It's like we are cursed!

We heard that there is a rumor going around that we are a curse to these people and ought to just come home. Ya, yuck it up!! I’m starting to wonder myself if we have not been the bringers of calamity, but if that is true, it seems only fair to stick around and help clean up. Right? Well of course right, ‘cause everyone knows curses can’t really be true anyway. Well, there is new evidence that might indicate we are, indeed, bad luck. Read on.

So, to catch you up: with your generosity, we had more funds than what we had promised to Bio-os School, and a friend of ours told us a couple of weeks ago of another school in the municipality that was also badly hit by flood waters from the typhoon. The name of the school is Tambuangan Elementary. It is right across the road from the Amlan River, upriver from town a couple of Kilometers, and right in the path when the water rages. The neighborhoods near by were not as badly hit here as in Bio-os, but the school lost much of their supplies, and it too filled up, but with sand, not mud, which I’m very glad of (I’ve had my fill of mud-trudging for a lifetime). Much of the work of cleanup had already been done when we were there to visit last week, but students still don’t have supplies, and teachers don’t have devices, so we will use the rest of the funds at this school. We attended their PTA mtg., attended their Barungay (neighborhood government) meeting, assessed needs, and of course Elder Cropper wowed everyone with his Visayan phrases. (He says really clever things like, ”Return will we yesterday for happiness” when he really means, “we will be happy to return tomorrow.”) They don’t give a rip that he is butchering their language, and they can understand his English better than his crazy efforts, but they absolutely die for his Visayan attempts any way. He sometimes actually gets a whole sentence right.

So we organized another Community Service project which we had okayed with the Mission President—he gave permission to pull all the missionaries in the province from their work to help with clean up. The Barangay captain was hoping we could build a rock and cement drainage ditch for future run off, but he needs lots of man power to haul stones from the river bed across the road. Count us in— we’ll bring the missionaries and the members—including a lunch for all workers who arrive (they said about 200!!) like last time. Once again, the funds for materials go much farther because of the work everyone pitches in

But then came the earth quake. School was out for a week to assess damage to structures, families went to relatives’ houses in the mountains to escape the pending tsunami, which they knew was really not coming, but which still seemed real to them. Our meetings were postponed, but we did go up and see that the preschool building. It is a separate structure, which was already questionably safe, and was now sporting a buckled-in roof with a broken beam. We quickly added up what we still had left, and decided your funds could help buy building supplies for the preschool to be rebuilt. The wall at the Bio-os school that had been talked about is probably not necessary now, since the municipality is dredging the Bio-os river and changing its course to address the problem, so those funds can now go to helping with the preschool at Tambuangan.

So after the earthquake, the plan was to meet today to distribute the funds to teachers, give out the school supplies, meet with the carpenter about the building supplies, and go ahead with the project. BUT the barangay captain texted us today and apologized. He said that since the super heavy rains last night washed away another block long chunk of the road to the school, we couldn’t get up there to deliver and meet, and the Service Project could not go on this Friday. Let me digress and tell about the rain. It rains hard here. The first few times it rained when we first arrived, we thought it might pulverize the house. Our roof is metal, and it makes a ton of noise, but the sound is pretty indescribable. You really feel like you should take cover when you hear it, but then you realize, oh wait, you ARE under cover. Well , with the exception of the typhoon, last night was the heaviest we’d heard, and, unlike usual, when there is a short, hard burst, this crazy hard rain went on all night, waking us each time when it rose in pitch and intensity.

So we were not surprised that the road, already compromised by typhoon, and earth quake, gave way to the gushing river, swollen with torrential rain, and the school is re-flooded, including mud.

Here is a random picture of a gorgeous flower Elder Cropper wanted to add. He said we needed to break things up.

The road was not the only casualty. Last week, before the heavy rain last night, after the earthquake and high water from mudslides up river, the little bamboo boat got washed from its moorings and swooshed away. Joy’s little family with the dad that just got baptized could not get to church on Sunday for his confirmation without the little boat. They just stood across the river in their Sunday clothes, watching the flood.

Are you getting convinced yet that we are NOT the best of lucky charms to the folks in these here parts?

