Craigs in Cauayan

March 11,  2021 was a great day, it was new missionary day.  When the new missionaries arrive from the MTC (Missionary Training Centre) (or the virtual MTC during the pandemic) it is always exciting and fun.  We stand in the airport parking lot and wait for them to de-plane.  Finally, they emerge from the arrivals area of the airport and they are with us.  We have been anticipating their arrival for weeks.  We have been reading their mission applications and praying for their safe arrival.  Now they are here.  They are always very nervous but also excited.  More excited than nervous.  Today we have 5 missionaries arriving, each one promising, bright and happy (tired, but happy).  With the first four I practice proper social distancing  and only give them  a light fist bump and a big smile.  When the fifth and final one steps into the waiting area I cannot contain my excitement and give him a huge hug.  This was E...

In the Church when one bears his testimony, he gives a brief statement of his strongly held beliefs (chiefly of Jesus Christ) and often shares an experience that strengthened or tested that faith.   Most meetings of the Church have some bearing of testimonies and others are exclusively dedicated to the bearing (or sharing) of testimonies. As with other missions, the night before our missionaries complete their terms of service and return home we have a supper with them in the mission home.   This is precious time together because it is unlikely that the entire group will ever be together again in this life.   Some fly home to America, others fly to another Island in the Philippines and others to New Zealand and elsewhere.   The thought that you may not see some of these dear friends ever again is heart rending.   For 18 or 24 months they have worked together, learned together, served together and loved the people of the Cagayan Valley together.   After the ...

January 1982 saw me still serving in the first area of my mission, in Hermosa, Bataan.   I had approached my Branch President Toribio Santos for some referrals so I could teach some of his many friends. On the top of the list of his friends was Delfin David.   I declined to teach his friend because he lived out of town in the countryside.   In the early days of the Church in Bataan we were encouraged to teach primarily within the cities and towns, near the Church building because of the cost and difficulty of travel.   A few days later, I received a list of referrals from the Relief Society President, Cecilia Villanueva, and she also listed Delfin as someone I should teach. A few weeks later I was out of town on an exchange in another area.   When I returned, my companion excitedly told me he had met a man on the street (he did not catch his name) who said we could come and teach him and his wife.   The next day, I was less than pleased when I found that th...