Happy September!

The first week of September was full of great missionary days.

It began with Bambang District Conference.   Bambang was one of the areas hardest hit by the typhoon earlier in August.  We heard many accounts of members taking care of each other and of our missionaries.  The Conference was a sweet time to meet with the members and missionaries, to feel the strength of testimonies, and to share in the light of the Gospel, which shines brightly in the Philippines.

District President Tajon and his first Counselor

Baptisms Saturday night

Elders Oldem, McLaughlin, and James



Youth Meetings Sunday morning

Members and Missionaries at Sunday Conference

"We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another

and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together."

                                                                                              Lucy Mack Smith

On Tuesday, we visited District meetings in Santiago, hearing great lessons prepared by 

District leaders Elder Marshall, Elder Saba, and Elder Findlay.

Three Districts from Santiago North and South Zones

Back Row:  Elders Dagal, Phippen, Llorin, Zhang, Camain, Allen, Williams,
Marshall, Doney, Teitibwebwe, Cass, Pingol, Jimenez
Front row:  Sisters Bienvinuto, Sumagpao, Khushi, Nosler, Perlas, Frame, Fugaban,
Elder Saba, Sister Bureeti, Elder De Guzman, Elder Findlay

And we brought mail!  Sister Perlas and Sister Frame enjoying letters and packages.

Wednesday was Mission Leadership Council

This is an insightful and wise group--

Back:  Elders Oldem, Juzgaya, Woodruff, Amoi,, Wellman, Linnell, Ardon, bluth, Dixon, Nielson, Sisters Wilkins, Tlulikihihifo
Middle:  Sisters Manguil, Klein, Ramos, Morales, Peckham, Saez, Larsen, Gardoce, Elders Garcia, Coronel, Caluz, McLaughlin, James
Front:  Elders Legarde, Allen Ilagan, Llorin, Lacambra, Samar, Pingol, Jimenez, Ballentos, Smith, Bundy

I promise. . .

Thursday was the New Trainers Training

Some of our Sisters who will be training new missionaries on September 11--
Sister Nembangu, Sister Ilagan, Sister Davis, Sister Frame, Sister Sumagpao, Sister Bureeti,
Sister Rantayo, and Sister Berghout





Saturday there were 40 baptisms across the mission!
Here are some of them...

                              "...and now,  as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God,

                                                      and to be called his people...

being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him. . .

that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you..."

We invite others to come unto Christ!

Quarterly Interviews

Once every quarter, we have individual interviews with each of our missionaries.  It's a wonderful time to be able to visit one-on-one.  While President Rahlf interviews one missionary, I have time to talk with their companion.  We have excellent missionaries here and we are grateful for their service and dedication to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. 


The pictures are by Zones, with apologies to Tuguegarao North & South, 
and Santiago North & South--we left the camera behind...  
                              They get top billing next time!

Burgos Zone

Roxas Zone

Bambang Zone

Alicia Zone

Cauayan Zone

Ilagan Zone

Solano Zone

During Interviews, the Districts also have their weekly meeting.  President Rahlf is joining in
role practice with Sister Nawere and Sister Calisaan, (and Elder Robinson photo-bombing
in the background!)
 "Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings."
Doctrine and Covenants 108:7

More pictures and events from July/August

President Rahlf and I have just completed our first six weeks in the Philippines Cauayan Mission.  We have met missionaries already in the field and welcomed new ones.  We have met wonderful members and been welcomed here.  We have seen and admired the beautiful countryside and eaten delicious food.  And we have seen the miracles and tender mercies of missionary work.  I will try to post often to get us caught up to the middle of August.  Thank you for your patience with our blog!

July 1, 2013:  We are greeted at the Tuguegarao Airport by President and Sister Carlos and were able to spend the next few hours with them.  How grateful we are for their dedication and love for this mission!

                  The next few weeks were spent visiting each of the 11 Zones in our mission
                                              and getting to meet the missionaries. . .

                                . . . seeing the beautiful Philippine countryside along the way. . .

                         . . .getting to know the newest Sister Missionaries and their Trainers

                          . . . meeting the new Philippines Cauayan Mission Presidency:
                    Brother Delos Reyes, President Palay, President Rahlf, and President Pascua

And attending some of the wonderful baptisms.

I had not expected my second post to be about a typhoon.

The most important message is that all of our missionaries are accounted for and safe.    

We were made aware of typhoon Utor late Friday night.  On Saturday we contacted our missionaries and asked them to be prepared with water, food, batteries and cash in the event that Utor followed its predicted path, which would take it right through the heart of our mission.  By Sunday morning, the typhoon was upgraded to a Category 4.  We asked those missionaries that were in low-lying, flood prone areas to move to places of safety.

Utor made landfall at about 6:30 AM and initially moved as had been predicted. But then the storm suddenly veered left and some parts of our mission received minimal rain and wind.  Others, though, got plenty of both.  As of this writing, all of our missionaries are in safe places and all are well.  Some have lost power, and a few are temporarily displaced due to flooding, but all are safe.  

We are grateful for the many prayers offered on behalf of our mission.

Welcome to the Philippines Cauayan Mission!

There are so many beautiful sights and beautiful people in this wonderful country...

and we look forward to sharing them with you.

And especially, we have the best missionaries! 

 I apologize for taking so long to get our blog up and running.  So, I'm going to work a little backwards here and begin with the events of July 30 and 31st--Departures and Arrivals.  

Elder Abitona, Elder Villania, Elder Cruz,
Sister Amis, Sister Forcada,  Sister Phillip,
Elder Nay, Elder  Needs, Elder Lasay,
Elder Landeen, Elder Ziegler, Elder Lundy, Elder Lisaca

On Tuesday, July 30th, we celebrated our thirteen missionaries returning with honor from the field.

After a wonderful Departure Fireside, we enjoyed a delicious meal together in the mission home.

And then we began a new tradition.  We cut off the ties of the Elders and a piece of material from the Sisters, like a blouse or  a handkerchief.  We will take the pieces and make them into squares to create a Missionary Memory quilt wall hanging.

At 8:30 AM July 31st, we said good-bye to these faithful missionaries! 

Sister DeLuna, Elder Lisaca, Sister Amis, Sister Phillip, Elder Abitona, Elder Lundy, Elder Lasay, Elder Needs, Elder Landeen, Elder Ziegler, Sister Forcada, Elder Nay, Elder Cruz, Elder Villania

(Sister DeLuna is returning home to recover from a back injury.  We will see her again!)

The plane coming to take our returning missionaries away was also bringing our new missionaries to the field!  It is truly a passing of the torch . . .

 So we joyfully welcome

Back row:  Elder Johnstun, Elder Tribe, Elder Poulter, Elder Baker, Sister Perkins, Elder Ranada, 

President Rahlf, Elder Frank, Sister Howlett, Sister Clyde, Sister Pace

Front row:   Elder Corcuera, Elder Thayn, Elder Hall, Sister Bates, Sister Miller, Sister Camansa,

Sister Lange, Sister Manukailea, Sister Calisaan, Sister Rahlf, Sister Meizner, Sister Grande, Sister Nosler, 

Sister Cabada, Sister Hafen, Sister Carr, Sister Maddock, Sister Paetau

and all their luggage!

Then it's to the Mission Home for pictures, delicious Filipino lunch, training with the Assistants,  interviews with President Rahlf, maybe a quick 10 minute doze, and off to Transfer Meeting and their first companion in the field!

And a long-awaited, exciting, exhausting day comes to a close.We are so glad you're here!