Miracles

One thing every young missionary loves is Zone Conference.  You get together with the other missionaries including those from your batch (those who came out on your mission with you).  You get inspired and motivated by your leaders and taught better ways to do the work.  On top of that, you get fed really well. It is just a lot of fun.  For Mission Presidents and Companions there is Mission Leadership Seminar held twice a year.  Like zone conference, you get together with other Mission Presidents and Companions, including those in your batch.  You are taught, inspired and motivated.  And you get fed really, really well. These are grand events that last four days.  Our last Mission Leadership Counsel was held virtually.  It was great, but like a virtual Zone Conference, is not as much fun as a in-person one.  This week we enjoyed an in-person Seminar.  It was awesome.  We were taught so well.  It would not be an overstatement to say it was a tender miracle that we could hold it in person.  No one knew, given the severe travel restrictions, if it was even possible.  Most would say it was impossible but there we were; all 23 Mission Presidents and Companions serving in the Philippines; joyfully together again (all with proper travel documentation).  The batch of Mission Presidents and Companions who arrived last July had never all met together in person.  Because our batch was pre-COVID Mission Presidents, we were in the Missionary Training Centre in Provo together, flew over to the Philippines together and were oriented in Manila together. 

Donna and I were to fly to Manila for the conference but at the last minute our flight was cancelled while we stood at the gate.  Donna is a planner.  She loves to be organized and plan things out in advance so there are no surprises.  She was not happy.  Now we were required to make a 10-hour drive and pass through numerous checkpoints and it was not certain we would even get through the checkpoints.  Driving in the mountains in the Philippines is difficult at the best of times because of traffic and dangerous roads. When we drive in the Philippines I do not think Donna exhales even once.  That is quite a feat on a 10 hour drive. Poor thing. We made it!

When we arrived in Manila around 10 PM I found a Subway restaurant.  I had not had a Subway sandwich in 18 months so I was pretty happy.  Manila has many wonderful American franchise restaurants.  The next day we met our good friends the Sackleys and went for a steak dinner.  I was very happy.  I love many Filipino dishes but a taste of home is nice.

Usually the conferences are held in a conference centre and we stay in a hotel.  Because of the pandemic, the Philippines Missionary Training Centre is closed and missionaries do their training virtually.  We held the conference in the Manila Training Centre, including staying in the residence at the centre.  It was also a safe place, as it was a closed environment, easy to remain socially distanced with only a few there, and everyone was swab tested at the beginning of the seminar to make sure we were all COVID free.  

The bunk beds took me back at first glance but it was truly a rare and amazing experience to be in that very special place.  For me it was way better than any hotel anywhere. There is a special spirit there.  The Manila Centre is just across the street from the Temple.  You can see the spires of the Temple as you walk the grounds.  One morning we just walked the Temple grounds just to be near the Temple.  This Temple is special to us because my mother served here.  She loved her time here.  

The conference was everything you could hope for and more, including a 2 hour zoom call session with Elder and Sister D. Todd Christofferson and Elder and Sister Carl B Cook.  They, like our Area Presidency, are awesome.  The highlight of the conference for me, however, was an unplanned event.  We have 2 wonderful, faithful, young missionaries: Sister Tiatia and Sister Su'a from Samoa.  Their time for service ended some time ago but they were unable to secure travel home.  Sister Su'a has served 24 months, 6 months longer than expected.  The Church has worked hard over many months to try and get these sisters and other Samoans home.  Borders have remained closed.  Early November, the Church arranged travel home for our Sisters and 12 other Samoans.  We tearfully sent them to Manila to go home. They were not, however, allowed to board the plane and missed their charter flight home from New Zealand.  Because of travel restrictions they did not send them back to us in the north of the country, but had them continue serving in Manila.  As I visited with Elder Sackley just before the conference, he told me that there was a small chance that we could get them home this week but if it did not work out then it would be unlikely that we could get them home for many months because of increasing travel restrictions to Samoa.  During the conference Elder Sackley told us that the Samoans where at the airport but it was uncertain that they would be allowed to board the plane.  Elder Sackley had been working on it since 4 AM.  Elder Wakolo, our Area President suggested that we pause the conference and pray for these missionaries.  The entire Area Presidency, 3 especial witnesses of Christ, 23 Mission Presidents and Companions and others humbly approached the throne of grace in prayer.  Elder Wakolo was voice of the prayer.  Through tears and with great love he plead with the Lord for a miracle.  About an hour later, word came that the Samoan missionaries had received boarding passes and would be on their way.  Elder Wakolo again paused the conference.  This time we all knelt, with Elder Bangerter as voice and gratefully thanked a loving God who watches, helps and loves.  Donna and I recognized that if our 2 Sisters had come back to Cauayan to us, they would have not made the plane because it all happened so fast.  We also knew that it was later learned that the early November flight they were supposed to be on had an unknown COVID case on it.  Was it a miracle?  I believe so.  I believe the Lord is in charge and the universe is unfolding exactly according to His plan.  I love this assignment. I love watching the hand of the Lord as He does His work and as He watches over and blesses and loves His children.