Transfers & More Moves
Transfer week is always exciting. The routine is always the same:
Saturday Night - There is a mission-wide video call where the transfers are announced. The APs run that call and announce each companionship zone by zone. They then show the pictures of all those completing their mission. President & Sister Quinn then say a few words.
Tuesday - All those transferring come down to the mission office to meet their new companions. We take advantage by having things to give them that they requested (air fryers, chairs, rugs, whatever..). Those leaving the mission are given a nice send off running through a tunnel of all the other missionaries who hold signs saying "Well Done", "Mission Accomplished", etc. We had 11 missionaries completing their mission this transfer. They then take a field trip to the Golden Gate Bridge as many have never seen it before and that evening have a dinner at the mission home. Always sad to say goodbye.
Wednesday - Airport runs. All the missionaries come and arrive through the Santa Rosa airport. Since it is not a large airport there are only a few flights in and out which actually makes it convenient to manage. The APs borrow our housing truck and hook up the housing trailer to handle all the luggage. The arriving missionaries mostly land around 11:30 am with some later in the evening depending on connecting flight schedules. Typically the fall is when the larger groups of missionaries arrive due to end of school. We had 22 new missionaries arrive; 20 arrived at the mission office around 12:30 pm and 2 arrived in the evening (coming from Mexico and back east.) They all awoke early - around 2:30 to 3:00 am and likely didn't sleep much the night before. The APs as well get up early (around 3:30 am) to start the airport runs. So they are all very tired when they arrive even though very excited. We have pizza waiting for them in the cultural hall. They each have a short interview with the mission leaders and separately with Sister Ritchie the mission nurse. That evening we have a dinner at the mission home where all the office senior couples are also invited. This transfer we had three new MLS (Member & Leader Support) senior couples also attend orientation. This is a very fun day for us to meet and get to know the new missionaries.
Thursday - The new missionaries come back to the mission office around 8 am and breakfast (prepared by the senior office couples) is served. The new missionaries have orientation in the chapel where the Quinn's say a few words then have each of the senior office couples do a short presentation. The trainers arrive and President Quinn separately instructs them in the cultural hall. We all have lunch (catered Chick-fil-A) in the cultural hall. After eating the APs announce the new companionships one by one. This is a high energy affair with lots of table pounding (see video below - if it works). After this there is more instruction and then off they go. Once again we take advantage by having things ready for them to take; some they ordered, but every new missionary gets a pillow and a comforter (they bring there own sheets but if they forget we have some available). This transfer we had to buy (among other things) 7 office chairs (we bought out all the ones the local Staples had).
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