EMERGENCY TRANSFERRED!

Hello, everyone!

Well....I got emergency transferred!  Yeah, this week has been crazy.  They called me on Tuesday morning and informed me and said they were coming to pick me up tomorrow morning...so I packed on Tuesday, said my goodbyes to a few people and boom. I was gone. Now...I am assigned to Quezon City South Zone in Quirino 1st Ward. Actually our chapel is the Mission Office and we just live a couple blocks away so everything in the mission is so convienantly (...sorry I'm losing my spelling) close.  I'm in a three-some companionship with Sister Tingey from Arizona and Sister Acostan from Bacolod.

They said that there was a new missionary that came in late from Pakistan so they did some switching around of companionships....now Sister Soliven is with Sister Tomase and Sister Tomase's old companion is the new missionary's trainer.  I miss Sister Soliven a lot....I was really sad to leave.  But I am loving it here too.  Sister Acostan and Sister Tingey are awesome!   I already love them both so much. I was worried at first that I would be the awkward 3rd wheel because I could see that they were really close, but we all get along really well and are close.

Actually, this is Sister Tingey's last transfer before she goes home, and she will actually be leaving on July 7th, before the transfer ends. So for the last few weeks of the transfer it'll just be me and Sister Acostan. 

Anyway....this week has been crazy, but awesome!  Monday night before I left, we had an FHE with Jocelyn (the pregnant one who we brought a cake to in the last email). It was so much fun.  And she actually got teary-eyed and thanked us for celebrating her birthday with her and having FHE.  She said that this is the first time in her life that she's had a cake for her birthday and she was so happy.

Also, remember from last week our actually progessing investigator?? Elvie!  Well, ha, it was hard.  We were so excited and things were going awesome with her.  But then she informed us that she was leaving back to her province...we were happy for her and she was scared because she wanted to keep being taught.  But we let her know that she could still be taught by the missionaries in her province. It was bittersweet.  We were sad that we were losing our really only receptive investigator, but we were happy for her and excited that she was loving and accepting the gospel so much.

 

My new area is great!  I miss Pateros, but I'm learning to love this area too. It is definitely more in the city!  I feel like it's more.....civilized here. haha there are actually sidewalks! And a lot more real cars--not just jeepneys and tricyles.  There are still squatters in our area, but even the squatters here seem a little more well-off than the ones in my previous area. We also have some middle and upper class in our area--our area is HUGE compared to Pateros.  I am so lost here haha I can't figure out how to get around.  It's not as flat either.  There are hills and stairs--I like it.  And our apartment is so big!! atleast compared to our little place before.  There are 7 of us living there and actually guess what??  Sister Lopez is one of my kabahays!! ahhh (my companion from the MTC).  It was so good to see her, I am so glad that she is in my apartment!  It brought me so much comfort when I got transferred on a whim.

We had a great week so far here, we are teaching a guy named Ronald and he is so awesome!  We showed up and the Book of Mormon and also the picture book of Book of Mormon Stories was open on his table.  He is already half-way through Alma he is just soaking it all in and loves it so much.  He is a little bit baklat..(gay).  He paints his fingernails and such, but he is so excited and receptive of the gospel.  Luckily they already taught him Law of Chastity before I got here haha and he accepted it fully.  He has a baptism date for July 19th.  So I'm excited for him!

Also, you'll see pictures of the cutest old nanay ever!  Nanay Elvira.  She is such a gangster haha :) she always wears her little Etnies hat.  We saw her the other day weeding and we stopped and helped her.  She didn't want to let us but we helped her anyway :)  She was so cute and went and got us juice and bread.  We love her so much!  Hopefully we'll be able to teach her soon.   

