GNARLY TREE - BEAUTY MISSIONARY MADI SEES

MISSIONARY MADI SAYS THIS GNARLY TREE IS WHERE UGTAS (BIGFOOT) LIVE!

APPARENTLY THE ONLY THING TASTY ABOUT THIS BREAD IS ITS NAME

Bee Stings gone AWRY!

Missionary Madi casually mentioned that her and Sister Sevilla got attacked by bees on Tuesday on the way to their District Meeting. She thought she was okay and continued her work for the week. Lucky for us two American parents there are some grownup American Senior Couple Companions that know when a bee sting is just a bee sting and when one has gone terribly awry (Definition - In a position that has turned toward one side; askew 2. Away from the correct course; amiss).

DO YOU THINK IT LOOKS BAD? MIGHT BE A LITTLE SWOLLEN!

MISSIONARY MADI SAYS FEEL BAD FOR ME........(THE GREEN IS FOR POSSIBLE OUTBREAK OF GANGRENE!)

THIS MY FRIENDS IS WHAT ASKEW & AMISS LOOK LIKE

Missionary Madi is now in Tacloban after a long ride that as usual was accompanied by her getting car sick. However she does not mind the ride as she loves being in the big city and has the opportunity to go to McDonalds.

MCDONALDS - BIG MAC MADI HEAVEN

Baptism in the Ocean

Missionary Madi is always hoping that anyone who is getting baptized will have it performed in the ocean (we get baptized in fonts all the time, but who gets the opportunity to be baptized in the ocean). So she is happy that Marites choose to be baptized in the ocean. Missionary Madi loves the feeling of having someone accept and embrace the gospel. I know that she loves Marites and is amazed by her courage and willingness to accept the gospel and doing it all on her own. We are so blessed to have so much support for our faith here in Utah and most places in the United States. 
How strong would we be if none of our family, friends or acquaintances believed what we believed? Having zero support - how strong would you be? We are beyond BLESSED!

Missionary Madi's Ocean

Sister Sevilla, Marites and Missionary Madi

Blessed

Filipino Kissy Face - American Posers :)

Come unto me........

Happy!

Mothers Day Love from Phili

We received the package that Missionary Madi had such a difficult time getting off in the mail. She ended up making a couple of trips to the post office prior to getting the package actually into the mail system. She has to travel some distance to get to the larger city that has a post office. Mail is slow to be delivered to and from the Philippines. As always we were super excited to hear from Missionary Madi those words on paper are so special and like music to our hearts.

MORE STAMPS PLEASE - I DO NOT THINK THERE ARE ENOUGH YET!

THOUGHT THE "PHILPOST" BOX WAS KIND OF FUN

FIRST PARCEL FROM THE PHILIPPINES!

Missionary Madi made this for me. She cut out a frame from cardboard, then used black electrical tape to give the frame a nice high gloss black edge. She glued seashells that she gathered from the beach right by her apartment. She states these are not even the prettiest ones.

BEAUTIFUL HAND MADE GIFT OF LOVE!

Unbeknown to Missionary Madi when this package arrived it was the stinkiest package ever. Let's just say the smell of rotting fish would be a pretty close description. It reeked! I think my eyes were tearing up. Basically these were definitely fresh seashells that she used to create this beautiful project. So after a few weeks in the hot Utah sun I will bring the frame into the house and put a fun picture in it.

Zone Conference - Phili life

Missionary Madi had Zone Conference this last week! She loves this time I think it refuels her tank! Looks like the sister missionaries are increasing in numbers.

LOVE THE SISTER MISSIONARIES - BIASED I KNOW!

When we spoke on Mothers Day it was election day in the Philippines. Elections are a big deal and the missionaries were not allowed to work that day. Missionary Madi states it was crazy with flyer's and political propaganda everywhere in the streets. So on Thursday they had a service project to clean up the streets.

Political clean up - service day!

Missionary Madi continues to attempt to become accustomed to bugs and spiders and snakes (yes, snakes) that invade their inside living space. This week they had a big spider that she called "a runner" Sister Sevilla had to kill this one. But Missionary Madi one upped her and killed the snake that got into their apartment. This is absolutely one of those moments being a fly on the wall would have been priceless.

