Kumusta!

Kumusta!
Thank you so much for your emails.

Guess what? I have a new companion again! Sister Dolojan. She is probably the sweetest person I've ever met! She is 25, Filipina, and everyone calls her sister Dollente's twin (because they look so much alike. They both also came from the same singles ward before coming on the mission). Also, sister Billones got transferred into the Agoo Zone, which makes me so exceedingly happy because we will now see each other every week at district meeting. Yay! While waiting for our companions, I got to work with Sister Lapana and Sister Broadhead, which was great :) I love them both very much. I heard that Sister Walker is in the Missionary Recovery Center in Manila because of an ulcer. yikes, I hope she is doing ok.

Let's see, what fun things do I have to tell you about this week....

We've been teaching The Orcales Family, and they are really progressing. It's kind of a funny story about how we came in contact with them. We were teaching their neighbor (who is a less-active member), when Oliver Orcales (The father - in his 30s) came over - he was drunk and wanted to join in on the lesson and kept saying "Please, can I listen to? I want to hear the words of the Lord.... I want to know how we can be saved." - although he was drunk, there was something about him that was really sincere. and so we set an appointment to return and teach his entire family. Well the first couple times we returned, he wasn't there, so we just taught his wife and children. But this week, we were able to catch him when he was at home, and we started teaching them all. At first, he was really quiet - I think because he was embarrassed about being drunk the first time we met him. But then he brought out several sincere questions about the gospel, how we can be saved, who Jesus Christ is, and what we need to do here on earth. It was really neat. He and his wife have both received a witness that Joseph Smith is a true prophet, and they are reading the Book of Mormon. They also accepted the invitation to prepare themselves to be baptized. Anyways, it's just interesting some of the ways that the Lord leads to the missionaries people who are prepared for the gospel ;)

We are working with helping Brother Juan abstain from tea and alcohol. At first he was nervous because his doctor told him that he needs to drink tea every morning for his heart, but we reassured him, telling him that Heavenly Father knows what is best and he promises to bless us if we obey this commandment. He is the ultimate physician.

Well, I am loving the Philippines. Sometimes it is quite hot indeed. It's fun sometimes to be teaching a lesson underneath a coconut tree, on a bamboo bench, overlooking the beach, to about a dozen little children who are crowded around to hear, with dogs, chickens, and goats running all around. Hehe...what fun.

Well, got to go now. I love you! This work is true!
Love, Rebecca

Did you know, one of the favorite past-times of Filipino children is tying big beetles to a string and flying them around - hehe, it's really funny to watch :)

I found out that the word lobo in Tagalog has two meanings - wolf and balloon :)

P.S. Daddy, the pictures you sent made me laugh :) Thanks!