The Entire Journey

Being a Mission President and Companion during the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed us a view of the entire journey of some of our young missionaries.  It has been a joy to witness their entire odyssey from start to finish.  As a former Stake President over a large and faithful Stake of the Church, I have interviewed, called and released hundreds of missionaries. 

It is fun to interview mission applicants.  They come nervous, knowing the strict requirements of worthiness and health required to serve a proselyting mission.  They leave proud of themselves when it is determined that they are ready and able to serve.  Proud; yes. Excited; definitely yes, but also a little nervous about stepping into the dark of the unknown.  Where will they serve?  Will they do a good job?  Will they miss home?  Will they like the experience?

It is more fun to set them apart.  You see the pride on a father's face and the melancholy and a little worry on a mother's face.  You see almost terror on the young missionary's face.  But there also remains the excitement you saw before, during the interview and a resolve to do all that is asked of him or her. 

The most fun, however, is the releasing of missionaries.  The pure joy on a mother or a younger sibling's face as they get their missionary back home again.  You see again the pride on the father's face and often some nostalgia as he remembers again his own mission years before.  The greatest moments of this experience are of course the young missionary.  They come home exhausted but so proud of their experience.  They love being home but feel that they now have a second home back in their mission area because they have left so much of their heart there.  They listen intently to the advice given.  I still remember the advice my Stake President gave me in late February 1983 as he released me.  Tears flow easily as you announce they are now released and invite them to remove the missionary name tag.  That is a tender moment.

As a Mission President and Companion you see a different side of all of this.  We first see them in person as they peek their head out of the arrivals door of the Cauayan Airport.  Their eyes dart quickly about hoping that you are there as planned to meet them.  They seem relieved to see you.  They arrive exhausted as they have been up since 3 AM to catch their flight (if they slept at all the night before because of excitement and a little terror---mostly excitement).  After an orientation they are off to their area and their trainer.  You keep a close eye on them to ensure they are adjusting to mission life.  For some the transition is difficult.  It was for me.  

Over the next 18 or 24 months you watch them grow and learn and fall in love with this mission experience.  It is difficult to put into words the great pride and love you have for them.  It is just so fun to watch them and so easy to love them.  

Then one day it is time to say goodbye.  That is the hardest part.  It does not get easier to say goodbye as time goes on but rather it becomes harder.  A missionary's life is a life of goodbyes.  You give them some advice, some love and your earnest prayers that their lives will be full of joy and purpose.  You hope that this experience will lay a foundation for that joyful productive life. You wave goodbye as they walk into the airport.  You struggle to look through the glass for one last look and then they are gone.

This pandemic has allowed us to mesh both these experiences together, as almost half of our missionaries' homes are within this Mission.  Some live within Districts that I preside over.  These missionaries I interview for missionary service, set them apart, welcome them into the mission, watch them become magnificent missionaries, then I drive them home and release them.  With joy, we watch the entire journey.  It is a rare and unique experience.

These past few weeks have allowed us to drive home and release a number of our local missionaries.  Elder Pacallagan is from Tuguegarao and returned home about 2 months ago.  He had started his mission in Japan but was evacuated home to the Philippines when the pandemic came.  We drove him the 2 1/2 hours home.  First, we stopped at his Stake President's office so he could be released.  His mother was there.  This was her youngest son and her last missionary (she has raised a few).  She was very pleased, but calm, because she has done this a few times before.  Seated beside her was a very beautiful quiet young lady.  I was hoping to meet her.  I had only learned a day or two before that Elder Pacallagan was engaged.  He had never told me until just before he went home.  She served while he did and had arrived home a few weeks earlier.  After his release we were kindly invited to his home for a large delicious family meal to celebrate his return home.  Elder Pacallagan and his fiancée are now married and he is a counsellor to the Bishop in his local Ward. 

About two weeks ago Elder Zalun (Elder Pacallagan's best friend growing up) and Elder Tarapi finished their missions.  Elder Zalun was serving in Africa before he was evacuated home.  Elder Zalun's father wanted to pick him up so they could visit together one of his favourite areas he served in on the drive home.  We met his father part way to his home in Enrile.  His father was so pleased to see his son again, live and in person.  The embrace was genuine and full of love...well as much as two grown men can allow.  It was my joy to tell his father that his son was a great missionary and to thank him for raising such a wonderful man.

