Day 68

69 days ago, we had 203 missionaries and were setting up for a lot of success in our work.  Then we evacuated 97 of our missionaries and went into lockdown.  Today is day 68 of lockdown.  Some of the restrictions have been lifted, but only for those between the ages of 21 and 60.  That does not help the 18, 19 or 20 year olds which is about 40% of the missionaries.  It also does not help the 2 senior couples.  We can do a few more things now (the take-out business has expanded to more than just McDo & Jollibee, but still no Burger King), but most things we still cannot do, like go out and work, or be out after 8:00 pm. In spite of the difficulties, we continue to have the time of our life and are honoured to serve here. Truly, these are days never to be forgotten.

Fast food delivery has really taken off over the last two months!

Still closed!

Today was Sunday.  Next to the mission home is the District Center for Cauayan City.  I went over there this morning.  The gate is closed, the doors locked and the lights out.  Normally three large Branches (soon to be Wards) meet there.  I miss the bustle.  With that said, I also love the quiet, intimate sacrament meetings we have in the mission home.  Two senior couples, the guard, 4 Sisters, Donna and me.

This week, one of the young Sisters gave a talk on Job.  She taught that Job teaches us the three things we must endure in this life: first, financial reversals; second, the loss of loved ones and finally, depression and disappointments.  Job showed us the commitment we must have in this life of sorrows, in spite of these trials, if we can truly be called the disciples of Christ.  Our missionaries are learning to be happy and committed, even though this is not what they planned for when they applied to become missionaries.  We must be like Nephi when his bow broke.  He didn't murmur or complain, just built another bow.  The bow he built was different than the first one, but that was okay, because he was still able to get food for the family.  We are learning to build another bow and keep going.  The secret is to be happy now and not just after this current trial ends.  When this trial ends, there will most certainly be another one down the road.  To be truly happy, we must learn to enjoy now and not wait for circumstances to improve.  Filipinos are well suited to this concept.  They are, in the main, the happiest of people, notwithstanding the poverty and trials that exist here.  Since our arrival almost 11 months ago, we have experienced a major flood, the eruption of the Taal volcano and a minor earthquake.  There are usually 20 tropical cyclones (typhoons) that hit the Philippines each year.  After all of these “disasters” they clean up and get back to living.

Yesterday Donna and I needed to go to the southern part of our mission.  We were happy to go because of the beautiful drive.  We have two Sisters who, since lockdown 68 days ago, have not seen another missionary other than Donna, the Assistants and me. They are 3 hours from the mission home.  They have rarely left their house.  They go out to buy food and to attend the baptisms of the people they are teaching by video calls.  It is pretty isolating.  One of these sisters in Bambang is Sister Aranda.  Her home town is Roxas about 1 hour from Cauayan.  She grew up in this mission.  When I set her apart to be a missionary to serve in Japan, I said to her that I wished that she was coming to our Mission because I knew she would become a great missionary.  Because of the pandemic she was temporally reassigned from Japan to our Mission.  She could have allowed the disappointment of not going immediately to Japan to overwhelm her, but she did not.  She is happy and working hard.  She will eventually get to Japan, but in the meantime she is loving her time in Bambang, determined to make great memories here -- 3 hours from her home.   We called and asked if they wanted a visit while we were in the area.  They immediately responded with an enthusiastic "YES!"  We took the Sister Training Leaders from Solano 30 minutes away so that these Sisters could see some other young missionaries.  MacDonald’s drive thru and a drive in the country made all the difference.  What fun it was to see them and hear them laugh and visit with the other missionaries.  We drove with them to visit a town called Sta. Fe on the southern tip of our mission in the beautiful cool mountains.

I spite of the lockdown, we continue to have a few baptisms, as allowed.  Government regulations have been relaxed to allow small religious gatherings of less than 10 people.  In spite of the new regulations, some of our cities still forbid any religious gatherings.  In the cities and towns which allow it, we have held some small, but beautiful baptisms of people taught mainly by video call.  On Sundays they join a family worship service with a member family.

Really, calamities can slow down our work for a while, but the work always moves forward.  All in all it remains fun to be a missionary.  We are learning enjoying the now and look forward to a much brighter future.

In the meanwhile, there is still some time for naps.