PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Last week we received a phone call from the Missionary Department informing us that we would not be able to return to the Philippines to complete our mission. This was due to the covid-19 pandemic, specifically: in both the Metro Manila area and Utah, as well as many other areas of the world, the medical situation is still getting worse; our having less than six months left before our release date; and since I (Russell) am turning 65 soon, Missionary Medical considers me a greater health risk . We have also learned that to date almost no senior missionaries who returned early have been allowed to go back out and almost all new senior missionaries called with start dates from April through September have been postponed or are serving from their homes. When we left Antipolo, I thought we might be back by July. Eileen has been telling me that I was underestimating the severity of the situation. Once again she was right. I should have listened more closely to the Mission Nurse, particularly on this medical situation.

In his April 2020 General Conference talk titled, Shall We Not Go On In So Great a Cause, Elder M. Russell Ballard invited us, “As we listen to the Spirit during this 200^thanniversary celebration this week-end, consider what offering you will present to the Lord in righteousness in the coming days. Be courageous—share it with someone you trust, and most important, please take time to do it!”

Both Eileen and I decided to take up Elder Ballard’s challenge; Eileen to organize her over 80,000 photo library and then utilize it to add to ancestors profiles in Family Search, and for me to write my personal history. We have used the time at home provided to us by the pandemic and each been successful in our efforts. We have also worked/served a day or two a week in the Missionary Department; Eileen doing medical screening of senior missionaries and I doing projects for Senior Missionary Services related to office missionaries. Since returning home, both Eileen and I have occasionally been involved in supporting the missionaries in Antipolo but the time involved has been minimal. 

While this is not the way I would have imagined our mission to end, I am glad the Church was concerning with our health and evacuated us when they did. I can clearly see that the Church is led by a prophet and that President Nelson has been preparing us for this latest challenge; be it the Come Follow Me program, telling us to prepare for an April Conference like no other last Fall, reacting quickly to close Church meetings and Temples worldwide, etc. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Philippines and look forward at some later date to serve on another mission. 

NOT RELEASED, JUST TRANSFERRED

We have been back in Utah a week now.  It appears that our Missionary Department directed two-week self-isolation period will be in effect extended by Utah Governor Herbert’s stay-at-home directive announced on Friday.  Driving to the grocery store will still be allowed.  Our daughter Heather had bought groceries for us prior to our arrival and they are tremendously appreciated. There were still a few things we thought maybe we should get while we still had the opportunity.  Walmart’s delivery service is great!  Eileen ordered and paid for our groceries on-line and then someone came to deliver the goods.  No face-to-face interaction required.  The Governor also encouraged people to order takeout dining to support the locale economy, a suggestion that Eileen and I anticipate following with pleasure.  Although we are confined to our home, life is pretty good here.  We are especially feeling spoiled with hot water, a dishwasher, a clothes dryer, spring flowers blooming outside, and the sounds of neighbor children playing rather than the sounds of motorcycles and jeepneys driving nearby. I hope we can continue to recognize how blessed we are and not become so accustomed to our lifestyle here that we take it for granted and fail to give thanks to God from whom it all came.  We look forward to the time when we will be able to see and interact with our family members rather than just through car windows or over Skype or FaceTime.

We have been in contact with several members of our mission in Antipolo this week.  I (Russell) have exchanged about a dozen emails with the new office elders answering questions.  On Friday night I used FaceTime to do a more in-depth training on missionary housing issues.  The elders are doing a great job.  I’m amazed at how fast they have picked things up and how well they are dealing with the chaotic situation they have been thrust into.  Their technical support, the Area office personnel and I, are all working from home. The Antipolo branch of the bank we use just announced that they are closed until April 14^th.  A manned barricade on the street near the mission office did not allow any access to our office for the first few days this week.  Fortunately, our office guard, Mackie, was able to work out a pass so that President and Sister Alder, Sister Gibson, the two AP’s and the two office elders could get in to work there. 

Eileen has communicated a few times this week with Sister Alder.  She told Eileen that there have been no medical calls from the young missionaries since we left.  Prior to our departure, Eileen would field several calls a day, between 90-110 recordable cases per month.  Most cases involved multiple calls or text messages.  While I do believe that the Lord is looking out for His missionaries during this difficult time, I can also understand why the missionaries would not want to call with any health issues for fear of being told they should go see a doctor at either a local hospital or clinic.  Hospitals and clinics seem to have gone from being considered as places of refuge to potential sources of contracting the virus.

