LDS Going Home Missionaries

Every six weeks is transfer day, and the day before is spent in going home festivities for the missionaries who have completed their missions. They start out at the Mission Office with juice and donuts, then later have pizza for lunch, followed by a trip to the temple, then, usually, the Manila American Cemetery, resting place for over 17,000 Pacific WWII American dead, plus Filipinos, Australians, New Zealanders, and on. It, by the way, is arguably the most beautiful spot in Manila, with the large green cemetery lawns and marble memorials, and beautiful fire trees. It was here that President (then Elder) Hinckley dedicated the Philippines for the preaching of the gospel in 1961.

Yesterday was our turn to man the office, so we did not go to the temple with the missionaries, which was a particularly meaningful experience because of one of our missionaries, Elder Atoigue. When he left on his mission, his father did not want him to go. His parents were not members of the church. His father encouraged him to come home early.  Elder Atoigue became one of our best and most effective missionaries and leaders. Over the course of his mission, his parents became converted and baptized. After MANY trials, they arrived here in Manila about a week ago, and Thursday were endowed in the Manila Temple.  Then yesterday, with all his mission batch with him, his family was sealed together for eternity. What a joyful day for this young man and all his friends.

While they were at the temple, we were getting a new battery in our car. We went down yesterday morning to find a dead car. Luckily, a man was down washing his car near our parking spot, and agreed to jump the battery. We drove to look for new apartments, which I looked at with the missionaries while David stayed in the car with the engine idling. Finally, when we arrived back at the mission office and turned off the car, it was dead.  Fortunately the fleet director at the Area Office was able to send someone with a new battery, and we were fixed up.

By that time, everyone headed over to the Mission Home for the going away meal and testimony meeting.  The Mission President and his wife always feed all the going home missionaries and all the senior couples a nice meal, followed by a testimony meeting. Each missionary bore his/her testimony. What a beautiful, moving experience. These  elders and sisters are filled with the Spirit of God which they have so well learned to hear and follow over the past two years, and shared beautiful testimonies and spiritual experiences from their missions. One senior couple also is going home, Elder and Sister Crafts, who have been serving as Church Educational System missionaries. They have no replacement yet, so they will actually continue the internet part of their work once they have returned to Idaho. The other missionaries going were from Idaho, Utah, Visayas and Mindinao, Philippines, and Fiji.

After testimony meeting and photographs, the missionaries, except the senior couple who stayed at the mission home, were taken to their hotel to await pickup in the morning to go to the airport.

The returning missionaries-Elder and Sister Crafts, Sister Thompson, Sister Ram, Sister Ordiz, Sister Murray, Sister Casin, Sister Mecham, Sister Riddle, Elder Atoigue, Elder Durfee, Elder Cook, Elder Pistorius, and President and Sister Ostler.

Elder and Sister Crafts, who were serving as CES missionaries, and Sister Ram, a darling from Fiji. The Crafts won't be replaced; there are not enough senior missionaries!! (Hint, hint)

*The young missionaries were not able to fly home until the Monday after their release, and the Crafts on Tuesday, because of the typhoon.