Departing Missionaries: January 2014

Departing Missionaries: January 2014

Transfer meetings hold every single emotion imaginable, for a missionary. The new elders and sisters, fresh from the MTC in Utah, are questioning what in the world they did to themselves; the new missionaries are still questioning what in the world they did to themselves; the older missionaries are starting to panic, thinking about life "not as a missionary"; and the departing missionaries are planning escape routes and are thinking "no one is making me go home!"

Toward the beginning of the meeting, President Andersen has all the departing missionaries line up and gives them time to give the rest of the missionaries advice. This has always been my favorite part of the meeting. Standing in front of 100 or so missionaries, these elders and sisters are the greatest examples to us. They've served a faithful 18 months or 2 years. They've gone through depression, losses, disappointments, sickness, scary experiences, snow, ice, and almost everything else imaginable. But as they look over this crow of younger missionaries, they always have a look of wisdom in their eyes. They know that this was the only thing that they were supposed to be doing with their lives during this time. They know that they have experienced that joy only seeing someone accept the gospel can bring. They've changed others lives, and they've changed the younger missionaries testimonies. They've been the Lord's faithful servants, and they've endured to the end.

This transfer meeting was special to me because I had a lot of good missionary friends leaving to start a new chapter of their lives. I'm so grateful to everything they taught me. I'm grateful for the time they took away from their lives to bring others to Christ. I'm grateful for the loving example they were to me, and for how Christlike they had all become. A mission didn't change them. They truly changed their mission.


A huge thanks to the departing missionaries. Elder Bethers, Elder Brewer, Elder Pulsipher, Elder Neville, Elder Riley, Elder Heiner, Elder Dempsey, Sister fowler, Sister Hill, and Sister Means.

You elders and sisters are incredible and the Lord is going to bless you so much. Thank you for everything you have done. Stay close to your Savior, and never forget these experiences you've had! We love you!