There have been many miracles, large and small, that have happened over the last couple weeks.  One example - on Thursday morning at 1 AM, Eileen woke up and went downstairs.  I followed her wondering why she was up.  I found her downstairs looking at her phone.  She said that Sister Alder had sent a brief text message just 10 minutes earlier.  We keep the phones on our main floor and cannot hear when messages come in while we are upstairs, particularly when we are asleep in bed.  Sister Alder had a pressing family issue and needed some medical advice quickly. As I listened in on the subsequent FaceTime conversation, I realized that my wife had been woken from her sleep by the Holy Ghost so that she could minister to Sister Alder’s urgent need.  In our work I have found that what the world considers as coincidences are actually just small miracles.  The challenge for me is, am I in tune enough with The Spirit to recognize them? 

On Thursday evening we were to meet (via Skype) with our stake president, President Dushku, regarding what would happen to our calling as full-time missionaries.  From information we received from the clerk making the appointment, we learned that the possible outcomes were: (i) total release; (ii) temporary release with reinstatement when/if return to the Philippines became possible; or (iii) in the unlikely event that we could foresee 32 hours or more of work per week supporting remotely the mission in Antipolo, we could remain as full-time missionaries. While we both intend on continuing to support the Antipolo mission in any way we can, realistically it will not qualify as full-time.  We would also like to return to Antipolo if conditions surrounding the pandemic allow us to do so prior to our scheduled release in December.  On Thursday morning we called Art Johnson, our former manager at Senior Missionary Services, to see if he needed any help.  He did, and so for now we will continue as full-time missionaries serving both to remotely support the Philippines Antipolo Mission and work on projects in Senior Missionary Services (part of the Missionary Department).

We are most grateful for all those behind the scenes who made our repatriation possible. In the last couple of weeks there have been thousands of missionaries who have returned home from all over the world. It is all rather mind-boggling. Since I (Eileen) am usually in charge of our travel plans, I recognizes to some extent the huge effort that was made on our behalf and that of others. I truly believe that it is a miracle that travel arrangements have been able to be made. The Lord is surely mindful of His missionaries. 

  

This morning we had two wonderful things happen. A friend "heart attacked" our door and left messages in Tagalog, and our son brought over a full package of TP.  The kindness of others has been wonderful

RELUCTANTLY GOING HOME

Just last Saturday (March 14), I (Russell) was trying to absorb all Elder Bills could teach me about the mission financial secretary role.  And today, just seven days later, I am sitting in a hotel near the airport waiting to board a plane sometime tomorrow to return home.  On Tuesday we got the word that almost all foreign missionaries, both young and senior (approximately half our mission), would be sent home.  Last week I was concerned about how I was going to do what both Elder Bills and I had been doing for the last eight months.  Today I am concerned about how two young Filipino missionaries are going to do what both of us had been doing.  While my eight hours of training was far from the desired norm of four weeks, at least I have a financial background and some familiarity with the computer programs.  The four days of training for the first elder (Caguicla) and one day for the other (Abquina) was at best woefully inadequate and at worst cruel and unusual punishment.  However, I was impressed at their positive attitudes and how quickly they picked things up.  I will be trying to support them from home the best I can, as Eileen will try and continue helping out with the medical role.  How successful we can be in helping from halfway around the world is a concern to all involved.

Not only has our life in the office changed dramatically over the last two weeks but life in general has, all due to the pandemic.  Church services have been canceled, almost all businesses are closed, lines at grocery stores and ATMs are long, traffic on the roads is light, and police/military manned blockades restrict travel in a number of locations.  In general, the locals are scared of the coronavirus and don’t need to be told twice to stay home and wait it out. 

Leaving a mission is usually an emotional experience; doing it quickly and unexpectedly just makes it more so.  We both feel terrible about the mess we are leaving President and Sister Alder in.  Most of the progress we had made since starting the mission from scratch (in the office, in the medical care, and in the living conditions of the missionaries) seems to just have taken a big hit.  We will miss the Alders greatly and they will be in our prayers.  

Seeing half the mission leave was hard on the Alders and the missionaries that remained behind.  Our foreign missionaries within Metro Manila (the Pasig and Taguig zones) were not allowed to meet with President Alder prior to their departure due to the travel restrictions.  Three of the other zones left on Wednesday from the mission office.  We and the Siniloan zone missionaries did not, just because there was not enough room to do so.