We also planned, in the this same week as the community service project is planned for the school, another project with just the missionaries from our zone to help members in the community up north where people were hardest hit by the earth quake. The Branch President’s house there leaned, but did not topple—bamboo houses are, evidently, rather earth quake resistant, and much safer than cement block, like we live in J. We will head there tomorrow to help on some projects the Branch president is arranging.

When Elder Cropper went up to check out the washed out road today, he passed by the place where the boat had been, and there is a new one built already!! Bigger and better. But it was hung up on the rocks and a knot in the line, so he was in the river up to his knees trying to help the kids get it unstuck. Ironically, that’s right when a guy from the church humanitarian department in Manila called him to see if he has any information about earthquake relief needs to the north. He waded out of the river and told him we would check it out tomorrow when we are up there. We had heard rumors that either the Catholic or the Seventh Day Adventist churches got knocked down. The Manila guy wants us to see if help is needed for them or any other community projects. Maybe we’d best stay away :)

In spite of all this, we are continuing to rescue spiritually as well—we are teaching a family who has NOT been fellowshipping with the saints for years—since right after their baptism. Someone told him the Mormon church was a hoax, since where did it mention Joseph Smith in the Bible? And he decided that was reason enough to forget about his conversion. We went back to teach him and solve that problem (pretty simple: where does it mention Jesus Christ by name in the Old Testament? Where is Isaiah’s name mentioned before he came along? Or any of the prophets?—they are spoken of, but not named—even the Savior) Any way, when we got there to teach them, with the new Branch mission leader and his wife (the man who helped us find Joy and help her after the flood, the man who himself was not attending just 2 months ago). We found another young family there, who we invited to stay and listen to our message. They were intrigued and agreed to meet with us in their home next. Well they just happen to live on the property of the Branch Mission leader, so he spoke with them today about the lesson and they said her brother and his wife, their parents, and her younger brother, all want to listen too. So Wednesday, tomorrow, we will teach all of them.

This place is intense. When we go to sleep at night we think, “What next Heavenly Father?” What roller coaster ride of faith and submission and orchestrated , miraculous events, building on other events? We get to see lives changing, people growing, serving, learning about love through their own service, the way the Savior modeled and taught, coming to Him by loving and serving and teaching God’s children as He did. Oh it is magnificent to watch and to be a part of. We just wish the earth would settle a little. Sleeping in our clothes in case we need to dash, like we did the night after the quake, is a little harrowing.

I like how Michele joked about my re-considering following Dean to the ends of the earth. Not only should I consider more carefully next time, but maybe others should beware: there should be a question on an entry visa form or a missionary application—do natural disasters tend to occur when you arrive in an area?

Tonight, as I was writing this, about 8 in the evening. We heard a knock at our back door. There in the dark, were two little girls from the branch bringing us Valentines. They are from the family whose mom had a baby recently, who have nothing, not even electricity or running water. Their Dad is abusive and does drugs, and only shows up to bully. One is about 11 the other maybe 9, but they look years younger. They had made us Valentines. They, who have nothing, including any hope of a life much better than the poverty they are now in, had found smidgens of red paper to glue on white paper, and they wrote us lovely messages in English, then they walked from their home down a rough dark road at night, across the national highway with a tiny flash light to our house where they’d never been. Their names are Merry Joy and Mary Grace. Enough said.

Earthquake too?

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside . . . Oh ya, an earth quake, a tsunami warning, and a tiny tsunami and then another earthquake...then another…then another. We are fine, no body hurt, just a little “shaken up.” It was no small earth quake though. The first one measured 6.7 by the earthquake site we saw, but the news said 6.9. Either way, it was nothing Californians have not felt a dozen times, but it was new to us and we didn’t like it a bit!

The biggest effect on us was having to rescue panicky folks. One family who live RIGHT on the beach were in town when it happened, and they didn’t know where their 3 sons were. So we had to dash to their house. It felt not just a little scary as we drove in the direction of the beach rather away from it as every one else was. All was well, but it was they who described the little tsumani that happened maybe 10 minutes after the quake. The ocean receded about 40 meters then came rushing back up the beach, but only just a little higher than a normal high tide.

