It takes an Army!

Something I’ve been wanting to write about is what happens when there is a transfer. The work begins about 3 weeks before the actual transfers happen. Here are the key players and what they do to make a transfer happen smoothly in Tahiti. On top of the things they do they all come to the airport to see off the departing missionaries and welcome the new…which occurs between 9:30pm and midnight on Monday every six weeks. I will give a taste of their work but know that I cannot adequately express the scope of it. (I apologize in advance for the poor pictures...camera troubles)

Soeur Hoffman—passport details, carte de sejours/visas, packets for departing missionaries (with a laminated sheet for each missionary with photos of his/her companions), schedules of arriving and departing missionaries. Keeps all the details organized.

Soeur and Elder Hoffman

Elder Hoffman—bikes for each new missionary, driving tests, all-around help with baggage, transportation, right hand man to his wife and anything else that is needed.

Soeur Hunter—financial arrangements for new missionaries, travel arrangements for transfers to islands which involves multiple levels of arrangements since most islands only have flights two or three times a week and may include boats too, etc.

Assistants to the President (two young missionaries)—transfer planning, calling all missionaries regarding new companions and where to go to meet new companions and when. Pick up/drop off of missionaries going to and from various islands. Details on all the changes that we don’t think of until after the fact (where will so and so stay while waiting for his or her new comp, etc, etc, etc). We occasionally panic because we haven’t thought of something only to find out the Aps have already done it. They also do training for new missionaries and for the new trainers. Sometimes we don't get all the missionaries to their areas for a good week to ten days after the transfer due to flight schedules to the islands so the APs arrange who is going to be whose companion in the meantime, where the missionary will stay, and get them to the airport when they finally do leave/arrive.

Elders Langomazino and Crandall, the Assistants

                    

Office Elders (two young missionaries)—all things baggage for departing and arriving. Tons of transporting to the dock for fumigation of items going home with missionaries. Tons of loads of luggage to and from the airport. Lifting and hauling! Crazy busy time for them.

Elder and Soeur Lucas—making sure the houses and apartments are ready for new areas that are being open. Arranging for the meals for the incoming (Tuesday breakfast, lunch) and outgoing (Monday lunch) missionaries—at least when we have big groups. Extra hands for all sorts of things.

Elder and Soeur Lucas

Elder and Soeur Thomsen—general greeting and transporting of missionaries to their various new areas. Takes most of the day Monday and Tuesday.

Elder and Soeur Thomsen are center back. Soeur Hunter is 2nd from right on front. Picture with missionary couples and Elder Ardern and his wife.

And then there’s Steven and me—we do the transfer planning (yes, I sit in on those meetings and give my opinion and insights…though I am not the decision maker J), Steven does interviews with all departing and arriving missionaries, we have a lunch with departing missionaries that I will often do if not too many, we have a testimony meeting with the departing missionaries, training for the new ones, help with the breakfast and lunch for the new ones, etc.

The amount of man power it takes to get one missionary onto his/her mission, through it, and back home is amazing. We stand all amazed at the service rendered by this army of people—and the love they have for these missionaries.

We wish our family and old friends could meet our new friends.

We love you!