I want to tell you about two little girls that I love with my whole heart. Really.
Cn. (8) and Cl. (10).
I met them back in July. when we were teaching their dad. His name is Cr. I wrote in my journal that night, "He is so sweet. I can just see it. The light in his eyes. He is special."So, we taught Cr. a little bit...when we could. He works in the rice fields, so he's not always home. He's in his 50's, and his eyesight is bad, so he didn't really read the things we asked him to.
One day, we were there when his two daughters came home from school. They walked in the gate and passed right by us, walking straight into the house without even giving us a second look. Cr. called for them to come out and say hello to us, but they
refused. So shy...
and that was our first meeting.
Later that week, Sister P. and I were walking to church and saw Cr. and his two little girls there in the parking lot. We
ran over to them and welcomed them to church. We were
SO excited to see them! We took the girls to primary and showed Cr. to the Priesthood meeting. Unfortunately, that was the last time we got Cr. to church. We continue to teach him every once in a while. He told us how much his girls loved primary.
So that brings us to the first week with my companion, Sister L. 6 Sundays ago. We were sitting with the congregation, and toward the end of Sacrament Meeting,
I noticed two little girls sitting a few rows up. I remember thinking, "
"where are those girls' parents?....wait,...is that? no....it couldn't be!
It was!
It was Cr.'s little girls! They went to Primary, Sunday School, and sat reverently all through sacrament meeting by themselves - knowing absolutely NO ONE and being too shy to talk to anyone. As the meeting got over, I quickly ran up to them and expressed my excitement to see them. I asked where their dad was, and they so quietly responded "bahay naming" (our house). I then asked if Sister L. and I could come to their house later and see them again. They said yes.
That night we went back to the household, not for Cr. This time for the adorable little girls that just weeks before were too shy to acknowledge our presence as missionaries.
The first lesson was painfully quiet. They were almost too shy to even make eye contact with us. But, we know they wanted us there because as we were leaving Cn. asked when we were going to come back.
We go back every other day. To those precious little girls. Cl. is Laren and Cn. is me. I see us in them. I noticed it first when Cn. burped so loud during a lesson. She just laid it out there, and you could see in her eyes that even she was a little surprised at the power the burp had. Such a big noise came out of such a precious little girl. Classic.
But each time we go there, I see it more. We taught them to pray a little while ago. Cl. opened the lesson with the prayer (quietly), and at the end we asked Cn. to say the closing prayer. Cn. didn't say "No," but she looked to Cl. with these helpless eyes. And without any exchange of communication, Cl. knelt down next to Cn. and helped her. With quiet words, she would start a sentence and let Cn. repeat after her. Together they gave the most beautiful prayer that I have heard in the Philippines.
I was so touched. Cn. looked to Cl. for the help and without any hesitation, Cl. helped her little sister. Cl. is a little fashionista. Cn. is a little more loud and quirky. Cl. genuinely cares for Cn. Cn. looks up to Cl. in every way. They protect each other. They are perfect sisters.
Each time we go over there they tell us how they pray together morning and night, before they eat and before they leave for school. They continue to come to church each Sunday, too.
Without fail, they are there early waiting in the front of the church for us to arrive. They even came and sat through General Conference with us like champions.
In the past, Cr. told us that his wife was in Hong Kong working as an OFW (overseas' Filipino worker). This week we asked Cn. and Cl. about their mom. We started with the question, "When is she coming home?" Cl. said, "When I'm in grade 6," (Now she's in grade 5). Then we asked her when her mom left. Cl. said, "When I was in kindergarten. Cn. was just a baby."
This is where I broke. These girls! I can't explain it. They are just so full of light. Cn. always gives the closing prayers in our lessons, and the last few weeks Cl. has made the habit of sneaking quietly away. She usually makes it back in time before Cn. finishes, but there have been a few times where we say, "Amen," and Cl. is just gone. ha. At first we were confused, but she always comes back with something. Like the first time it was a beaded bracelet she made for us. The next time it was chocolates she saved from school. Once it was Chinese stationary from her mom. Last night it was a band aid. When she gave it to me I said, "oh! a bandaid. Salamat!" Cn. then laughingly asked why she gave me a bandaid. I was confused myself. But she pointed to the scab on my arm...it was so genuine.
We give them a hug goodbye each time we leave. And they always remind us to return the "day after tomorrow." Sister L. and I will leave and be walking down the street...3-5 minutes later we will hear, "Bye Sisters!" We'll look back and see that they will have quiety followed us from a far distance, and right before we head out of sight, they yell goodbye.
These girls have taught me a lot. More than I could ever teach them. I've seen the pure love of Christ in them. They are perfect examples of Charity. I'm trying to be more like them.
OK, super long - if anyone is still reading this, I love you. I miss you all.
This Gospel of Jesus Christ is real.
And this mission is so humbling.
I'm enjoying the journey
and meeting people that I will NEVER forget.
We are all blessed. Don't every forget it.
mahal na mahal na mahal na mahal do kayo!
- Sister Frame
