It starts with a list of new missionaries who will arrive to begin their mission. Next we get a list of missionaries who are returning home after their missions. This time there were 7 departing and 14 arriving missionaries.
Now the fun begins. Brent spends about two days locked in his office playing human dominoes, as he studies applications and stares at the missionary board. For a few days cards are turned crooked to show that there might be a move. I slide food and tranquilizers under the door and Brent works feverishly moving picture here and there and then there and here until it all "feels right." Then he has the office employees and the assistants look at it to see what in their opinions, won't work and they move a few more pictures around.
Meanwhile the office secretary, Sister Hatch, is making up transfer letters, packets of documents and information for those coming and going and little piles of things like pillows, blankets and washing buckets, ect. for the new missionaries. The financial secretary, Elder Hatch, is bundling packets of money for the new missionaries and the staff is getting airline tickets,etc. etc. The office is a madhouse.
Meanwhile, Jackie and I are making food for all those hungry missionaries.
Each departing missionary leaves a whole in a companionship. It would be simple to fix that if we had even numbers-7 came and 7 went. Never happens! And it really wouldn't be that easy either because it could end up that a missionary who needed a companion and the new elder is his brother or cousin, or best buddy from his ward, or rival for a girl back home. And also the numbers don't ever match. Then you factor in that you need 14 good trainers. What a puzzle!
So, next you take a missionary from another area and put him with the lone missionary.
Oh now the dominoes effect begins! Now you have a new whole mess!
So, you take one of the new missionaries and put them there. Then you begin to work on other companionships.
You decide on a good missionary to act as trainer. Now you have a lone missionary in a new spot. It's starting to get complicated now. You can't make him a trainer, he's going home next transfer. So, you begin to look for a companion for him. Sounds easy, but it can't be anybody he's already served with, is related to or can't get along with. He can't serve with a previous companion, nor can he go to work in a place where he's already served or to an apartment where he's lived before, or where his family members live or where his girlfriend lives or works (maybe even as a missionary.) Then you remember that he's a Zone Leader and it wouldn't be a good idea to put him as a Senior companion again for just one transfer, so the dominoes really begin to fall. As you can see it's a crazy game to play as we look for the one spot in the whole mission that will work for him. And after that you repeat the same game about 30 times as you find places for all the new missionaries and unscramble the mess that's made in the rest of the mission. With American missionaries and sisters, who are fewer in number, it's even more complicated. Last transfer one American elder moved to the other bedroom in the same apartment to be with his new companion. It couldn't be helped. He was very good natured about it.
At last the week of the transfer comes. All the letters go out telling them where they're going and there's much rejoicing and also a little weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. They all start packing and we start making plans to pick them all up, have them sent from outlying areas, and shuffling everybody around to find a place for the 7 going home to stay for a day or two until the next plane goes to wherever they live.
On the first day of transfers we have all the returning missionaries bring their bags for weight checks. Pictures are taken and then they have departure interviews, a lunch and testimony meeting at our house. Then they're off to the employment center for two days of post-mission employment workshops, which is a new thing we're trying to help them begin to think of what to do with their lives after their missions in this land of 90% unemployment and much poverty.
The second day of transfers we have the new group with the glazed-over-eyes and totally confused looks on their faces for breakfast, their orientation workshop, interviews and lunch.
Then we send them off to the four corners of the mission. Our departing phrases are
"Work hard! Be happy!! We'll pray for you."
This game of human dominoes is exhilarating and exhausting and... starts again in a month.
1 comment:
The sisters just came over while I was reading this. (We just had kind of a weird transfer where they did transfers & 6 days later they transferred one sister again.They mentioned that it was kinda "weird" for them. I said to Klint, "Maybe we should have them read about transfers from the other perspective" We didn't though. Just thought maybe they should appreciate all the hard work that goes into transfers.
Post a Comment