Zone Interviews July 2014

Missionary Madi was able to spend a very short time getting know her new Mission President and his wife. President Maurer and Sister Maurer are from Australia and were able to meet and interview each of the missionaries in Sister Kramer's zone. It is always a great time when the missionaries can get together at zone meetings.This is most likely Missionary Madi's final Zone Meeting.

Our missionaries are blessed by the love and devotion of these two wonderful people.

Monkey Business

Missionary Madi had a full week and was so thankful for it. "This week was sooooo much better. Because we actually got to work and we were so busy and we saw pretty much no success and still have like way low numbers but I don't care because I got to go outside and I know that I gave it my all. Such a good feeling and truly what makes missionary work so rewarding. Not the baptisms but just knowing that you are doing everything you can with what Heavenly Father is giving you. Maybe that is what makes life happy also."

Splits with the Sister Training Leaders!

Painting!

It was sister dukes birthday so we surprised her with a cake and she claims she hated the attention but i know deep inside she loved it. and then we made them sing to her at lunch too it was fun :)

Missionary Madi shared the following with us. "I studied the plan of salvation this morning. It is so interesting. idk (I don't know) why but I have been thinking a lot about Gods plan for us and where we will go when we die and after judgement day and all I have to say is we are gonna be screwed if we don't get our crap together here on earth. This truly is our only time to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32) so lets get going! I promise that any sacrifice we have to make now to get back to the presence of our heavenly father will be worth it in the end."

At the End of Day it is all just Monkey Business!

 

 

 

4th of July - Happy Birthday America

Missionary Madi's favorite holiday just happens to be the 4th of July. She missed out on all of the parades, BBQ's and Fireworks!It will just make it that much more fun to celebrate next year. We miss her and cannot wait to have her back home safe and sound. "Happy Birthday America!"

It was late when she e-mailed this week. Past her curfew time that she must be back inside for the evening. Apparently due to her being sick she had to travel to Manila by herself to get her fingerprints and Immigration paperwork done in preparation for her return to the United States. It is a Love/Hate time for her. Missionary Madi really is not ready for her service to be over. She was  pleasant enough to take some aerial pictures from her flight to Manila. Finish Strong Valiant Sister!

 

 

Missionary Madi two extremes Greenwich Pizza at the Robinson Mall to real life in her mission area of Palo, Philippines. There is still a large amount of damage that is in the process of being repaired and rebuilt. She was amused by the polygamist family. Maybe not so different from Southern Utah after all.

 

Missionary Madi is able to entertain the kids during sacrament. I have searched the white handbook as she calls it and I have not quite come up with the exact page number where this activity is referenced. However I am sure it is there. I just have not stumbled upon it yet. The Children Love her Antics!

 

Missionary Madi is always happy when she gets to spend some time with this beautiful Sister. Sister Dumas.

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.