After the earthquake, I had been afraid Marie-Phila was killed or injured. To my relief, I found her doing well and the first thing she said was,

"Something really important happend while you were away and I'm mad that you were gone so long and missed it."

I said,

"Yes, of course I was not here for the earthquake but I came as soon as I could to help"

She responded,

"No, not the earthquake, you missed something else that is really, really important, and because you had just left us all here for so long, you missed it."

Confused, I said,

"What is it that could have happened that so much more important than the earthquake?"

She proudly declared,

"I became a Christian and now I'm in church ALL the time"

She continued,

"But because you weren't here, there was no one to buy me a bible, or a hymnal, or nice black shoes I can wear to church. I'm not going to be ok with you unless you get me those things"

I played along with her joke and pretended extreme outrage at her bossy attitude and we both busted up laughing. I of course spent the next month scoring the city to find her a little bible, hymnal, and a cute little carrying case.