Craigs in Cauayan

Mango season is beginning, and I have been looking forward to this for the last 10 months, when I discovered that they are seasonal here.  I had anticipated eating mango every day for the next three years when I arrived, so you can imagine my dismay to find out that doesn't happen up here in the "Wild West".  Technically, I guess we are on the East side of the island, but I can't think of an "E" word to go with East that will work.  The only "E" words that are similar to "wild" in the dictionary are "empty", "extroverted", "enraged", or "eager", so I still say I live in the "Wild West".  Anyways, the mangos are divine, and I am eating as many as I can while they are here.  I wish I could bring a mango tree back to Canada when I come home, but unfortunately, I think it would die in my Alberta garden. The highlight of the week was learning that our smartphone delivery had been expedited...

Having served in the same area as a young missionary and now as a Mission President it is easy to see some of the differences and similarities between the two experiences. As a young missionary your main focus and purpose is to teach the Gospel to individuals and families.  Your focus is people, not where you serve or what language you speak.  All these years later, the greatest memories of my young mission involve people and feelings.  Great joy comes from helping people be happier and find greater meaning in their lives.  When you see a family stronger or someone finding peace in their life, you feel true joy.  That is a tender and meaningful feeling. As a Mission President your focus is still on people, but different people. My focus now is upon my young missionaries, not people being taught.  It is said that you never know how good a Mission President was until you see how many of his missionaries' children and grandchildren are sealed in the tem...

This has been a strange two and a half weeks.  We are usually on the go every day, hardly getting a chance to rest.  But all is different these days.  The Enhanced Community Quarantine began on the 18th of March, and is still ongoing.  We were looking forward to it being over on April 14, but there is now talk that it could go to the end of the month. This means that there is no public transportation of any kind, and there is a curfew every day from 8pm to 5am.   Everyone is supposed to stay at home, unless they need to buy food or medicine.  All stores, except grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies are closed.  There are a few fast food places open, but only for take-out and drive thru.  The roadside fruit/vegetable stands are open.  We are required to wear masks when in stores.  In a country where many rely on the money they make that day to buy food, this is a very difficult situation. There are checkpoints as you enter all...

“It is with broken heart and head bowed in sadness, but not in shame that I report that I must go today to arrange terms for the surrender of the fortified islands of Manila Bay.” As General George Wainwright prepared to surrender the Philippine Islands to the Japanese on May 6, 1942, he cabled the foregoing advice to President Roosevelt. Brave smiles hiding broken hearts This week my heart understood more deeply the emotion of those words.  Last Monday we were invited to attend a meeting via Skype with the Area Presidency and all other Mission Presidents serving in the Philippines.  During the meeting, we were informed that it was anticipated that in the next few hours we would receive instructions from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 Apostles to evacuate all foreign missionaries, because of borders to countries closing due to CoVID-19.  The news plunged like a knife into our hearts.  We knew our young missionaries would be heartbroken to leave...

True to the superstitions, it was a weird sort of day this past Friday the 13th.  Most of the world has held its breath as they have watched the Coronavirus turn into a pandemic.  Here in the remote northern Philippines, the pandemic has been mostly an academic exercise as we have read about it but are not really experiencing it.  The Church has, however, maintained a careful watch on the pandemic in an effort to be a good citizen and to protect its missionaries and members.  We are following precautionary measures of no shaking hands, no fist bumps or elbow bumps, no hugs, and social distancing.  This was particularly hard the first week, but now everyone understands.  Ingenuity has prevailed, and foot tapping is our new handshake!  We are washing hands regularly and using alcohol to clean our hands between washings.  The missionaries have been instructed to refrain from teaching in homes where someone is sick. "Group Hug" Initially, we wer...

Every six weeks we begin another cycle here in the mission.  The departing missionaries leave, and the new ones arrive.  They both have one thing in common, they are scared to death!  This also marks transfer day, so it is a busy day all round. Going home! February 26th marked the Transfer/Departure/Arrival day for the mission.  The departing missionaries arrived on the 25th, to have their departure interview with the president, and also to get their luggage weighed and their accounts closed up.  Every departure gets harder.  We grow very attached to these missionaries, and it is hard to say our good-byes.  We have dinner for them that evening, and show a departure video and have testimonies. New Arrivals! Wednesday morning begins early, feeding everyone breakfast, then off to the airport to get them checked in.  After they are settled, we wait outside for the arriving missionaries.  As there is only one flight a day from the Caua...

Recently, we had two conferences for the Sisters in our mission.  Half of the Sisters came the first day, and the other half the second day. At the conference, I shared the following story: Orson Spencer had just graduated from two colleges.  One was in preparation for the ministry.  He had trained to become a pastor.  The missionaries met with him and shared the Book of Mormon with him.  He read it, and believed it.  He shared it with his wife Catherine.  Later, while visiting with her parents, Catherine announced that she and Orson were joining the Church.  Her parents were livid.  They said, "Catherine, if you join that Church, we never want to see you again, we disown you, we disinherit you." As they walked home, Catherine stopped and said, "Orson, I don't know a lot of things, but I know this:  I love you, and if you join the Church, I am going to join the Church." They joined the Church.  They had three children...