A few thoughts about the spirit and it's role in transfers. We can testify that the Lord is in charge of this work and is very involved in the lives of these missionaries, especially caring for his newest ones.
1. As we were looking for trainers for these 11 new missionaries, one night Scott was staring at the transfer board. He came out of his office and, with tears in his eyes told me that he had just had his first real mission revelation, when he knew immediately one of the trainers for one of the incoming missionaries. On paper it didn't make sense, and we probably would never have thought of it, but it was definitely the right thing.
2. About a week or so before the new missionaries came, I sent an email to their parents, asking them to tell us a few things about their missionary that might help us get to know them better, and that would help us help them be successful missionaries. By the time I got most of the replies back, we had tentatively slotted each one with a trainer. One of the letters talked about the missionaries fear of talking to people, and the parent said "I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do, but perhaps it would be good for the trainer to be someone who will work them hard, and also, someone who may have had the same fear of talking to people, who will understand and help them through this fear. We had felt very strongly about one missionary to train that we didn't know well at all. We had a new trainer meeting the Friday before the new missionaries came in, and Scott asked them how they had changed, and how they were different from the people they were when they first came to the mission. This particular trainer, who we had slotted with the missionary that was afraid to talk to people, said "Now I can talk to people. When I first came, I was really afraid to talk to people, and now I'm not." Scott and I just looked at each other in amazement. When he put them together, we didn't know about either one of them, but the Lord did. And the Lord listens to and answers the prayers of parents.
3. The spirit also confirms the will of God to others. As we brought the new missionaries back to the church, one of the trainers was there and saw them all. I was talking to him, knowing who his new companion was going to be, and I asked him who he thought he would be training. He told me he had looked at their pictures and he had a strong impression of who he would be training, and he was spot on. Another sister told me as we walked the new missionaries into the Relief Society room, where the trainers were waiting, that she looked at all of the sisters and had a feeling for who her companion was going to be, and she was right as well. It is really wonderful to be part of so many miracles, I have gained a greater appreciation for the workings of the spirit.
Our first transfer, however, did not go off without a hitch, but all's well that ends well. It started on Monday morning when Scott, Ethan, Preston and I headed to the airport for the first pick up. We met the Assistants there, and were waiting for 9 missionaries coming from the Provo MTC. Fun side note, our dear friend, neighbor and new bishop of our home ward, Alex Dushku was coming into town for business and happened to be on the same flight as our missionaries. He had texted Scott that he was on that flight and it was so fun to be at the bottom of the escalator to greet him and welcome him to Sacramento.
As we were waiting for our missionaries, it felt a little like the excitement of waiting for our children as they were coming home from their missions. There is just an electric excitement waiting for a missionary, whether it is on the coming to the mission, or the coming home end. We were so excited to see them all heading down the escalator, they looked so sharp, and happy and we already love them so much and had so much fun welcoming them to the mission.
The luggage in this picture is a piece of art at the airport, one of them asked it that was their luggage and if they had to grab it from the top of that pile.
We got acquainted, picked up their luggage and got this group to the mission office for some lunch, and interviews with Scott and a few other items of business that had to be taken care of. We had one missionary whose parents had driven him to the mission and he was there waiting for us. We had another missionary coming from the Mexico MTC, who was getting in at 12:30. Scott was busy interviewing, and so Ethan, Preston and I made a quick turn around and headed back to pick him up. We got to the airport in plenty of time, and waited for the flight from LAX to arrive. We saw it had landed and took our spots, standing at the bottom of the escalator. We waited, and waited and waited. 30 minutes after the flight had landed, we were still standing and waiting for him. We started worrying that perhaps we had the wrong flight and that he might have come into the other terminal. We didn't have a flight number, just where he was coming from and the time. So, Preston and I stayed where we were and Ethan ran over to the other terminal. No wandering missionary over there either. We were asking people where they had just come from, and we couldn't find anyone from that flight. At 1:15 they took the flight off the arrival board and we started really worrying. We had him paged, no luck. I couldn't get a hold of Scott, and everyone in the office was helping with transfers that were taking place outside at that same time. I kept thinking "how am I going to call his parents and tell them that we lost their son? He is somewhere between Mexico City and here, but we don't know where." It was my first solo pick up and things had not gone as planned. I was so grateful that Ethan and Preston were there with me. I finally got someone to answer in the office, and our sweet Sister Stohl got on the phone immediately with Salt Lake. They didn't know where he was. They don't travel with phones, but if they miss their flight they are supposed to call the mission president. Scott hadn't heard anything. But, we are new and his church phone was in the car because he had used it for the GPS and didn't bring it in with him. Elder Chase had borrowed a phone and sent him a text, he just didn't have his phone with him. After about 10 minutes of panic, Preston walked to the baggage claim desk and told the women we were waiting for someone who didn't get off the plane he was supposed to be on, and did she have any information on him. The miracle of the day was that she was a member of the church and said "I'm not supposed to give you any information, but I can tell you are LDS and are waiting for a missionary, and I am LDS too, so I will tell you. He missed his flight in LA and will be on the next flight and will arrive here at 5:00." I was so grateful to have my level headed, never flustered son with me and he got information that no one, even in Salt Lake could seem to find out. We left the airport, headed back to the office, and continued with the activities. Unfortunately, without Elder Chase.
