ANOTHER TYPHOON

First and foremost, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET, GORGEOUS, SISTER, AVERY!!!! I miss you so much, sis. I'm so sad that I couldn't be there on your birthday. It just means we'll have to celebrate double when I get back! :) I hope you had an awesome day. Grabe, 15! You old fart! Haha just kidding. But geez, time flies...

So we had another typhoon rip through this week. In terms of wind, it wasn't nearly as strong as the last one...but wow, it was definitely a storm. It woke me up at about 2am with a HUGE clap of thunder!! I have never heard any thunder so loud! And then it was POURING. For the rest of the night, there was literally a never-ending deep rumble of thunder...it never ended! One big thunder, with loud claps every minute or so.  And lightning was literally flashing every 5-7 seconds. It was like a thunderstorm out of a movie, I swear. It continued to pour for the next day. I still can't even grasp how the sky can hold that much water....We were on lockdown the whole next day, and the sisters from Marikina came to stay with us because their area had flooded. We had a flood in our area too, but not as bad, it flooded a little bit into our gate, but not in our apartment. In their area though, the water was over the cars, and reaching the bridges. SO MUCH RAIN!  But after just one day and the next morning of lockdown...we were allowed to go out again. 

Well, this week, the other sisters played a funny prank on me and my anak...hahaha. One night, we were coming back to the apartment at the end of the day. We have to be back by 9pm...9:30 if you are still in an appointment. So we were coming back later than usual around 9:20ish... And as we got off the tricycle, we talked to the driver for a little bit and left a pamphlet with him. Then we opened the front gate, and the apartment door was open, but it was completely black....I was like mmm, that's weird... And as we walked up to the door, we looked inside and saw everything scattered on the inside! The ironing board was knocked over, things had been rummaged through, and the back door was wide open. Ahhh! Fear just struck me! My anak let out a huge gasp! And then I was like, "anak.....RUN!" We bolted frantically back out the gate! 

"My shoes!" Sister Felipe had left her shoes by the door. "Uh, hurry, grab your shoes!" she kept running...."Okay, I'll grab your shoes!" So I ran back and grabbed her shoes and then ran again after her. 

"Okay stop stop, don't run..walk....okay just walk fast. don't look suspicious. where's the phone????" I scrambled to find the cell phone as we walked down the street and was just about to dial our District Leader when we heard hysterical laughing and, "Sisters!!! Come back!!" 

Haha, the other sisters were at the gate laughing their heads off. When they heard us pull up in the tricycle, they had spontaneously decided to prank us and set it all up before we walked through the gate. Hahaha our hearts were racing a million miles and hour. Haha but we were laughing so hard too. 

Another funny instance this week....I....well....kind of got proposed to?? Haha...this man came up to me this week and asked me to marry him.  I thought it was in just a joking way, because that happens a lot, but this guy was dead serious!  I was like.."um bawal po brother." (that's not allowed). But he said, "no, all you have to do is just sign the marriage certificate.." hahaha what??! I refused again. And he asked about after my mission. I told him I was going to be too far away. And he said, I will follow you! "walang malayo sa pag-ibig"...(distance doesn't matter when it comes to love).  Ohhh gosh. Haha. The things that happen in the Philippines...

Well, we have an exciting week ahead of us!  We will have 2 BAPTISMS this Saturday!!! Si Nanay Delia and Ricky will both be baptized this Saturday! They were both interviewed this week and now we've got the baptisms scheduled!  I am so so so happy for them.  Nanay just has a smile on her face all the time, she is so excited! She has all the relief society excited for her too :)  And Ricky talked to me yesterday at church...he said, "Sister Oyler....I am just so happy.  I woke up this morning and I was just....happy. For no particular reason. I am just happy!"  There is nothing but smiles and excitement for everyone as the day is coming near. They are both so prepared. Both of their journeys have been different...difficult in their own ways, and now the time is finally coming where they can enter the waters of baptism, and it is so beautiful. We can't wait!  Thank you for your prayers back home.  I can see the devil working even harder as these things get closer, and I know the faithful prayers of everyone on their behalves are being heard and answered.