As we were driving around answering calls and going to the members’ homes, we noticed many people standing in places where they could see the ocean--just watching it, watching for the water to recede so they could head for higher ground. As we were delivering some food to a family that had evacuated, the neighborhood we were driving through had just received a warning from police to have everyone evacuate that lives along the water. That is a lot of people. All the buses were full, and there were people lining the road with their children in tow and carrying used rice bags filled with their most important things looking for higher ground. With the memory of the typhoon still so fresh on people’s minds, the air was filled with fear as thick as a foggy evening.

The movement of the ground is like standing on an oscillating platform you would pay to stand on at a carnival except everything around you is moving too. It feels kinda like the standing on a sheet of ice with waves under the ice. A slow sickening feeling.

Many people spent the night at schools above the danger line, just to be safe. But except for the after schocks, one of which was also 6 plus, there was nothing to fear. Last we saw on the news only one fatality—a young girl crushed under a collapsed wall.

There are missionaries in all the towns along this coast where it happened. All are safe.

Sorry no pictures. We only saw a couple of damaged houses. on of the chapels north of here has a large crack. Most things look normal.

From Muddy Brown to Pure White

Here you can see some of the destruction that will have consequences for a long time. Of the three bridges on the Amlan river that we know of, only one survived.
The after effects of the typhoon Sendong are considerably broad. Houses, livestock, books, beds, and even lives, were swept away by the fury, speed and intensity of the typhoon. Many of the people we hauled rice and supplies into had their tummies filled, and then there was a spiritual hunger that surfaced, which the missionaries soon filled with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The bridge above was once the means of crossing the river for many people. With it out, alternative means were needed to get workers, school children and any others who needed to do errands across the river. The natural solution is the bamboo pedi-barge with small children as the power supply.



The first foray to find members on the other side. River was still muddy and high.

Up river from the city of Amlan, on either side of the Amlan River, there are many houses. One thing that we are so amazed at here is that people live everywhere. If there is a spot that is not cultivated or with big signs that says, “No Trespassing”, people put up residence there. I am sure there are many land owners that allow the building, because there is high density housing here in many spots even though this a mostly rural area.

Members and missionaries and the captain and crew (the 4 little kids)

The mother who Elder Cropper, the missionaries, and members were heading to find was baptized years ago, but has not been attending—too difficult with her husband not involved and the distance to travel, but she and her husband read from the bible daily, trying to stay close to the Savior, with not much support.

In fact, the branch members did not have her on the list to find after the flood because she had been lost track of. One of the men who has recently come back to church is the one who baptized her, so he said we should go there, and he went with us to show us the way to their house.

Sister Joy, in front, is so happy for troops to arrive. Their damage was not extensive, but it was their remoteness that was their problem for getting supplies.

Our first time across the river was to supply rice and make sure the members who lived over there were safe and fed. You will notice the bags on the barge in the earlier picture. We all couldn’t fit on the barge at one time without sinking it. As we walked in, everyone was so nice. We found the family we were looking for.

The first time we saw this family, just days after the flood, they were so gracious, mostly because the man who baptized her was with us. He really hit it off with the father who immediately started taking the missionary discussions. Two great elders from the mission taught them faithfully, and four weeks later the dad was baptized after quitting smoking and a few other vices. They’ve been attending church as a family, finding new friends there, getting help in the teaching of their children, enjoying fellowship with the saints.







a zoom in close up of kids on the far side of the river showing off for us on a later trip.












The crew is down to these 2 little guys, but the river is much narrower, cleaner, and not so raging.














Crystal not so sure about the big white lady.












Still shy













But see how Crystal feels about her father?

We went with the missionaries last week for a last discussion before baptism. We sat in the front room of their two room home. We sat down on the bamboo floor and taught them a discussion on how the scriptures can become a working part of their family gospel teaching. Gave them a few examples of how Lehi loved and taught his family specific things relating to the gospel. We read some scriptures from the Basahon ni Mormon, his English is a bit weak. And our Visayan is extremely weak.

The whole family (plus a cousin in the neighborhood) ready for a new birth and a new life.

I wish we had a picture of them with their Dad in white baptismal outfit. That's the pure white part, but we could not be there for the baptism, so we saw pictures but don't have any for you to see.







the trip home Ya, I trust these guys.