This week we went to teach one of our investigators, Marilou.  She is the sweetest.  And when we went, we noticed that their little house was just full with stacks and stacks and stacks of dirty laundry.  We asked if she needed help and of course she said no.  There are 12 of them that live there and poor nanay handwashes all the laundry all by herself.  We told her that tomorrow morning we would come and do her laundry for her.  She laughed and said no, I think she thought we were joking.  But we told her we'd be there at 8.  Haha I wish you could have seen her face when we showed up the next morning!  She was so surprised!  And she tried to be stubborn and not let us help, but we were more stubborn.  She just kept laughing in beweilderment as we grabbed buckets and soap and sat down to start washing their clothes.  It seriously...was the funnest thing ever.  We talked and laughed for 3 hours as we washed loads and loads of clothes.  Her 17-year old daughter, Laudy, even came and talked to me and started helping too.  I was soooo exhausted afterwards, but it was so worth it.  I feel so bad for Marilou.  These people work so hard every day.  Well, Sunday rolled around...and guess who was at church?  Marilou!  She had a really great time. Our ward here is awesome.  It is a power ward, the members are so strong.  I'm so excited for Marilou. 

We are also teaching....a very interesting couple. Ha.  Bernadeth and Emmanuel Santiago.  Bernadeth is 32....and her husband Emmanuel....is 79. Actually 80 next month.  And...they have a little girl. So...I was a little bit weirded out. Actually a lot a bit wierded out. haha, but they are still the coolest people.  and tatay is so funny.  He can't really hear very well, but he is really knowledgeable in the Bible and just loves having us come so he can learn more.  And he calls me his favorite.  Haha he says I'm Scandinavian? And he keeps trying to tell me to marry his son. ha!  Bernadeth is so sweet too, she is very outgoing and loving.  It's kind of weird to see them together...holding hands and her taking care of him in his bad health...just because it seems like he should be her dad or grandpa...but at the same time, we love going to teach them because they are really the sweetest people.

So I met Satan yesterday.  No, I'm serious. 

Haha I met a man named Satan yesterday.  That is his real name!  He is an uncle of one of the ward members here and we went to try and teach him.  His father named him Satan...he named his brother Jesus...and his other brother Pilot. Haha man, I love it here.

Anyway, I'm running out of time, but I am so excited to be here.  Honestly, this transfer has been hard.  This adjustment has been a little hard too. I feel like I left my heart and home back in Pateros.  Here though, I have been so welcomed and so loved.  And already, I am falling in love again with the people, the area, the ward, my companions.  You can never not love missionary work.  It is the hardest....but most rewarding thing.  

Keep going strong back at home!  I love and miss you all so much.  Thank you for your love.  I can feel the strength that I'm receiving from your prayers.  

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!

Sister Oyler

A less-active, Brother Bert. and his niece, Wendy! (Investigator)

"palaka"

I finally found the ice cream man!

And got my ube and cheese ice cream in a roll :)

A cat attacking a frog....

 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!!  I love you so very much!  And I really miss you a lot.  I wrote you a separate email and a letter, but I just wanted to mention it again.  On Sunday, everyone was wishing all the fathers in the ward a Happy Father's Day and I saw all the little kids giving their dads hugs and little treats, it made me miss you even more.  If I were there I'd give you a big hug and wish you a Happy Father's Day too, but since I'm a little out of arm's reach, this will have to do :) I love you, Daddy.

Sorry, we are emailing a little later than normal, but this week has been pretty good.  Oh and before I forget, I'll just let you know that next week, my P-day won't be on Monday.  It'll be our zone's temple week, so I'll email on Wednesday.

So Mom, it's good that you sent me here with pretty much a mini-pharmacy as my medicine kit...haha luckily, I haven't had to use anything for myself, but I am literally like the mission nurse.  Even in the MTC, I was taking care of people's sicknesses, and now I'm saving everyone's sicknesses here in the field 'cause I've got the works. :) 

Well, the every-day compliments and cat-calls haven't ceased.  It's nothing new for me anymore, but I do want to share one funny one this week. We were walking down the street and one guy was just staring at me with his mouth wide open...I mean everybody stares, but this was a little more extreme than normal. Ha...when we walked by, I just smiled and then he said in his Filipino accent, "You are my destiny." and watched me walk away.  Haha me and Sister Soliven couldn't help but start laughing.  Again, never a dull moment here in the Philippines.   

