Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to escalate here, which led to an interesting week. Stewart is now presiding over the most difficult/dangerous mission in the Philippines. Elder Cross, our 75-year-old financial secretary with a serious heart condition confided to him, "If I were every in a difficult and dangerous situation, I would want to be under your leadership." I feel the same way. I feel safe and protected under his leadership.
We heard rumors that Manila might be locked down, but nothing happened, and we were relieved. The missionaries were working so hard and there were 59 baptisms projected in the mission for Saturday. We cancelled our senior activity Wednesday due to corona virus concerns (we are the youngest seniors in the mission) and lots of health concerns among young missionaries. Three young missionaries insisted on returning home. Two were willing to wait to see doctors and one was not. All cases were stress related, and there's a lot of stress going on right now! Thursday we received information from area presidency to restrict zone conferences to one zone and have all missionaries stock their apartments with food for two weeks. That night, as we were discussing with the Bertins on Facetime whether or not we should cancel May 1 reunion, we saw the news that Metro-Manila would be locked down beginning midnight Saturday night.
The next morning, Friday the 13th, we got direction from the Church that there would be no meetings held. Stewart texted the area presidency to ask if we could still hold baptisms and received no reply, other than a group email emphasizing NO MEETINGS, so we cancelled all baptisms. We met with the office couples and explained that more than half our mission may be inaccessible by Sunday, and sent them with cash (thanks to Derrick and Dan getting it to us) to distribute the equivalent of $40 to each missionary for two weeks. The grocery stores were packed with people buying food, and we wanted them to get it ASAP. Stewart called two more assistants and moved them to The Other Side of the mission (Bulacan Province) to help with the 100+ missionaries there. He organized an emergency transfer to get missionaries into Metro-Manila who would leave in the next two months (international flights still going). It involved moving quite a few missionaries, so the assistants (both sets), Stewart and Dennis planned to each leave about 4:30 am to get the moves made.
Saturday morning, after waking up very early with anxious thoughts (what will the missionaries do if they cannot teach and baptize?), I finally looked at my phone about 4:30am and found an email from the MTC "reminding" us of the arrival of four new missionaries at 7:30 am. (What?? Someone totally forgot to tell us about them coming. We were expecting them Wednesday, March 18.) I questioned the MTC President's wife and she informed me SLC instructed them Friday morning to empty the MTC. Most missionaries were assigned out of Metro-Manila and had to leave before Saturday night, but even those going to Metro-Manila missions had to leave. So Stewart went to pick up missionaries to transfer and I went to office to meet our new trainees, thanks to our three senior couples who all came to help. We took turns training them on various aspects of our mission and missionary life, and Stewart arrived after a few hours and interviewed them and assigned them to four very surprised missionaries and we sent them out to their areas--two in Metro-Manila and two in the Bulacan. Stewart gave the exiled assistants money and supplies and sent them to the Bulacan in our mission vehicle. They are young enough to be excited and confident about their responsibilities.
I am so thankful for our senior couples. All of them are older and in various stages of bad health, but all are willing to stay, even though the Church invited them to come home with no pressure to stay. Maybe I've applied a little pressure because they're so helpful, but they genuinely love working with Stewart and he values their contributions and lets them know if often. They love the young missionaries and are willing to serve in spite of personal danger of corona virus and the unsafe living conditions here.
Saturday I heard saw on MPW Facebook feed that some missions were still baptizing! Stewart wrote the area presidency again that afternoon and asked for clarification. They responded that we can baptize in a private setting with just candidate, family, missionaries and bishop and then confirm at waters' edge. Of course the missionaries were thrilled, but some stake presidents pushed back, so Stewart requested a letter to stake presidents detailing the change. Later in the day the area communicated, and baptisms are going ahead last night and today and the missionaries can still teach and baptize. That's great news! Although we cannot leave Metro-Manila (army units at borders), the missionaries can still teach and baptize and that is WONDERFUL. If they still have a purpose for being here, it makes a big difference in their ability to be obedient and manage their stress.
This morning we received word we're getting another new missionary from the MTC tomorrow, a Filipina originally assigned to New Zealand, which closed its borders last night.
We appreciate your prayers, especially for Stewart as he holds the keys for this mission. In my anxiety over the situation here, I am thankful for all the love and prayers in our behalf, for good health, and for my faith in Jesus Christ, that this is His work and He watches over His missionaries.
Love,
Mom
Photos
Little spider!
Still lots of TP in Philippines
Training new missionaries
Four new missionaries
No comments:
Post a Comment