Let the End Begin

Kumusta!

It has been a hectic week, so I'll start from end of the beginning of the end (last week, Tuesday, Oct. 1).

We had district meeting as usual. we went to lunch as a zone as usual. We ran between Mang Inasal and Mcdo (McDonalds) trying to find food, which isn't really usual, but isn't unusual. After doing some errands and picking some stuff up for other elders we would be seeing wednesday morning at MLC (Missionary Leadership Council), around 2:30 I got a call from President Rahlf asking me to pack my stuff as if i was being transferred and bring it with me to Cauayan the morning of the next day. I was dumb struck. I told Elder Llorin what Pres Rahlf told me. But, still dazed I called President again. "So let me get this straight," I said, "I'm Transferred?"
"Yes, I need you to pack your things and bring them with you tomorrow"
"All my things?"
"Yes," he laughed.
"I'll be honest president, I'm confused- ".
"Don't be confused, this is a good thing, I have another assignment for you"
"Okay, President, if you think this is right, I trust you. Take care of my Zone"
"Don't worry," he laughed again and hung up.
Against Presidents advice, I spent the rest of the day confused, frustrated, and sad, while packing a little at a time then sitting down to think, then packing a little more.

Wednesday, Oct 2 (My ministerial card expired today because I was supposed to be gone Sept. 28th.)

I show up in Cauayan with my belongings bright and early in President Rahlf's office. 

Me and Elder Llorin, a very good man.
This is the last time I'll probably see him.

He thanked me for packing up and bringing my stuff and assured me that he felt good about this new assignment and that it was right for me. As we all knew, Elder Nielsen would be rotated out of AP three weeks into the cycle. Pres. explained that originally he had planned on putting Elder Nielsen in this new area, but somehow it fell on me. The assignment was opening a new area called San Manuel in the Roxas zone, with a part-time companion (Brother John Paul Saludes). President told me, he felt better about Nielsen going and talking my spot in Santiago as ZL, that way he could continue to use his leadership skill and add fresh blood to the fight, and I would, well, be in Roxas. After MLC me and Brother Saludes were taken by the APs (Elders Bluth and Ardon) and the Housing elders (Elders James and Oldem) to the new, unfurnished, San Manuel apartment, to find out it was unfinished. NO ONE was expecting this transfer to happen. We loaded a bunch of stuff into a little room in the house, and me and Brother Saludes slept with the ZLs (Elder Wellman and Elder Sarcauga) in Roxas that night.

Thursday, Oct 3

Elder James comes back in the morning to take us back to the apartment and bring us a few more overlooked necessities. We meet up with the elders who we will be sharing the Aurora branch with (Elders Cousin and Franzulla). As we wait for work to be done on the house we look around, we talk about the area and so on. We can't leave the house unattended because they are some pretty shady people working on it. We are there until night. We get no work done, the people have left but, we still have no water or other homely things. We sleep in Aurora that night.

Friday, Oct 4

Me and my last companion, Brother John Paul Saludes.
Because he is a part time missionary, he doesn't have
 a name tag, so he is wearing one of mine.

We go back to the apartment in San Manuel first thing in the morning to weekly plan. The first thing I do is change. I have been wearing the same clothes since the 1st when I packed all my other clothes. And I shave. The Aurora elders help us plan. We go looking for somewhere to eat lunch. San Manuel is an island of a town in a sea of bukids (rice paddies) for miles in every direction. After lunch they show us around to the stuff they know then we go and baby-sit our house again as we wait for work to be done. We sleep there on the bottom floor, on the floor because the upstairs isn't finished.

Sleeping on the floor of the not-quite-ready
apartment in San Manuel. 

We spent the rest of the week waiting as work was done in the house. The good news is we got water last night. Interesting facts about San Manuel I have learned is that there haven't been missionaries focused there for almost 9 years. It used to be its own branch, but then something happened to sister missionaries there and they were pulled out, the branch merged into Aurora branch, and all the members went inactive because Aurora is pretty far. The house we live in is easily the nicest elders apartment in this mission. From what I have gathered, it used to be a Couple Missionary apartment, a long long time ago. Once its finished and all the leaks are fixed, it will be very very nice. Our area is way too dangerous for sisters, so we don't have to worry about them stealing our apartment. haha. 

And that's what's new in the Mission of Elder Allen. And thus starts the end of my Mission.  Two and half weeks to go, new area, new companion, new adventure!

I don't get to see General conference until next week. That will be my 5th gen conf while serving!

Mahal ko kayo,

Elder Allen