When you are a missionary during a global pandemic things tend to look a little different than ever before. We are still not going to church in California, we are mostly working from home, and we are getting a lot of newly reassigned missionaries joining our ranks. Gratefully, our Area Presidency just this week has given new directions that allow our missionaries to start doing service for people, we are asking them to try to do service outside or for a reputable charity. They are also allowed to teach members and friends, if invited into their homes. There is still no door knocking or street contacting, and they are not to ask if they can come to a home and teach, but if invited they can do it, as long as they wear a mask and social distance. We prefer them teaching in this order, first in a church, second outside, and third inside a home. We have also been given the go ahead to have in person District Councils. It is amazing how by giving them just a few more things they can do makes such a difference. We are grateful they have been given a few more things they can do, but are also always concerned for the health and safety of our missionaries. These new guidelines were introduced the first week of June. Prior to that we were still in a pretty tight lockdown, so we continued to have missionaries teach us over Facebook Messenger or Zoom.
We loved our missionary lessons, and the spirit each companionship brought into our home. It was also a great time to have some one on one time with each of our missionaries. The last week of May we were taught by:
Sister Hamilton and Sister Davis
Hermana Nelson and Hermana Christensen
Elder Lawrence and Elder Farmer
Elder Scholl, Elder Robbins and Elder Schoeneman
Sister Lee and Sister Hansen. Sister Hansen came to us as a reassigned missionary from Taiwan. She was only here for about 4 weeks when we got word she was heading back to Taiwan. We were so sad to see her go, but happy for her. Although she was sad and happy too. When President called to tell her she was going back she started to cry. She said she had prayed to go back to Taiwan but also that she would love where she was reassigned to. She said, I got both of my prayers answered. I love it here and feel like I still have work to do, I don't really want to go back. We are so grateful she came to us, we miss her here but know she is doing good work in Taiwan again.
Sister Sorenson and Sister Langford
Elder Simmons and Elder Jensen
Elder Burnett and Elder Ficklin
We also continued our daily devotionals each morning at 10:00. What a blessing those have been to us and to our missionaries. We get to see them daily. Every morning we start out with 'Good Morning Elders and Sisters, it's great to see you all this morning!' We have been so blessed to have so many wonderful people who have been willing to spend an hour with our missionaries and help them in more ways than they could ever imagine. I think all of our testimonies have grown, our appreciation for the gospel and our Savior and His Atonement.
Dick and Brenda Miles: They served as Mission President and Companion and Sister Miles is President Nelson's daughter and she told some great stories of her dad.
We were blessed to have Hank Smith teach us. Our missionaries went nuts when they realized who was on our devotional for that day. One thing I loved that he talked about was how when Jesus said 'be of good cheer' it was a commandment, not a pep talk. Train your brain to see good things, look for the hand of God in your life.
Elder Wood, Elder Pitt and Elder Swainston taught on how to use the Church's new Ed App, which helps with online proselyting. We are blessed to have so many tools at our disposal. Of course, they are young and figured out how to break into smaller discussion groups. The missionaries loved it.
Ganel-Lynn Conde is a friend of our office Sister Smith and she agreed to speak to us, it was a great discussion about helping others through challenges.
Stephen Sharp Nelson, the cellist from the Piano Guys is the uncle of our Hermana Nelson and he graciously accepted our invitation to speak to us. He had so many great things to talk about, the destructive nature of comparison, defending our faith, being faith filled rather than fear filled. So so good.
Scott and I did another devotional. I talked about What I know for sure, and Scott talked about lessons from Nephi and Lehi in Helaman 3-5, growing up unto the Lord
Elder Whiting did a virtual mission tour on June 10, he did a meeting with us and President and Sister Zimmerman at 9:00 a.m., a Mission Leadership Council at 10:00 and a Zone Conference with the entire mission from 10-12.
Jeff and Heidi Swinton spoke on miracles, some experiences of her writing President Monson's biography while she was on a mission (I can't even imagine) and how faith in Jesus Christ allows us to do what we have been asked to do.
Our friends from the Silva Valley Ward, Jared and Julie Danielson spoke on the power of the rescue and the power of member missionary work.
Stephen Clark continued to teach us important principles as our mission institute teacher. I think all in all he taught about 7 of our devotionals. He is very beloved in our mission and taught us so much.
Steve Lund, the General Young Men's president spoke to us about the blessing and honor and privilege it is to be a missionary, on the front lines, with the God of Israel going before us. We are part of the greatest thing that has ever gone on in the history of the world.
We had Brother Bruce Pitt speak to us a second time, he spoke about covenants. A covenant is a binding promise to live, think and act in a certain way-in the way of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
June 1-3 were transfers and we had a big one. We were receiving 32 new missionaries over the course of 3 days, with missionaries coming in on three different flights for three different days. We had a planning meeting with our assistants, and with our office staff to figure it all out. I said we needed a supply chain expert to get all of the missionaries where they needed to be, when they needed to be there. It was quite the feat. I had typed up a paper with all of the assignments for everyone, it was all hands on deck. We were going to the airport, Elder Mair and Elder Smith had airport runs, and the assistants had times they were on pick up duty. We hate to not be at the airport when new arrivals come, but with this many we had no choice because we had to be training new missionaries at the same time more new missionaries were arriving. Sister Mair and Sister Smith were on food duty, and the Bartletts were doing a million different things with medical and bikes and transportation, etc. Everyone had a job and everyone did their jobs incredibly well. This was the transfer schedule I put together.
We always take our assistants out to lunch the day we do our transfer planning, we started going to Jimmy Johns at the first of our mission, but when we found Mr Pickle, we quickly switched and have gone there ever since. It seriously is the best sandwich I have ever had, and I only wish we would have found it sooner. This time we brought it back to the office and tried to eat (socially distanced as much as possible) and work at the same time.
Monday was the first trial run of our three day transfer. We had four sisters who were arriving and they were all coming in on Monday so we decided to transfer all of the sisters in the mission on Monday instead of waiting until Tuesday like we usually do. It worked really well and make Tuesday go a little smoother as well, only having the elders transfer on that day.
Hermana Rowland's cousin, Elder Rowland was reassigned to our mission. It was fun for them to meet up, but hard for them to not give each other a big hug!
The first of our Monday groups: Sister Romney, Sister Jones, Sister Fonoimoana and Elder Rowland
Our Second Monday Transfer Group: Elder Jergensen, Elder Rowland, Elder Farnworth, Elder John, Elder Belnap, Elder Bott, Elder Carman and Elder James
Sister di Almedia came in later that night and our first day was finally done, Time for a quick sleep and back at it, with our regular transfers on Tuesday morning bright and early. When we got home that night I had time to set the table and ensure that all was ready for our departing dinner Tuesday night.
Then it was off to our house to have our very last ever departing dinner.
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| We initiated Elder Pitt into the apron club, and since it was the last one, Elder Wood and Elder Swainston decided to wear my aprons, one last time. |
We didn't have too much time to cry and be sad because we had 3 more groups of missionaries coming in that day and we had to pick up, train and get them to their areas. No time for sentimentality when there is still much work to be done.
It made us laugh right out loud, but it couldn't have been more indicative of how we all felt. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
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