Kumusta Ang Pamiliya Po at Kaibigan din,
at a Maligiyan Paskol na ( happy belated Christmas)
at a Maligiyan Bago Taon ( Happy New year too!)
Wow Christmas in the Philippines what can I say it
was Grabi! ( intense) Lots of fireworks but not half
 as many as I'm told will come to us this Thursday for
 new years eve. We we're fed well for Christmas and my
 first meals out side of the bahay ( house/apartment)
 were actually verry good. I had spaghetti first at the
 house of sister Espinosia  she is not a member but her
brother is a member of our bishopric and her two teenage
 sons were just baptised last week. They are a lovely
family and she made this amazing desert which was like a
 mango flavoured graham cracker cake thing. Then we went
down to the bad part of block 7 Were not allowed their
 past 5pm apparently but I don't see why not it looks pretty
 much the same as anywhere else to me. I guess I do get
a few more cat calls there than most. Any ways their we
 saw sister Michelle. She gave us a native desert called
 Ube . Its supposed to be a fruit and it is purple but
 it tastes more like sour cheese than anything else so
 not a favourite but I love the Casva ( banana) cake here!
 Masawrap( delicious)! Ay ways I love sister Michelle to
 death she's 26 and has the most beautiful baby girl
 Lorenza. Here life is really rough she's not accepted
by her mother in law and when we came to visit a relative
 of her's was apparently sick so we. We taught the
 plan of salvation to her and during the lesson their
 was a black out which apparently happens often here.
The lesson was great though because it was one of the
 first lessons were I really felt I was able to say what
 I wanted to say when I wanted to say it and come up
 with things on the spot. I'm starting to be able to
 translate the things that I feel inspired to say to
 people which is great! Okay My two funny things for
the week are first I have decided that here in the
 Philippines the Dogs are like rats and the rats are
 like dogs! Their are so many dogs here honestly in
some areas they are like and infestation of rats and
 then the other day while teaching a lesson in a very
 poor house a rat just unannounced dropped into my lap
 which normally would have made me scream but I did not
think at first that it was a rat . I thought it was a
 cat or a dog really it was that big! I'll have to get
 a picture later for my bragging rights, but here they
 are not a big deal the little 3 year old boy in the
family we were teaching just grabbed the rat and dumped
 him out of the door.Then the hilarious lost in
 translation moment this week with my companion. She
 asked me, "Sister Quinn May Correction to it
 po ba kayo?" So in English she said do you have a
"Correction to it"? Which I found out later meant she
 wanted an Eraser! I died laughing about that one for
at least an hour! All for this week, more to come!
 Can't wait for New Years!
Mahal Na Mahal Ko Kayo

Kumusta Po Kayo lahat!
Philippines is Maganda Na Maganda deba?
I LOVE IT HERE! The flight well lets not talk about the
flight it was nearly 32 hours of strait constant craziness
and I'd rather forget it. Highlight though was that the
gate we had in Taiwan was Hello Kitty, we thought at
first it was a hello kitty shop and then we figured
out that nope that was our gate! Grabi talaga! First
I know your all dying to know where I am even though
even when I tell you you still wouldn't know exactly
where because the Philippines is crazy and the first
thing I've learned is that no body has an exact
address here its grabi! I have been assigned to the
Tarlac 1st ward here in Tarlac City. Their are three
cities in our mission and I was really hoping to get
assigned to one so swertey talaga. My trainer Sister
Tablang is Mabait na Mabait. She's SUPER NICE enough
said! I really have felt nothing but blessed lucky
and enjoying myself since i got here, sure its a
third world country the toilet has no seat and it
feels like camping in the muggiest desert you've ever
experience but I'm loving it all! Our Bishop
(Alverez Mericado) owns a bakery and they make the most
Divine Bread! Although I'm trying to branch out I've
even tried the fish. I ate part of a maaking fish
yesterday and even tried some gill it asked a bit
like a chip. I will
try to attach some pictures hoping that my mother
can post them in here for you all to see. I really
LOVE teaching I can't say that enough . Its the time
where I know the most Tagolog and am able to say the
most so its the best. Tracting is great too so
unintimidating because usually there isn't even a door
to be slammed in your face, not that they would their
so nice the WHOLE family gathers round and yesterday
I taught about the history of the book of Mormon with
the CUTEST baby ever Pinka cute she was and sat their
right in my lap not a cry or a sound the whole time.
We've already had our ward Christmas party which was
amazing all the children got up and did a hilarious
dance to a popular pop song here " I want nobody but
you' I believe it's called. I just about died laughing
thinking Christmas nativity eat our heart out, and then
they did an egg race but with limes instead of eggs.
OH! we have had a Baptism already! Crazy hu? It was
on Friday and I got to go to the investigators house
the day before hand and teach about how to bear your
testimony good since its about the only thing i know
how to do. We baptised two teenage boys. Luis (12) and
Charles (17)Espinosa. They are amazing. Well really all
of our investigators are amazing. We are teaching a
wonderful old man Tatay Romeo who is like 70 something
and was first tracted to in 1986 abut now having come
back into contact with the missionaries he has a baptismal
date Jan 8 that he is working towards. I should probably
say something about How many insanely cute children their
are here! OH MY GOODNESS. If I get out of here without
steeling one it will literally be a miracle. These people
are so humble I really cannot say it enough. They live in
dumps along the side of the road but still have a smile
on their face constantly. Please keep this in mind
during your holiday season ( oh yea its Christmas soon),
not to be a downer or anything but just so you know
while you are upset over your burnt roast. There is a
Filipino somewhere who got a stale slice of bread and
is happy as a clam! I know that happy as the Filipino's
are the gospel of Jesus Christ can and is blessing their
lives and I desire nothing more than to continue spending
every waking breath bringing it to them. I love you ALl
Mahal Na Mahla Ko Kayo,
Sister Quinn
We spoke to Sis Quinn Christmas eve. All is well even
after her first encounter with a RAT!
Having trouble posting pictures try viewing pictures
 @ photobucket.com
 sisterashtonquinn Hope it works!If not I'll try again
 next week  Merry Christmas to all!
Sis V Quinn

