The Hour of Your Mission Departures and Arrivals June 22, 2016

"Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation."
                                                                                  Doctrine & Covenants 31:3

For our departing missionaries, it feels like that "hour" flew by!  It is hard to believe that the months and years of full-time missionary service are complete...although a lifetime of missionary work lies wonderfully ahead.

We are deeply grateful for this group of about-to-be RMs.  They have walked and taught and searched and prayed and yearned and smiled and been willing servants of the Savior as they declared "glad tidings of great joy unto this generation."

We thank them for choosing to be missionaries and for the deep footprints they've left here. 


Gathering in the mission home
for the "To Be Continued" Meeting

 

Look at these smiles!
I love this picture...


from the back:  Elder Acosta, Sister Abalos
Elder Saguire, Sister Alim, Elder Einfeldt, Elder Reynolds
Sister Glick, Sister Tupou, Elder Swenson, Elder Lott
Sister Mariano, Sister Ferguson, Elder Treyes


 

After dinner, we have presentation ofCLS certificates

 





and Career Workshop Certificates.
An accomplished group!

Now, let the traditional tie/material cutting begin...

Before

After

 

 



Wednesday morning
Leaving words of counsel and encouragement for our
new missionaries that will arrive in a couple of hours.

Checking out the Transfer Board
right before we leave for the
airport.

The journey awaits...with some very happy families at the other end of it.
May God bless and watch over you always. Until we meet again...

 

 

When we returned to pick up our

arriving missionaries, we were

greeted by this wonderful sight! 

And here they are!!
Six Sisters and two Elders and
we are so happy they are here!

 

June 22 Arrivals
Sister Neeti, Elder Alecha, President and Sister Rahlf, Elder Retuta, Sister Pavino
Sister Flores, Sister Caduada, Sister Garcia, Sister Abalos

Lined up and ready to go over to the
chapel to meet first companions

Companions met and ready to go!

Trainer Elder King and Elder Retuta

Sister Caduada and Trainer Sister Sauder

Trainer Sister Garcia and Sister Pavino

Sister Neeti and Trainer Sister Teabwabwa

Sister Abalos and Trainer Sister Baker

Sister Flores and Trainer Sister Aguanta

Elder Alecha and Trainer Elder Sorronda 

Trainer Sister Delinila and Sister Garcia

Happily off to their areas..
the hour of their mission has come!

 

 

What an incredibly full and special day. 

The sun never sets on the work of the Lord. 

 

"For behold, the field is white already to harvest; and lo,

he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might,

the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not,

but bringeth salvation to his soul."

D&C 4:4

 

 

Specialized Training: The Atonement of Jesus Christ June 14-16-17, 2016

During the third week of June, we held a two hour specialized training with small groups of all our zones.  As our last opportunity to teach and train, we wanted to focus on the sacred doctrine and event of the Atonement.  Our discussion with our missionaries will be one of our lasting and special memories of our mission.

The following are some of the quotes that we used in teaching:

“One does not speak lightly of the Atonement or casually express appreciation.  It is the most sacred and sublime event in eternity.  It deserves our most intense thoughts, our most profound feelings, and our noblest deeds.  One speaks of it in reverential tones; one contemplates it in awe; one learns of it in solemnity, now and throughout eternity.”     - Elder Tad R. Callister

“…the Atonement of the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh is the crucial foundation upon which all Christian doctrine rests and the greatest expression of divine love this world has ever been given.  Its importance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cannot be overstated.  Every other principle, commandment, and virtue of the restored gospel draws its significance from this pivotal event.”     -Elder Jeffery R. Holland

“Atonement means taking two things that have become separated, estranged, or incompatible, like a perfect God and an imperfect me or you, and bringing them together again, thus making the two be ‘at one.’       -Stephen Robinson

“He came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.”        --Unknown

We felt the Spirit attending each session and are grateful for our missionaries' desire to learn and gain greater understanding.


After the training, President Rahlf and I shared some departing counsel,  including a warm welcome for our new mission president and wife, Elder and Sister Hiatt.  They are going to be so wonderful!  Then we cut ties and handkerchiefs, etc. for our mission quilt.  There will be 578 missionaries represented in this grand and glorious keepsake! (Some of our missionaries will participate in this traditional event on Departure Tuesday this week). We also celebrated April, May and June birthdays. 


Before and After Pictures

Tuguegarao North


Tuguegarao South

Roxas Zone

 Burgos Zone

Ilagan Zone

 Bambang Zone

Solano Zone

 Santiago North Zone

Santiago South Zone

 Alicia Zone

Cauayan Zone

Senior Couples

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Celebrants



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We closed each of our meetings with our testimonies and our traditional closing song: 

"As I Have Love You". Our hearts are full as we acknowledge the tremendous privilege it has been to serve and testify of our Savior in the Cauayan Zion Mission, among Cauayan Zion Missionaries. These are memories for all of eternity.

 

 

As I have loved you,

Love one another.

This new commandment--

love one another.

By this shall men know,

Ye are my disciples.

If ye have love, one to another.

Hymn # 308