We just had the arrival of 13 new missionaries and said farewell to seven. Our international contingent lost one Sister back to Kiribati and we gained another from Australia. Transfer week is always a thrill! At the Chapel on transfer day, we thought the roof was going to come off, the singing of our mission song was sung with such conviction and ferver, I thought sawdust might drift down from the rafters. We have a lot of wonderful things about this mission and one of the main ones is love. These missionaries LOVE each other and they LOVE the work!
We are now holding quarterly interviews which means, President Nilsen and I (when I can) meet with each missionary seperately. I tend to discuss their well being, health, apartments, cars, any concerns and sometimes I check their planners and phones to make sure that they are keeping up with all the rules and planning. President Nilsen discusses personal issues, companions, testimonies, goals, etc. We love this time, its fantastic to spend time getting to know your sons and daughters better. We often comment on how lucky we are to be here and wish you could see your missionary in action. You would be so impressed and proud, just as we are.
We have revved up the work on "finding." In order to teach and baptize, we need to find and that is what the missionaries are doing. They have been working extra hard and smart in customizing their door approaches with a quick introduction like the ones you see on Mormon.org, for example "Hello, I am Elder X, I am a huge fan of football and I played for my high school all four years, we even went to the state championship. I have left my home in Utah, my girlfriend, my mom's cooking and my favorite sport - football, for two years to come to Ohio and give you an incredible message..." We are seeing a tremendous increase in the amount of people who are willing to listen and we are getting much better at being our best selves to present the Lord's message.
Please continue to write to your missionary every week. Also, as your son or daughter gets close to returning home, please do not remind them of the number of days left, the things you will all do when he/she gets home, etc. The departing missionary is trying so hard to focus on their last precious weeks as a full-time missionary and they want to be fully focused. Reminders make it hard for them mentally and emotionally. They are savoring the last days and want to wring out every moment, so please, encourage them as if they had another 20 months to go. They want to sprint to the finish of their mission!
Lastly, thank you for all you have done to prepare and support the missionaries in The Great Ohio Columbus Mission. We feel your prayers and we love your missionaries, they are the most prayed for people on Earth and they work more daily miracles than anyone on on this great planet.
