Ten Months

Missionary Madi celebrated her 10 month anniversary on November 30, 2013. She has had more than her fair share of wild adventures in those 10 months. She is an amazing example to her family and friends.   

Pretty much a giant in spirit and dedication to her savior!

"My testimony is really growing from all my "fun" experiences I am having and I have truly loved every minute of these 10 months!! This next 8 better slow down."

"Oh and I felt a earthquake the other day too. Ya that better not happen again. I can't do anymore natural disasters."

Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. 
2 Nephi 4:16 

We choose the temple lights at Temple Square for her ten month celebration. It is always fun to get together and celebrate our missionary. She keeps us ever humble with her courage and diligence.

Missionary Madi's twin sister Kenzie is her biggest supporter! Twin Love for Eternity!

Thanksgiving Filipino Style

Missionary Madi was not able to actually celebrate Thanksgiving until December 1. The senior couple had been in Cebu and upon returning contacted the sister missionaries and told them they would have a Thanksgiving celebration at their apartment but the sisters had to bring investigators. They were so excited to have a little bit of home extended to them. They were spoiled by being able to have homemade butter rolls made by Elder Caycayon. Sister Caycayon made fresh green salad (luxury in the Philippines - who knew), mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and of course rice. The Filipino people do not think our American food is as exciting as we do.They had cherry crisp with ice cream for desert. For Missionary Madi and the other American sisters this meal was AWESOME! I am pretty sure the Caycayon's have never had more appreciative or excited dinner guests in their lives. Interesting they also had barbequed roasted chicken instead of  turkey, they do not eat turkey like we do. The Thanksgiving dinner fed their spirits as much as it filled their tummies.

This mom loves the wonderful Caycayon's.

 Missionary Madi was excited to celebrate Josephine's Birthday with her. She is getting baptized on Saturday. Missionary Madi is excited for her as she is an incredible young woman. Missionary Madi has been amazed by how much she has advanced in the gospel in the short time she has known her.

I loved this story Missionary Madi related to us in her e-mail home this week.

"We found this amazing new investigator this week that I am so pumped for. He came to the Thanksgiving family home evening and then we taught him the next day and he had read the entire pamphlet (not that cool only like 15 pages but no one else can seem to do it) and he had so many questions and sincerely seemed willing to learn and actually apply our learning. During our lesson with him I had this overwhelming feeling that he is why I am here in Cebu East. Even if he doesn't get baptized or anything I know that we were meant to meet and that the typhoon was supposed to happen and I am supposed to be here. That is probably the biggest thing I have learned through this all is that everything happens for a reason. It is actually my new motto. God truly has a plan for all of us and everything". 

Missionary Life

Missionary Madi is adjusting to life in Bohol. She is busy serving in Tagbilaran City. It is a pretty big city and has a large grocery store. She does not love the food choices and due to the fact that they do not have refrigeration they do not tend to buy foods that would need to be kept cold. I know that she purchases and eats a lot of eggs. She states that they do not keep the eggs cold there. So do not tell her if that is bad.

Missionary Madi finally found a cowboy!

Missionary Madi says it has been difficult to get any work done as just this week they have had a Zone Meeting, Branch Missionary Training and a Mission Tour. She loved the mission tour and had this to say about it.
"We also had a mission tour this week from Elder Echohawk and his wife. It was really cool and it truly was the answer to my prayers on how I can improve as a missionary and work harder and teach with more power. It was so spiritual and uplifting. Until they made me talk. People love to pick on the new girl. smh (shake my head). "

My Batch

Missionary Madi has such a fun sense of humor. We figure she is a super hero surviving Typhoon Yolanda and all. Now we have a picture to prove it. If these are not super hero shoes I do not know what is.

To every thing there is a season,

 and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Bohol

Missionary Madi has arrived in Bohol. She has met her new companion Sister Clegg. They instantly loved each other. Sister Jocelynn Clegg (from Eagle, Idaho) has been serving for 3 months so Missionary Madi is her follow up as she called it. This will allow Missionary Madi time to learn the area. We were so surprised the first week when she was e-mailing us so early in the evening. The Philippines is 15 hours ahead of us here in Utah. Typically it is in the middle of the night that she is on e-mail. She told us "I don't like it either but we have no power here so we have to find places that have generators and aren't packed." She told us that they get their power from Leyte and so obviously with the earth quake and then the Typhoon that destroyed the island of Leyte. Power is sporadic and will just come on for a while and then go away.

Missionary Madi states the area she is in is beautiful. She knows that when we come to get her we will love it! She is in Tagbilaran City and her apartment is by far the nicest place she has lived. She says it would be super nice if they had power as then she would have running water and lights.

Missionary Madi is so excited because the senior couple Elder & Sister Caycayon who live a few apartments away have a oven. They made brownies while the senior couple had traveled to Cebu. She was ecstatic for brownies. Brownies by flashlight. Just has a ring to it.

This picture is blurry but they were super excited because the power came on for a moment. It probably is a fun surprise each time it happens.

Strange Sisters to say the least. I guess this is what you call getting to know each other.

Missionary Madi has arrived Cebu East Philippines Mission

Cebu East Philippines Mission

President Richard L & Sister Tanner and Missionary Madi

Missionary Madi for the second time since leaving to serve in the Philippines has arrived. She is thankful to be in her new area and ready to get to work. Missionary Madi used her Little Flippers skills and taught gymnastics to her Mission President grand children. So she states she is basically already part of the family. I am pretty sure that is why he was willing to let her have input on where in the Cebu East Mission she would like to serve. Where does she choose to serve? Bohol! That is right that is where the 7.2 earth quake was on October 14, 2013.

