This week was the happiest, most incredible, most stressful week ever
and I wouldn't change it for the world! So Saturday we had seven
baptisms scheduled for our ward, four for us and three from the other
missionaries! One of the other missionaries investigators has been a
long time investigator, her husband is a recently returned less active
and her conversion was the final battle for Sister Q, who has
been working on her for 6 months and shes goes home in two weeks. This
lady finally committed to be baptised after all this time, and Sister
Q truly believed that if her baptism didn't go through this time
she would never be able to commit again. The problem was, shes 9
months pregnant, and Thursday morning, two days before the baptism she
went into labour. We thought it was all over for her until Friday
morning we heard false alarm! And hoping the baby wouldn't be born in
the actual font, she was able to be baptised and confirmed without
problem. Our family were amazing. We knew they were solid and wouldn't
have any problems but we still fasted hard and worked so hard for
them. We shared our testimonies the night before and they all told us
about the changes in their lives since they've been coming to church.
When I asked the little boys what they liked about church they said
the learning....and the friends. But mostly the learning. They also
told us that earlier that morning they had woken up with 20 pesos for
the day, which is 50 cents, and couldn't afford food for the day, and
their youngest son had a bad fever and needed help. So he suggested
they pray as a family. Sister called her auntie and she said she
wanted her to do some laundry for her and paid her, they also found
out they're getting a huge government payout for some reason and
little MakMak was running around outside playing by midday. They are
so faithful its incredible. Their baptism was all over the place. We
went to pick them up and did sisters hair and makeup and she looked
like a celebrity, she was so happy because she never gets to look nice
as she can't afford it. We had their wedding in Bishops office, and it
was literally them, their siblings, the Bishopric and us. Small and
intimate and so perfect. At the end we got to sign the witness papers.
Their first language is Ilokano but they asked for the ceremony to be
in Tagalog so we could understand. They are incredible. By the time
the wedding was over we were 45 minutes late for the baptism and had
to rush it through as the other ward had baptisms straight after.
There were seven people getting baptised all up, so the whole front
row was filled with people in white suits. It took ages, but the
spirit was so strong. The water came out a putrid green sludge so when
we got there and saw it we had to book it to refill it a couple times
until it was only a little bit sludgy. There were so many
investigators present and they all brought kids, so as the final talks
and testimonies were happening, we were on kid duty outside. I have
never seen children so insane. There was about 15 of them running the
halls. At one point on of them was lying on the floor while another
one sat on his head and was repeatedly punching him in the face, and
there was another little girl who had pulled his pants down and was
pinching his bare bum. We had to literally pull kids off each other
and throw them into rooms and hold doors closed so they couldn't
escape. All this while the most beautiful spititual talks were
happening inside the next room. Man, the things we do. Eventually it
was over and we took all friends and family into the office and had a
cake ceremony for the married couple. Earlier in the day I felt the
sudden urge to buy a cake, so we bought this massive fancy on with
their name on it, and when they saw it they were really about to cry.
This is the best thing that ever happened to them and they really are
too happy. I love this work. I love this place, I don't even want to
leave!
Oh and I forgot from last week, we had balut. We put it off for ages,
and one day the Sisters in our apartment brought some home for us so
we just had to do it. It was the worst thing ever. It was hard and
soft and chewy and there were feathers and a beak. The beak was the
worst. And we ran into our mission president in the supermarket buying
Durian, which is this fruit which is wife said 'tastes like heaven but
smells like hell'. Its actually illegal to take it into public places
because it smells so bad. So they bought it for us, which then stunk
out our whole house, tasted like off custard but is actually kinda
delicious. When we couldn't finish it it all told President who ten
minutes later rocked up on our doorstep yelling at us from the street,
so we all go out in our pyjamas to give it to him and see a car full
of office elders outside. Just chillin on the porch in the middle of
the night with President and a bunch of Elders. So random. I love our
mission.
Love you all,
Sister McKim
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