The Runner - Ewwwwww - Zero tolerance - Spider had to die

Mothers Day - Technology - Skype - Worlds Apart

Missionary Madi was able to Skype with us for Mothers Day. She contacted us a little after 7:00 PM Sunday in Utah (9:00 AM, Monday in the Philippines). It was so fun to see her and speak with her. She was a little awkward and shy at first but it was not long and she was her old self. She showed us at one point after we had been talking for quite a while that she was still shaking. It was crazy seeing the internet cafe in the back ground. She was in a small little closet type room with a pink curtain behind her. Once in a while a random Filipino man would be peering in watching her. She said it is common for people in less private internet cafe's to come and sit by her and read what she is typing. The connection was pretty good the picture was choppy if she moved much. A few of her friends came over and she loved how beautiful they all were. We talked for hours. The missionaries were not allowed to work on Monday as it was election day in the Philippines. So there was no time restriction. Her dad was content after speaking with her he stated " She is happy, no one smiles that much if they are not happy, She was all smiles." It does a daddy good when his daughter is so far away. You want to know that they are happy. Love our Missionary!

Happy Twins! It was hard for Kenzie to say goodbye XO

Beautiful friends (Jenni, Jaj,Tiara, KK) and their Missionary! Handsome BK - He definitely had Missionary Madi's eye.

Cyber Missionary Madi

Loved her little ear phones. It was extremely hot and they were sweaty.

Cyber Kisses - Missionary Madi not impressed.

Then & Now

Missionary Madi was able to send over some fun pictures while she was at the internet cafe on Mothers Day (Monday May 13 Philippines). Some are from back in the MTC and others were some of the members in her village. I cannot remember exactly what she called it but they do not consider it a ward as it is to small. Neighboring areas with more members have a branch but where she is they do not call it a ward or branch.

Elders & Sisters with their MTC Teachers

Missionary Madi with her Elders Gee, Blotter & Beyer and Sisters who all serve in Philippines. Elder Blotter came to our house to see us while he was waiting for his Visa to Spain. He is also a twin.

Elder Justin Blotter (he is a twin also) With Missionary Madi's Twin - Kenzie

Sister Kramer was in love with the little boy all in camo! Marites (right) is an investigator who wants to be a member. Mirashine is one of the members. Missionary Madi states "they are both going to be trouble" because they are beautiful.

Tacloban Airport - This is where Missionary Madi arrived. A little smaller airport than we are used to.

Missionary Madi's Desk. Keepsakes from home. XO

Thug Life = Sister Life

Missionary Madi and Sister Sevilla were so excited for Cris to be baptized. Missionary Madi thought is was an amazing experience. She stated that she wants to have a baptism every day of her mission. She says that Cris is an amazing young man and would make an awesome missionary. Hopefully he will be able to serve a mission and share our saviors love with others.

Cris - Missionary Madi's first attendance at a baptism in the Philippines

Sister Sevilla, Cris, Sister Kramer

Thug Life - Two Legit - Sister Life

Superstitions......

Missionary Madi's e-mails are always entertaining and full of items one will burst out in laughter over. Here are a few of the highlights from this weeks letter.

So the people in the Philippines are very superstitious and Missionary Madi met a woman who was expecting. The woman approached Missionary Madi and asked if she could take her picture. She explained to Sister Kramer that they believe that whatever they look at while they are pregnant, is what the baby will look like. If they look at the thing (in this case her picture) too much it will make the person sick. So Missionary Madi asked that we pray for her health.

I made a calendar for Missionary Madi with pictures of her friends and family. Of course I included the handsome and extremely tall BK (Braden). Her companion who is Filipino and very small called him Ugta - Like the Filipino Big Foot. I am sure he does seem extremely large to them (he is extremely large to us). But Big Foot - I don't think so. Missionary Madi states they call her Ugta too.

Due to the fact that it was Fast Sunday Missionary Madi had a Big Mac Patti Attack. She had a dream about McDonalds and she wants a Quarter Pounder W/Cheese so bad (aka Big Mac Madi)!

Her companion was ill for three days so Missionary Madi finally resorted to reading her own journal. She thinks she is hilarious. However she was a little disturbed at how hard she was laughing at herself. I know exactly where she gets that from.

Watch out for blond blue eyed Filipino babies, Big Foot, & American Burgers.