Unchangeable

It has been said that the only thing constant is life is change.   At home, the regular change of Seasons is often a welcome change, as each Season brings with it a refreshing new start.  Even here in the Philippines, where it is always hot and always green, there are subtle changes in the Seasons.  We have been enjoying a much welcomed cool (80F) and rainy few days, and I have appreciated the change.

Sometimes we look forward to change, and other times we dread it.  The only real flurry of events this week had to do with unexpected changes.  

We have a list of things that we need to do in order for a missionary to return when their mission concludes.  We used to just print the boarding passes, weigh their luggage, and send them home with the rest of their batch once every 6 weeks.  Easy.  This last couple of weeks we have had multiple departures, all having different requirements according to where they were going.  We thought we had the drill down, get a travel pass and medical clearance, permission from their local government to come home, and off they would go.  Some need to send their travel documents to their home city, and then the permission is granted, but that is always tricky, because they want the documents a week in advance, and the documents are only valid for a week, so there is no room for adjustment.  If all doesn't go as planned, we have to start over.  So we usually don't try to get everything too early, to avoid having to get the documents done again a second time.

At the end of September, we went for the travel documents a couple of days before travel, only to find that they had changed the rules.  A rapid test would now be required to get travel documents.  We had to scramble to get everything together, but after a couple of hiccups figuring our where to go, it all eventually worked out, and we got all 5 of them home.

We have had a Sister trying to get home for two months, her first flight had to be re-booked due to a possible exposure to Covid, then the next two flights were cancelled last minute, due to unexpected changes to the rules.  We also have an Elder who was supposed to go home last Sunday, but just as we got all of his papers in order, they cancelled his flight.  He would have to wait until Thursday to leave.  So we got the papers all ready again, and off he went on Thursday morning.  A couple of hours after he got to Manila, however, we were informed that they had changed the rules and he would not be allowed to board the plane for home the next morning.  He is at the hotel in Manila until tomorrow, when he has another flight booked.  He has kept busy watching General Conference over the last few days and also teaching with his companions over the phone.

Tuesday our Sister is set to leave for home; we are hoping there are no further changes and that 4th time is a charm.  Everything is in order on our end.  We are learning to be resilient.  It is stressful dealing with the unexpected changes.  

The next batch leaves the beginning of November.  There are 10 of them.  EEKS!  We are SO VERY GRATEFUL for our local District President who looks after getting all of the travel passes for us.  He is a life saver.  We are also grateful for the amazing Sister in Manila whose job is to book all these flights and get the missionaries home.  She deals with all of the changes not only in our mission, but for several missions, and I am in awe of her abilities.

One thing that never changes is the amazing young missionaries we are privileged to serve with.  They continue to work hard and learn new ways of doing missionary work.  They don't complain and just move forward.  And they continue to smile and find joy in their service.  

It is a great blessing to know that with all of the upheaval, all of the changes, all of the uncertainty, there is One who is unchangeable.  One that we can rely upon to keep all of His promises, for His promises are sure.  "For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable form all eternity to all eternity." (Moroni 8:18).  

This certainty brings peace and comfort and hope.  That hope is an anchor to my soul.