This family, recently just struggling along spiritually, is now empowered. The parents both now have the saving ordinance of baptism by authority and the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide them in raising their family. The father will soon have the priesthood and will be able to exercise that priesthood to baptize his son in a few months when he turns eight.

So, a man baptizes a lady who understands the gospel. He then leaves the church for a time. And so does she. A Branch Pres., concerned for the man, suggests we find him. We do so and invite him back. He agrees that it is time for his family to receive the blessings of the church, he returns to the Branch family, and he helps with flood relief and remembers the lady who has been forgotten, she and her husband respond to the love extended, and they are now enriched by the gospel as a whole family. This is just one of the countless cycles that Heavenly Father has going on in different phases all over the planet—everywhere, God’s children respond to God’s love as shown by others of God’s children, they in turn lift and encourage others, and on it goes.

We love picturing all of you as part of these cycles of loving and being loved. Thank you for all you do for us, so that we can be participating in such a hands on way. You are part of the cycle.

Happy Birthday Eliza

ELIZA IS
5!!!

It seems like you have been five for a long time. We can’t believe you are only turning five today, because you have been smart enough for five since you were three!!

We are sending you some pictures with a birthday wish from a girl who has your same name. Eliza. She is only turning 3, not five, but she too is smarter than her age. She is a girl who goes to church with us.

When we asked her Mom and Dad if we could come take her picture for your birthday email, they said yes and they dressed her in her fanciest dress so she would look her prettiest to wish you happy birthday,








Girls and boys here live in very small houses and they do not have hot water in their houses. If they want hot water for washing their dishes, they make a fire and put a pot of water over the fire and heat the water till it is hot. So, most children do not get warm showers. They stand in a bucket and their mom or dad pours water over their heads to rinse off the soap and shampoo.







Eliza's favorite toy is her Hello Kitty which is in the picture. It stays on a high shelf in her house and can only come down on special occasions, like today for your birthday.
Because her name is the same as yours, she reminds us of you, even though she looks very different. Her mom and Auntie call her Lyly for short, or Ely

Did you know that there are almost no horses on the island where we live? We only saw one horse and it was a little kind of horse and it was pulling a cart with a man in the cart and the man was earning money by taking people places in his pony cart. I wish we had a picture for you to see it. Other than that we never saw a horse here. The people here have cows (baca)—but their cows are different than ours—and they have caribou, which looks like a big bull with horns—even the girl ones have horns— and lots of goats (kanding), pigs (baboy), and chickens (manok), but no horses anywhere that’s why I never learned the word for horse here.

Kids here don’t have much time to play because their schools are very long and very strict, and when school and homework is done there is still not much time for play, because there is much work to be done, like feed the chickens and the pig, go buy the charcoal to cook dinner with, and then start the fire and cook the rice for dinner. Even little kids your age do important things to help their family, like buying food at the little store near their house.

But when they do play, they like to swim in the rivers, fly kites, go fishing, and play with toys. They don’t have hardly any toys, but some have dolls, stuffed animals, or trucks.

We are so happy when we hear about what you are doing—your riding lessons and everything, so, thank you for your letters when your mom writes us emails.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ELIZA!!!

From Grammy and Grampy

Happy Birthday Melissa!

Happy Birthday dear Melissa

We can’t begin to tell you how much we miss you and your dear husband and babes. Our lives have been so closely intertwined these last many years, that you have become part of the normal ebb and flow of breath and time, like you were just a part of us. We could hardly make a decision without consulting you, at least for calendaring purposes, if not for participation and help. So here we are, thousands of miles away, without benefit of your sharp, clear vision, and without access to the joyful moments and/or hectic events that have become so valued, so dear. We miss you Melis, and can’t really think about it very much, or it’s just too big a hole to walk around with.

With each of the grand-kids' birthday posts so far, I’ve told them something I thought would be of particular interest to them, so I’ll do the same for you—a couple of little human interest stories-- illustration of life here, and perspective for life there.

