Glenda And New Missionaries

Missionaries are still safe and doing great. Their attitude and optimism far exceed my own! You have raised amazing and wonderful adults!

We have some apartments with roof damage, and/or water. Power lines are slowly being repaired. Many missionaries are still without power and water. Everyone has purified water to drink - but some have no water to bathe. Yesterday we were able to follow through with transfers. Unshaven elders and sisters with braided or pulled up hair was a common sight. But everyone was happily hugging and sharing storm stories. The only complaint I heard was that they were bored staying inside their apartments during the storm. They are here to teach the gospel and that is what they would rather be doing. Some of the things they did while waiting out the storm was: Read and study the scriptures, write letters, clean their apartment, and write in their journals. While the electricity was still on, some watched the church videos they had in their apartment. 

As of today, there are still 6 departing missionaries that have not made it home yet. Two Filipino elders leave today (Friday), and the 4 missionaries from America are scheduled to fly home on different flights, Sunday and Monday. These missionaries are now under the care of Missionary Travel and we have not seen them since Tuesday night. They are at a hotel by the airport, are being fed, and have phone cards to call home. I still wish I could go kidnap them and bring them here!

Our neighborhood is slowly being cleaned up. Some streets are still blocked with trees but guess what - our electricity was restored about 30 minutes ago. I can now do laundry!!! I have a mountain of sheets and towels that need to be washed and put away. The 29 (counting President and I) that slept here on Wednesday night will forever be another memory of our time here in the Philippines. 

25 new missionaries were welcomed to Cavite Mission by spending their first night at the mission home. We had dinner, interviews, family prayer, watched 17 Miracles, and had a good breakfast. Plus a visit to the grocery store by Sister Tye to purchase more food and towels. Thank you to the Rigby's, (one of the Sr. couples) and the Assistants who gathered and delivered mattresses to us.