Wowza, mga kapatid!
This week was crazy insane. On Monday, we had a party with our recent converts and our upcoming baptismal candidates. We ate a bunch of food, including jackfruit and fried chicken. We were joined by the sister missionaries assigned in Pagudpud and their upcoming baptismal candidates (who are relatives of our recent converts). Then we went to Pasuquin to get some extra cash to last out the month. After that, we tried to plan for our Tuesday that evening.
Then, we received the text telling us that we would be quarantined in our houses starting on the morrow.
The following morning, we stocked up on food supplies, and we began to rearrange and clean our apartment. We made plans to settle in for what could have been a few weeks in quarantine.
Then, we received the text telling us that we needed to pack our bags to return to the United States. I freaked out and started packing immediately. After twenty minutes, we were packed and ready to go. Then we waited. We gave away our perishable food to the sister missionaries. And waited. And waited. We cleaned our apartment. And waited. Then the van got to our house, and we had to jet. We took a quick ride to Laoag, where we slept the night at the mission home.
The following day, we prepared to leave. People abandoned luggage and property to make weight limits and fit everything in their bags. We took a utility van all the way to Manila, passing checkpoint after checkpoint, trying to outrun the presidential action against CoViD-19.
In the midst of this ride, I got chased by a dog at one of the rest stops. To be fair to the dog, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I’m all okay, with not a scratch.
We arrived at the Manila MTC late that evening, and we slept on the floor that night. Our APs had to shut up the noisy missionaries from another mission who had much more energy than we did after an 11-hour van ride.
The following day we gallivanted around and studied a lot. We learned we would be stuck in Manila until Sunday. We caught up with old friends and generally made the best of it. That night, we slept on the floor once again.
After that, we spent about half the day in the MTC doing the same routine, until we suddenly got called into the gym by President Clark. He told us to pack our bags, and we would be sleeping at a hotel. We went to the Marriott hotel across from the airport, and we lived one and a half days in the most luxurious hotel that I’ve ever had a chance to stay in.
After that, it was finally Sunday, and we endured the long lines and wait times at the airport to get all ~1600 missionaries home to their families. I got saddled with the last flight, but it was no sweat since I knew a lot of others who were in the same boat. We took our short hop to Japan, and then we were on our way to SLC. Unfortunately, I missed the connecting flight, due to delays in both Manila and Salt Lake City.
I stayed a final night in a hotel in Salt Lake City, followed by a morning departure to Albuquerque. I’m home. This means this is almost assuredly the last email I will ever send to y’all. I’d like to express my thanks for all the emails, actual mail, love, and support I received from you. The mission was a grand experience, but most of all, it was a happy trip.
I’d just like to extend an invitation to you all, in this time of fear and pandemic, to make sure you know the mind and will of the Lord with relation to your state on the earth. Remember that if we are prepared, we will not fear. Ask the Lord what he wants from you, why the world is like it is, and what you can do to survive and thrive in these trying times. Don’t let your faith be shaken by things like this. God’s plan is always greater than ours, greater than anything we could possibly imagine.
I hope to see you all again very soon. Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AmmDv2WmupfpRkrD7
Signing off,
Elder Tripp