Resilience

 This is transfer week, and so today we were driving again.  We began in London.  We didn't have to leave until a little after 10, so we had a good bit of the morning to work on other things.  The drive was pleasant and uneventful, except that even with the trees still bare, it is a beautiful drive.

There were at least a dozen missionaries there, all elders, waiting for rides to their new assignments.  Some were brand new elders, mostly from the States.  They were all in the cultural hall with all of their luggage, all looking a little nervous.  I wondered how many of them had traveled through the night and were sleep-deprived.  

When we were here in 2019 arrivals of new missionaries were amazing occasions.  If you saw any of Deb's posts, there was a full day of activities...everything from a wonderful welcoming ceremony where they were introduced to their trainers/new companions, a lovely meeting in the historic Hyde Park Chapel, a delicious sit-down meal in the cultural hall, a rousing game of chair soccer with a large plastic ball, then another hour in the chapel, an assignment to go outside and begin street contacting. 

It makes me almost wince now seeing how close they are!

 

After that experience they were sent on their way to their flats...some having to load heavy suitcases onto trains or buses and traveling to the outreaches of the mission.  It is fun to hear the veterans talk about it now.  All of the ones we first met upon arriving here will be going to their homes within the next few months.

But today, they stood in masks, in an empty cultural hall.  No senior missionaries in ELM aprons rushing about with delicious trays of food.  No organ music wafting in from the chapel, no welcoming party.  But suddenly the door opened and in bustled Deb, followed by two missionaries with bottled water, sandwiches, and chips.  She encouraged them to get a lunch and then be on the road to their flats.  She wore a cute flowered mask.  I'm telling you, cute masks are a thing here.  Dave wears one that is the lower half of a lion's face.

I wore my new mask, which Dave and Deb were properly impressed with. (Thank you Erin!) For those of you who don't recognize this image...it is the Gilbert Water Tower!!!!!!

We met Elder Reynoldson, from northeast England, packed up his luggage, which filled the entire back of the car and drove him to Reading, where we picked up Elder Watford, and brought them both back to Oxford.  The two of them were wedged into the back seat with a large duffle bag....I honestly don't know how they survived the hour drive.  They are both good young men and I believe will continue the tradition of assigning outstanding missionaries to Oxford.

Before we left London, we went upstairs to the President's office and visited with Dave and Deb for nearly an hour.  We were interrupted at least 5 times by one of the four people who work in the office or urgent phone calls.  They received one message from someone saying they had a newly arrived missionary waiting at Heathrow who got here without any advance notice!  Someone was immediately dispatched to the airport.

We were given our driving instructions for tomorrow.  The new office couples are overseeing these things.  I feel so very sorry for them, because it is like putting a huge jigsaw puzzle together.  Today's was relatively simple.  Another senior couple drove Elder Reynoldson from way south this morning to be in the chapel by noon.  We were to arrive at noon, and bring him back to Oxford, stopping on the way to pick up his companion.  But multiply that by at least 50, and it gets mind-boggling with schedules, time, capacity of cars, etc.

Tomorrow, our schedule is a little wackier.  The poor brother who typed it up had a master schedule on a huge whiteboard that I couldn't make heads nor tails of, and I think he was struggling.  But it all seems to work out.

After we got home today, I fixed some white chicken chili for the elders, we delivered it, then we delivered the carrot cake that I made yesterday.  We attended a zoom "Come Follow Me" meeting with new and returning members and the elders, and then at nine, we had our Thursday game night with our zone.  We played "Two Truths and a Lie" and it was a nice way to get to know the two new elders, even through it was fairly short.  

The older I get, the more I respect and love these young people who are serving.  These elders today, both eighteen, came from their homes so far away.  One told us about his cousin serving in Greece who is regularly cursed at and spit upon.  They know that it will be difficult, and they know they are here for two years.  They know (but at the same time they don't realize the real import) that they will be living 24/7 with a companion throughout their service.  And sometimes, they won't like that companion, and sometimes they will not always be compatible. And sometimes just surviving six weeks with a companion may be the most difficult and trying experience they have ever had.

I don't know what keeps them going.  They teach and testify of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.  Maybe that is what keeps them going.  They love the Book of Mormon.  Maybe that is what keeps them going.  They love the people who listen, accept and are baptized and who then plan a path to the temple.  Maybe that is what keeps them going.  No matter where they are in the mission, they can accompany a person they taught and baptized to the temple.  Maybe that is what keeps them going.  They love Dave and Deb.  Maybe that is what keeps them going.  I do not know what gives them their resilience.

But I love them.  And I pray for them.  And I think we will feel a closeness to them for the rest of our lives.