This morning just before we left, Lance and Grace came over to say goodbye.  It was an emotional time for all four of us.  One great thing about this mission that cannot be taken away by the virus pandemic is our association with them.  That will live on, in this life and the next.

I am indeed grateful for the opportunity to have served here in the Philippines Antipolo Mission, to serve with Eileen as my companion, and to be a representative of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We got very short notice that we were going to leave this morning. As it turned out we didn't leave for several more days. This was the last of the office missionaries.

Sisters departing for the hotel, taking a photo of us departing for the hotel.

Lots of tears were shed as the last of the Americans left President and Sister Alder.

We stayed one night at the airport Marriott, hot water, a bathtub and our TV says our name on it. Have we entered another universe?  We were duly impressed. Sack lunches were delivered to our doors, rice and a small amount of meat. HMMM, that didn't seem like Marriott food, but it was free and we didn't have to prepare it!

Our view out our hotel window. It is hard to believe that the city is on lockdown.

Elder Wacolo of the Philippines Area Presidency came to address us at 5:45 a.m.

Missionaries listening to Elder Wacolo

Some of the Antipolo missionaries

Sister Torkonoo studying scriptures among all the visiting missionaries

We were all woken up at 4:30 a.m. and told to be in the lobby for departure by 5:30 a.m. We didn't end up leaving the hotel until 10:30 a.m. by which time we were all rather hot and exhausted.

A few Antipolo missionaries at the airport

The line of missionaries waiting to check in was incredibly long. Over 1,600 missionaries left on five charter flights this afternoon and one commercial flight the night before.  There were just a handful of people at the airport other than the missionaries. 

Families were instructed to stay in their cars for pickup in SLC. Our daughter Heather became creative in welcoming us back home.

Trying to be careful by wearing masks. 

We are now on a 14 day quarantine. Although neither of us is sick, we want to make sure that there isn't any possibility that someone thinks they got sick from us. The Church has instructed all returning missionaries to be on a 2 week quarantine whether or not they are feeling ill.

RESTORATION AND RESTRICTIONS

President Russell M. Nelson has asked all of us to prepare for April Conference by immersing ourselves in the glorious light of the Restoration! We did just that in Zone Conference this past week. On both Wednesday and Thursday approximately 70 missionaries came together each day in the Antipolo stake center to be edified and inspired through the message of the Restoration. Missionaries were challenged by President Alder a couple of months ago to study about the Restoration and invited us to find a creative way to share our feelings with our fellow missionaries at Zone Conference. I (Eileen) was able to attend both full days of presentations and came away uplifted, with a desire to increase my study of the Restoration and of the life of Joseph Smith. I was amazed by the remarkable talents shared by our missionaries. Artwork was done, poems were read, and several original musical numbers were performed. I determined a few weeks ago that I would like to share a musical number. During the time I was convalescing from my pneumonia, I was able to scour the internet looking for piano solos. I finally decided to play a medley consisting of three songs, “Oh, how Lovely was the Morning,” “Praise to the Man” and “We Thank Thee oh God for a Prophet.” I was excited to find a video online consisting of short clips of Joseph Smith’s life, which were matched with the music I had chosen. The video started at the First Vision and continued with snippets of his life through the martyrdom, and then ended with just a few seconds of him kneeling in the grove. It was a wonderful way for me to reflect on the life of Joseph Smith.  If you are interested in viewing the talents of our missionaries you can view them on the Philippines Antipolo Mission site on Facebook. 

It seems like Zone Conference was a haven away from the chaos which has been occurring due to the Coronavirus. I have done a great deal of reading on this illness over the last several weeks. I am not sure if my acute interest is because I was in the hospital recently with a respiratory infection, or if  I just feel like it is important for me as the mission nurse to stay up to date on medical news, I view the news several times a day. At night when I can’t sleep, I open the news online to see what the current status is. It seems like the news changes quickly, sometimes from hour to hour. A couple of weeks ago during the night I felt impressed that our missionaries should be advised to do three things: 1) Have a supply of food to get them through a possible quarantine; 2) Have enough medications on hand so that if they are sick they won’t need to run to a pharmacy; and 3) Stop shaking hands.  This last week saw direction from our Area Presidency implementing these ideas, and just in time. Thursday evening President Duterte, who is the president of the Philippines, gave a news conference stating that the Metro Manila area would be put under “lockdown” starting Sunday March 15^th at 12:01 AM. Even before he gave his news conference, panic had set in. Stores were packed with shoppers. The grocery store where we shop had people triple parked. Fortunately we had gone to the store the week previously and stocked up on some food items after feeling prompted to do so. You can’t put very much food in an apartment as small as ours, but we have enough that we wouldn’t starve if we couldn’t go to the store.  The Filipino government is trying to take drastic measures to stop the spread of the virus.  Two of our six zones are now within the lockdown area. The only people that can go in and out of the Metro Manila area are those with valid work IDs requiring them to work. Malls and restaurants have closed down. Our missionaries who are in the contained area are to a degree on their own for at least another month. It also means that missionaries who get sick outside of the contained zone, will not be able to visit the doctor in the area where I usually send the more serious cases. It gives me cause to seriously reflect how badly a missionary needs to go to the doctor.

