Many thanks for your support of the March family this weekend! Thanks to Derrick for traveling over 14,000 miles to pay his respects to Aunt Catherine, and for Abby, Fenton, Sam, Hannah and Dallin for going down for the services and to Mark for holding the fort down while Abby went. We really appreciate your efforts standing in for us when we couldn't be there. We feel so fortunate that we were able to talk with Catherine while she was still coherent and feeling positive and upbeat. She told us she expected to live for "a few months" and then was gone just a few days later -- it's a reminder of how short and fragile life really is. Clive Winn texted Dad that Jim Heath (from old third ward) was hit by a train this week and killed, which was another solemn reminder.
In case I go soon, I have the satisfaction of knowing that the nursing notes are done and in the computer!! I've developed so much admiration for Mark, Aunt Amber, and all medical professionals who spend half their life recording notes. I know they're important -- they've been super helpful to our new nurse -- but I never realized how time consuming it was. The NURSE OF THE WEEK AWARD goes to Dad for taking a call that neither Sister Sommerfeldt or I heard at 11:30pm last night from a missionary who was scared because he couldn't stop vomiting. Of course, all his experience as a father came in handy: he calmed him down and got the elder to awaken his American house mate to help Dad understand his English ("I ate baloot last night") and the American faithfully called back an hour later --waking him up at 1pm to report that "all is well." Good to know!
We visited missionary apartments for our bi-annual POWER SCRUB inspections on Saturday. Holy Week in the Philippines is wonderful because 1) we celebrate the Atonement of Jesus Christ and his Resurrection, and 2) there's hardly any traffic here. We did the inspections in record time (about 5-6 hours for the zone we were assigned) which is less than half of what it would have taken on a regular day. The malls were even closed on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, (which doesn't happen on Christmas day) although they opened again for Saturday and Easter Sunday.
During the inspections, I was reminded again of how much the missionaries sacrifice. There is no air conditioning, and in some rooms no windows in these apartments and they are HOT! I honestly don't know how they study or sleep, but the cold showers bucket showers must feel refreshing. Now I know why Mark loves COLD. The elders worked hard and cleaned so well. I'll attach the photo of the orange apartment (seemed hotter because of the color) because these missionaries had the apartment pristine! One apartment --on the edge of Manila Bay and surrounded by fish ponds--felt like it was at the edge of the earth. It had no bathroom sink or shower. Stewart told them to find a new apartment ASAP!
We said goodbye to nine missionaries on Tuesday at our exit day and on Friday Sister Boyack flew home to the USA. Hooray!! We're so happy that story ended well and that she can get the help and rehab she needs from the American doctors and be with her family again. (Her mom left her eight younger children to come stay with her daughter for three weeks). Sister Boyack was finally cleared Tuesday and Wednesday by neurosurgeon and neurologist for travel home and Church had her visa ready for Friday. (All our passports are kept at the area office, and I understand it's harder to leave the country than come in!)
Stewart said when he interviewed group of new missionaries who came in Wednesday it felt like a delegation from the United Nations -- Filipinos, Americans, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Fiji, Australia and CHILE! Our arrival day is always stressful but the missionaries are all settled and the ones we've seen since are doing well.
The mission split is looming over all transfers as missionaries are worried about having to serve in the other mission. Stewart said the letters are filled with, "What did I do to deserve this?" and "I really wanted to stay with you!". He still has one more transfer to do before the change takes effect July 1, but this is really, really hard. Dad reassured the leaders at the MLC Friday that it's a revelatory process and he's taking it very seriously.
I seriously see so many inspired decisions made by him day-by-day. I'm so glad he decided to keep Sister Morris/Sister Cole's apartment even though we didn't need it for any senior missionaries for at least two month -- it was the perfect place for Sister Boyack and her mom to stay for the past two weeks. And one of the missionary companionships he assigned I thought would be a disaster: two very anxious elders, one Filipino and the other American. It turns out they love being together and are helping each other learn Tagalog and English.I'm so thankful for his leadership and have seen how blessed the missionaries are when they follow his counsel.
Well, we're off to the Mission Leadership Seminar in Cebu this week. It's the only thing we do that's more difficult than a hard week in the mission -- please pray extra hard!
Happy Easter!!
Love,
Mom
PHOTOS
Hot but clean apartment
New missionaries from 7 countries
My favorite part of exit day -- Stewart announcing trainer/trainee companionships
Departing missionaries
Goodbye to Sister Boyack --she is doing miraculously well!
Fish pond at the edge of the bay --under the water lilies (also the water they "bathe" in)
Sister Boyack with two of her companions before meeting with neurologist
Exit day dinner
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