THE QUEZON QUIBBLER: Two in One Week

Dear Family,

It's been a great week with visits from TWO of our children in one week. Derrick came Monday night after business meetings in Manila, and we had a quiet dinner together and visited until late (for us) and then enjoyed some time in the morning before we went to district meeting in Montalban. He brought us stuff and fixed all my technology--sad to see him go.

All 23 trainees seem to be doing well, just the American sister in Montalban expressed difficulty in her letter, but we were happy to see her smiling and participating -- which is better than a recently arrived American sister who was cried for the first six weeks. Actually, we had an elder from Utah who cried for the first eight months and claimed he would never learn Tagalog and wanted to go home -- and then he went on exchanges with the MTC missionaries and realized how much he knew (compared to them) and now he is happy, productive, and training a new missionary in the farthest reaches of the mission!

I had a rather sleepless night Monday night, worrying about Dallin in the ER, and am so thankful for the Merkleys helping him out. Dad and I appreciate how you all take care of each other--it lifts burdens from our minds every day. I made up for Mon night by going to bed at 8pm on Tuesday night, knowing all was well. Thursday at 6:15am I left to pick up cheesy egg pandesol (best McDonald's creation ever!) to be sure and be to the Self Reliance Training for the departing missionaries by 6:30am and then clerk didn't show up until 7:30am to open the building. The explanation is always, "It's traffic!" which is actually legitimate here.

Wednesday was POWER SCRUB in the mission, which is when all the missionaries take a few hours to deep clean their apartments, then we divide the mission up and the five senior couples (including us) visit each apartment. Thurs-Sat mornings we visited nine apartments and I'm so thankful I don't have to live in any of these places: no showers except a bucket, no AC, steep, uneven stairs and stifling heat upstairs, even with three fans going. Even so, for most of the Filipino missionaries, it's the nicest place they've ever lived.

Stewart had an exceptionally long day Saturday with an early morning visit one hour away to correct a missionary, apartment inspections and a baptism and baptismal interview in the mountains of Montalban on the other side of the mission. And then Sam came! He brought pumpkin, ricotta cheese, bran flakes, exotic mayonnaise and other gifts from Amy. And a Chinese PMG thanks to Derrick. It was like Christmas here! Today Stewart was gone from early morning to 6pm tonight. You can check out the text he sent me on his two-hour drive home.

It's so great to have Samuel here -- we feel very blessed to have family visit so often. (And we also appreciate that you're willing to bring us stuff!) Sam works in Manila all week and will come back next Saturday night/Sunday.

Friday, while Stewart was interviewing missionaries, I asked some of them how the Book of Mormon effects the conversion process of the people they teach. Surprisingly , most volunteered their own stories. Several told how ONE single verse had changed them and started the conversion process. One confided that he was upset his family was listening to the missionaries since they already had a religion. He ignored them whenever they came. One time, a missionary cornered him and gave him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read Moroni 8:3. He stuck it in a drawer somewhere. When he woke up the next morning, he had a compelling feeling there was something important he needed to do. He remembered the book and read the scripture and peace flooded him. He read more. He met with the missionaries. His entire family joined the church and now he is serving well and training a new missionary. There is power in the Book. His words were, "It changed me!!

Love,

Mom