I offer a brief apology for my absentness for the past
few weeks. I know you have all been glued to the computer screen waiting
for an update haha. Here ya go!
This has been the BUSIEST
week of my mission. It is also the last week of my mission. To give you
an idea, I will share my schedule for the past week.
For all
departing missionaries, we have the chance to visit Banaue. Banaue is
centuries-old rice terraces. It is so beautiful and I'm not sure if it
is one of the wonders of the world, but it ought to be. Because it is in
our mission, we all get the chance to see it before we go home. But I
am really far away from Banaue, so there is quite a bit of traveling
involved.
Last Saturday, Sister Villa and I traveled to
Cauayan (3 hr. bus ride). We stayed in Cauayan with the Cabatuan
Sisters, Sister Sutherby and Montejo. On Sunday,
after we attended church in Cabatuan, Sister Labis, Sister Sutherby,
and I traveled to Solano (4 hr. bus ride), and stayed with the STLs
there. We arose early on Monday morning at 4 am, and met the Bambang Zone waiting for us at McDo, and from there headed out to Banaue (1hr. 45min. Jeepney ride).
The
rice terraces are so beautiful. We did a really cool hike there and
hiked around the mountain. All uphill I might add! It was tough, but so
worth it. As we hiked, we could see some of the Ilocano people who live
there, and were working on the rice terraces. It was a lot of fun.
Sister McBride is in Bambang zone, so we hiked together. It was so much
fun to catch up.
The way back was just as grueling, but in
reverse. We traveled back to Solano (1hr. 45min.). Then from Solano to
Cauayan. Only this time, we hit traffic on the way out. It took us 5
hours, and we were only half way in between Solano and Cauayan, in a
city called Santiago. The bus driver took the wrong turn and we were
weaving in and around the city of Santiago, when out of the blue, the
bus driver told us to get off the bus. He didn't say why, he just told
us that we had to find another way to get to Cauayan. We found ourselves
at McDonalds, at 9:30
at night with no ride and no bus. At this point, we knew we were in
trouble, and had to call for help. We went back outside and waited,
knowing that there might not be another bus until morning. We said a
prayer and hoped for the best. In the half-hour we waited, no bus came,
but a van pulled up. He wasn't a regular van driver for Santiago, so it
was really random that he was driving through this part of Santiago. He
had actually come from Manilla and was going to Ilagan. It was an
unexpected answer to our prayer. We were able to drive the last hour to
the Cauayan STL apartment where we stayed (6 hours total by bus/van).
The
next day, we were reunited with our true companions, and then President
Rahlf himself drove us to our District Meeting in Tuguegarao (2 hours
by car), and we finally made it back home after being tired from so much
travel. We spent the rest of Tuesday in our area working. It felt nice to work after six days of not working.
Early on Wednesday
we had our MLC, in Cauayan I might add. We arose early again and
boarded yet another bus, Cauayan bound (3 hour bus ride). We had a lot
of fun in MLC, where we discussed the importance of sincere prayer and
how we can receive revelation from our prayers. It was a great lesson,
and I pondered about our answered prayer in Santiago. God hears and
answers prayers. Of this I testify.
For departing
,missionaries, we also have what is called Career Workshop, where the
Senior Couples teach us self-reliance skills and activities that will
help us to get a job when we get home. I had to attend this workshop on Thursday,
so we stayed the night in the mission home after the MLC, that cut down
the possibility of more travel. But we did have to ride the bus back
home to Cauayan (3 hours by bus).
On Friday and Saturday we were able to work as well. It was really great. We also had a baptism on Saturday.
Sister Jinky was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was so amazing to be a part of her
conversion. She is the last baptism that I will have as a missionary.
After
Sacrament meeting, where Sister Jinky was confirmed, we headed to the
bus station yet again. I traveled alone to the Mission Home in Cauayan
(3 hours again, grabe!), and stayed the night here. Today is Monday
and I am anxiously waiting to go to the airport. Dad and Braxton will
arrive here in about thirty minutes. I'm really excited for them to meet
all the amazing people who I've come to love here in the great PCM.
This
is my final message to you all before I return to the States. I'm so
thankful for all of you. I'm thankful for this journey that I have
embarked on eighteen short months ago. It is so strange to see how much
I've grown in that time. I am a different person now, but a better
person because of this service. I have kept the faith and fought a good
fight. I am now ready to start the next chapter of my life. To all those
who want to serve, I say "go." To all those who want to serve, but are
reluctant, I say "go." To all those who want to serve God, to help
others, and to be a better person, I say "go." Because eighteen months
to two years is so very short, but the impact of it can change eternity.
I love you all so very much, see you on the other side.
Love,
Sister Lewis,
RM Extraordinaire
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