Anyway, one of our new investigators came to church this past Sunday!  Her name is Elvie Ramen!  She is the sweetest ever.  She has 5 kids, but some of them don't live with her anymore, so she came to church with Nico, who is 13, and the two other little ones...ages 4 and 1 (I forgot their names..). Anyway, I was so excited for them!  But I was a little worried, because our ward has a slight problem with reverence... so I was worried that with the loudness and all the kids running around during sacrament meeting that it would be hard for her to feel the Spirit. Also, her little 4-year-old daughter is very rambunctious and....I was just worried for their church experience.  I really wanted it to go well for her, especially since she is such a new investigator we just met her a couple days beforehand.  But... God works in wondrous ways.  Even though, yes, we still had a pretty irreverent sacrament service and yes, her children were kind of a hassle...I think she had a good experience.  And actually half-way through sacrament meeting, we were struggling to get her 4-year-old to stay put, but miraculously, she suddenly just hopped in a chair next to me and laid her head down on my lap.  So I scratched her back and played with her hair for the rest of the meeting and she pretty much stayed reverent.  We are actually really excited about Elvie, she is really receptive and PROGRESSING! Me and Sister Soliven have such high hopes for her. I pray that this continues!

So, we have an investigator named Grace.  She has 3 adorable little girls.  Her husband is in prison though..(he is a drug lord..). So she visits him weekly and gives him food.  Anyway, she has a baptismal date for August 2nd, hopefully she continues to progress though.  We're worried that she doesn't quite have the right motive in her desire to be baptized..but that's another story.  I actually want to talk about her sister-in-law.  I forgot her name :(  But one time, we went to go teach Grace and she told us that her nephew was in the hospital in really bad condition. Little 2-year-old Dominique.  We asked what happened.. :(  Grace's brother (Dominique's dad), had beaten him almost to death, and now he was in a coma in the hospital.  It was so very sad to hear.  We said a prayer with her for him and told her that we would continue to pray for him.  Well, the next lesson, Grace informed us that little Dominique had passed away. And her brother had run off in shame and fear.  The whole situation was just hard.  Then, when we returned again for another lesson, Grace's sister-in-law happened to be there (the mom).  She was happy and friendly, but we knew that she was suffering inside.  We were anxious to teach them though because we were on the Plan of Salvation lesson with Grace!  We gave her sister-in-law a copy of the Lesson 2 pamphlet, and while we taught, she just read and read.  The Spirit was very strong especially as we bore testimony to her at the end about the beautiful plan that God has given to us that will allow her to see and live with her child again for all eternity.  Her eyes were focused so intently on us and I know that the Spirit was touching her.  At the end of the lesson, we asked her to offer the prayer.  She refused...she really didn't want to.  However, Grace kept insisting that she give the prayer.  After multiple times of Grace insisting, she finally accepted. We taught her the simple steps of how to pray, and she began her prayer...she started to pray for her anak (child)...and then she broke.  She began to sob.  She cried and wailed and cried and each sob struck at my heart so hard.  I could almost feel her pain and the grief that was suffocating her.  We were all sitting on the floor of Grace's little home, and I scooted next to her and just held her.  She leaned her head against me and just cried.  I soothed her and told her to just let it all out.  She cried for probably 15 minutes...tears were streaming down my face too as I just held her and listened to her cries of anguish and hopelessness.  It was so hard.  When she stopped crying, Grace got her some water and we were quiet for a couple of minutes.  Then I just looked in her eyes....and she looked at me...and when she looked at me it was as if she were looking to me and searching for some kind of hope.  And the next thing I knew...I put my hand on her knee and I was talking.  I honestly don't remember exactly what I said.  I remember that I talked about Christ and the healing power of the Atonement.  But I know I said a lot of things, and I honestly don't remember what, but the Spirit was so strong.  And even though I had just met her..half an hour ago...I was sitting right next to her on the floor, looking in her eyes, and talking to her like she was someone I had known for years.  It was powerful.  and it was not from me.  Then Sister Soliven offered a beautiful prayer, and we left.

