Perisite - Maybe - Maybe Not

Missionary Madi finally was able to e-mail. She bribed Sister Duke to let her out of her apartment. I am sure Sister Duke was anxious also to communicate with her family. It appears both sister missionaries have had some struggles with their health this last week. Could be the "rats"? Just saying! Illness set aside they continue to work hard and focus on sharing the gospel. They had a wonderful baptism on Saturday in the Ocean! Missionary Madi's favorite place for the baptisms to be performed. Why get baptized in a font at a church when you have a perfectly good ocean?

"We had a baptism obviously. It was so stressful and this was the day that I started getting sick so it sucked. But it all turned out and it was Prelyn and it was sooooo good. She has been my most excited baptism. It was so cute. We had it in the dagat (ocean) again and the members hated it. idk why these people who live on an island hate the ocean so much haha but Prelyn thought it was awesome and she is the one who counts so it was all worth it. At the end when she was baring her testimony I lost it because she lost it and it occurred to me that this could be my last baptism as Sister Kramer. Such a sad thought."

Missionary Madi has been very ill. 103 degree fever. Migraines. Throwing up. Body aches all over. She silently has struggled with a many health issues while serving her mission. Apparently the positives far outweigh the negatives as she never complains and keeps it all to herself. Prayers for Missionary Madi. They are not sure what is causing this latest illness they think it might be a parasite. Eek! Nothing stops these two sisters from smiling and having a good time.

17 Months

Missionary Madi may not be able to communicate with us due to being ill, but that does not stop us from counting down the months that she has served. Now we will be counting down the days until we see her again. Time moves much slower now that we are near the end. There are 17 issues of Seventeen magazine in a chest waiting for her to return. Perfect choice for this months celebration.

 Love is not about how much you say I love you 

but how much you prove that it's true.

Sick

We are on the count down. I even went so far as to write in my journal and post on Facebook that only 3 more opportunities to e-mail our missionary. Well I guess you could say this is one of those examples of "Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch." One of those phrases that your parents use or school teachers which one chalks up to "senile nonsense!" Well this is how the evening went.

Elder Burton who is in Missionary Madi's zone sent us this communication:

"The Kramer Family"

"This is Elder Burton, Sister Kramer is doing great.. They had a great Baptism last Saturday! She wanted me to send you a email letting you know she will email you maybe tomorrow or the next day when she gets feeling better! Your daughter is doing great things in Palo, she loves you all.. she is not that sick.. but they might have to take one of her legs.. just kidding she is fine just has a fever and her body aches.. She is also working on your plans when you get here so do not worry.. (:"

 

Kramer:

 

"Boo! You are funny. Who needs two legs? Tell Sister Kramer her mama loves her.
Love Mama DK"

Elder Burton:

"Ha ha she seems like she could get around pretty OK with 1 leg.. Ya I will make sure to tell her"

Kramer:

"Does this mean Sister Duke cannot email either? Did I already say BOO?"

 

Elder Burton:

 

"Ha ha ya Sister Duke is stuck in the house.. don't worry I took your daughter medicine and snacks this morning.. ha ha she is just passed out in her room.. saying that the bananas I gave her taste like rubber... the sickness is getting to her head.. haha"

We were disappointed to not get to hear from our girl. The one e-mail a week is pretty critical for our family to know that Missionary Madi is alive and well.

Then Tuesday we received this e-mail communication from the Philippines Tacloban Mission Office, Travel Secretary Elder Maramba:

Dear Sister Kramer,

                Your daughter(Sister Kramer) want’s to send you her email and this is what she says

Hello Mother,

                Sorry I still haven’t emailed. I’m not dying, in fact I am feeling much better but they won’t let me get out of bed (I’m so bored). I will be emailing tomorrow. I love you and I miss you.

Love,

Sister Kramer

Thank you,

Elder Maramba

 Philippines Tacloban Mission

     Travel Secretary 

Moral of this story! 

"Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch."

 

Replacements

Missionary Madi was excited to get to go on splits with the new batch of missionaries who have just arrived in the Philippines Tacloban Mission! As Missionary Madi and her batch prepare to leave and return to their various lives and homes all over the world. There is a new group of incredible missionaries ready and willing to continue the lords work in the Philippines.

  "It was so fun to see how pumped they were for missionary work"!

The Missionaries colored with the Primary children on Sunday.

Missionary Madi found Harry Potters room under the stairs. 

Sister Pike - Until We Meet Again

Sister Pike was in Missionary Madi's batch at the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center. She has had health issues throughout her mission. President Andaya finally told her enough. Time to go home sweet, valiant sister. Missionary Madi does not like the reality of going home so this stirred up some sad emotions of her mission also coming to an end. Sister Pike knew she had served her Heavenly Father well and bid a adieu to her missionary family in the Philippines Tacloban Mission.

"Breaking news! My batch Sister Pike went home :/ It's so sad. She has been sick her whole mission and so president told her last week she just needed to go home. She hated the idea but prayed about it and she is gone now. I was so freaked out. It's sad she won't be going home with us but Heavenly Father obviously had another plan for her. Sooooo weird to see your batch going home especially when she was pumped."

ALL OUR SWEETEST HOURS FLY FASTEST

RATS! EEEEEEKKKKKKK!

Missionary Madi and Sister Duke have a slight problem with RATS! I can promise you all that this "slight" problem would have been a "HUGE" problem a year or so ago. The best part of all of this is how Missionary Madi  nonchalantly states "So obvy I have rats again. Our apartment is infested...so nasty". Again! What? She spares us most of the gory details or is truly so accustomed to them that she fails to mention them. The living conditions that these American girls have come to accept is unbelievable. They just figure out the best way to be affected the least by each new situation and move on (or rooms in this case).

 

So one of these ghastly creatures got into Sister Dukes bed. It has previously also made it onto one of the sticky traps in the sisters apartment. So there was sticky stuff and fur all over her sheets and blankets. So they did what any girl in her right mind would do.

BURNED THE SHEETS AND BLANKETS!

2 RATS DOWN! WHO KNOWS HOW MANY TO GO!

Missionary Madi said they put so much alcohol on the blankets that she almost lost her eyebrows.

Sister Kramer

Missionary Madi and her zone went to the beach to celebrate Elder Burton's birthday. The weather is very hot in the Philippines and she said that they all had a blast but wished they could go swimming.

Average Temperatures right now 91 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 plus percent humidity.

The Seasons

There are only two official seasons of weather in the Philippines and they are:

• Dry Season (tag-araw) – November to April
• Rainy Season (tag-ulan) – May to October

There are other “unofficial seasons” and they are:

• Winter/Cold Season (tag-lamig) – November to January
• Summer/Hot Season (tag-init) – March to May
• Spring or when things grow (tag-sibol)
• Autumn or when things die off (tag-lagas)