This week was supposed to be transfer day on Wednesday, which means we would get a new batch of missionaries. Since the missionaries were all at the MTC which is in the lockdown area, they were sent spur-of-the-moment to our mission yesterday. A lot of effort was made to get transfers done five days early.  

Friday morning our office couple Elder and Sister Bills, were informed that they and some other senior missionaries would be leaving the Philippines on Saturday evening for precautionary medical reasons. This decision was made at the Area level. Honestly, I thought we would be going home with my having recently had pneumonia. I guess as Russell said, we made the “medical cut” - at least this time around. What now has happened is that all the duties which Elder Bills did previously are now being coordinated by Russell to make sure they get done. Russell spent all day at the office on Saturday with Elder Bills, trying to learn in a day what is usually taught in a month; and we both spent the day at the office today trying to complete needed tasks.  We weren’t alone at the office as missionaries were coming and going all day long with the accelerated transfer schedule.

As I was going into the office today thinking how crazy it seems like life is getting, I was notified by email about a new video put out by our prophet just this morning. As I viewed it, I was gratified for the presence of a prophet on earth. He brings peace and hope to what can sometimes  be considered a chaotic existence. I know our Heavenly Father loves his children and is aware of their needs. I am not sure how the future will play out. I just know I have to put my trust in Him.

These missionaries are obviously not obeying the Coronavirus separation precautions.

Making a transfer

Pasta on bread?

Elder Allred on the left is feeling much after a recent bout with Dengue

Elder Briggs teaching the zone

Eileen playing a Restoration medley

Sister Gibson reading a poem on the prophet Joseph

Russell gave out fire extinguishers to the missionaries so each apartment would have one

Coronavirus signs at the front of the grocery store. Your temperature is checked and alcohol spread on  your hands as you go in.

Meat anyone?

SHE'S ALIVE

The doctor told Eileen that if she was not better by this last week, following her latest round of antibiotics, that she should come back to see him.  Reluctantly, with some coaxing from me, she did so on Tuesday. The internist referred her to a pulmonologist, also in the same clinic.  Eileen was prescribed another antibiotic and continuation of some other medications she has been taking.  This would have been her third oral antibiotic, in addition to some IV antibiotics given while in the hospital. Feeling a bit frustrated that she was not getting better after more than a month, Eileen called the AMA (the Philippines Area Medical Advisor, a doctor from the U.S.) that she as the mission nurse consults with on difficult cases.  He questioned if she was being over-medicated.  Eileen decided to forgo the new antibiotic and stop the other things she was taking and within a day was coughing much less and feeling better!  I have wondered if she was having a bad reaction to one or a combination of the medications she was on.  On both Thursday and Friday Eileen returned to the office for portions of the days.  Both of us realized just how long it had been that she had been house bound when Eileen commented on how bad the traffic had become on our way to the office.  The traffic has not changed.

I (Russell) have been going to a gym across the street most mornings when it opens at 7:00 AM.  Yesterday as I was looking out at the street from the treadmill, the traffic was almost at a standstill for quite a while.  First a fire truck and then an ambulance came.  I could tell that it was close but could not actually see what had happened.  It turns out that just after I had crossed the street (a major road here - three lanes each direction), a jeepney lost it’s breaks and hit a number of pedestrians in front of WalterMart; killing two and injuring several other, one of which was a new security guard at our apartment complex.  The government is trying to get the jeepneys off the roads within a couple years.  Given what I have seen of them it is a wise course of action.