Well, we have an investigator currently named Kris. And she is so awesome!! She has been so prepared. She is....23 I think? Anyway, it has been kind of hectic with schedules trying to be able to teach her, but we were finally able to teach her again.  The lesson before, we had taught about Christ's church and the Apostasy and asked her to read the pamphlet about Joseph Smith in preparation for our next lesson. Well when we came back, she not only had read it, but had read online to find out more about it, and watched the whole Restoration movie on YouTube! And she was so excited for us to teach her!! She had enrolled in an Book of Mormon class at the Institute at the chapel and was already in Jacob!  We were just blown away!  She is so excited about it all!  We had an amazing, powerful lesson, and asked her to be baptized. She accepted! We were hoping to get her ready and prepared to be baptized next month!  But Satan decided to step in and try to hinder her progress....We were surprised yesterday when she wasn't at church. When we texted her, we found out that Kris's mom is upset about her going to a different religion.  Her mom is abroad at work, but she wants Kris to stop it all. Kris is just stressed because she says she knows that this all is true. And she wants to be a part of it, she wants to be baptized. But now she feels like she can't. She is trying to convince her mom now.  Ah, I'm just praying for her and praying for her mother. I know that she might have to make a big sacrifice.  But I also know, that she can be the way for her mother to come unto Christ as well. I hope that things will improve. I know everything will work out in the end. 

Aww...there is the cutest little 4-year-old girl talking to me right now in this computer shop, so I haven't been able to write everything that I was planning on, because I keep talking to her. haha, anyway, so I'm almost out of time.

But I just wanted to say how much I love all of you!!  I miss you more than you know.  But I want you to know that this work that I am doing here is real.  The power of this gospel is real.  It changes people's lives. I think as members, we take for granted what we have.  Don't let that happen. Don't forget to reach out. Everyone around you needs it. Member or non-member, we all need more help that only this gospel can offer. Be the instrument that our Father in Heaven can use to help His children. Be observant. Look around you. And reach out in love. 

MAHAL NA MAHAL KO KAYO!

hanggang ang susunod na lingo!

Sister Oyler 

 

 

Jeepney riding with my sistas

Banapple!

Mmm :)

 

gwapa sila..

 

 

Immigration Office--we had to go get fingerprinted for visa requirements..

 

This cool old prison house/hospital. One of the senior sisters I was talking to said she read a book called, "We Band of Angels" about it. I think there's some cool history behind it with the war, and American girls that ended up being prisoners here/nurses to everyone else. But it was a cool building we drove by.

So there's a KKK here too...different gang though.

 

 

Baha

 

Waiting during the baptismal interviews

...So long...

But we're happy for the baptisms!

So we went to Delia's house this week, and I noticed that she had put the picture that I had given her, of me and her, on her wall! Next to all the pictures and achievements of her daughter. It made me smile :)

 

Aki stole a picture during our lesson yesterday with Ricky.

I got some Taho this morning :)

 

Thank you, Aki, for these cute pictures!  Salamat po!

 

 

 

 

THE WALKING BARBIE

PAMILYA!

This week has been good. A struggle at times, the mission can get hard, but it has been a really great week for me. 

We had CSP with our ward this week!  We helped in the "Ligtas ang Tigtas"...thing. I don't know what to call it. Haha, basta the whole thing is being funded by the Church, but it is run by the government here.  It's pretty much a free vaccination against Tigtas and Polio for all kids 5 years old and under.  So for the CSP we handed out flyers in Escopa I, informing everyone about it so they could take the kids to the health center.  It was really fun. We got to wear the bright yellow, "Mormon Helping Hands" vests. haha something pretty funny though, when we all grouped back together, all the ward members said that the people just kept talking about the "walking Barbie". Haha!  Sometimes, they would pass through an area that we had already hit with flyers and they'd say, "oh, the walking Barbie already gave me one." or they'd just pass by and hear people talking about the "walking Barbie" that they saw coming through Escopa I.  Hahaha. 

Every day I'm called Barbie, or Elsa, or Taylor Swift. Ha, what?! I love the Philippines.

Oh gosh. So I have crazy  news...

Do you remember our investigator, Amy?  The one who rejected us and told us to not come back...

She died.

Yeah. I couldn't even believe it. Hit and run. She got killed by a motorcycle. 

And the crazy thing is remembering the things that she was saying in our last lesson with her when she was so hard-headed.  She was saying that she didn't believe in what we were saying, there was no Joseph Smith in the Bible, etc.  And I remember saying that she doesn't need us, she could die right now because there was no religion that could save her.....

And then she died.  

It is so crazy. I feel so bad for her. God is so very powerful. It's hard for me to see that happen. I really really cared about Amy. and it's crazy to think that she's gone. But it comforts me to know that I did my best to help her... I raised my warning voice.  It truly was up to her in the end.  But I know that Heavenly Father's plan is merciful.  I hope she remembers my testimony and accepts the missionaries in the spirit world. It's just beautiful to know that she's in the greatest place for her right now.  His loving arms will never cease to be extended towards her. 