It was so much fun, however, matching up the new missionaries with their trainers. We walked them down the hall and into the Relief Society Room, where all of their trainers, the members of the zone the church building is in, and the Sr Couples were all standing and singing "Called to Serve" as we walked in. They had 10 chairs set up in front of the room, facing the room, and the trainers were all sitting on the chairs with an empty chair next to them. Scott and I stood up front and called one missionary up at a time, and announced where they would be serving and with whom. It was so fun to watch the trainers faces as they anxiously waited to see which of the missionaries was going to be theirs. As we announced their area, they all got the biggest smiles on their faces and stood up and hugged their new trainee, and everyone in the room cheered and clapped. It was so much fun. We talked to them for a bit about our mission culture and welcomed them to the mission, and then they were off to start working. We generally would leave there and go to the temple to take pictures, but we wanted to wait for Elder Chase and so we postponed that until this morning.
Once they had all left, we headed back to the airport, for my third time that day, to pick up Elder Chase. We took his companion, Elder Hoskin with us. When his plane landed this time, it didn't take long for us to see him coming down the escalator. I had been so worried about him, he probably didn't know if anyone would be there to pick him up or not. We were very grateful to see him, and he was very grateful to see us.
We finally got them dropped off and on their way by 7, and hurried back to El Dorado Hills to meet up with Bishop Dushku, Ethan and Preston for dinner. It was so fun to spend a few hours with our dear friend. He came up to our home for a little bit after dinner and was able to listen in to some of our miracle calls that night.
Yesterday was P-day and that was nice for all of the new missionaries to get settled and get some rest. It was a big day for them, and they had woken up at 3 a.m. to get here. This morning we met them at the temple, took pictures and then headed to the mission office for a full day of training. It was wonderful to be with them, and everyone involved did such a great job. The office couples provided a wonderful lunch for all of us, and it was fun to see the excitement of the new missionaries and their trainers.
Sister's selfie at the Temple
Row2: Trainers Sister Turner and Sister Morris with Sister Pyatt, Trainer Sister Brown, Sister Coombs, and trainer Sister Cha
Row 3: Trainer Elder Duncan with Elder Ludlow, Trainer Elder Edgington with Elder Christensen
Row 4: Trainer Elder Hoskin with Elder Chase, Trainer Elder Haywood with Elder Nelson
Row 5: Trainer Sister Baird with Sister Rowley, Trainer Sister Brown with Sister Ellsworth
Row 6: Trainer Elder Miller with Elder Ricedorff
Our first new batch. July 2017 transfer
We are grateful every day to see the hand of the Lord in this work. As I told the missionaries, quoting 2 Nephi 27:21 "I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work". v. 23 "I am God; and am a God of Miracles". And in D&C 35 it talks about how God will show miracles, signs and wonders to those who believe on His name. And that He will call upon the weak things of the world to do His work. How grateful we are to be able to see God do his own work, working through these wonderful young missionaries who believe on His name and are seeing miracles, signs and wonders.
What a beautiful report. Such a blessing for families at home to be more a part of their missionary's service & experience than it was in "the old days". Thank you.
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