Craigs in Cauayan

One of the most universally loved mission experiences is Zone Conference every 6 weeks.  It is a day-long gathering of a large number of missionaries where they are trained and inspired.  It is a big deal for the missionaries.  The Elders usually arrive with a fresh haircut and often the companions will wear a tie that matches.  The Sisters are likewise often matching, and take extra care to look their best.  Some travel 3 hours or more to attend the conference.  They arrive early to ensure they are on time.  New missionaries arrive unsure what to expect and a little nervous.  Old missionaries come wanting to spend time with old companions and batch mates (those they came into the field with). The day starts with a group picture to preserve the moment.  At the Cauayan Conference the Sisters decided they wanted a picture with just the Sister missionaries in it.  When they were done, the Elders decided they needed a picture as well.  After a more formal picture, we decided that each miss

In the last couple of weeks we have had a departure and three arrivals.  We are gradually bidding farewell to our local missionaries from the Cagayan Valley.  They have been a great blessing over the last 18 months as new missionary numbers have been so low.  They have been our precious gift, our manna from heaven.  At one point, we had more missionaries serving here in their home mission than we had from elsewhere.  We called our missionaries from here in the Cagayan Valley our native missionaries and those from Manila and elsewhere in the Philippines our foreign missionaries.  But that is changing.  As those faithful local missionaries are completing their missions and going home, missionaries have started to arrive from areas outside the mission.  This is a testimony to us that the Lord is in the details, and His work will not fail.  The batches are beginning to be larger and larger as young people are answering the call of the Area Presidency to not be afraid of the pandemic and to