The first one is just funny. We went weeks ago to see an elderly couple who had not been to church for ages. We hit it off, though she has almost no English. We challenged them to come back to church and prepare to go to the temple, but they were reticent, citing ill health and a huge boil on her foot that makes it hard to travel to church. I went back later and invited her to our branch R.S. dance practice. Oh she hobbled to church for that, you better believe, and had a great old time. She is big and fleshy and jolly and loves to dance. Well, once she'd been for dance practice, she had little excuse to miss the real deal, so now they mostly come. So this week, I walked in to the chapel about 10 minutes early, which here is like arriving the day before. She was already there and she had a big old bottle of rum next to her! The branch's first counselor's wife was sitting next to her laughing and trying to peel off the label. I walked up to shake their hands, and they hastily assured me that this was not rum, that is was just water with something added for her boil which was acting up. She was laughing, the other woman was too, and of course I thought it was hilarious. I said "oh, so it's medicinal." They nodded emphatically, giggling all the while. I chose not to open it for a whiff--best not to know. Finally they gave up on the label peeling attempt and wrapped a handkerchief around the unmistakable bottle. The questions arise: was this indeed "medicinal"? Was it actually rum in sacrament meeting? What is the optimal ratio of rum to water for treating a boil? If there was no rum involved, where did the bottle come from for the "medicine"? and finally, "Why was she not sharing?" She just chortled away, grabbing me once in a while to give me a big squooshy hug and waggle her head, knowing the irony of it all, and feeling felling no pain.

I'm not sure why that story came to mind for your birthday post, but I think because it is a story that the Stout in you would particularly enjoy. In fact, if Laren were to read this, you now he would smuggle a rum bottle filled with water into your mom's handbag next Sunday--maybe even use it to fill the sacrament cups.

Yesterday, we met for the first time the woman who serves as the District Young Women President. The District is as big in terms of members as a stake, with probably as many young women, though there are only 4 branches. Sister S. is a returned missionary, a VERY important distinction here, just turned 40, and has been married for 8 years. She has been serving in this calling since before she was married—10 years!! And has always had a branch calling or 2 or 3 also. She has seldom had her presidency fully staffed in one time, and she said when I met with her, that this was the first time she had ever had a one-on-one training session in all that time. She orchestrated the participation by her District youth in a huge cultural event in Cebu last year along with the temple dedication, plus a 3 day youth conference celebrating the jubilee year-50 years of the church in the Philippines. She pulls off this kind of thing in a place where her youth have no transportation of their own, nor money for fare to get anywhere, nor phones to communicate. And yet it all seems to happen.

Sister S is married to the branch president of a branch with 700 plus members on the records and about 120 attendance!! He too has been in his calling for 10 years!! They have been trying for their whole married life to have children, but can’t so far, and this last year after 8 years of waiting, she had 2 pregnancies that both ended in miscarriages.

She and her husband arrive at church (her only day off) early, and they just literally camp out there all day every Sunday. They bring a lunch and she sometime puts two tables together and has a nap (no couches or stuffed chairs here) while he is working in his office and meeting with people. She says she prefers it to going home because it is so peaceful in the church, but at her house the neighbors are too near and loud and it doesn’t feel like the Sabbath so she just stays at church all day.

It is so interesting how each of us has our own trials. This woman’s life is opposite from yours in many ways. She aches for kids, and you have a clan. She buys a tiny sack of groceries every day for her and her husband, while you need 2 carts at your weekly Winco extravaganza. You have financial security, and almost no discretionary time. She works 6 days a week, still has next to nothing financially, but can hang out all day at church on a Sunday because she is not needed anywhere else. You have too much to manage. She has too little. With all those differences, I know you two would hit it off. You are both delightful and very real.

In every realm and country, yours and hers, life is just plain hard for lots of different reasons. The miracle is that in households all over the world, women like you and like Sister S find the beautiful moments, make choices to add peace and beauty to their lives, and nurture the people around them-- in their families or the communities or their callings.

We applaud you Melissa for doing all of that. You are magnificent in your capacity as wife and mother. You are dependable and stalwart and beautiful. You are steadfast and immovable. How did all that come in the same package? Thanks for all you do to make it possible for us to be here--the mail, the bills, the banking, the house stuff. And thanks even more for the dedicated wife and mother you are for our son and grandchildren. We love you immensely and . . .

We wish you a hugely happy birthday !!