This week the Philippines Area Presidency sent out a letter to the 23 missions here regarding the coronavirus.  This letter was then shared with parents of the young missionaries.  In it, they instructed the missionaries to no longer shake hands, fist or elbow bump, or hug others.  This is something Eileen has been advocating for a while.  Yesterday it was reported in the news that three more cases (total of six) were diagnosed in the Philippines.  Two of those are a couple in their early 60’s who live in Cainta, a city within our mission just a few miles west of our apartment.  We are fortunate to not have the number of cases that those in Japan or Korea are facing.  Asking that the spread of the virus be contained and that those affected may be comforted and protected has become a regular part of my daily prayers.

Eileen took this photo in a bathroom of a nice restaurant. Quite often when she uses the restroom, or comfort room as they call it here, there are foot prints on the toilet seat. I guess there are a lot of women who sit like frogs out there.

RELAPSE

Eileen’s recovery from pneumonia took a turn this last week - just not the right direction.  Her cough has just persisted and by Tuesday was bad enough she went to the doctor.  He proscribed some medications, including another antibiotic, and told her to come back in a week if the cough had not gone away.  In church today they read a letter from the Area Presidency over the pulpit.  The letter asked members not to attend the temple or other church meetings if the had any flu-like symptoms, including a cough.  I (Russell) was glad Eileen had decided to stay home today.  She continues to field phone calls from the missionaries about their health and give advice from our apartment.

My activities this past week sound a lot like most other weeks.  I have been trying to find and rent apartments, close down old ones, do apartment inspections, and shop for appliances and other apartment items.  I think I am the local Ace Hardware and Shop-Wise’s best customer.  The novel things this week were: I fixed one sisters apartment’s washing machine; and helped two sisters catch a mouse.  If you know me well then you have to admit, my fixing a washing machine that wouldn’t drain is pretty much a miracle.

The mouse on the other hand did not experience a miracle.  The sisters had told me they found evidence of a rodent in their kitchen and I advised the sticky-paper/glue type trap.  It seems to work well here.  However, this time the sisters reported that only hair was found stuck to the glue covered plastic board.  So now they had a rodent with a bald spot!  Since Eileen was home sick, I took the APs with me and we bought a “live” cage type trap at a hardware store and bait from the local bakery.  One of the APs, Elder Ivins, asked me if I was going to tell the sisters what to do with the rodent if they caught it.  I told him it would work best if we took it one step at a time.  This morning at 6:30 I got a call from the sisters.  They had a mouse in the trap and wanted to know what to do with it.  I told them to fill a large bucket with water and then put the trap in the bucket.  If they had been in the province then perhaps they could have released it “into the wild.”  But given where they live in the city, the mouse just got to go cage diving.

This sign was at the door of the hospital. Similar signs (although smaller) are at each mall and store.

View from the front of a jeepney. Russell was sitting in the front giving directions. On one visit he was sitting on a plastic chair which didn't sound very safe to Eileen.

The bunk beds were being delivered in a jeepney. This is Russell's view looking towards the back.

Taking the bunkbeds out.  We paid for delivery and women and their children showed up.

Random electrical line hanging down in front of our car

Setting the trap

RECOVERING - SLOWLY

After two weeks of feeling pretty bad health-wise, I (Eileen) feel like I have finally turned the corner.  While I was sick, except for while in the hospital, I continued to answer medical calls.  This past week I started doing half-day apartment inspections with Russell on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, I went into the office and then we traveled to Binangonan to do an apartment inspection and look at some potential new apartments. By Friday night I was totally beat. I am recognizing that you don’t bounce back from an illness quite so fast when you are older. 

Many of the missionaries within our mission have heard about the Coronavirus from their parents or from local ward members and have concerns regarding the illness. I watch the news carefully so as to know how to advise the missionaries.  It has been really sad to see how fast the disease is spreading in Asia, even affecting cruise passengers and a church group from another faith. Two temples were recently closed in Asia, and missionaries serving in several Asian countries have been instructed to stay inside as much as possible to avoid potentially contracting the illness. While the Coronavirus hasn’t been an issue in the Philippines, we have been encouraged to have missionaries fist bump rather than shake hands, and to avoid people who are sick.  That is pretty challenging to do considering how much people in our church shake hands and hug each other. 

