. That the spirit is working with me and I cannot describe it but man you should hear him pray!!! I am so excited for him!

So ya its way cool to be a part of this. I have learned that we really aren't the teacher. If you really want an effective lessons the spirit has to teach. That's all I rely on because I am so new and still learning the language. I  NEED the spirit. I still love where I am at and love the other missionaries. There is such a strong bond and everyone takes care of each other its way sweet!!! I love the opportunity that our Heavenly Father gives us to go and serve a mission!! There is nothing like this in the world!!!! I feel so lucky to be here and excited for all of the upcoming challenges that are ahead. I love you all so much and hope you are all doing so good. The Halloween picture this week was hilarious! You guys are awesome. Keep it up! I love you

Love,

Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne

On top of a Jeepny.  No room to ride inside the Jeepny.