This is hard.  It is heart-wrenching and difficult.  Every day, we are entering into the litle homes of people in the most humble and trying of circumstances.  Their burdens are so heavy.  Their trials are unbelievably difficult.  And if I didn't have a knowledge of this gospel...it would be even harder for me to witness.  But because I know the beautiful plan of our Heavenly Father...because I can see eternally and I'm not blinded by the boundaries of this life alone...it's not AS hard.  And because I know that I am bringing them the remedy--the solution and help to their broken lives, it makes it even more wonderful.  But what is really hard--what I'm struggling with--is when they choose not to accept it.  EVERY DAY, I watch these lives that are in desperate need of the gospel of Jesus Christ...but every day people turn it away.  They can't see, they don't understand, they give up.  THAT is what is so hard.  I am offering these people healing, happiness, love, understanding, and ultimately eternal life. But I can't do it for them.  And coming to accept the gift of agency in the lives of others is hard.  It makes me sad sometimes.  But that's part of this work.  It's part of life.  That is the center of God's plan.  Agency.

I've mentioned before how I've struggled a little bit with the fact that I haven't seen much "success" on my mission so far.  I haven't had any baptisms or very much progression like I was expecting to have being sent to a place where the people are so humble.  And I have been taking it out on myself.  I have been analyzing and accusing myself of fault and trying to find what I am doing wrong.  Why is it this way?  A couple weeks ago though, my companion told me something that surprised me.  

I've written about Sister Soliven before.  She is an AMAZING missionary.  She is POWERFUL.  She has so many gifts and talents and is a strong tool in the Lord's hands.  She has the gift of discernment so prominently.  I admire that so much about her.. She sees behind people to what is really there inside them.  And I see her working with others and even with me...she will just look at you and it seems like she can see all of you.  And suddenly you're opening up about everything and she is listening and loving and bearing testimony and teaching powerfully.  Everyone talks about how wonderful Sister Soliven is.  I am so lucky to have her as my companion, I am learning so much.  She goes home in August.  She is probably the most successful missionary in my opinion.

And then the other day she mentioned something to me.  I had said earlier to her that I feel like I'm not doing a very good job here in the mission.  And she said, "Sister Oyler...."........"Do you know how many baptisms I have?"  

What?...I had no idea...I had never asked her before.  I started thinking in my head...probably like 15...no probably like 40!...Actually...maybe even 50.

And then she smiled and said..."None."

I was shocked.

"None??"

"Not one."

This amazing woman...incredible missionary that has done so much good and accomplished to many miraculous things....Has not even had one baptism in the entire 16 or so months she has served her mission.

That really opened my eyes.  And I learned a lot personally.  This mission isn't about baptizing people.  Of course I knew that.  But we often times get so focused on baptism, baptism, baptism that we thing missionary work = baptizing people.  But it really doesn't mean that at all.  We are called as missionaries to do the Lord's work.  And maybe we don't know what that work is.  I know I don't.  Because it is His work.  He places us and uses us in His ways to accomplish His purposes--whatever they may be.  And I have witnessed the most amazing missionary as I have lived with her for the past 2 months.  And I can honestly say I think she is the most successful.  With the very baptismal number of 0.

Well, I'm out of time.  I love you all so very much!  Never forget that!

Sister Oyler

"We are troubled on ever side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed...  For our light affliction, which is but for a small moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."  (2 Cor. 4: 8-9, 17-18)

 

Here is the Picture of Mission with E. Craig C. Christensen

 

 

We got into the nice computer café today.  :)

 

Sister Sione packing :(

 

Girls Night Out for the last dinner of the transfer.

Pasig City

 

So..there were marijuana leaves printed in the cement as decoration...haha (sorry the picture isn't very good, the flash just made it show all the dirt.)

Welcome to the McDo of the Philippines.

 

 

I got a certificate for serving in the school! 

 

 

 

More ipis.....

Kamusta kayo lahat??

