We got our latest batch of new missionaries on Tuesday; 33 in all! Just getting them here from all over the world is quite a production: flight arrangements, Passport/Visa confirmation; drivers' licenses/motor vehicle records in hand; missionary debit cards procured/assigned; health cards procured/assigned; housing arranged [new apartments furnished w/basic necessities]; cell phones; vans arranged to pick up 33 people and their luggage from the airport; pictures taken individually and w/President; orientation; area/companion assignment; travel to new assignment!!!!!!!! We arranged to borrow two 15 passenger vans pulling trailers to pick everyone up. It took about an hour to get them through customs and it went well this time. The missionaries were excited but tired because they were enroute almost all day flying from Salt Lake to Phoenix before arriving in Calgary. We brought them to the church around the corner from the Mission Home and started right in with orientation and interviews with the President after taking their individual picture for the Mission Board. Because they arrived so late in the day our initial orientation was brief- to be continued -in the morning. President and Sister Nicholas welcomed them to the mission and introduced the senior staff. We handed out their Arrival Packets and explained their mission debit and health cards and adjourned for supper.
We took a picture of each missionary with President and Sister Nicholas as they entered the cultural hall to send home to their parents, as well as a photo of their drivers' licenses. A nice dinner of lasagne/salad/rolls/tarts had been prepared for us.
During dinner the new missionaries were asked to look at a large map of our mission and guess where their first assignment would be and put it on a card.
After dinner we went into the chapel for the new arrival testimony meeting. These are always very sweet events; their testimonies were amazing. The meeting begins with an effective video presentation that provides an overview of our mission. It includes pictures from every area in our mission with a few key sites like the Mission Home. The first picture was taken in the summer when everything is green and beautiful. The second picture is titled " the rest of the year" and shows the mission home buried in snow!
The Trainer/Companions of the new missionaries attend this meeting and after the testimonies they are introduced to each other and given their first assignment. The trainers come up to the stand and give their new companions a big hug; it is the really fun part of the whole event because everyone is so excited. Many of the new arrivals guessed their first assignment correctly.
Afterwards all the elders walk over to the Mission Home to spend the night and the Sisters go to the home of President Palmer, the counselor in the Mission Presidency.
The second part of Arrival Orientation begins at 8 am the next morning at the Church. The President had already spent several hours before that conducting individual interviews with those he hadn't been able to get to the night before. The missionaries looked pretty tired; some had a hard time staying awake. We went over a few more basic issues and then President Nicholas and the three AP's conducted a training session that lasted about an hour.
Then all the missionaries going south put their things in the car and headed out, while those remaining in the north left with their companions to get settled in their new apartments. Any missionaries whose Trainer/Companions are coming up from the south are assigned to a three-leg for the day.
Then all the missionaries going south put their things in the car and headed out, while those remaining in the north left with their companions to get settled in their new apartments. Any missionaries whose Trainer/Companions are coming up from the south are assigned to a three-leg for the day.
As we have explained before, the area of our mission is very large, so the missionaries in the southern part of our mission can't come up that first day even if they are being transferred to the north because of transportation issues. We assign cars depending on the number of new missionaries going south. The day after the new missionaries arrive, all the old/new missionaries drive cars down to Lethbridge [several hours away] to meet up with the missionaries transferring north. They have another missionary orientation meeting there where the new arrivals meet their Trainer/Companions for the first time and leave for their areas. Then those coming north drive up to Calgary where we introduce them to their companions at a 4 pm meeting at the Church to do the same. Making sure there are enough cars to transport the missionaries is a big deal.
While all this is going on with the New Arrivals, the Departing Missionaries are gathering at the Mission Home for their Exit interviews with the President; employment sessions with LDS Employment services; suitcase weight checks before flying home; and a Departure Testimony Meeting followed by refreshments that evening at the church.
Needless to say, it is a jam-packed day for everyone in our mission! Elder Bryant spent the whole day trying to make sure everyone got the correct debit/health card/cell phone, and an appropriate apartment with keys to the door. With 110 apartment units to manage all over the mission and over 200 missionaries, that is a huge job! Even our best efforts weren't enough to prevent sending elders to a sister's ONLY apartment owned by a single sister member. What a day!
Needless to say, it is a jam-packed day for everyone in our mission! Elder Bryant spent the whole day trying to make sure everyone got the correct debit/health card/cell phone, and an appropriate apartment with keys to the door. With 110 apartment units to manage all over the mission and over 200 missionaries, that is a huge job! Even our best efforts weren't enough to prevent sending elders to a sister's ONLY apartment owned by a single sister member. What a day!
The Departing Testimony Meeting was wonderful. The entire chapel and overflow area was filled to capacity with converts and friends of the departing missionaries.
The AP's put together a fantastic video with pictures of the baptisms, service projects, companionships, activities, etc the departing missionaries were involved with during the missions. Then the President & Sister Nicholas gave brief testimonies followed by each of the missionaries. It was quite touching.
The other senior couple who were working with us as fleet/supply/referral managers have finished their mission, so they left early the next morning for their home and family in Centerville, Utah. Our new couple, Elder and Sister Trim, are from here in Calgary. They came in to train with Elder & Sister Lawlor the week before transfers. We like them a lot and will enjoy working with them, but we all miss the Lawlors; they were so helpful in training us for the job. I told Brother Lawlor I would be calling him on the links to help me with my computer problems.
The senior office couples take turns providing the refreshments at the reception afterwards. It happened to be our turn, so we got there a little early to set up the two long tables, put on cloths, set out the cups/napkins, fill pitchers with water and put them in the frig, and bring the cookies. It was a lovely evening.
The other senior couple who were working with us as fleet/supply/referral managers have finished their mission, so they left early the next morning for their home and family in Centerville, Utah. Our new couple, Elder and Sister Trim, are from here in Calgary. They came in to train with Elder & Sister Lawlor the week before transfers. We like them a lot and will enjoy working with them, but we all miss the Lawlors; they were so helpful in training us for the job. I told Brother Lawlor I would be calling him on the links to help me with my computer problems.
The senior office couples take turns providing the refreshments at the reception afterwards. It happened to be our turn, so we got there a little early to set up the two long tables, put on cloths, set out the cups/napkins, fill pitchers with water and put them in the frig, and bring the cookies. It was a lovely evening.
The next morning, the President & Sister Nicholas, the AP's, go with all the departing missionaries to an early session at the temple before taking them to the Airport to leave for home.
We did pretty well for our first time planning/carrying out a transfer. We can't rest on our laurels though, we have another group of 35 arriving August 29th!
That's it for now, we've got to get back to work [ha, ha].
We love having the opportunity to serve the Lord here in Canada, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with those we meet and come into contact with. We love the gospel, and we love our Savior Jesus Christ.
Elder & Sister Bryant
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