Paradise

Ah man so,

This week there was this moment. We had just had the greatest lesson
with our recent convert family, and we all walked to another familys
house that were teaching, laughing and joking around and had dinner
sitting on the mattresses in a tiny bamboo hut, and then were cruising
along in the sidecar of the motorbike on the way home, looking up at
the stars in the perfect weather, and just thought about how life
could not get any more perfect. Which means transfers are this week
and everythings about to change.
But no matter what happens life here is always great.

We have an investigator that lives next door to our family and when we
met her she was 9 months pregnant and about to pop, she was so happy
and couldn't wait. Two months ago we were so excited when we saw her
cruising up the street in labour on the way to the hospital, until the
next day we heard that her baby was in an incubator and not doing
well. Last Sunday the update was that the baby was doing great! Doing
well and returning home soon, but we arrived last Monday night to the
house to hear that the baby had died. It was awful, so awful. The body
was already on display in the house and the mother was doing her best
to keep going. We've been back a couple times this week to talk with
her and make sure she knows her baby is in heaven, which she does and
she appreciates. All we can do right now is hope and pray that things
will get better for her and be there as much as we can.

So were currently on election lockdown. The local elections are on
today which means our p-day is coming to email, get groceries, work
all afternoon and then stay on lockdown in the apartment all night.
Hmm. Can't really complain though, we really are living the dream in
this mission. So election means that theres been hard out campaigning
all week, and Saturday was the worst of it. Every house we were
teaching in, a precession of like 30 people would walk in, shake each
one of our hands and give us flyers and then leave. And then the next
house, 30 more people would come in.....haha. One lesson we were
teaching one of the men slipped back in to hand the lady a flyer and a
couple hundred pesos. Bribes right in front of our eyes. Philippines
man.

Oh and by the way, were totally fine from the earthquake, as everyone
keeps telling us, "there are 7100 islands in the Philippines and Cebu
is just one of them."
Other great stories from the week. We're now tight with all the
ladyboys in the village. Our Tongan housemate Sister V locked
herself in the bedroom for over an hour. I've never laughed so hard.
The doorknob broke and we spent all morning trying to help her escape.
After a while we gave up and sat on the floor for a while, she goes "I
hope you guys are praying for me". Nope. Whoops. She was out 5 minutes
later.

I'm gonna reply to you all now, hopefully, maybe.
Love you guys.
Sister McKim