Elder Tarapi was serving in New Zealand before he was evacuated home.  I drove him right to his house.  It was difficult to get the van stopped before he jumped out, he was so anxious.  He ran to the front door and called to his mother that he was home.  Mother was around the back of the house but heard him call.  She charged around the house and into his arms.  It was a tender moment.   Soon we were with the entire family except for one Sister who I set apart a few weeks earlier as she left for her mission.  After some advice I invited Elder Tarapi to stand and face his mother who was also standing.  I released him and invited his mother to remove his name tag.  He was having none of that and clung to that tag like life itself.  It took some coaxing but she finally got it removed.

A few days later, we drove Sister Aranda home. She had been called to Japan and was in the Manila Missionary Training Center studying Japanese when the pandemic hit.  She was our first local missionary.  We dropped her at the Church in Mabini.  He mother was waiting for us and was quite proper and reserved as we arrived but you could see her eyes just dancing which betrayed her absolute joy to have her daughter return home safely.  You also could not wipe the smile off her face.   Her 14 year old sister was not so reserved.  She arrived at the door of the chapel with a flying hug.  It took some time for her to release her sister.  You could tell she was missed a lot at home.  It was also fun to see the shock in Sister Aranda's eyes to see how tall her "little"sister had grown in her time away. 

Last week, we drove Sister Acasio home to Santiago City.  Sister Acasio was called to South America.  Because of visa problems, she was serving in Utah when the evacuation came.  She was first evacuated to the Manila Missionary Training Center where she spent several weeks. While there she met Elder Zalun.  Once evacuated, they were almost 6 months at home.  During this time they communicated regularly and fell in love.  Both were reassigned here with us.  (They of course served on opposite sides of the mission!)  We took Sister Acasio to the Stake Center where she could be released by her Stake President's Counsellor.  He parents were there, eagerly awaiting her arrival.  There was a beautiful banner and tearful hugs as she arrived.  I thanked her kindly father for sending us such a wonderful missionary.  She and Elder Zalun plan to marry later this year.  

Next week we will take Sister Vargas home to Roxas.  It just seems like yesterday that I did her interviews to apply for her to serve a mission.  She was called to Alaska Anchorage, then Philippines Baguio when her visa was delayed, but never got to either because of the pandemic.  The day she was to report to the Missionary Training Center, Roxas, like all of the Philippines--was in lockdown.  She did her training virtually.  After her training ended she worked every day, all day with our Sister Missionaries serving in Roxas.  Eventually she was reassigned to serve with us.  She already knew several of our Sisters and has been a great blessing to our mission.  We will miss her as she returns home.  She was a great missionary.  We will drive her home as well.

Going home with Sister Vargas is Sister Gaco.  She is from Diffun and is a licensed teacher.  She put her career and a promising relationship on hold to serve a mission.  She was originally called to serve in Cagayan De Oro in the southern Philippines.  She waited almost 6 months to be reassigned to our mission.  Consequently she will only be able to serve in field for a little over 1 year.   She has spent that year making up for lost time.  She arrived happy to be here and ready to work hard.  She has made every moment count.  We are so proud of her.   Earlier this week in our mission tour, Elder Choi asked the missionaries to finish a statement about their service as Covid missionaries.  

She wrote:  

"My name is Sister Gaco and I was a missionary in Cauayan Mission during the Covid-19 pandemic time.  

Because of the pandemic, I wasn't able to go to my original mission, and I only served for a year.  

Nevertheless, I had a lot of learning opportunities that I could not otherwise have learned in my original mission and with a span of 18 months.  

I was a hopeful missionary and I am proud of myself."

We are also so very proud of all of our missionaries, be they local or from other parts of the Philippines.  They will remain in our hearts forever.  

Sister Craig and I like these young missionaries have not served the mission we planned.  COVID has changed our plans and expectations just like it has our young missionaries.  Our mission has definitely been changed but I truly believe that it has changed for the better.  The stories are richer and the experiences quite unique.  How we love this experience.  God did not give us what we expected; He gave us something better.