A beautiful Fall day in Oregon to welcome yet another group of fantastic new missionaries. What a GREAT day!
The very next day and it is pouring rain--a typical Fall day in Oregon. Good thing the atrium at the Portland Temple is beautiful and dry. We had a very relaxed, beautiful session. This was the week of transfers. We had six new missionaries come in on Tuesday and seven go home on Thursday. It was a very light transfer compared with some weeks in the summer when we had over 20 coming and going. Sister Macdonald and I commented again how one group will differ so much from another group. It isn’t because we think one is better than another, just their interest and personalities vary so much. We love them all and are thrilled they were assigned to this great mission.
A unique thing happened with transfers this week. After transfers were completed and called out, I had two missionaries call me with concerns over transfers, which is very unusual. Even more unusual is that I altered transfers to accommodate their concerns. My normal impression when a missionary suggests that I should change transfers is to tell them they are where they need to be and that they should see what the Lord would have them learn where they are. In both of these cases, I felt impressed to make a change. To put this in perspective I don’t think I have had five missionaries mention a concern to me in the 20 other transfers I have been involved with before this one and I didn’t make a change in any of those other situations. So to have two concerns raised in one transfer and to actually make a change is very unusual. If you are like me and wonder why things would happen so differently this time, let me tell you what I learned – I don’t know, except that I do know the Lord is in charge. I believe my assistants and I listened to the Spirit as carefully this time as we have other times, but to have the Spirit confirm that the change in assignment was still His will, regardless of where the idea came from, was a great learning experience for me.
This week I also take my hat off to one of our great district leaders. This district leader is also training a new missionary who was a little homesick. He worked with his new companion and helped him through his concerns. When I talked to their zone leader on another issue I found out about the concern after the fact. I was impressed that our leaders are doing what they can to solve the problems in their districts or zones and only coming to me when they may need extra help. This principle of learning to fulfill the stewardships that they have will help them throughout their lives.
We enjoyed a nice dinner with the office staff on Friday evening and it was good to see them all a bit healthier, and learning their assignments so well. I also talked with the other senior missionaries and enjoyed hearing the good work they are involved with. Sister Macdonald and I ended the week by going to a baptism in Salem, and associating with our missionaries who were there.
A unique thing happened with transfers this week. After transfers were completed and called out, I had two missionaries call me with concerns over transfers, which is very unusual. Even more unusual is that I altered transfers to accommodate their concerns. My normal impression when a missionary suggests that I should change transfers is to tell them they are where they need to be and that they should see what the Lord would have them learn where they are. In both of these cases, I felt impressed to make a change. To put this in perspective I don’t think I have had five missionaries mention a concern to me in the 20 other transfers I have been involved with before this one and I didn’t make a change in any of those other situations. So to have two concerns raised in one transfer and to actually make a change is very unusual. If you are like me and wonder why things would happen so differently this time, let me tell you what I learned – I don’t know, except that I do know the Lord is in charge. I believe my assistants and I listened to the Spirit as carefully this time as we have other times, but to have the Spirit confirm that the change in assignment was still His will, regardless of where the idea came from, was a great learning experience for me.
This week I also take my hat off to one of our great district leaders. This district leader is also training a new missionary who was a little homesick. He worked with his new companion and helped him through his concerns. When I talked to their zone leader on another issue I found out about the concern after the fact. I was impressed that our leaders are doing what they can to solve the problems in their districts or zones and only coming to me when they may need extra help. This principle of learning to fulfill the stewardships that they have will help them throughout their lives.
We enjoyed a nice dinner with the office staff on Friday evening and it was good to see them all a bit healthier, and learning their assignments so well. I also talked with the other senior missionaries and enjoyed hearing the good work they are involved with. Sister Macdonald and I ended the week by going to a baptism in Salem, and associating with our missionaries who were there.
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