Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Good-Bye Group

We spent two days with the leaving missionaries.
Day One
Monday - 9:00am was the starting time for ERC, a six hour class offered to all going home missionaries in the Philippines. It stands for Employment Resource Class, and helps them prepare for after mission jobs. When the class was over, the going home missionaries came to the mission home for dinner and FHE.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fruit pizza for dessert. Yum
 
 
 
These ten missionaries were taken to a hotel for the night.

Day Two
The going home missionaries for both July and August started arriving at the mission home at 7:30am. We had breakfast and then loaded 2 cars and headed to the Manila Temple to attend an endowment session. The August batch joined us because the Temple will be closed in August. After the temple we came back to the mission home for dinner. 
While slicing and dicing leeks and longganisa for breakfast, my thumb got in the way.
 
 Leaving batch for July
Leaving batch for August 
Good bye to Sister Tabayay, Sister Cabusca, Sister Leavitt
Elder Tinasas, Elder Oakden, Elder Calipes, Elder Grant, Elder Sanchez, Elder Chua, and Elder Domingo.

The elders and sisters were taken to a hotel for the night, but then Typhoon Glenda hit and all of their travel plans were changed. Most of them stayed in a hotel from two - five nights until they could fly home. President Tye and I drove to Manila on Sunday July 20th to visit with those who were still waiting for flights. We had cake and said good bye one more time.
We lost a strong group of mission leaders this week. We will miss their example and dedication to being the Lord's Hands in loving and serving the people of the Philippines. We will love them forever!

2 comments:

  1. I don't know how to thank you and President Tye for all you have been and all that you have done for all of the missionaries and the Lord and most specifically for our son, Elder Nico Sanchez. I just read your latest posts and as always I was in tears reading it; this time even more so as you describe and show all the last days for our son in his amazing mission. Elder Sanchez is home at last! He has been overwhelmed with a joyful reunion with family, and tears as he was released from his wonderful mission. He's been hugged repeatedly- especially from mom :). I feel such love and appreciation for you Sister Tye and I hope one day to meet you and be able to thank you and President Tye in person!!! This blog has been a comfort, joy and blessing to me this past year. Absolutely priceless! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
    Love,
    Melinda Sanchez and family

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  2. Dear President and Sister Tye,

    Elder Dylan Grant made it home safely this morning. We are so proud of him and his accomplishments in the mission field. Although, he was sent to preach the gospel to the people of Manila and Cavite, he, I believe benefited the most. He has truly grown from a 19 year old boy to a 21 year old man. Since my parents are converts, from 1960 in Charleston, South Carolina, where I was born, I was the first in my family to go on a mission. I served in the Colorado Denver Mission from 1977-1979. My eldest son Taylor served in Chile Santiago East from 2010 to 2012. I referred to him in our weekly letters as Elder Grant 2, and with Elder Dylan Grant as Elder Grant 3. We have another young man that will be leaving the beginning of next year, 2015 and he will be Elder Grant 4. We are a missionary family and love missionary work. It takes a very great couple to be Mission President and Companion to all these wonderful missionaries. I saw that with my own mission presidents, President and Sister Gerald Lambourne and President and Sister Jack R. Wheatley.
    Keep up the great work,

    Love,

    David and Theresa Grant

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