Blogging from Baguio: THERE IS SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT THE ORDINARIOS

It’s so cheesy – I know. I hope y’all enjoyed the title.

I really pondered this one.

But, for reals, it was a great week for the Ordinario family. Brother Domingo’s baptism was so beautiful. His sister, Erlinda, came for the baptism. She is a member of our church. She teared up when Bro. Domingo was entering the water, saying, “This is a miracle. I’ve been praying for this for so many years.” And as cheesy as it sounds, I think the words to the chorus of our closing song at the baptism, “The Spirit of God” describe the baptism for me.

We’ll scream and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,

Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

Let glory to them in the highest be given,

Henceforth and forever, amen and amen!

Also, big week for the rest of the Ordinario family. GET EXCITED! Actually, they didn’t come to the baptism or to church. When we went on Tuesday to their house, Nanay had a HUGE wound on her leg. She had a cut before, a couple weeks ago, but it has gradually gotten bigger and bigger. It seriously looks like something is eating her flesh. We saw it, and my companion and I looked at each other and immediately decided to go to the Branch President’s house because the wound was the size of her calf. And they had no money for the hospital. And as missionaries we aren’t supposed to hand out money.

So naturally we TOOK OFF through the rice field. But they are about to plant a new crop of rice at this time of year (but the two Americans had no idea) so the fields are SUPER MUDDY. We hurried through the mud and water, trying to find the best route to the Branch President’s house. We explained the situation. They agreed to come with us so we headed back to the Ordinarios with the Marianos. The Marianos ended up buying medicine for Nanay. They visited them again on Wednesday and her leg was looking a lot better.

When Sister Hardy and I went back on Sunday, Bro. Memerto Ordinario told me that when the Marianos visited on Wednesday that he told President “Our sisters are so diligent. We just love them. They are always so busy and so tired. They even ran through the mud to help us. We just love them.” *TENDER*

After the lesson we asked Nanay if she had any questions. She said, “Yeah. Why are you so nice? And so beautiful? And so diligent?”

Oh my gosh. They are too kind. Seriously. Nanay is the one I wrote about before who said, “We can’t turn you away because it would be like turning away Jesus.”

We are SO lucky to be able to teach such great people. I told her, “No, we aren’t great Nanay, you are.” Nanay is a great example of what was shared at the Philippines Area Conference last night. “We see the world not as it is, but as we are.”

I hope I can become more like the extraordinary Ordinarios. :)

*YOU KNOW YOU LOVE THE CHEESE*