"Shall we not go forth in so great a cause?"

October 23, 2013

29 new missionaries enter the Philippines Cauayan Mission!

--with just a few twists and turns along the way

The flights in and out of Cauayan had been cancelled for October 23, due to work on the radar system in Manila.  We only receive one flight each on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to the Cauayan airport,  so we had to look for other alternatives to bring our new missionaries to the field.   We had them flown to Tuguegarao, a city about 2 1/2 hours to the north, and chartered a bus to transport them back to the mission home and Transfer Meeting.  We would have box lunches prepared, President Rahlf would hold individual interviews on the bus during the trip back, and we would arrive in time for freshening up, a quick snack and maybe a 20 minute power nap.  It would work out fine.

Unless the plane out of Manila was delayed, say, three hours.

That would make things interesting. 

But not impossible!

We learned that even when you need to resort to Plan H, 

when everyone is working together for the work of the Lord, it all falls into place.

 A huge thank-you to our Senior Couples and all of the missionaries involved in the Transfer for their willingness to go the extra mile and help out wherever it was needed.

And especially to our newest missionaries who demonstrated patience and good humor 

despite their total exhaustion.

It was a Welcome to remember!

President Rahlf and Brother Pete watching and listening for the plane.
Which did not come for another 2 hours!

Our Elders that traveled with us to help with orientation got a little hungry waiting and waiting.
Luckily, Brother Pete was there with the box lunches he had prepared for all of us.

They made it!  We gathered luggage and headed for our chartered bus.

We pose for a group picture right before going in to the chapel for the Transfer meeting.
When the new missionaries come in, all of the waiting missionaries stand and sing "Called toServe."
 Tonight they sang with genuine enthusiasm after the long, long wait.

 It is a joyous meeting, as our new missionaries are introduced to their first companion, 

and their mission in the Philippines is finally beginning!

So despite the adventures in arriving, we say,

"Brethren (and Sisters), shall we not go on in so great a cause?  Go forward and not backward.  Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!  Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad."

Doctrine and Covenants 128:22 

(more pictures to come next week)

"Going out and Coming In"

Departures and Arrivals.  These are two very important words in mission life and they occur every 6 weeks, on a Tuesday and a Wednesday here in Cauayan.  

On Tuesday, September 10th, we had 12 departing  Elders and Sisters who had completed their full-time missionary service.  They came in at different times throughout the day, had their luggage weighed and items re-arranged or given away as needs be, had their departure interview with President Rahlf, and prepared for the Departure meeting.  There they had a chance to share their testimonies one last time in the mission field, 

and we loved hearing those tender and powerful words.

And then it was dinner at the mission home, followed by the cutting of ties and handkerchiefs.  (We will make squares out of the material for a quilted wall-hanging).

Sister Rafiqiue had to leave the mission two days earlier than the rest of the group, so
we had dinner with her and her various companions on Sunday evening.
Sister Khushi, Sister Perlas, Sister Rentayo, Sister Len Wai, Sister Rafique, Sister Saez, and Sister Obnias.

Elder and Sister Laker with Sister Rafique and Sister Rantayo

Departing Missionaries
Back row:  Elder Rapsing, Elder Lacambra, Elder Dagal, Elder Gueverra, Elder Sulla,
 Elder Laurente, Elder Meru, Elder Cruz
Front Row:  Elder Legarde, Sister Saez, and Elder Ilagan

 Wednesday morning, it's French Toast cooked by President Rahlf at the mission home, and off to the airport.

Then the plane arrives-- bringing our new missionaries to the field and taking our departing ones back to Manila, where they will spend the day, go to the Temple and return to their homes on Thursday.

"well done, thou good and faithful servants"

It's the going out of one group, and the coming in of another.

So happy to see these faces!

Elder Iuli, Sister Guttenbeil and Sister Molisi
as we wait to gather luggage at the airport. . .

. . .and bring it back here!

These are their new pillows that will accompany them to every place they serve

One of my favorite sights--it means that missionaries are in the home!

New Missionaries September 11, 2013
Back Row:  Elder Evitt, Elder Lavelua, President & Sister Rahlf, Sister Warr, Elder Thorpe, Elder Wengreen
Middle Row:  Elder Pawin, Elder Franzuela, Elder Mabini, Elder Iuili, Elder Espino, Sister Hirst,
Sister Kirchhoefer, Sister Barney, Sister Molisi
Front Row: Elder Padon, Elder Delos Reyes, Elder Zabala, Sister Lasay, Sister Dela Torre, Sister Lamac,
Sister Guttenbeil, Sister Crystal, Sister Nicol, Sister Hurst, Sister Mautatia, Sister Karavenua

After a delicious Philippine lunch, we settle in for orientation with the Assistants

and interviews with President Rahlf

 After Orientation and before the Transfer Meeting, there is 

a little time for a quick power nap...

At the Transfer Meeting, our new missionaries walk up to the front of the chapel while the other missionaries sing "Called to Serve."  During the meeting, they are introduced 

to their new companion and afterwards set off to their first area.

It is a joyful, amazing, exhausting, wonderful day!

"The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth,

 and even for evermore."

Psalms 121:8

Imagine yourself as a house. . .

The first few weeks of the Transfer Cycle are fast and full and quite a learning curve.  
On August 21, all of our new missionaries and their trainers came to the Cauayan Chapel for additional training, review, and some time together. For the meeting, we split into two groups--Trainers and Trainees.   Each group had a session with the Assistants, Elders Nielsen and Ilagen, and with President and Sister Rahlf.  We shared this C.S. Lewis quote with our new missionaries, as they are learning just how much being a missionary can cause you stretch and grow:  

           "Imagine yourself as a living house.  God comes in to rebuild that house.
            At first, perhaps, you understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains
            right and stopping the leaks in the roof; and so on.  You knew that those 
            jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.  But presently, He starts
            knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem
            to make any sense.  What on earth is He up to?The explanation is that He is
            building quite a different house than the one you thought of--throwing out a
            new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making
            courtyards.  You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage,
            but He is building a palace."

After the training we enjoyed lunch prepared by the fabulous Sister Uy from Cauayan, 
and had some time to visit, reconnect, and share experiences.

Trainers Sister Len Wai, Sister Obnias, Sister Mamea,
Sister Barcela,  Sister Stabenow 

New Sister Paetau, Trainers Sister Nawere, Sister Vaelua

MTC District Reunited!
Elder Hall, Elder Tribe, Sister Hafen, Sister Howlett, Sister Nosler, Sister Pace
Sister Carr, Sister Meinzer, Sister Maddock
Elder Baker, Elder Poulter

Trainers Sister Vea and Sister Bienvinuto

Trainers Sister Watson, Sister Suaybagio and Sister Maestrado

 New Sisters Perkins and Clyde, Trainers Sister Broqueza,
 and Sister Acoba, New Sisters Manukailea and Bates

New Elders Johnstun and Ranada

New Sisters Miller and Lange with Sister Laker, one of our Senior Missionaries.

Trainer Elder Mousley, New Missionaries Elder Corcuera,  Sister Grande,  Sister Cabada,
  Sister Calisaan, Sister Camansa, Sister Pace and Trainer Elder Dela Vega

Trainers Elder Badol,  Elder Gueverra,  Elder De Guzman

 Trainer Elder Talines and New Missionary Elder Baker

Trainers and New Missionaries
31 July Transfer Group

Rejuvenated, revitalized and ready to work--