This first week of the transfer has been great.  I forgot to mention last week that our area has switched zones.  So the area I'm in is still the same-- Pateros. But dati, we were in Taguig Zone, however with this last transfer they switched up some of the areas and now we are a part of Pasig Zone. So we'll meet our new district and zone tomorrow.  I'll miss all the Taguig missionaries :(  Actually, more than half of our area is in Taguig City and rumor is that they are taking that part of our area from us...but we are confused because that would leave us with hardly anything as part of our area...ha but anyway, we'll see how it all works out.  So Sister Sione left our kabahay :( But we just got a new kabahay, Sister Ika from Tonga!  She's great!

So, I have another IPIS (cockroach) story!! Naku!.....So this week, we went to go teach one of our investigators, Wendy.  She lives in a Barungay called Lungos...well apparently the city had sprayed the area for cockroaches....oh my gosh. 

There were cockroaches EVERYWHERE!!!!!! I walked down in the alleyway and saw them scrambling and some on their bags wiggling as they died. I stopped and almost died too.  ahhhhhhhh. But we kept going to teach Wendy.  When we got inside her house, there were cockroaches running around everywhere...on the floor, climbing up the walls... We taught her anyway...but as I was sitting on the chair (luckily she had chairs..most of our investigators we just sit on their floor)....I lifted my feet off the floor and had them suspended in the air for the entire lesson!  Like 45 minutes! haha talk about an ab work out.  But suddenly during the lesson....mga ipis started falling from the ceiling!!! and they were huge!!  I drew in my journal how big..I wish I could draw on an email haha but I'd say like....

I was shaking so bad as I was teaching...haha kawawa naman.  I was holding the pamphlet and it was shaking because my hands were shaking. I was SO SCARED!  But the lesson actually went rather well aside from that. ha.

Well, I talked about Aida in my last email....I am still amazed at her.  She is incredible...This week has been a huge trial for her too.  Her dad left...(I'm still confused, I'm not exactly sure where he went).  And things were getting scary with Allan on drugs.  So it got to the point where she took the kids and ran. (ages 8, 6,4, 2). Somehow she has a friend I think in C6 (a name of a place) and they found them a little..."house" to stay in.  It is a little cement place...5 feet by 5 feet..a little door, and a hole cut out for a window. oh, and no roof.  

Well, we went to go visit her and found the house in Ususan abandoned....so we got scared and went to Sister Millare who was a fellowshipper and friend for her to ask about her.  She knew where she went, but couldn't really help her much because the Millares don't have money to give.  But she told us of her situation and how they have nothing. Just their clothes.  and we looked at the sky with rain clouds coming...so since it's bawal to give money or buy things for people as missionaries... Sister Soliven and I ran back to the apartment and started putting our food in grocery bags to give to her.  Kawawa kasi apostasy kami. We're reaching the end of our support so we didn't have much to give either but I pretty much gave my entire 72-hour kit to them. and we went around and found some cardboard and a tarp to try and help them make a roof from the rain...and we went to go find her.  Well...we figured out that C6 is actually not in our area....so it is bawal for us missionaries to go there. We're not allowed to go out of our area..I was so sad...but we loaded up Sister Millare with all of the stuff to bring to them and off she went.  

Well, Sunday came...and guess who was at church?  Aida. with all of their kids. and what amazed me even more was as she was struggling to quiet her youngest while in relief society she asked me where the tithing slips were.  I guess she had gone back to the house in Ususan and had taken the electric fan and other things and had sold them for some money and now she wanted to pay tithing on the money she had received.  I went and got her a tithing slip and just watched in admiration as she filled it out and put her tithing in it and gave it to the bishop.  She is so strong.  Her faith is amazing.  I can't even believe the things she is going through and still remains so strong.

Also...Sister Soliven and I joke that we're doing all the missionary work for everyone else's area..ha as I've said before, it's been hard because there hasn't been much progression in our area and our investigators aren't really doing much.  And over these past few weeks, we keep meeting new people who are golden...they hear our message and feel the Spirit, are touched and ask for more...and then we realize that they don't live in our area.. We've given about 2 or 3 referrals to Manila mission. It's happy, but sad too. We wish we could teach them!  I'll just share about one person in particular.  

