Growing

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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 go out and serve, to be "one of the 4600". 

The Area Presidency challenged the members the Philippines to provide 4,600 missionaries by the end of December 2022.  That would more than double the number of Filipino missionaries serving.  We do not know if they will achieve the goal or not, but what we do know is there is a huge army of Filipinos answering the call.  It is impressive to watch and will bless this beautiful nation for generations to come.  They are beginning to arrive in a great swelling wave of faithful missionaries.      

On March 23, we bid farewell to 4 missionaries.  None of them had been originally assigned to this mission.  Elder Lesano came with the group from the MTC that arrived 3 days before the lockdown.  He expected to serve in Chile.  The 3 Sisters had been called to Butuan, Tonga and Thailand.  But they served faithfully here, giving their all in the service of the Lord, even though their assignment was changed, showing a maturity far beyond their years.  We were so happy that we could take them to Banaue before they went home!

The plane that took Elder Lesano home had 11 new missionaries on board when it arrived in Cauayan.  11!  It has been a long time since we had a batch that large arrive.  They are excited to serve and are doing so well. We have been able to open 5 areas!  Some of these areas have been closed for 2 years, because of dwindling missionary numbers, so this is exciting.

On April 1 Sister Wheeler arrived, full of excitement to return to the Philippines to finish out her mission.  Her mission has been a sandwich--6 months in the Philippines, 6 months in New Hampshire, and now 6 more months in the Philippines.  She says it is like an ice cream sandwich, because she got cold New Hampshire winter for the filling!

We now number 72.  

We are preparing for May, when we will have 3 more local missionaries go home, and we will welcome 32 from other areas in the Philippines.  I don't even know how to describe it...Stressful?  Amazing?  Miracle of Miracles?  We never thought we would see this growth happen before we went home.  We will, after the May arrival, have 26 sisters in training.  We only have 21 other Sisters in the mission. So every Sister will train, and those who arrived last week will have to pair up and finish training each other.  We will only have a small number of Elders that are not in either a leadership position or in a training companionship.  After the May arrivals we will have 101 missionaries.  88 will either be training a new missionary or be the one being trained. What a wonderful problem to have!


 Today in General Conference, President Nelson challenged all worthy, able young men (and all sisters who choose to) to prepare and go on a mission.  To join the Lord's Battalion. The young people in the Philippines have taken a head start in fulfilling this prophetic priority. 

We are diligently trying to plan for this large group, as it is a bit overwhelming.  But we keep being reminded that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phil. 4:13. We are overjoyed to have this challenge.  Hurrah for Israel!


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