Homecoming- Touring the Philippines with Mom and Dad March 22-March 27

 Ashlyn was released from her mission on March 22, 2025 at the Baguio Mission Home.  Because President and Sister Wilson couldn't be there, The Caldwells came to meet us and help with her release.  This was a tender mercy because the Caldwells had treated Ashlyn like a daughter throughout her mission and watched over her from the day they found her in the Provo MTC until the day she left.  Originally, President Watt was scheduled to release Ashlyn over a phone video conference, but ended up having other obligations and he authorized her dad to release her, which was also a very special and tender moment.  A lot of tears of joy were shed when we saw Ashlyn again after 19.5 months and after she had to sadly take off her tags and say goodbye to this chapter of her life.

After her release, we got to take Ashlyn to the Awesome Hotel, which she had seen before in her mission area and vowed that she would stay at some day.  I will never forget how excited she was to see carpet!  And how she immediately wanted to put on her swimming suit and go down and touch the ocean and get in a pool again.

Afterwards, we had our driver take us to Bacnotan so that she could say goodbye to Tay Tay Jun and other members of that area that she had taught.  We ran into one of the ward members at Jolly Bee and she invited us to a party at the church and Ashlyn was able to say goodbye to several of her friends and other missionaries there.  It was surreal watching her with Tay Tay Jun talking and having pure joy in his conversion.  I will never forget how it felt to witness how much the gospel has brought joy to his life!

We then went down to the families she taught on the beach in San Juan and had dinner with Triniver and Nimery and Deborah on the beach.  Triniver cooked us crabs and it was so wonderful to watch Ashlyn interact and enjoy her friendship with these women.  I was excited to meet Deborah and see how much the gospel meant to her and her family.

The next day we headed to Baguio and went to church there.  I was so surprised that the meeting was held in English!  And at how big the ward was!  A sweet family fed us snacks afterwards at a little going away party for Ashlyn.  It was very touching.

We walked around Baguio that night and enjoyed Burnham Park and tried some food from some of the street vendors.  Baguio was huge and beautiful with a perfect climate and I was surprised at how big and amazing the SM mall was!

The next day we drove to the strawberry farms, tried a jeepney, more street food at strawberry festival and went to the farms and picked strawberries!  We then had to head back to Manila.  We stopped at the Urdanetta Temple on the way home and walked around the grounds.

The next day we spent the day in Manila, we had a temple appointment where another tender mercy occurred.  Our appointment had to be delayed, but right as soon as we walked out of the temple, Ashlyn was reunited with her former companion Sister Pelagio.  I think the Lord had a hand in our timing at the temple.

In Manila, we explored the old parts of town on a horse and carriage.  We walked around cathedrals and a fort.  And we enjoyed swimming in the hotel and eating dinner with a client of Zac's.

The whole trip felt like a dream and I will forever be grateful that we got to go experience for one short week what Ashlyn lived for almost 20 months.  We felt the heat, tasted the food, met the incredible people, walked the paths that Ashlyn walked, and fell in love with the Philippines!  But, as much as we loved the Philippines, we are thrilled to have our girl home.  We missed her so much!