We got word yesterday via the mission President that Sis Quinn
has arrived safely in the Philippines. We hope to hear of her
first days experiences very soon.

Kumusta Po Kayo Any Pamiliya ko at Kaibigan ko,
I cannot believe my time at the M.T.C has come and gone.
 It has been an amazing experience and things keep
 happening right up until the last minuet here
Halimbawa( for example) The other night at about
 midnight the fire alarm went off in the sisters dorms
 which sounds like nothing to big deal maybe a nuisance
 ( at least it was just this to me) I thought my alarm
 clock was going off at first actually and i couldn't
figure out why it wouldn't stop. Then as i grabbed on
 my pair of gym sweats which i put on backward and
stepped out the door all chaos broke out. Their were
sisters every where running screaming some even crying
 sister mains and i were literally pushed down the
stairs and out into the cold snowy winter. We all trekked
 to the gym where they held us for a while, turns out
 it was burst  pipe in the basement that set it off,
 but it was just insane to see the mass hysteria that
 ensued kind of funny actually. Hermana Barker
( a friend of mine) said the first thing she grabbed
 for was her name tag! Figures right?! We are so blessed
 here though This Sunday in R.S. we got to see
Sister Dalton and she was amazing she spoke so well and
 her words were so powerful. I even got to go up and
 see her after wards it was just amazing because she
was like my YW leader always and she always will be
in my eyes! I love her! We had to say good bye to our
 Guro's ( teachers) it was the saddest thing. I haven't
 written much about them actually to which i feel bad
for all I can say is this, it is not in my biased head
 when I say we had the best! Other Guro's and students
 agreed our teacher's were Pinaka the best! I cannot
 believe how they were able to explain such complex
concepts in Tagolog so simply and they both taught more
 than one lesson leaving the entire district in tears!
 So Mahal Ko Kayo Brother Ogden and Brother Hyde I am a
 better missionary because of you! We'll we're headed off
 in just a few hours and its crazy to think that after 32
 hours of straight travel the district will have to part
 ways. I know it will be tearful but I think we're all
 sooooooo excited to go to the Philippines right now. I
 just cannot wait!
Mahal na Mahal Ko Kayo,
Sister Quinn

