Worn Out in the Service of God

One departing missionary's shoes

Transfers this week!  That meant sending 12 missionaries home at the end of their service, and welcoming 7 new missionaries to the field.  It also meant change, for the majority of the missionaries in the mission.  Our second week in the mission, we started to think about transfers.  Since we were losing more missionaries than we were getting, that meant some areas would need to be closed for the short term, until our numbers increased again.  We are expecting that with the September transfer, as we will welcome more missionaries than we will lose.  Such is the way of missions, so we just do our best to figure it all out, and seek guidance from the Lord as to where He wants His missionaries to serve.  We came up with a scenario that seemed great.  And then we pondered and prayed and knew it was not right.  So we went back to the drawing board.  This process went on for many hours numerous times in the past month.  Each time, it seemed to be a little closer.  We were so concerned for each missionary, and how the change would affect them.  Finally, two days before the new missionaries arrived, we were settled.  There was one more change that needed to be made, and then President Craig would make a final decision on where each missionary would go and which trainer to send each new missionary to once he had interviewed them when they arrived.

Mission Home (r) and Office (l)

We had a training for the 7 missionaries who were assigned to train the new missionaries on Tuesday morning.  Tuesday afternoon and evening were spent with the missionaries returning home.  They all arrived for exit interviews and weighing luggage, and various other things that need to be done before they leave.  At 5 pm we invited them to the mission home for a departure dinner prepared by the District President's wife.  She also caters one of our Zone Conferences.  After dinner we gathered for testimonies and a slide show of their pictures, then sent the Elders to one hotel and the Sisters to another.

Wednesday morning we arose early.  We picked up the missionaries early, fed them breakfast, then went to the airport.  We had two trucks full of luggage and the vans filled with missionaries.  There is only one flight into and out of Cauayan every day, so we dropped off the departing missionaries at 7:45, said our good-byes, waited for them to pass through the gates, then watched for the plane to arrive, carrying our new missionaries!  It was so exciting watching for them to appear and then finally exit the airport terminal.  Welcomes and hugs and pictures, and then back to the mission home for introductions, training, interviews with President, lunch made by another wonderful sister from Cabatuan, and finally meeting their Trainers!  These poor missionaries were running on adrenaline, I think, they had been up so early to catch their 7:30 am flight from Manila.  We had met 5 of these new missionaries when were were at the MTC, so we were excited to see them again and welcome them here.  It was hard to send them out, knowing they are in for a steep learning curve, new culture, new food, and so much HEAT!  But they are in good hands with their wonderful Trainers.

Friday we drove to the south end of the mission for interviews in Solano and Bambang.  It was our first time to go there, and we loved the beauty of the mountains in Nueva Viscaya, and also the cooler temperatures.  It was 25C and it felt marvelous!  I chuckled a bit inside when one of the missionaries told me how he had a hard time sleeping when he got there, because he was too cold!  It's amazing how your perspective changes.  25C really does seem cool to me after a month here.  it was 34C today, and this is cool season.  I'm glad hot season won't come around until April.

We had to pass this guy, because we thought we might be squashed by rice

I feel much like Frodo, being forced from the shire.  I really am a hobbit at heart, I like to be at home, quietly living my life, comfortable in my own surroundings.  But in spite of that, I am embracing new opportunities, new people, new culture, new challenges, and catching a breath once in a while.  I find so much joy in the wonderful people, who have welcomed us and made us feel so loved.   I love to be among them, even though I understand very little in church meetings and on the street.  Most speak English, at least a little bit.  They are so kind when I try to speak and make mistakes.  Yesterday, the cashier at the grocery store helped me to know what to say when I wasn't sure.  Like Frodo,
I am having a grand adventure.