Craigs in Cauayan

On March 12th 1942, just before the fall of Corregidor, General Douglas McArthur, on direct orders from the President of the United States, climbed aboard PT boat 41 at the North Mine Dock under cover of darkness and fled Corregidor and the Philippines for Australia.  He left with the 3 word promise:  "I SHALL RETURN".  Washington and the Military asked that he amend the promise to "We" shall return.  He refused.  To him the promise was deeply personal and sacred.  On October 23, 1944, after the extreme and bitter Battle of Leyte Gulf and with the 6th Army now controlling the beachhead, Douglas McArthur, with then Philippines President Sergio Osmena at his side, stepped again on Philippines soil.  He would broadcast  the following:     "TO THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES     I have returned.  By the grace of Almighty God, our forces again stand again on Philippine soil - soil         consec...

This week we travelled to the remote town of Lagawe, high in the Cordillera mountains.  We used to travel through Lagawe once every 6 weeks on the way to Banaue, but we have only been there once in the last 21 months due to the strict protocols in Ifugao Province.  Our trip this week was to attend another humanitarian hand over, this time a new well and electric pump and water tanks to supply water to an elementary school in central Lagawe.  The new water system will provide water for washing, drinking and sanitation for 272 students and staff at the school.  We were the first guests to arrive, so the teachers showed us around.  We walked into one of the empty classrooms.  There have not been face-to-face classes in the Philippines since March of 2020.  The floors were clean.  Teaching materials adorned the room, to help with reading, writing and arithmetic.  Stacks of completed modules were neatly piled at one end of the room.  Tea...

Tuao is a beautiful town of about 60,000 people in Cagayan Province.  It is nestled in the hilly country on the borders of the Apayao and Kalinga Provinces in the far northwest corner of our mission.  Yesterday I took the 3 hour drive there with one of my Assistants (Sister Craig had a prior commitment in Cauayan) and 2 of our beautiful Sister missionaries serving in downtown Tuguegarao City.  Our purpose was to attend the baptism of Myriam Gumiran.  It was my privilege to meet Myriam when I interviewed her before her baptism.  Myriam is impressive; kind, smart and spiritually adept.  Her baptism has been a long time coming.  Her husband Alvere joined the Church 12 years ago and has remained faithful to it.  Currently he serves as the Elders Quorum President in the local Branch.  Their two sons are also faithful members of the Church.  Myriam stubbornly held to the faith traditions of her childhood.  She was born into a Church and w...

We were excited this week to be able to have Zone Conferences in person again.  We look forward to Zone Conference every 6 weeks as it is an opportunity to be trained and edified.   Because of Covid restrictions it has been a few months since we have been able to gather in our tiny zones of about 20 missionaries each.  Current regulations now allow for a gathering of 30% capacity of the venue, so our small numbers are well below that percentage.  We used to have 10 Zones, and would have 3 or 4 Zones gather together at 3 different locations over 3 days, with 60-70 in attendance at each.  We still hold them over 3 days, but now we only have 3 Zones in total and only include one Zone of about 16-20 missionaries in each conference.  Even with the smaller numbers, it is a lot of work to put it all together, but we were able to get everything ready.  We used to rely heavily on the Senior Couples to help with the physical set up and details, but now we a...

Being a boy who grew up in cattle country in Alberta, Canada, I love cowboy movies.  One of my favourite cowboy movies of all time is Sergio Leone's 1966 classic, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly".  One reason for the success of this movie is the unforgettable title and theme song.  I am far from cattle country, but will borrow this title to share with you three experiences of this past week. THE GOOD Last Monday Sister Craig and I were up early so we could travel to Amulung, a town in the northern tip of our Mission.  We participated in the hand over of three rescue boats, motors and related equipment to the Municipality by Latter-Day Saint Charities.  Last November, the area was hit hard by the typhoon Ulisses, which put over 70% of the Municipality under water and placed many lives in danger.  The equipment cost 2.7 million Pesos and will bless immeasurably the wonderful people of Amulung, who live next to the great Cagayan River.  The local leaders ...

A favorite hymn in our hymnbook is "Because I have Been Given Much".   "Because I have been given much, I too must give;   because of thy great bounty Lord, each day I live  I shall divide my gifts from thee With ev'ry brother that I see  Who has the need of help from me." Latter-day Saints Charities works worldwide to help those in need.  They are actively engage in helping those in need of relief due to floods, earthquakes and even pandemics.  Earlier this year, Latter-day Saints Charities supported the effort to distribute 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines around the world with a US$20 million grant to UNICEF for its role in COVAX.  The Philippines is one of many countries that have benefitted from these vaccines.  Also, as there are many natural disasters in this country, Latter-day Saints Charities has been able to help many people and help them to get back on their feet after they lose everything.  The "Helping Hands" vests are reco...

Being a Mission President and Companion during the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed us a view of the entire journey of some of our young missionaries.  It has been a joy to witness their entire odyssey from start to finish.  As a former Stake President over a large and faithful Stake of the Church, I have interviewed, called and released hundreds of missionaries.  It is fun to interview mission applicants.  They come nervous, knowing the strict requirements of worthiness and health required to serve a proselyting mission.  They leave proud of themselves when it is determined that they are ready and able to serve.  Proud; yes. Excited; definitely yes, but also a little nervous about stepping into the dark of the unknown.  Where will they serve?  Will they do a good job?  Will they miss home?  Will they like the experience? It is more fun to set them apart.  You see the pride on a father's face and the melancholy and a little worry on a ...