Leaving the Philippines, Coming home, Saturday March 5, 2016

Saturday we arose 3:00 am, left at 3:30 to pick up the AP's, Elder Smith and Elder Dorman to drive us to the airport in the vehicle we have used for 18 months.  We were early to the airport and had to wait for it to open about 30 minutes.  We made it through security and then we received a phone text asking where we were from Sister Cozzens, Cordero, and Arquiola.  They had gotten out of bed and come all that way (30 minute drive) to say goodbye.  They are such fun ladies.  Anyway, Security brought them all the way through!  It was fun.  6:20 flew to Manila--landed at 7:15, church transportation picked us up half an hour later and while we waited, I called Elder Gomez's parents to say hi and what a fine missionary their son is.  They invited us to dinner but we were too scheduled.  It just took a half hour to get to Quezon City.  Jan Jones and Diana picked us up at the office building where we were able to store most of our luggage until Monday.  We went to their apartment and then to Italiana for lunch and after to the fish spa.  The spa only had small fish, it was not as nice as the one in Iloilo and it was more expensive:  Quezon City P400/Iloilo P180 for 30 minutes.  The little fish only do not do as good a job as little, bigger, big.  Fasting begins.  7:00 we went to the Microtel Hotel.
Sunday Jan and Diana picked us up again for church at 8:00--fast and testimony meeting.  Few were going to the podium--Ray went up and bore his testimony.  Then it picked up and people began one after another giving their testimonies.  We enjoyed all the meetings.  Afterwards Jan and Diana prepared a yummy dinner; but before we sat down, there was a knock at the door.  Jan told me to answer it.  Surprise!  It was our batch mates from the MTC, the Lemmons!  What a fun surprise.  They had dinner with us.  They fly out tomorrow but they are touring Japan before they go home.  After dinner we went to a fireside "Travel back in Time" at the Buendia Chapel about an hours drive from Jan's apartment--6-8:30.  It was long but very interesting as some of the first members in the Philippines 50 years ago shared their memories, their trials, their joys.  9:30 back to Microtel Hotel.
Monday routine in the hotel.  Jan and Diana picked us up at 9:00 and we went to the American cemetery.  Then we ate at Jollibee, first time. Then toured the Manila temple grounds, the MTC,and the office.  Well, we went to the office of the area presidency.  They were not there . They have Monday off. But Sorilla's were there and they took us to their apartment.  It was a grand reunion with them.  We enjoyed our visit and then they took us around the temple grounds and then back to Jan's office.  The transportation took us back to Manila to the Remington Hotel where we stayed the night after we walked next door to a mall there and ate at Parmigianos and we all shared lasagna, salad, and mars alone pizza.  It was yummy.  So fun to have April with us to experience a bit.
Tuesday morning we caught the shuttle bus to the airport, security, etc, plane took off at 8:45am to Hong Kong, changed planes during 2 hour layover to Los Angeles, California.  Four hour layover in LA gave us time to pick up our luggage, go through customs, ugh. But then it was just a two hour flight home to Salt Lake City where we were met by:  my 95 year old mother and her husband as of September, Harold Giles, an old time friend from Twin Falls, Idaho; and Angela, Darrin, a welcome home balloon, DJ, Hunter, Ty, Jenny and Raymond, Julie, Susan, Tia, Raymond IV, Boyd, Joseph, Samuel, Eve whom we had not met yet since she was born after we were in the Philippines.  Then at the house we were met by Dave, Rachael, Dietrich, Kate and Enoch and a great home dinner of potato soup, tossed salad, Julie's homemade artisan bread, and BYU mint brownies.  Mmm...  We got to visit and hug an hour before we went to the stake center to meet with President Jackson, our stake president at 8:00.  In our release he said, 1-not just our initial family but generations would be blessed because of our faithful service as missionaries 2-bundles of people will be gathered from our efforts 3-our sins are forgiven;  we are home innocent.  It was a blessed release.  While we were gone, Susan Makell made our bed so nice on our own mattresses that Raymond III had brought from our storage.  It was a nice bed to lay down on.
Wednesday break, we went to the condo garage to look for clothes, went to the bank, purchased a phone, ate a perfect burger at 5 Guys!  At night we went to Tia's 8th grade school play "Once Upon a Mattress".  She was regal looking on stage as a lady of the kingdom.
Thursday I was sick all night.  Threw up 6 times, diarrhea more than that--it was awful.  Healthy for 18 months, take off my missionary badge and sick, sick, sick...
Friday as we got up slowly, we drove to Jerome in the truck to watch Talmage and Lillie in "Lion King Jr.".  Talmage was a great mean, devious Scar and Lillie was a cute faithful Nala with a beautiful voice.  It was so fun.  And...we collected hugs from all 10 Perry's.  At the play, we saw President and Sister Olsen, Barbara and Tanner Johns, Francis and Margaret Wilcox, Dan and Nila, Brenda Tolman Hiatt...it was fun to connect with so many friends from our past.
Saturday we returned to Bountiful--Ray drove the truck; I drove for the first time in 18 months.  I don't remember exactly all the exits...  But just a mile before my exit at 500 South, I was pulled over by the police.  He pulled in front and to the side of me with a yellow flasher.  I thought he wanted everyone to slow down, so I did but he put his arm out and waved me forward then he got behind me with his red flashers so I pulled over to the far right and he came to my passenger window and asked me if I knew why he pulled me over and continued to tell me that I was holding up traffic because they couldn't pass me in the double white passenger lane and I should be in the slower lane.  He asked for my license.  I only had a paper temporary from 2012 so he went and checked me out, came back and said he was just giving me a warning but that I should not hold up traffic.  I told him I was in that lane because I was getting off at 500 South and I thought it was coming up soon.  Then he said, oh, I get it.  He told me to get my speed up on the side and move into traffic - the exit was in a mile or so.  Oh...  Dad had stopped for gas so I got home to Raymond's.  Dad came later.  Enough.  To bed.
Sunday 7:50 we reported to the high council.  What a fun time.  We really enjoyed our time with them.  On to Mueller Park 8th Ward 9:00 church.  It felt like home.  Oh how nice it was to see everyone.  We had a wonderful welcome home.  Love, Teresa Robinson, no more Sister