Craigs in Cauayan

This week it felt like we went back in time. We went to the Rice Terraces twice this week.  On Monday we went on an exploratory mission to see the Rice Terraces of Batad, because we were unhappy with the hike we had been taking the departing missionaries to.  We were up early on Monday, and headed out.  It was a completely different route, and we hoped that it would work out. The Batad Terraces are only 67 km away from Cauayan, but it takes 3 hours to get there.  I am resigned to it taking ridiculously long times to get places, but still not a fan of spending so much time in the car.  I feel like it is wasted time, and it is always an adventure on the roads. The road was narrow and windy, but for the most part, paved.  I compare it to a bad carnival ride.  There were a few spots where there was only one lane, because of small mudslides, but all in all, not that bad.  The good news is that it is road that isn't traveled by the big rice ...

Some while ago, one of my young missionaries quizzically asked me: “What do you do all day?”  I asked Sister Craig that question and she sardonically answered: “I don't hardly know myself!"  The days fly by and we often wonder!  Perhaps I can better answer the question by reporting on our travels this week. Monday was our young missionaries' Preparation Day, a day in which they do not work until the evening.  They shop, do laundry, call home, play basketball and take a bit of a break.  One of their duties is to write me an email.  So each Monday I read about 185 emails (a few miss writing).  It takes many hours to read them all.  I do not respond to very many, but it still takes the day (and parts of the following days) to read all the emails.  The emails are entertaining to be sure.  The missionaries are generally happy in their work and often tell some of the hilarious things they see and often do.  As you may well imagine, 1...