We have had a lot of illness among our missionaries the last two weeks. It has been difficult, but necessary, for me to perform my nursing duties over the phone rather than being with the sick missionaries in person. While I was in the hospital myself as a patient, I had an elder call me at 3:00 a.m. telling me he couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t anything I could do to help him. Russell suggested to him that he call our mission president, who then met him at a local ER. We had a sister get bit by a dog which required Rabies shots. We had 3 elders in 3 days go to the ER with pretty significant flu-like symptoms. One had Dengue and was put in the ICU. He was in the pediatric ward because he was only 18 years old and still considered a child.  Another elder had Dengue with pneumonia, the third elder had Dengue and has struggled with strep throat on top of that.  The cases of Dengue have all been a surprise as it hasn’t even rained here for several weeks and Dengue is usually worse in the rainy season. 

What is readily apparent to me as I work with the sick missionaries is that there is a huge disparity between missionaries in their level of pain tolerance, ability to cope with illness, and willingness to follow instructions. I know many of the missionaries quite well.  There are some who panic and “cry wolf” with very insignificant problems. Other missionaries can be quite ill and yet the most they will admit to me is that perhaps they aren’t feeling their best. The night before I got sick, I spent several hours with a sister who went to an ER on her own after telling me that she had experienced 3 minutes of pain and disregarding the advice I had given her. The doctor in the ER put a cool compress on her head, did basic lab tests and then we took her home. The next day we took her to a different hospital, and she was diagnosed with a tiny kidney stone several days later.  With each missionary I try to do the best I can in giving them advice. Some listen better than others.

Today in church Grace gave her first talk. She was very nervous but did a great job.  I felt like a proud parent watching her deliver it.  We are so grateful for the association we have with Grace and Lance.

As part of the housing coordinator position Russell has been tasked with teaching all the missionaries how to use a fire extinguisher and then distributing them to each apartment.  The facility management people made sure Russell knew how to put out a fire by starting this fire in the parking lot and having him extinguish it. 

Eileen and Russell in front of an old lighthouse. 

This was was the view of the lake and Manila in the background from one of the apartments we looked at. Unfortunately it didn't meet any of our requirements, but the view was nice.

Below is a video of dogs going crazy as we are doing an apartment inspection. Is it any wonder that we have had 3 missionaries require Rabies shots since being here?

THE NURSE BECOMES A PATIENT

Last week I (Russell) mentioned that Eileen came down with a respiratory illness.  She saw a doctor a week ago yesterday and started on a five day antibiotic.  Sunday and Monday were very difficult ones for her as she was coughing most of the time, running a fever and not sleeping.  I asked if she was going back to see the doctor and she told me, “No, I don’t want to be put on another medication, and I am afraid I will be admitted to the hospital.”  I have found arguing with her over her medical care has been an unprofitable venture over our married years so I backed off.  She didn’t want to go into the office this week and risk getting anyone else sick (good call).

Wednesday, about 9:30 AM, Eileen called me at the office and asked if I would take her into St. Luke’s hospital to get checked out.  I was surprised at her change in attitude and asked what prompted it.  She said that she prayed about it and the feeling came to call Elder/Dr. Dahle (the Area Medicare Advisor (“AMA”).  Elder Dahle told her to not just go and see a doctor but to go to the Urgent Care clinic at St. Luke's, the best hospital in the Philippines.  

St. Luke’s is in Metro Manila, just a few miles west of our mission boundary.  The triage nurse in Urgent Care asked Eileen just a few questions and then marched her to the Emergency Room (“ER”).  The ER doctor and other medical staff were great.  Within the first two hours, Eileen had been examined by a doctor, had blood drawn for testing, an EKG test, a chest X-ray, and an I.V. started and a nebulizer treatment.  During this time Eileen told me that she had become resigned to her likely being admitted to the hospital.  Eileen was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted shortly thereafter.

Eileen did get to choose her level of room (see room rate picture below).  She did not want to share a room and there were no regular private rooms available; so we got a deluxe private room.  It was the size of a one bedroom apartment in the building where we live, and it had both a TV with western news stations and a recliner.  Between the efficiency of the ER and the hospital room, I was impressed.  

The attending pulmonologist looking after her on the floor changed her to a stronger antibiotic as he felt her pneumonia was “hospital acquired.”  I guess there was a price to our being in two hospitals with young missionaries the week prior.  

By Friday Eileen was feeling better, not great but good enough to be released.  She still has a bad cough, which scares people with the Coronavirus all over in the news.  She has been staying in the apartment and will do so until the cough subsides.  The cost of our Valentine’s Day celebration/romantic getaway this year was under $1,300 (including the nebulizer we got to take home).