So one of our investigators is Esteban Moloboco.  He's actually great, it's just challenging because he forgets things easy and it's hard for him to understand, so we're taking the lessons very slow with him.  But last time we went to teach him, one of his friends was there at the station place.  Joey. It was his old cosecurity guard and he had come to visit him.  When we got there we found Joey reading through the restoration pamphlet.  He was very interested.  And we had brought the restoration DVD about Jospeh Smith to watch with Esteban.  Joey watched it too, and got even more interested, and during the movie--he was watching and also looking through Esteban's Book of Mormon.  After we bore testimony about Joseph Smith and the church, Joey spoke up.  He said that he doesn't really know how to explain it but he feels something...something different.  He likes what we are saying, and he thinks what he is feeling is God's way of telling him that it is right.  We were so excited!  We talked about the Spirit that he was feeling and the role of it in testifying of the truth.  We answered some of his questions and then he asked if we could teach him...Well we figured out he lives kind of far away in Manila mission. :( But we happily told him that there are missionaries in his area too.  He was so excited.  He asked for a Book of Mormon for himself.  So we went back to the apartment and grabbed one for him.  Ah I wanted to badly to teach him!  And after seeing him, I'm realizing how really un-progressing our investigators are.  Since this is my first area, it's really all I've seen.  But now that I've witnessed Joey and the effect of the message on him--the light in his eyes, the excitement and eagerness in his voice, the way he described how the Spirit was touching him...that's truly the people that are ready and that want to receive the gospel and be baptized.  I want to teach them!!  But I have been reminded that this is not my work.  This is the Lord's work.  He works in His ways and in His time.  I am just grateful to be used in the way He wants to use me.

Well, sorry I am out of time.  But I love you all so very much!  

Mahal ko kayo!

Sister Oyler

haha......oh, boy!

A stripling warriors painting that I really liked inside the mission office

Taguig Zone! (minus two sisters)

 

Where we teach Esteban (this is actually where he lives too.)

My nasty legs covered with mosquito bites

Cute lil gecko!

Our district!

FHE at the Amor family's house

Playing basketball with the zone

Quiban-sized basketball

 

 

TRANSFERS!

PAMILYA!

How is everybody?! I heard you are all in Disneyland! Whaaat? No way! I hope you are all having fun though :) Stay safe! How is summer going for everyone?  It's crazy to think it's already summer there. Here....the kids just started their first day of school yesterday. You can see them all in their brand new school uniforms. They are the cutest :)

It's transfer week this week! I'M STAYING IN PATEROS!!! I am so very very happy. I was worried because they have been talking about white-washing our area with Elders, but I was feeling so very strongly that I should stay still in this area.  I keep feeling strongly that my purpose here in Pateros isn't finished, I don't know what it is exactly but I felt like it was not my time to transfer. So I prayed and prayed and transfers came and I'm staying. Not only that, but I'm staying with Sister Soliven!! Literally, I cannot be more happier.  I know Heavenly Father is aware and loves us and wants to make us happy.  I have seen so many of my prayers answered especially in these past few weeks.  But anyway, I am excited for this next transfer here!  The area is still hard...I know we're going to continue to have trials with this work, but I am excited.

So there was a big rainstorm the other day!!  Aaand....I had forgotten my payong (umbrella) at one of our investigator's houses a few days before. So Sister Soliven and I got to take a shower ;) haha basang basa kami!! (we were so wet!) but I was loving it :) as you can assume..

So, in one of my pictures you will see a pamphlet for "Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy"...haha oh geez. So at first the flyer threw me and Sister Soliven off because of the logo at the top, it looks really similar to the way our logo is printed in our church, but this is definitely not church material. haha 2 of the elders in our district showed it to us, they had run into the mass of people listening to Pastor Apollo and agreed to listen if in turn, they could share our message.  So they told us about him...apparently he is claiming that he is the new Christ.  That because Jesus Christ died, now he came and through him everyone can be saved.  And only through Apollo can people receive the Spirit and get to heaven.  Everyone else has "serpent seed" and worships the devil. haha anyway, a lot of people over here are listening to him....it doesn't really make sense to me. But anyway, I just kind of laugh inside.

