We had our 16th transfer of the mission this week. On Tuesday the departing missionaries came to the mission home for self reliance training in the morning (by senior couples) and then we honor them in the afternoon for successfully completing their missions, ending with a dinner and testimony meeting. This time we only had two of the eight missionaries who served with President Bertin as well as with us--the rest have been with us their entire time. We have seen amazing changes in every one of them. One Filipino elder said, "I came to this mission a boy and am leaving a man!" We are especially proud of him, as he was sent home for six months for "not protecting his companion" (in disobedience) but repented and returned and finished his mission, protecting his last companion as he received a thyroidectomy and RAI. We always breathe a sigh of relief when the vans finally pull away at night with the missionaries, but there's never time to relax since the new missionaries arrive early the next morning.
Tuesday we received a group of eight new missionaries from MTC and one who returned after being sent home from another mission. The sister from New Zealand got off to a rough start, reporting an infected foot and severe homesickness less than 48 hours later after celebrating her birthday (below). She spent Friday and Saturday in hospitals but is "home" to her apartment (the wettest in the mission--they have to wear boots inside during high tide) and recovering miraculously. Another sister reported a 2.5cm kidney stone, but later clarified it as .25cm --whew! And a missionary got scratched by a monkey which requires five rabies shots. It was his lucky day when he found out that 5 shots he had in December for being scratched by a cat make him immune for this scratch, also. Our two nurses are getting along well and we're sad we need to give one up to Quezon City Mission soon. We had a lengthy nurse training Thursday (I never imagined I would train nurses!) and the next day they each had lots of calls to practice their new skills of trying to find a doctor with who takes the Church's insurance--hardest part of nursing here. Our craniotomy sister wrote Stewart and said she wants to come back. Whaaaaat???! So many miracles.
Wednesday/Thursday were tender days for me. While Dallin and Fenton were exhausted, relieved and celebrating the sale of the house after emptying and cleaning up 20 years of contents, I was feeling a little sad. I have so many happy memories in that house. When I texted Dallin about my feelings he wrote back this wise counsel:
...you may be sad but Fenton and I will be so glad!! I think it’s normal to be sad because you have so many memories and you put so much into the house but I think our overwhelming emotion should be gratitude that we got to live there. Gratitude that you got to improve the house and make it your own and share it with so many people . That you were able to make it a temple and raise a family in it and that you were able to sell it and give so much away, also that you were able to be removed from the whole process, I think that made it easier for sure. This house really is special though. Not because of the architecture at all but because of our family and the memories we created here....Everything’s gonna work out and your hard work will be very much appreciated by anyone that ever lives here.
I repented and I am very grateful, especially to Fenton and Dallin and all who helped them with this monumental task. I wrote a humongous journal entry about my gratitude and then felt a lot better. It was especially a blessing to me that I could be doing missionary work instead of stressing over the house. Thanks so much for taking care of EVERYTHING.
Friday was our Mission Leadership Conference we were instructed by the missionary department to hold in order to train the mission leaders about the smart phones that will be distributed later this month. It's a little awkward since 1/3 of the mission will not only be transferred to another mission after the phones are distributed, but while their mission friends are getting smart phones, they are stuck with the little brick phones. They already feel like they're being cast out, but now it's to outer darkness! Stewart handled it masterfully with the leaders of the zones which leave soon. He helped them focus on what they can do to help their missionaries see this as an opportunity and a positive move instead of a negative one. We spoke today at the stake conference of one of the departing stakes and saw the missionaries today. They always complement me on my short Tagalog testimony and then speak to me in Tagalog like I'm supposed to understand it....??
We've had many visits from RMs lately. The Filipino missionaries really miss Stewart's advice and come back for more. Photo below is of a very interesting American missionary who complemented Stewart as "The Dispenser of Justice" to Elder Bowen. As one Filipino missionary put it, "I just love listening to President Hughes." Me, too!
Thanks for your faith and prayers in our behalf. We are looking forward to a lighter week (fingers crossed!) and a short visit from Derrick and Dan on Monday.
Love,
Mom
Worry: whenever I had my phone to a missionary, I end up with a bunch of selfies. IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THEIR SMART PHONES?? (Assistants)
RM visiting from Utah
Cancer survivor, Elder Donan, center
Departing
Arriving
This Sister celebrated her birthday on arrival day, and was in the hospital two days later.
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