The windshield of the mission van cracked when "helpers" were assisting Russell trying to  fill the van with supplies for new apartments.

Waiting in the ER for the verdict as to what would happen to me.

In the ER, struggling to breathe.

Room rates for the hospital, I didn't want a ward room, and they were out of small and regular rooms so we chose the deluxe. The room far exceeded our expectations based on other hospitals we have been in while in the Philippines. To determine the rate in US dollars divide by 50.  I qualified for the senior rate so a 4 person ward room would be about 23 dollars/night. The room I ended up getting was about $100/night.

This room was bigger and nicer than expected.

The food definitely wasn't very good. This is my dinner tray. Everything was ice cold including the broth, the mashed potatoes, the veggies and the tiny piece of fish.

Definitely not the heart healthy meal. We don't get American food here often. Russell saw a Shake Shack near the hospital and thought I could use a diversion from the hospital menu.

A Valentines Day concert was held in the lobby of the hotel.

JUST ANOTHER WEEK

Recently I (Russell) was reading a letter written to the friends and family of of a senior missionary couple we have known for several years and served with in Europe.  The sister is a mission nurse and the elder is in charge of missionary housing in the U.S.  The elder is in many ways a lot like me, just ten years older.  As I read about the things he was doing, I could readily identify with his daily tasks.  But I also started to ask myself if anyone else could relate; or would it just sound mundane?  Contemplating this, I looked at the last email I wrote our mission president and his wife.  I was asking for their opinion on whether we should start equipping each apartment with toilet seats and bed frames!  No, not all have those.  In fact, probably a third to half do not, and many of the young missionaries don’t care.  The two experiences reminded me that very few people are going to be able to relate to or appreciate most of what I do here.

This past week five young missionaries went home and 14 arrived, mostly sisters.  One of the new sister missionaries is the friend of our oldest granddaughter.  To accommodate the increase in sister missionaries, I opened up two new apartments.  One is in Taguig and the other in the complex where we live.  While furnished with the same things, the apartments themselves are on opposite ends of the “niceness” scale.  Decent apartments in Taguig are very hard to find, while the apartment in our complex (which we got a great deal on) is a corner unit that Eileen would have chosen over ours if it had been available seven months ago.  What has surprised me is that the sisters in each apartment (all from SE Asia) were equally appreciative and happy with their new apartments.  It was a reminder to me that I should be more appreciative of my accommodations.  

On Tuesday we attended the temple with the outgoing missionaries.  The air-conditioning was functioning well and the temperature was probably in the mid-60’s.  Between this and going to two hospitals with a young missionary on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Eileen has become sick with a bad cough and respiratory issues.  She saw a doctor yesterday who put her on an antibiotic and told her to stay home for awhile (no, she does not have Coronavirus).  Thursday and Friday I spent driving alone to locations in the eastern part of the mission, delivering a washing machine and renting a new apartment.

The apartment we signed up on Friday is in Pakil, at the far southeast end of our mission.  Good housing is very hard to find in Pakil as there is little in the way of new construction.  The former zone leaders found this place several months ago when we had to vacate another apartment because it’s bathroom/sewer facilities were not functioning or repairable, and the elders were using public restrooms to meet their daily needs.  The apartment could easily accommodate four missionaries and was large by local standards.  However, the owner was asking an unreasonably high a price and we eventually found another apartment.  At zone conference a couple weeks ago, I had the thought that I should ask the elders if that apartment was still up for rent.  They said it was and I had the impression that we should try and secure it even though we did not have an immediate need other than to upgrade where the zone leaders are currently staying (not a great place).  We were able to negotiate a price less than half of the original asking amount; to which  President Alder said to get it and we will discuss later how best to use it.  It turns out that the Pakil Branch had approximately 180 people attend church last week and they are considering splitting the branch.  If they do, it would be great to have a place where we could put sister missionaries.  

Grace said the closing prayer is stake conference yesterday.  I felt like a proud parent!

Russell and Eileen at the Manila temple

Its not a very good photo because this motorcyclist was moving fast, but that is a dog on the back of his motorcycle.

The guards are always very polite to us and salute when we come in and out. They know our name, our unit, and our license plate number by memory. It is kind of freaky considering how many units are in our complex.

Departing missionaries with one last temple visit before going home.

This little girl was going to be sealed to her family.

Russell training the new missionaries

Sister Torkonoo and Eileen. This sister is a very close friend with our oldest granddaughter.