Well, we have a new investigator, Nanay Trinidad!  We've eaten at her carenderia a lot and asked to come teach her.  We've taught her twice now and her two daughters that are always there, Jennelyn and Jennifer. They have 10 kids that all live there, and who knows how many grandkids running around. They are such a big happy family.  ha this week though, they asked me to be their new baby's Nina. (or Godmother).  Ha they are going to get their baby christened, and they asked me to be the Godmother. Ha um...I'm like I don't think that's puwede being a missionary and such. Ha, but I felt honored with their request. They are the sweetest and most loving family. Oh and mom, I showed them a picture of the family, and Nanay Trini asked if she could have it....ha I couldn't quite part with the picture so I told her I'd print her one.  Do you think you could email me the family picture we took from Camera Shy?  The one of all of us against the brick background. So I can save it and print it for Trini. haha 

Speaking of nanays, we took Nanay Delia on a temple tour this week!  She is so excited for her baptism!  And as we walked around the temple and talked about it, she wanted so bad to go inside and she asked if they were really strict about who goes in, could we just try? hahaha I love her. I told her the day would come when she can go inside for herself. Ah. I want to be able to come back and be with Nay when she gets to go through. She's like family to me. 

Anyway, I'm running out of time, this week has been crazy, hard, wonderful, incredible, I don't have nearly enough time to write about it all. And this computer cafe is especially loud this week, so it's kind of hard for me to focus. 

Anyway, thank you all for everything!

I love you all so very very much!!

Sister Oyler

P.S. YOU BETTER ALL EAT BALUT! Mom, Kimball, Avery, Harrison, Landon, and Dad, too!! Okay bye, love you all :)

 

Crazy kabahay pics

 

Boom Panees :)

 

Temple Tour with Nay! Siya and Sister Felipe

 

 

 

I am a GIANT compared to these people minsan. haha

 

 

 

 

Just so you can see the dimensions of how HUGE I am here....

 

Macaso fam

 

Ice cream and popcorn (popped on the stove) for weekly planning.

 

 6:30am- Happy Birthday, Sister Quiban!

 

Spaghetti for breakfast...haha yeah.

 

 

haha Sister "Quilban" they spelled it wrong...

YELLOW watermelon!! Pretty much tastes the same. (They also have red bananas. I forgot to take a picture of! The best-tasting banana I have ever eaten--galing sa southern part of the Philippines).

 

Thank you, Aki Jan, for posting this!  :)

 

And thank you, Maricel, for posting these! 

 

 

 

 

 

GAGAMBA AND BALUT

HELLO, PAMILYA!

Kamusta na kayo? I miss you all so very much. 

This week has been great!  Training is so much fun!  My anak and me are doing so well. This week we got to go through the temple so she could receive her endowment. Ah, I just love the temple.  I miss being able to go whenever I wanted to. But I'm lucky that there is a temple in my mission and we get to attend every transfer. We really are so lucky to have so many temples close to us back home.  I hope that everyone at home is attending the temple... I hear about all of these families here in the Philippines, who save up for years and years just to get the money to travel to the temple so that their families can be sealed.  And back at home, we have temples in our backyards, but we often take it for granted. ATTEND THE TEMPLE!! okay.

So, Harrison.... It finally happened. I had a HUGE SPIDER encounter. And I almost died!!!!!!!!!! Literally. 

Just.....just look at it. 

 

 

 

THAT is not an insect!!  That is a freaking ANIMAL!  IT IS GINORMOUS!!!!!!! (p.s. I didn't take the picture, I gave my camera to someone else to go back and take a picture for me...haha)

It was on the wall next to our apartment... Before we locked our apartment for the night, I went out to check to make sure everything was locked and secure and I saw THIS on the wall.....I don't even know how to describe what happened next... But I'm pretty sure I screamed loud enough for you all to hear.  I came frantically barging back into our bahay!! And I couldn't fall asleep for about an hour knowing it was on the wall right outside my window.....gahhhhhhh.

 

That red pipe is about twice the size of an average hose...to give you an idea about how big talaga that spider is!  Bigger than my hand!

 

Anyway... Delia and Ricky are both doing so great! From the looks of it now...they will probably both be baptized on September 27th!  I am so excited for both of them!  We taught a lesson to nanay just the other day, and I was just amazed at how immersed she is in the Book of Mormon!  She loves reading in the Book of Mormon Stories booklet too, with the pictures to help her understand what's going on.  We followed up about her reading, and she just started telling us all about Alma the younger.  She said she wants to take the picture book and read it to all the kids outside because they are stories that they need to hear, she said. We showed her the pictures in the front of the Book of Mormon, and she just started going off about the liahona and Nephi and how Laman and Lemuel tied him up on the boat and it stopped working and she just went in detail about it all. She really understands and is really excited about these stories and things she is reading!  I just admire her. Her excitement has made me appreciate the Book of Mormon more.  I honestly think I am learning more from these investigators than they are learning from me. 

