Quadruple the Fun Plus One: Chelsea

CJ's Baptism

Joy's Baptism

Hello Everyone!

Okay so this week has been such a great week! So many ups and downs constantly!

FOOD: So Sister Mariano got some balut on Tuesday. (Balut is a developing duck embryo that they boil and eat in the shell). I barfed just watching her. The next time you hear from me, I will have already tried it. Oh man, I am literally so scared haha. I have found my favorite fruit here! Its called dragonfruit! So amazing! I sent a picture of it! So I tried tofu this week. Haha it was the nastiest thing I have ever eaten! And then Sister Mariano and I tried santol. Its this fruit that sits in like vinegar. We both almost threw up haha. But, Sister Mariano and I made some chicken curry this week. I have been eating it for days. So far, my favorite thing here!

LESSONS: Haha okay, so we were visiting a less active and she was so amazed that I was an American and she kept thinking of people who I could get married too, no joke. I would not be surprised if I got kidnapped and forced into an arranged marriage here!

So really sad. So I think I told you about Brian. 15 year old kid, wants a change in his life. Well we visited him on Saturday and he doesn't want to be taught anymore. I have no idea what happened. His Aunt threatened to send him back to his parents in Santiago if he stops taking the lessons. He was bawling when we were over there. So kinda sad. Hopefully it was just a mood swing. We are going to try again next Saturday.

SUCH AN AMAZING MIRACLE WITH THE ENGARAN FAMILY. So I dont know if I told you about them. They are this great family. Every week, they go to church even though they are so poor. But they have so much faith in the Lord. Last Saturday, they still didn't have money to go but Sister engaran prayed for the Lord to provide and soon after, their daughter who works abroad had sent them money. And so about 3 weeks ago, we found out that they couldn't get married. We were devestated because they want to be baptized so bad. And then they have no money, so it was just a really bad situation. Pretty much for about 3 weeks now, we have just been praying and praying for them. And this week, they called their daughter and told her about their marriage, and she is able to send them some money to get married, so they are trying to get married this week! And then baptized like the 29th of August. When they told us that, Sister Mariano and I were almost crying. Such an amazing miracle for them. I'm just hoping it works out. You never know over here in the Philippines!

Oh so, so cute! We were teaching three 14 year olds the restoration yesterday. We then asked one of them, Elcid, to say the prayer. Literally, the cutest boy ever. He looks like a little mouse! So cute! So anyway, he was saying the prayer, and then after he just starts crying. So cute!

BAPTISM: Ahh CJ and JOY got baptized and confirmed! So amazing! Haha even though the baptism didn't start till an hour later than we planned (filipino time) it was so amazing! I cannot describe to you the feeling that I felt as they were baptized. I felt so much love for them and I felt like Heavenly Father was just so happy with them for this decision they made. Kinda sad though.. there was like no one there. The bishop was too busy in the field, the RS President was I have no idea where, and there was just no one from the ward though. So definitely missionary work has been a struggle here because the members really dont work with us. Pero, we had a coordination meeting yesterday and were able to drag a couple of the leaders to it. So its getting better!

RANDOM/FUNNY: So after teaching the Engaran family, we were waiting on the side of the road in Maria Clara waiting for a tricie or van to pick us up. It was dark outside and kinda scary! So this van stops and the guy is waving at us to come in and Im about to walk in and Sister Mariano was like, Sister Dunn, thats not an official van. I then looked at it, and there was no one inside, just those two guys so we had to say hindi like three times before they went away. SO scary!!

-Haha we have had so many rainstorms this week! We were out proselyting and this rain just starts pouring down. The water was up to my legs and my skirt was so muddy. Haha the rainstorms are crazy here!

-Hahaha so were in Rizal. And I see this baby cow sitting on the grass. And then i see his mom tied up to a tree so Im like no harm right! So we go to take a picture with it, and the mom gets super mad and comes right up and we back away. So they are blocking the middle of the road and the mom is so mad. But we had a lesson on the other side! Haha so we had to ask this Filipino girl to lead us across. We walked super slow and when I walked right past the cow, it just stared at me and I was like, I am going to die. Scariest thing ever. Oh and its not just a cow, a cow with really big horns so that it why I was scared haha

-So its pretty much the worst when youre going to the bathroom and a cockroach or a lizard runs right across over your feet. Almost died of a heart attack haha.

-So for service all we do is weed! Every week! Haha it is so exhausting because it is so hot and we dont really have any tools other than machetes and knifes, which I cant really use because I dont know how to! That little girl was such a cutie though! Everyone is like, speak to the children! You can understand them! Well, the little girls cousin who we see once a week, oh my gosh. she is like three years old and speaks a mix of Taglog and ilecauno super fast. I cant understand that! Like what the heck! I can understand adults better! haha

So right as Sister Mariano and I were walking in the chapel yesterday, the bishop was like, sisters you are giving talks today! Almost cried.... So I chose to share 1 Corinthians 10:13. I said that I know Heavenly Father doesnt give us trials that are too hard and that we cant handle. Sometimes, it may feel like we cant do it, but we can. And he has given us so many tools to help us get through those hard times. I then talked about the power of prayer and how it has helped me in my life. I have no idea if they understood anything because I did it in half Tagalog half English. But I thought it went allright!

So thats about it for this week! There is so much work to be done! Every week, we just a new pool of investigators. It is crazy! But I am really growing a love for this work and the people! INGAT!

Sister Dunn