Also, here in the Phlippines, they have these ice cream carts that come around.  But it's a little different...because they serve it inside bread. haha they have rolls and they put a scoop of Ube ice cream inside.  I've heard it's really good! But I haven't tried it yet. Anyway, this week me and Sister Soliven were wanting to have one...so we've been hoping to see an ice cream guy.  Well...God has a sense of humor. haha because fast sunday came...and it was around 10:00 and we were walking down the street when we heard the little bells!  And we looked and there was the ice cream guy with bread!! Noooo....haha we were fasting.....sayang! haha we both saw it, and then looked at each other and started laughing.  Oh well, hopefully soon, I can try it :)

So one of our investigators, Milagros Williams, is half black, half filipina.  She is awesome, maybe....like 60-something years old.  We have just been able to finally teach her an actual lesson.  She lives in this tiny little bahay with one of her grandkids and one of her sons.  The son that lives there is baklat (gay).  ...I was going to go into the mga baklat in this e-mail...but I think I'll just save that for later...haha oh boy.

Anyway, I am just amazed at Milagros's faith though.  As we were talking to her, she said that sometimes, when she doesn't have enough money to buy medicine when she's sick, she just drinks a cup of water and prays and that works as her medicine because she says that God makes her better.  I love her.  I'm excited to keep teaching her.

Also, I want to share a little about Aida.  I think I mentioned her in one of my previous emails.  She's a member but her husband isn't...they were separated...came back together...sound familiar?  Anyway, it has been a roller-coaster ride with their family.  A lot of trials and heart ache and I am just amazed at how strong she is.  They had actually been doing well for a little bit. Allan (her husband) had gotten a job as a jeepney driver, they were coming to church, everything was good.  It's a long story that I won't go into, but as of now...Allan has gotten back into drugs again.  They have almost no money. They get in fights--physical as well as verbal.  The kids are starving.  They are all going hungry.  Aida's dad came, but his situation is hopeless too.  He is old and frail...his house in the province got washed out by Yolanda ( I forgot what that hurricane was called in america), so he has no where to go to now, and not really any way to help Aida.

Anyway, still...Aida has been praying, reading the scriptures, and somehow she makes it to church with her restless kids--even though she is physically, mentally, and emotionally spent.

Well, we went to go visit her as I was on exchanges with Sister Cutia (our STL's are awesome!  I love Sister Cutia.)  and the second we walked in the door, we could sense that things were not okay. and my heart just broke as I looked into Aida's eyes and they were full of pain.  I looked at her kids and their eyes as well, were just absent of hope.  The kids were on the floor helpless and hungry--it was hard to watch. And as we sat down with her...I just looked at Aida. And she broke. She cried and cried and cried.  And she opened up and vented it all. She said she didn't know if she should try and endure--because she had this vision of her family as a whole..sealed in the temple for all eternity.  Or..if she should separate from Allan again and work to get money so her kids won't starve.  She said she doesn't know what she should do.

And as I sat there...I had no idea what to say.  I didn't know what to tell her.  I felt hopeless as I looked at her. But I just stopped.  And looked at her....looked into her eyes.  And I was reminded of the story of Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail..how all the trials and persecutions that he had endured didn't cease..even when he was doing what was right.  So I opened up my scriptures and shared that with her from D&C. and we talked about why we have trials.  We talked about how God knows all...and even when we don't understand why things are happening...He knows. And he still loves us.  Even when it seems like all hell is breaking loose in our face...  He still loves us and is aware of us, and is still there for us.  We don't understand his mysteries.  We don't understand why sometimes....but through the Atonement of Christ, He can heal any pain, hurt, sorrow or grief.  We talked a lot about trials and the Atonement, and enduring. And I was inspired to promise her that the day will come when she will have peace..and she will have happiness with her family, if she continues to put her trust in God.  It was a powerful lesson....a hard situation....a very very strong, tiny woman.

Well, I'm out of time!  I love you all so much!  This week has been great! I am excited for this next transfer and the things that are ahead!  I wish you all the best and love you all so very, very much!

MAHAL NA MAHAL KO KAYO!!

Sister Oyler