As I write this afternoon, I am filled with gratitude for my husband, and so thankful and I am not the mission president. I cannot even write about all the things he does, because the really hard ones can't be discussed, but I'm glad to have a quiet Sunday afternoon, a nap and time to write while he goes to try to help a struggling missionary. I know for myself that priesthood keys are real, and I was reminded again this week as he matched fourteen new missionaries with trainers. He is given inspiration from heaven, and I felt it again as he announced the companionships and then taught and testified of Jesus Christ. I've heard women complain that "mission president's wife" is not an appropriate title because that the woman is more important than just a "wife". Recently they changed the calling name to "mission leader", but I like the title President Eyring called me to: companion. I'm trying to do a good job at that.
Our exit day went smoothly on Tuesday with eight really great missionaries leaving, including two or three of the best we've ever served with. The only problem came at 9:30 that night, when a departing sister called from the hotel by the airport (three hours away) to say the hotel didn't have a room for Sister NgWun because her flight wasn't until Thursday. Oops! That was a mistake by our new secretary that I should have caught, but eventually (after waking up Stewart who had fallen asleep, exhausted) the hotel agreed for her to stay until morning.
Morning came very early and I wondered how I would get through the day. But we were very blessed! We arrived at 7am meet with new trainers and after the introductory remarks in the next meeting with new missionaries and trainers, Stewart left to interview and I taught, along with assistants, nurse, and office couple. It went very well and no one fell asleep! We received four Americans, an Australians sister from Perth who is studying to be a midwife, and nine well-prepared Filipino missionaries who already have experience working with missionaries in their home missions. Stewart was very impressed with these missionaries and they will be a great strength to President and Sister Liston. We are used to getting Filipinos who have one or two deceased parents --that's quite common here -- but we were surprised when we were told later--not by the American missionary--that his mom had died while he was at MTC. It was a great transfer day, and I returned to the mission home in the late afternoon full of energy and gratitude.
A missionary called and told Stewart, through sobs, that he had some more things to confess (he'd already been sent home on a belated confession, and had returned after nine months). When Stewart talked with him in person, the things he brought up were minimal, and Stewart asked him, "If the Savior were here beside you and told you "You are forgiven!" would you want to stay? He admitted he would not -- he was too homesick and only came back to serve because his parents wanted him to. Stewart was inspired to counsel him to go back to his area, call his parents and tell them the truth about why he is serving, call his branch president and tell him, then take 48 hours and pray and find out what he should do--what he really deeply wants to do. We were surprised when he called about six hours later to report he'd called his parents/branch president and prayed and he wants to stay! We're hoping he keeps his resolve, but for now he is doing well.
Friday we met with our Mission Leadership Council where the three lone Filipinos were happy that seven more Filipinos joined them on the council. I even brought rice to eat with the pizza, which most said was weird, but a couple of Filipinos loaded up with it ("We can't get full without rice in our stomachs"). Stewart had asked the assistants to lead a discussion on Christlike attributes that was amazing. EVERYONE except Stewart (who was listening) participated and the result was missionaries teaching each other very clearly and powerfully. And then Stewart taught them to participate even more fully and built their confidence and ability to contribute. We really have great young missionary leaders.
We attended a sweet baptism yesterday where a member-father baptized his wife and two sons. Also, a recent convert's sister was baptized. It's great to see families becoming completed. I keep hoping to see a woman be chosen to be a witness at a baptism, but it hasn't happened yet. In fact, at this baptism there were three men witnessing! So I was really happy to read that Mary and Abe were witnesses today at Maeser's baptism.
This morning we began our last round of stake conferences, speaking in the Valenzuela stake where 38 missionaries serve (that's a LOT for one stake). It's always fun to see the missionaries in action, bringing the people they are teaching to church. With the coronavirus here, we've been instructed to not shake hands, just do first bumps, but it's so difficult! It was especially hard not to hug the sisters, and I may have slipped up a few times. Filipinos LOVE to shake hands, and it's not unusual for them to reach for your hand two or three times in a conversation. But with the volcano threat downgraded, there has to be something threatening here -- never a dull moment!
Thank you for your prayers and support. You would think we would get used to this calling and be good at it, but there are so many new challenges that surface. We hope for a quiet and dull week.
Love,
Mom
--One of the companionships of sisters we saw today at stake conference. The one in the pink shirt's father is taking the missionary lessons, and her companion's twin sister arranged for the missionaries to be sent to her former companion's family, who live on a remote island, so they are also taking the lessons!
--Departing missionaries at their last dinner at mission home
--Goodbye to four great sisters (all STLs except the Samoan in the striped dress who did an even greater work: companion to our Pakistani sister for two months!)
--Two departing assistants -- great missionaries-- with ice cream from their ancestral home: Elder Andrade (1/2 German from Brazil) with Haagen Daaz bar and Elder Ensign (NZ) with our last canister of New Zealand ice cream. Stewart is so generous!
--Elder Getalla (between me and Dad) was introduced to the gospel by missionaries at a banana stand. He was the family breadwinner, but applied for mission nine months after baptism and arrived as a recent convert. He could not speak English and didn't know much about the doctrine. He has studied SO hard the past two years. He is a gospel scholar and got an "Advanced" rating on his final English test, is an expert teacher and brought a lot of people into the church. We are so proud of him! He starts back at his job with grounds maintenance on Monday.
--Stewart teaching Section 121 to trainers -- so powerful!
--New missionaries
—mission leadership council
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