Kumusta Po Kayo Ang Pamiliya at Kaibigan Ko,
I am almost out of here ! I see a light at the end of
 this tunnel! Joke lang! I actually maybe might one day
 soon miss the sweet sheltered life we live here at the
MTC. In answer to a request by my Nanay (Mother) last
week the following is a general generic schedule of a day
 and then a following day by day my own personal
evaluation of the week here.
6:30 Arise and pre-pare for the day ( DUH!)
7 am breakfast
7-30-10 am class
or maybe MDT ( missionary Directed time not as many believe
 it to be missionary dork off time!)
11:30 lunch I know its early but I've adjusted!
12;15- 1 pm Gym
30 min prep for calls
then 1:30- 4-30 calls again
4:30 Dinner this still seems early I swear its like I'm
 eating on the schedule of a 4 year old!
5:15-6:15 and hour of personal study
6:15-7:15 and hour of Companion study
7:15-8:15 MDLS ( Missionary directed Language study)
These are the days in my opinion
Sunday - Pinaka Da Best! We get a 30 minuet siesta in my
 branch its amazing!
Monday- P-day only last for like 3 hours so its okay i
still like Sunday better
Tues- Devotionals day ( wonder which apostle is coming
 this week?!)
Wed- LONG class day this when we have the most class
Thur- We get and evaluated teaching appointment its great
 to measure our progress with the language we alawys have
 a 15 min meet and greet language task and then now we are
 teaching whole lessons sa tagolog this weeks was amazing!
Fri- Also a long class day and LGM day ( large group meeting)
 there are more acronyms at the mtc than i could even
 write in 1 email honestly!
Sat- the DREADED RC i think I've had my last one of these
 but I am very much not a fan of the church's call center.
 Half the time you get answering machines and the angry
callers always put me off making any more call, but the
internet chats are not so bad.

Any ways that's all for the schedule now with the big
exciting news of the week ELDER DAVIS IN QUARRINTINE! We all
 got tamiful pills so no worries we wouldn't get it OH and
 ya I got a free swine flu shot Swertay ( Lucky) I know!
 and they set up this sort of virtual class room for
 elder Davis it was crazy but really good.
The other big news of course is TRAVEL PLANS! We got them
 Friday and every one is freaking out!
our travel plans are as follows
Dep SLC 8;25 pm
arrive LAX 9:26 pm and then a 2 hour layover
Dep LAX 11;25 pm and arrive in Taiwan at 6 am their time
 their is a 16 hour time difference so that means that's
right its a 16 hour flight! You know I'm excited about that.
lay over in Taiwan for 2 hours and arrive in Manila at
11:45 am and have a 3 hour bus ride to Angeles so all in
 total
that is 30 hours of traveling! I'm gonna die! well i hope
 not any ways!
Keep praying for me you all and know that I am praying for
 you always
Mahal Ko Kayo,

Please remember to write Sis Quin now a through pouch mail:
Sister Mary Ashton Quinn
Philippines Angeles Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City UT 84130-0150
USA
you can also go to Dearelder.com
You will need mission information above. This is a free
service for pouch mail missions.
and is as easy as email. Let's keep her mail box full!!!

Komusta Po Kayo ang Pamiliya at Kalibigan Ko? Buhay Pa?
Craziest things about Thanksgiving at the MTC
1. People qeueing 3 hours before the fireside started.
2. 20 minuets to eat my "thanksgiving meal" they tired
 to feed the whole MTC in just under and HOUR! it was
 nutz!
3. A Sack dinner consisting of plastic cheese sandwich,
 chips and a fruit pie. Thats right this was what i ate
 for my thanksgiving dinner a sack lunch!
4. Pinaka the Best fireside ever by Elder Holland!He
answered questions from some of the missionaries it
was brilliant!
In other news though yesterday I threw up! I'm pretty
 sure it's because I ate something bad , that had gone
 off, but my district is pretty much convinced that I
have the plague and are treating me as if I we're already
 confined to the leaper colony ( my word for quarantine)
NO worries though I assure you I am fine, Buhay PA !
( I'm still alive!)
I've decided this week to share with you a few of the
funniest errors in translation that have come up in the
 past few weeks. We found out as we we're teaching the
 first lesson last week just how important having the
focus of your sentence in the right place is Halimbawa
( for example)
if you were to say : Pumatay ang masama mga tao ni
JesuCrsito. you have said that many wicked people killed
 Christ.
Pero
if you were to say : Pumatay ng masama mga tago Si
JesuCristo you have just said that Christ Killed many
wicked people!
and therefore we all now know that focus is VERY
important Pinaka Mahaliga!
The other funny one that happened a lot at the begging
 and happens much less often nos is the fact that name
(Pangalan) and prayer ( Panalangi)sound very similar
and so often we say and now Elder so and so will say
for us The Name! We always wondered why our teachers
 laughed at that!
Any how the laundry is almost done and so goes the way
 of my P-day!
Mahal Ko Kayo,
Sister Quinn