Week 10

We got to talk to C.J. 4 times as he travelled to the Philippines. He left on March 29th, but they are a day ahead of him, so with time changes, he lost a day. He first called from the SLC airport. Then, from LAX. He was anxious to talk to everyone and called Krystin at her play practice so that he could talk to her before he left LAX. I had sent him some snacks that he got on Friday. This was for his flight, in case he didn't have time to get something to eat. In SLC he said he was hungry, but his companion wanted to stay on the phone until the last possible minute. I asked him if he had the snacks. He said he'd already eaten them. No wonder he's gained weight. He also said that they have a lot of greasy food at the MTC and he had a lot of hamburgers and french fries. The 2 weeks before he left he started to have more salad. It was apparent that he had learned a lot of patience, because he was okay with not eating so that his companion could have more time on the phone. At LAX he seemed a little bit subdued. I think it was the recognition that he was so close to home. But, when he called from Taiwan he wanted a quick conversation so he could go eat. It was evident that if there was any homesickness during the flight, he was over it. Then, he called again from Manila. Luckily it was spring break for us so we were able to arrange our schedules so we were always home. In Manila, a church member picked them up and helped them get their luggage and weigh it (they had to pay for anything over the allotted weight). He took them across town to a smaller airport to fly to Bacolod. It took him about 3 hours to do all of that, then he called. It was only a short flight to Bacolod, and of course, we haven't heard from him since. I tried to give him lots of advice (like not drinking the water and letting the mission president know he'd been sick), but he kept saying that anything he needed to know he'd find out from the mission president and so I needed to stop worrying.
I have to say I felt a lot of relief after he arrived. I was feeling quite a bit of anxiety when he left LAX. I think knowing he was leaving the country was a daunting thought. It's hard to imagine him so far away. I know he's doing what he, the Lord, and us, want him to be doing. Now we go on faith and trust that the Lord will take care of him.