No One Told Us This - Loving Our Missionaries
In our training to become mission leaders we were told that we would be sent many missionaries over the next three years and admonished to love each missionary!
It is easy to love missionaries. Their very souls ooze sacrifice, obedience, and love. They are young and darling with excitement and energy. They are vulnerable, yet think they’re invincible. They smile a lot and laugh out loud. They’re willing and ready to tell people about the Savior and His Church. Their enthusiasm is contagious! What’s not to love?!?
Last Thursday, President Quinn and I witnessed a tender scene. It is “transfer week” and all the missionaries that are being transferred to a new companionship, a new area or are returning home from their full-time service met at the mission office parking lot that morning with their cars, luggage, and smiles. There were about 40 missionaries being transfered, nearly 1/3 of our mission.
As they emerged from their cars, they ran to greet each other. Embracing each other, slapping each other on the back, while waving to others. It felt like a family reunion. We were delighted watching this spontaneous outpouring of love and we were all too happy to join in and greet each missionary ourselves. After 30 minutes or so they matched up with their new companions, climbed in their cars and set out to their assigned areas across the California Santa Rosa Mission.
We were told transfer week would be busy with a lot of comings and goings. And it was busy! New missionaries flew into two different airports at three different times. We went to the airport and picked them up and brought them to our home for a welcome dinner and then prepared our thoughts for the next morning of training. Yet, what no one ever talked about was that missionaries would also leave to go home that week, and NO ONE EVER TOLD US how painful it would be to say goodbye to the missionaries whose service time has been completed.
Thursday evening, we took 11 missionaries who would be catching flights to return to home the next morning, to the mission home for a dinner that I prepared for them.. You could sense the mixed emotions the elders and sisters were feeling after spending 18 months to two years of their lives with the name of the Savior on their chests, inviting people to come unto Christ. They have grown, they have struggled, they have baptized, and they have become more dedicated disciples of their Savior. Now they will return home with honor to their families.
It helped me to think of their families and how excited they would be to welcome their missionaries back home. I remember how excited I was when two of my children came home from their missions! It was wonderful to have them back and to see how much they had grown and feel of their spirits and goodness. For today, well… we’re just sad. Even for this group that we only got to know for a few short weeks. Longer if you count the time I spent staring at their photos in the missionary portal on-line before coming on our mission.
I will always remember going out teaching with Hermana Deepevein. Her Spanish was beautiful like her spirit. Elder Peterson was the first and familiar face I would see on the flashcards and a happy missionary. Elder Mickelson, talked about miracles. Elder Jeffs made me laugh when he suggested adding Windex to the Wests going away gift bag. (The office couple over apartments.) Sister Smith talked about how she knows that God loves all of His children. Sister Cragun had such a wonderful spirit about her that you could feel through her smile. Sister Fuentes was kind enough to give me a key ring of a missionary statue entitled “raise the bar,” that her father and grandfather had sculptured. Elder Gordon is nice and tall and easy going. Elder Carter was a good missionary, Elder Pettit knows that the Lord loves him. Here they are all pictured the night before they left for home. President Quinn and I are so glad we were able to meet each of them! They each signed our guest book and we gave them some going away gifts and going away hugs and asked them to promise to keep in touch.
The Wests a missionary senior couple that worked in the office and had the incredible responsibility of housing all the missionaries along with helping the missionaries to take care of their apartments also left this week. We had just had a fun outing getting to know them and were sorry to see them leave too. They really blessed this mission and will be missed.
The Wests are the two people on the left. Here we are pictured in front of a giant redwood tree’s roots with other office missionaries.
And a warm welcome to our new missionaries. We are so excited to have you here! You’re going to love serving in the CASRM (California, Santa Rosa Mission) and we are going to love you!
Elder Winward, Elder Merrell, Elder Hawkins, Sister Quinn, President Quinn, Elder Gravatt, Elder Philpot, Elder Ginocchio, Sister Toponce, Sister Finlayson, Sister Jones, Hermana Marquez, Hermana Estrada, Sister Cliften, Sister Chynoweth, Sister Kolowich, Sister Chase,
Take care - Elaine