So we had MTC exchanges again this week!  But since my anak is brand new, we stayed together and just had a missionary work with two of us. We worked with Sister Chu from Taiwan! I thought about you, GayDawn, and actually talked to her about my aunt that served in Taiwan. Sister Chu is actually being assigned to Tacloban! So she's learning Cebuano.  She speaks Chinese and broken English, and then poor thing went on exchanges where everyone was speaking Tagalog. Haha, she is awesome though. She is the first Taiwanese missionary to serve in the Philippines! It was so much fun to work with her and I know she's going to be an awesome missionary!  It's really cool to get this opportunity to work with all these incoming missionaries and feel of their testimonies and excitement/nervousness for the mission ahead of them.

So the other night, we were wrapping up the day and were heading back home.  We were walking through Escopa III (I assume this refers to a ward name.) and I had stopped at the gulay (vegetable) vendor and started singing the "Bahay Kubo" song which has a lot of vegetable names in the song.  So I started singing the song and asked the tatay vendor to show me which vegetables were which.  Haha, that was so much fun! The vendor was at first surprised that this Americana was speaking Tagalog....and THEN singing one of the children's Tagalog songs...haha but then he was overjoyed to show me which vegetables were which and we ended up singing the song together and pointing at vegetables and laughing.  I love it here. Anyway, as I was singing with the gulay vendor, a man selling balut walked by. haha, Sister Felipe got pretty excited, she was craving balut. So she called him out and bought a balut egg. While she was eating, I started talking to the balut guy. And it was just amazing what folded out. His name was Hernan. He was a super humble, down-to-earth, awesome guy. Well...eventually, I found out that he has a Book of Mormon!  And he's read some of it!  He talked about Nephi and some of the things it mentions in the introduction.  He's never met any missionaries before, someone just gave him the book...he doesn't remember who.  He is a Baptist, but he says he is searching for more.  He is super smart and knows a lot about the Bible.  Just completely open and receptive, SO VERY PREPARED. As we talked with him, he was so happy and open to us coming to visit him and teach. It was just such a miracle moment. Hernan said that he knew it wasn't an accident that we met.  I know that's true, too.  I know God is placing people in our path every day.  And he works in small and simple ways to move his work forward. Even if it involves random cravings for balut! ;)

Ah! We also met this amazing old nanay this week.  (I know, my mission must be with all the old people....haha just kidding we have a lot of younger investigators too :)  ). Anyway, Nanay Aris. And she was 87 years old!  We met her as she was walking to the tindahan (She offered to translation, but the itranslate ap on my phone said this meant "shop".).  When we started talking and she mentioned that she was 87, I was so suprised!!  She was so strong and healthy still!  I asked her what her secret was haha.  And she laughed and then took me by the hand and smiled and said, (in Tagalog) "Child, always, always remember....every morning, before you set foot out your bedroom door....you must pray." She smiled and pointed towards heaven.  I was just smiling in admiration at her.  I am amazed at each person I meet here. Their faith is so strong, these people are incredible. I'm sorry family....I don't think I'll be able to leave this place.

I am loving it here... It is crazy how much of a roller coaster ride this mission is for me. Times where I feel like I can barely keep going....and times where I feel like I'm floating on cloud 9.  But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.  I honestly think that one of the reasons He sent me on this mission...is because He wants to sculpt me. Something that I didn't realize before.. I am being molded by His all-knowing hands.  I am just grateful that He can take me with all my flaws and imperfections, and every day mistakes....and with His patience..help me be someone better. 

Thank you all for your support and love.  I miss you all.  Terribly.  That's probably the biggest struggle for me--being away from all of you.  But that's part of this sacrifice, and I know it's worth it.  Stay safe!! Keep smiling! There is always something to be grateful about. Even when you feel you might have hit rock bottom... Smile and remember that life is much bigger than what we normally see every day. 

MAHAL NA MAHAL NA MAHAL NA MAHAL..... KO KAYO!! 

Sister Oyler

 

 

 

 

It's rainy season :)

Anak!

Basa

Floods again.....

 

 

 

Mr. Gagamba---bigger than my hand!

 

Aki stole a picture during one of our lessons....haha

 

MTC exchanges

Sister Chu

Pusit! (squid)

 

 

FHE @ Pamitan

We thought we saw a worm.....really a mini snake!

Cute little Adi