Missionary moments: Exit process
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As part of their last day in the mission field, 14 missionaries from the Philippines Quezon City Mission were attending an endowment session in the Manila Philippines Temple. Elder Generalito Florendo Soriano from La Union, Philippines, was one of those missionaries on that day in December 1999.
As he stood within the temple, he heard a familiar voice. He listened closely as a temple worker near him spoke. Was it possible that this temple worker could be someone he knew? His voice was very familiar. Yes, it must be the person he knew.
Later, he met the temple worker and recognized him as Rudy Marafina of the Baliwag 2nd Ward, Malolos stake. What a reunion they had. They embraced, and Brother Marafina wept as he told Elder Soriano how much he loved him, how grateful he was for him, and how good it was to see him again.
Elder Soriano had first met Brother Marafina, then not a member of the Church, just 18 months previously when he lived in Montalban, Philippines. Elder Soriano and his companion had visited his home where they taught Brother Marafina the gospel and then baptized him. A month after his baptism, Brother Marafina moved to Malolos where he grew in the gospel, was ordained an elder and, after one year, went to the temple.
Shortly thereafter he became a worker at the Manila temple. He worked only on Fridays. It was on a Friday that the missionaries went to the temple as part of their missionary exit process.
What a great end to Elder Soriano's very successful mission — to be helped in the temple by one whom he had baptized. — Robert K. Wagstaff, Kolob 12th Ward, Springville Utah Stake, who served as president of the Philippines Quezon City Mission from 1998-2001
