Craigs in Cauayan

It has been a long few weeks since I updated the blog.  I wasn't going to talk about this, but I keep thinking that I should.  For it wouldn't be a real picture of our mission if I made it lopsided and only told the good parts.  At the end of September I got sick.  Cold symptoms, nothing really out of the ordinary.  I had been experiencing a bit a congestion for weeks.  I got better for a few days, even went on the Banuae trip, but then it came back even worse, and I was out of commission for another week.  I was basically making the appearances I needed to, but sleeping most of the time.  I didn't realize how homesick I was until our friends, Cayetano and Thelma Infante arrived to serve with us for the next 6 months.  I cried as their car arrived in the driveway on October 8, and drug myself over to the office to greet them.  It is so good to have them here. I started to get better, but then it came back again, worse this time,...

On October 1 (October 2 here in the Philippines), our new grandson, Quentin Rory Craig (Quinn) was born in Lethbridge.  Baby and Mom are doing well (and so is Dad).  It is hard to be so far away when I would like to be there helping them in these first couple of weeks, as I have with our other grandchildren. Amanda's grandma is not well, and I am far away, but she is a champ!  And she is getting lots of help from Ethan.  I am missing the new baby smell and the new baby snuggles, but we are trying not to be homesick and are grateful for FaceTime and photographs. Grandchildren are such a wonderful gift.  I treasure each one in our family.  I appreciate their individual personalities, their talents and weaknesses.  They make our lives complete.  We love to watch them grow and develop into wonderful people, with tremendous faith.  How grateful we are that their parents are bringing them up in faith, teaching them to love their Fath...

Last week we spent far too many hours in the car. Saturday:  Santiago (2 hours) Sunday:  Santiago (2 hours) Monday:  Santiago (2 hours) Tuesday:  Bambang and Solano, Santiago again (8 hours) Thursday:  Banaue (8 hours) Friday: Roxas (2 hours) Saturday:  Tuguegarao (5 hours) Sunday:  Roxas (2 hours) I was also sick from Saturday to Wednesday, so that didn't help.  Nothing bad, just a head cold and fever, but it was a rough week.  I almost didn't make the trip to Banaue, but felt pretty good by Thursday, and was even able to hike the hike.  The hike we take the missionaries on isn't long, only a little over an hour, but it includes 1,780 stairs! I didn't fare any better this time than last, and walked around like my legs were made of wood until Sunday.   We had a wonderful day with our 9 missionaries that will depart in October.  They have looked forward to this trip for their whole missions, so it...