This is Sister Craig, She is Very Fat!

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Donna and I had our first District Conference yesterday and today (a large meeting of 7 congregations).  Donna and I spoke at it.  Many of the people at the conference had never met us so I introduced Donna.  I had her stand on the rostrum, and intended to say, in Tagalog "This is Sister Craig, she is very beautiful".  I got confused and changed the last word  from "Maganda" to "Mataba".  What I literally said was, "This is Sister Craig, she is very "FAT!"  The congregation was a little stunned as they did not know what to think...was I joking, confused or just a jerk? She looked at me funny, and said, "Mataba? Really?" Then I realized my mistake, and everyone laughed.   I am sure that I made many young missionaries' journals and letters home with that one.


Other than publicly insulting the greatest person in my life it has been a great week.  After a long day of interviews on Thursday, we travelled two and a half hours north to Tuguegarao to attend the baptism of a wonderful man we helped teach a little the last time we were in Tuguegarao.  We had promised him we would attend his baptism.  In fact two men were baptised.  Both men's wives were faithful members or the Church so it was great to unite these families into a single faith.  During the first speaker's talk, the power in the entire city went out (it is common and is called a brown out).  The always unflappable Filipinos just turned on the flashlights on their cell phones and we had a beautiful baptismal service by flashlight.  It was worth every minute of the 5 hours of extra driving.

Baptism in Tuguegarao before the lights went out!

There is so much to enjoy and laugh about here in the Philippines.  We had one missionary finish his mission this week.  As we visited, he told me that some time ago, when he was newer in the Mission, he was teaching a lesson and a large spider about the size of his opened hand (yes they can get that big here...My assistants put one in a jar for me at my back door...I screamed when I picked up the jar and saw what it was) came down on a thread and stopped about head high dangling there.  That's when the lights went out!  Brown out again.  When the lights came on a few moments later, the spider was no where to be seen.  His companion, noticing his distress, lightly tickled his arm like a spider would...

The fruit and fruit stands are amazing
As you may guess, I am loving it here.  I wake up every day happy.  My prayers have changed in the past few week or two.  I used to pray, "Thank you, Father, that I can again be a missionary and that I can return to this enchanted land with my sweetheart, Donna."  Now I thank God for those things but also thank him that I get to serve beside 186 amazing missionaries.  They are awesome!  I love them and thank God for them and pray also for their protection and success. 


Preparing the rice paddy for planting

Comments

  1. The JacksonsJuly 29, 2019 at 2:50 AM

    Lots of love.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 30, 2019 at 7:22 AM

    I there ever is anything I can do for you, please let me know. My son has gone to sacrament meeting for the third time since having been inactive for many years. Heavenly Father does answer prayers when we are specific, humble and sincere. Three of his boys came as well. One of my very good friends is Philipino. He is stydying to be a doctor. Val

    ReplyDelete

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