All her wild' dreams came true!

I'M STILL WITH SISTER BECERRA!!!! We got the call after shopping last Monday. All day at Robinsons the missionaries were just zombies and checking their phones every two seconds and asking all the other missionaries if they'd gotten a call yet. So we bought a bottle of martinellis that we found in the imported goods section to use either in parting or celebration. We then got home and were putting the groceries away when the phone goes off and we just stop still and stare at each other (I might've silently mouthed "I love you") and then we answered the phone... and they told us we were STAYING TOGETHER!!! I could barely hang up the phone before we started jumping and screaming. We whipped out the martinellis and had a right little celebration shindig (pictures will follow). So basically all my wildest dreams have come true (side note, I tried to say that to sister becerra when we were freaking out but I was too worked up and said "all my 'wild' dreams have come true" hahahaha awkwardddd). So thank you for all your prayers! They worked ;D

So! Considering that we've basically been given a new lease on life we have been working our butts off this week. When we counted up our numbers last night we had taught over 50 lessons. My mouth is actually sore at the end of the day from so much talking haha! We've been meeting lots of new people and I'm excited to begin sharing the gospel with them! Just last night we met a man named Abrar from Pakistan. We stopped to make change at his chungey and he was having a hard time understanding what I said and then asked if we would just speak english (that's a first haha) and we find out that he is from Pakistan and came here to study Christianity and other religions (perfect!) and he requested that if we have time we help him know more about Mormonism. So now we have TWO english teaching appointments (but the other is Brother Derek and he's a recent convert so its just discussions mainly, not actual teaching), and he's actually interested in religion! We're so glad we met him.

We had a few disappointments with our investigator, Mitchit. She is supposed to be baptized this Wednesday but it had to be postponed a little while. Some qualifications were confused and she'll need an interview from President before we give the okay, but she should be baptized now on the 9th of November. I wish so bad she could be baptized this week, she attended a baptism last month and saw how they are asked to give a testimony after the baptism and she told us that she's been practicing what she'll say and even practiced while she was doing her wash, so adorable!!   
  It also means that we won't have any baptisms for the month of October :/ The biggest problem here is getting people to come to church and if they don't attend church they can't be baptized. They all, for the most part, have catholic backgrounds, meaning they have a basic religious knowledge, but they also have set habits.. like only going to church on birthdays and holidays. So we'll have great investigators that we're teaching all week and then no one will show up to church on Sunday. Even when we go to get them, they'll just hide or say they're sick. We even fasted with one of our investigators this last week so that she wouldn't have anything come up to hold her back from coming to church but yet again a no-show. It's okay though, it gives us a chance to build our faith, better discern and resolve their concerns and needs, recognize that everything happens in the Lord's plan and time, and motivate us to give more and do better!!

A little boy got hit by a trike.(Disclaimer- he's fine). The one we were riding in. We were pulling up in front of our investigators house she was outside with a bunch of her friends and their kids and one of the little kids someone fell into the trike, he almost got pulled under but just ended up hitting his head instead. All the moms got so mad at the trike driver (even though it wasn't really his fault). So we just got out of the trike all awkward and were like "ummm sorry" hahaha. He was fine, his mom got some ice from the chungey and his goose egg went down pretty quick.

An example of Filipino straight-up-ness. We had dinner at a members house and afterwards the Sister goes up to Sister Becerra, puts her hands on her stomach, and says "awww look at your little baby!" and then all the members laughed and laughed and called us both fat and laughed some more.

I think I already mentioned Dingding, she is a crazy lady that is kind of an investigator but not really because she just picks her nose and is nutso, and this week she has just been popping up everywhere. If we're in that area she'll just come out from behind bushes, houses, trikes, and just stand and stare at us. It scares me so bad every time haha we jump and we're like "Oh! Wow, hi dingding, didn't see you there!" *nervous laughter* and she just says nothing and we just walk away and then an hour later she pops up again. Terrifying.

We had a volleyball clinic at the church for the youth to try and meet their non-member friends. It would've been a great idea except they planned in on the same night that they had a huge stake activity.. so no one showed. Well, no one from the ward, we had about 15 little kids from the purok next to the church come haha :) So we just taught them some basic skills, played with them for about an hour, shared a small message, and invited them all to church on Sunday (pictures to follow). They all loved to spike and this one little girl kept getting nailed by the ball hahaha she got spiked in the head like 5 times. Didn't care at all! Just laughed and kept playing!

Since I didn't get transferred (yay!!) I get to play violin with the ward choir this sunday at a special stake activity! And I have the violin for the whoooooole week! Last night Sister Becerra asked that I play her to sleep so she layed there requested songs and I played for like 30 minutes hahaha. We also thought there was an intruder in our house last night and sister becerra flipped over onto my bed in 2 seconds flat and we were sooo scared haha so we got up and grabbed something to defend ourselves (hangers) and went out to see if there was someone there. Turns out it was just the neighbors in the house connected to ours. But be warned anyone who tries to break in! We have hangers and we're not afraid to use them! (Annie: not quite as good as your pan weapon haha #tangledrespect)

Hannah!!! Happy birthday!!! How on earth are you FOURTEEN?? You're lying. Not real. Stop it. No more. I had this terrible dream that I came home and you were all grown up, like a 30 year old woman grown up, and I was like "Hey! No! I wasn't gone for that long!" and you were like "Sorry, that's what happens." and then you were teasing me like "Who is the big sister now??" hahahahaha. It was sooo weird. I would send you something but the mail here is a nightmare (sera: I still have your birthday present hahahhahaha) so instead you can just go to my room and pick something ;D hahah jokes. Well, I guess you could haha. Don't really remember what's in there. Anyways!! You're the behhhst and I luuuvvv you and I hope you had the best birthday of all the birthdays!!!! <3 <3

Dad. Oh my gosh. Are you serious about the trip thing???? Youarethebestdadinthewholewideworldandiloveyousomuchandyouareevenbetterthantheofficeandharrypotterandrunningputtogetherandiloveyouiloveyouiloveyou
That would be AMAZING. I'll have to think though and pick somewhere really really good!! Ah!!! If the place I choose turns into some huge war ground while I'm gone, so help me hahaha ;) I'll think about it this week and send some suggestions next week!!!! Oh my gosh. SO GREAT. Dying.

Glad to hear you all are doing great!!! I love to hear all your emails so keep them coming!!! Hope you all have a super fantastic week and Halloween (its halloween this week right?) and I love you and miss you and send you my hugs and kisses!!!!!!

Love, Sister Manwaring <3
P.S heres some pics!