Missionary Madi was so excited the Mission Home is a mansion. After serving in Matalom and Ormoc she feels like she is in America being in Cebu. This area of the Philippines is much more affluent.
Here is her first impression of her new mission area:
"So we got here in Cebu on Sunday morning and went straight from the airport to the mission mansion. It is so sick. I felt like I was in Cali.We were running around freaking out at all the sick things there, such as the stoves, microwave, bath tub, rugs, lazy boys, and mostly the block of real cheese that we ate so fast I couldn't cut it fast enough. We were hilarious.It's kinda sad that I won't be as weird when I get home because I'm living in America now. Then we had a special sacrament there at the mission home and we all got to bare our testimonies and it was so nice to feel the spirit again. I have soooo not been a missionary lately we were all so crazy and having fun hahah I felt like I was in the mtc again :/ Then I had a meeting with President Tanner which was so good and I know that he is supposed to be my mission president right now and I love him. He was practically letting me decide where I wanted to go and who I wanted to be my companion.It's weird coming into a new mission when you already know stuff and they are asking you for suggestions. I am the oldest sister here from Tacloban so I have to be in charge which is annoying. hhahah jk It's just weird because I'm used to being a newbie still. And now I'm all responsible and stuff. Then we went to our hotel and we got new comps....weird because Sis Adasme is still here, but anyways it's my girls Robinson and Bray and I love them so we had a lot of fun. Well kinda we really just passed out because we were so tired but we were still being spoiled with hot showers :) "

Missionary Madi is happy to be in her new area and so ready to get back to full time missionary work. She misses her daily routines and getting back to work will help her to heal from the losses she experienced leaving her family and friends in Ormoc. She loves being near the ocean. Cebu is Beautiful! Two major points of excitement for Missionary Madi. McDonalds & Cheese. Apparently cheese is something that she really misses since leaving America.

I am not totally myself yet but I'm getting there. I'm just kind of a brat and I feel like it's not fair that the devastation happened in my Phili and to my peeps and not here. I am working on it :)  I know it is selfish of me to think like that. Pray for me.

Cebu East Mission - Missionary Madi's New Batch

Mission Home has a POOL! Missionary Problems.

McDonalds Every American Missionary's Dream!

Philippines Cebu East Mission

November 25, 2013

Brother and Sister Marvin Scott Kramer

86 West Shepard Lane

Kaysville, UT 84037

United States

Dear Brother and Sister Kramer,

Your missionary has arrived safely!  She is here with us in the Philippines Cebu East Mission.  My wife and I are excited about having her in our mission.  She brought a great spirit, and we are looking forward to working with her.  Enclosed is a welcome snapshot taken with Sister Tanner and me.

Our missionaries are encouraged to e-mail family once a week on their preparation day.Below are a few things you can do to keep your missionary happy and successful while on her mission.

1.   Send letters and/or email regularly. News from home keeps spirits high and minimizes problems.

2.   When sending packages, we recommend the U.S. Postal Service. Other carriers such as FedEX and DHL usually incur large customs fees ($40-$100) which the missionary must pay. Packages should be small enough to be easily carried on public transportation and long walks.

3.   Try not to mention family problems that would worry your missionary.

4.   Please do not visit or telephone your missionary without approval from the Mission President.

5.   If you need to make "urgent" contact with your missionary, you may contact the mission office by using

      the following telephone numbers: 011-6332-424-1012, or E-mail me atRLTanner@ldschurch.org.

Although missionaries may require some money from home for shoes, clothing, or dental work, we encourage wisdom and prudence because additional money is often detrimental to learning the lessons of sacrifice and consecration. We recommend a major debit account with joint signatures of parent and missionary for international missionaries.

Thank you for preparing and sending us your fine missionary daughter. We'll love her and help her learn to take good care of herself and grow in the Gospel.

Warmest regards,

President Richard L. Tanner

Philippines Cebu East Mission

Enclosure

Transfers of a new kind

Missionary Madi is sad to say goodbye to President Jose Andaya and his wife Yolanda. President Andaya believed in this sister missionary and taught her to be confident yet humble and to constantly listen to the spirit. Her favorite saying the past 8 months has been "What was President thinking?" Each time he provided her with new challenges and opportunities for growth she was sure he had lost his mind. He has made sure that our Missionary Madi has been blessed with some of the most incredible experiences that she will ever have in this mortal life. He has blessed her with incredible companions who helped to cultivate her abilities in learning multiple languages and increasing her knowledge of the gospel. Companions who have filled her life with happiness. I know that he loves our daughter and all of the missionaries in the Tacloban Philippines Mission and I am sure that it was a difficult day when he handed over each one of his 204 missionary children to neighboring missions. I am thankful for this wonderful man who has taken on the mantel of Father, Friend, Teacher and Councilor to our Missionary Madi for the past 8 months. Apparently he and his wife will return home now as the mission has been closed. I hope the day will come when I can personally thank the Andaya's for the blessings they have brought into our daughters life.

Their absence will be felt and their influence in Missionary Madi's life will be missed.

Missionary Madi says goodbye to President Andaya and his wife.

Sister Sara Webber (Tooele, Utah) & Missionary Madi

Sister Kramer Cebu East Mission & Sister Dumas Cebu Mission