We made it to Cauayan!

Our day started EARLY !! On Jan. 9, 2019, 3:45am, we left Provo for SLC Airport. (Thanks, Peter, for driving us!)

Plane (Boeing 777) that flew us over the ocean

This was our itinerary:
Wed., Jan 9, 2019 - 6:00am flight, SLC to LA
arrive 7:15am (duration 2hrs, 15min), Delta Airlines.

Wed., Jan 9, 2019 - 12:00pm flight, LA to Tokyo by Japan Airlines, arrive Thurs., Jan 10, 4:45pm (duration 11hrs, 45min)

Thurs., Jan 10, 2019 - 6:10pm flight, Tokyo to Manila, also Japan airlines. Flight was late in leaving; actual arrival time11pm (duration 4 hrs, 45min). We really like Japan airlines. They took good care of us.

In our nearly 29 hours of travel, 

(TWENTY-NINE  HOURS!!)

we only took selfies of ourselves at the airports and on the planes. Sorry about that... but, we won't post any more selfies. You're welcome.

Not being sure whether to sleep or to try to stay awake, we might have slept 3 to 4 hours. What a relief when we finally landed in Manila! We had to go through customs at the airport. One of the workers there was kind of gruff. People around us were changing lines just to try to avoid him, but we answered the questions all correctly and he let us through.

It was about midnight when we finally got our bags and found our ride (provided by the Manila Mission Office). He drove us to the Microtel near the Manila MTC. The Mission Office arranged for us to stay there the two nights we were in Manila. We had a 9am appointment the next morning at the Manila Mission Office to sign VISA papers, then took a tour of the Manila MTC, and spend some time at the bookstore/distribution center. (Note: The prices were great!! and they had garments for the hot, humid conditions in the Philippines. Anyone going to the Manila MTC should wait to purchase much of their garments there.) 

Our 1pm appointment was at the Immigration Office in Manila for fingerprinting, pictures, etc. for our VISA. After that, our time was free until 5pm. We chose to attend an endowment session, and perform sealings in the Manila Temple.

We were scheduled to be picked up at 3:45am the next morning. Clem was our driver to the airport for our flight to Cauayan. He knew exactly how to negotiate the maze of tricycles, motorcycles, 'jeepnies', cars, trucks, and buses. It seemed as thought vehicles would enter/exit traffic at entirely random times, honking to let you know they were in your blindspot and intending to pass. Sister Koontz was terrified most of the ride. Elder Koontz asked Clem if there were any traffic rules and he told us that the first 4 driving rules while in the Philippines were: 

1. Fill in the blanks.
2. First come first serve, unless the car behind you is faster than you, then he would come fill in the blank in front of you.
3. The Bus is always right.
4. If the bus is wrong, go back to rule number 3.

Our 6am flight for Cauayan was full to capacity. Some of the passengers were members of a church group headed to Banaue (famous rice terraces in the Philippines) for a retreat.  Our departure was delayed about two hours. We took advantage of the extra time to nap. As you can see, we entered the plane by a stairway at the end of the plane. It was a more efficient way to load the plane, and obviously we were at the back of the plane. The scenes visible outside the window reminded me of our hometown of Enumclaw.

We made it to Cauayan in less than an hour! Cauayan is in the province of Isabela, on the island of Luzon. Our mission is the largest in area of the 23 missions in the Philippines. It is bordered on the east and the west by mountains, and beyond the eastern mountains lies the Pacific Ocean. The largest cities in our mission are Tuguegarao, Ilagan, Cauayan, and Santiago. The land in the valley is mainly rice fields, and some of corn. Everything looks green and lush! Just like home in the spring and summer.