THE QUEZON QUIBBLER: April 30, 2018

Dear Family,

Thanks to all of you for your support of Grace this week. She wrote, "I can't even find the right words to show how happy and excited I was when I saw Derrick walk in and then Dan, Fenton, Sam, Dallin, Hannah, Abby, Mark, my knees started to buckle, I couldn't stop hugging them. I'm so grateful they came to support me, it just made that day so much more calming and peaceful to know they were there." We are so grateful, too. We've heard from several people that the service was wonderful and that Doug was (is) a great man, particularly the way he put his family first. We love that Roland’s oft-repeated phrase, “Doug is the only man in Centerville who was saved by Grace,” made it into the service. Thanks to Rocky, Sarah, Julie and Amy for their support from afar.

And we're thankful that Mark's life was preserved later that same afternoon, when he was prompted to stop at McDonalds and therefore avoided a head-on collision in which he would have been killed. He was able to help rescue a passenger from a burning car. We feel so blessed! New resolution: if I'm ever prompted to go to McDonalds, ACT!

We were sad to say goodbye to Hannah on Monday morning, but we can't complain since Dallin arrived Saturday night. We are very fortunate to see our children so often. Dallin brought over 50 lbs of supplies, and is happy to be back to his beloved Philippines:) (Wait—I just got this text from him: “Singapore is so nice!”) Last night he went with me to a baptism in one of the most dangerous parts of the mission (no sisters may serve there), Malabon, where Mark worked and baptized Brother Caviero. We saw five beautiful young women, all cousins, join the kingdom.

Saturday there was a "Blitz" in two wards where 20 missionaries split up with members and half used the GPS's to map the member's homes and the other half went with the missionaries to introduce them to their friends. There were 47 referrals contacted and lots of houses mapped. Stewart had to attend to business in the Baliwag district but arrived in time to thank the members and attend a baptism afterward. One of the girls baptized was surrounded by loving, recently activated, parents . The other two were completely on their own, but they were very happy.

Dad had a busy week with district meeting, counseling missionaries, speaking at a college graduation and counseling more missionaries. I cannot even write the challenges of this week: they are stranger than fiction. But miraculous events have unfolded and Stewart takes every action possible to help missionaries stay on their missions. Of course, it's not always possible and he's sent several home, although not this week. Today was our first zone conference of the transfer and all three departing missionaries (from these two zones) bore their testimonies -- all have struggled and all have made courageous and difficult decisions to begin to obey again and are finishing their missions strong. I was particularly touched by a Filipino elder who testified that "wickedness never was happiness". It's miraculous that he is finishing his mission.

Thanks for your prayers--we can feel them. Please keep praying for us and for the missionaries throughout the world-- especially PQCN.

Love,

Mom