Called to Serve: MORE IPIS...

KAMUSTA

Ay, this week I am so running out of time, but I have so much to write about!! Hopefully I'll be able to mention most of what I wanted to share with you all this week!

So first off, I'll update you all about Charles!! He is doing so well! I can honestly not believe that he is only 8 years old! We taught him about the Plan of Salvation the other day. He is so smart, he just soaked it all in. At the end we asked him which of the three kingdoms he wanted to go to, to see if he understood completely. And his answer was so humble and cute. He thought for a moment and then said, "Sa Kahariang Selestiyal...kaso baka mas bagay ako sa Kahariang Terestriyal...kasi minsan nagkakasala ako at hindi ako nagsisi..." (In english, "To the Celestial Kingdom...but I probably am more fitted for the Terrestrial Kingdom because sometimes I make mistakes and I didn't repent.") I just smiled and was humbled by his honest introspective answer. We were excited to introduce the next lesson about how he can learn about repentance so that he can be confident that he can be clean and ready always ....on the right path to go to the Celestial Kingdom. At the end of his lesson, in his sweet little prayer where he always prayers for us Sisters, he also prayed that he could go to the Celestial Kingdom to be with Heavenly Father again. I don't know why it just hit me to the center. His pure, innocent testimony. I understand why Christ asks us all to become humble and like a child. Through Charles, I see the kind of child of God we all need to strive to become.

We also just started teaching a minister from a Born-Again Christian church. It was actually a miracle how we began to teach him... In our plans for that day, we were supposed to go down to IVC in the afternoon. But for some reason, I just had this random spontaneous desire to go visit one of the members in our ward, in a completely different part of our area. Well..we went. And as she invited us in, she introduced us to this man who was renting a room in her house--a strong minister of a Born-Again church. As we were introduced, he sat down enthusiastically, wanting to participate in our sharing. At first, I was honestly a little nervous...because a lot of the times in the past when I've had encounters with ministers or priests of other faiths, they are often very strongly opinionated and like to debate or ask probing questions, try to get us to twist our words, or full-out preach to us--not interested in what we have to say at all. But this man was completely open and humble. He was a genuine, down to earth seeker of truth and welcomed the message that we were carrying in Christ's name. We had a wonderful lesson, and he honestly appreciated the new insight and knowledge we had given him. We had overviewed the basics of the message we bring, and he was really interested. We left him with a Book of Mormon and other church materials, and he wanted to meet again. Even that night, he texted us asking us what "apostasy" meant and other questions. We are super excited to teach him again! I know he is feeding the thirst that he may not have even realized he had before.

The lessons are also going really well with Angelo! Maricel's cousin. He is brilliant! I was surprised when we came back and followed up on the reading we had given him in the Book of Mormon, and he not only read it, but read and studied the scriptures in the back of the pamphlet! He had good, genuine questions. We taught about the Plan of Salvation and also showed the Restoration DVD. We invited him to be baptized. He said he would once he really feels for himself that he has received an answer that all of this is true. So we don't have a specific date yet, but I know he will get baptized. The question is just when. I'm hoping he will be baptized soon, before I leave the area.

So last night, I had an IPIS encounter again...ay naku. This is probably the worst so far on my mission. Me, my anak, and Maricel were walking back at the end of the night, up this really steep hill...there tend to be a lot of ipis out at nights especially in the squatter areas. Well there was a really big one really close ahead of us and started to scurry as sister felipe walked by, so I got scared and turned around just to see ANOTHER big ipis right there too!! I jumped away in terror, and suddenly one of them started flying right up my skirt!!!!!!!

Oh man. It was the end of the world.

I TOOK OFF, full speed, running straight up the hill!!! Screaming** and not stopping until I almost reached the top. I don't think I have ever run so fast, and it was even uphill!! Sister Felipe and Maricel were just doubled over in laughter. Hahaha.

I put **screaming, because I actually lot my voice last night and it's still gone today...haha so to make the scene even more funny, I'm completely freaking out and screaming, but it's like all on mute, because nothing is coming out of my mouth!! Haha. Oh gosh. My heart was still racing in fear when I got home.

I HATE IPIS!

Okay, I am out of time, I have so much more to share, but it'll just have to wait.

I LOVE YOU ALL!! Take care this week, and enjoy December!! Gosh, time flies!

MAHAL NA MAHAL KO KAYO!!

Sister Oyler