Lucky for Us -- In Many Ways

It is lucky we are scheduled to come home when we are, because I am quickly bursting out of my clothing, and by one week more I will be holding things together with nipa fronds. People ask us if we want to extend our time here, and we say that we are too excited to get home to family. But add to that the very real possibility that if we extended even a few more weeks, I would have to come home wrapped in banana leaves! Yes folks, expect a voluminous version of me when you see us next.  It's all good--old ladies get to grow mushy, right?  The cosmic inequity of it all, of course, and you can guess already, is that Elder Cropper looks fit and no less lean that ever.  And I'm certain he eats more, just in mango calories, than all my calories combined. Life is NOT fair!  But, enough catterwauling, I know you will all come to adore my new chins--we might even name them--and my triceps-turned-flacid-flesh is going to be a hit with the grandkids.  I sure liked it on my Grandma.

If the above is not appropriate for a missionary blog, please forgive me.  I try to tell the truth here in Paradise.

Happy birthday little one

We got to attend the 1st birthday party of a friend of ours.  His parents are about the coolest ever--valiant, faithful, even beautiful (yes, I am on a shallow bent today) diligent, and they really "get" the gospel culture that is so hard to replace for traditions of the fathers. I only hope they are not trying too hard to be 'perfect'. They both served missions.  They married when they found the right person, not when it was convenient--they welcomed kids (she is pregnant with number 2) in spite of very vocal opposition about the stupidity of that--she traded her passion (she is a national martial arts champion) for their new life of family, and all in a setting where the voices to do otherwise are very loud and persuasive. We really admire this little family.

This little family is so great.

The party was a blast.  Sister G made the cake--it is her new business she is trying to get going.  The extended G. fam put on a feast--huge prawns, whole crabs, and of course a lechon baboy (spit-roasted pig) and multiple other dishes!!  The decorations were darling, the games dangerous (a version of pinata, but with a clay pot--blind-folding kids with bats is such a great idea--no wonder we do it) and the videoke going. There was even a video slide show of little Brother I's first year. A perfect party for a great kid with a promising future. I knit him a hat, which seems overkill in this climate, but people really do wear them on those chilly nights that get down to 78.

Elders ready to dig into the lechon baboy

This shrimp was no shrimp

The G family

Cute - Mary Anne's hat and the baby.

As I promised, part two of our 3 returning brothers story.  The process has been miraculous. 

Bro & Sis. C with 3 of their 5 children

  Brother C, former Branch President of S. Branch, told us when we first came to see him that the church had been a chapter in his life, but that chapter is now closed, and he is going on to other things. He only let us in because we came with an army--his Branch President, the 1st counselor, another brother from the branch, the sister missionaries and us. We focused only on his story, and his experiences in the church before, and we brought up nothing about returning to church.  On the next visit, Elder Cropper was sick, so he couldn't go, but we were so grateful that Bro. C had agreed to see us again, that we didn't want to risk rescheduling. So, I recruited the sister missionaries who are assigned to his area, Sister Shahid and Sister Bosio, and I preached to him of the bounty of Christ's love and the value of His sacrifice and about how it makes no sense to ignore Christ's poignant plea and command to repent (D &C 19) or suffer as He suffered.  Why choose captivity and death?  He accepted the assignment to read of repentance and really took in what we taught.  The Sisters both bore powerful testimony.

The next time, he told us that he did not intend to return to church, but he was willing to strengthen his relationship with the Savior, and to start reading again, which was all we had asked.

After that, things changed.  Elder Cropper and I taught him and his wife several times over the ensuing weeks.  It was slow at first, because he had been so hurt by some dealings with his priesthood leaders.  He told us he had spend many bus rides to work weeping about what had happened, and he had decided to just close that chapter and build up a wall in order to cope.  But each time we taught him, his countenance softened and his demeanor brightened, until he informed us on our visit one Sunday that he had taken his family to church that day!!! Yup, without even our suggesting it.  He just got up, and while his wife and kids were preparing for church as they always did, he took a bath and put on his white shirt and tie and told them to hurry up, he didn't want to be late. It was his first time in the door in 5 years or more. 

We had warned them that things would get tougher before they got easier.  And they did.  The long bottled up resentment within their relationship came out.  He back-slid.  There was some anger and some frustration and some big decisions about how to change their lives to let the gospel back in.  Stepping foot inside the building doesn't solve everything.  But we counseled them through it all, and the Spirit taught them so generously, and they continued to read and pray, so it has ironed itself all out.  We fasted with them last week, telling them that as they made a huge decision about their lives, they needed to each be willing to give up their position and submit, not to the other person's will, but to God's will, and determine what was best for the family.  Again he shocked us all, and backed away from a dream of his, deciding he would not allow it to take him away from leading his family in the gospel. 

 We were flabbergasted.  What an amazing decision.  What pioneers they are.  What trials they have faced.  They have had reversals, but when people tell the stories of the folks who 'trekked' to Zion here in the Philippines, their story will be one of those that is told.

This is a text from Brother C, "We have ended our fast too. We will surely treasure those wonderful moments we spend together with my family. You have counseled us a lot and inspired us in many ways.  We truly appreciate both of you and you are very special to us.  We are going to build this time the C family Phil. Team!"

Next week Elder Cropper will show proper balute eating(fetal cooked duck egg) technique.