The Never-ending Transfers

All last week we, the Hales, the office elders and especially President and Sister Youngberg prayed for the new missionaries to get their visas in order to come to the mission on time. Besides missing six weeks of valuable training and working, they have companions who have been brought in to the mission home for training, and areas that need to stay open. When they don't arrive in time, they are sent to a mission in the US where a mission president has to make room for them and give them companions who will train them, but not in their new language.

It became apparent that the men had received their visas, but the women's visas were not going to arrive. President Youngberg arranged for the sisters who would be without companions to consolidate areas, some miles apart, in order to work together in a triple companionship. They work both the area of the original companionship as well as the area of the sister who has come to join them. It is very disruptive, to say the least, but everyone knows it is temporary. For the most part, the situation will be resolved with the next transfer.

So, on Tuesday we were at the airport to welcome the new elders who arrived early that morning. We took them to the Täby chapel where they got a little breakfast, some orientation, then a trip to the migration office, back for lunch, and watched the instructional video about driving (I have begun calling it the hour of peace and rest because by that time the jet lag has really set in and they sleep even if they stand up).

The photographer we recruited cut off the Hales on one side and
Olivia and me on the other side. In front are the Assistants Elders
Benson and Jämsä. The POEs and new Assistant are on the right,
Elders Porter, Lee, and Craun. The others I don't know by sight,
yet, so they are not in order, here. Elders Ahonen, Allred,
Beckman, Denton, Derr, Dumas, Fronk, Hansen, Jarman,
Nelson, Prososki, Slaughter, and Young.

Some excited trainers on their way to
meet their new companions. 

The next day we got everyone to the Gubängen chapel for more orientation, and to be paired up with their new companions (trainers). As soon as we got things set up the Donohoos (a senior couple) took our car to pick up the lunch and we hurried to the airport with the Hales to pick up a sister and two elders whose visas had not come last transfer. They were coming from the Arizona Phoenix Mission where they had been serving while waiting for their visas to arrive. Unfortunately, they could not come on the same plane or at the same time as the first arrivals.

The plane was exactly on time, but no missionaries! We waited the usual 30 minutes and thought maybe they had a hard time finding luggage, so we waited another 30. Now, we were really concerned that they had missed their flight, found a better deal in Paris (where their layover was), or something worse. Elder Hales went to the customer service desk and asked if the missionaries were on the flight. He was told that privacy laws forbade them from telling anyone who was on the plane, but that there had been a failure in the baggage carousel area and that we should wait. We waited another 20 minutes and decided to wake someone up in Salt Lake City. We finally got someone on the phone and as they were double checking their records, the three missionaries came through the door!

Day 2 at the airport with Elder Benson, Sister and Elder Hales,
newly arrived Sister Huxtable, Elders Radford and Langford,
Elder Lee and Me. Olivia took the picture. 

Sister Huxtable had no trouble
guessing who her new companion
would be.

Elder Radford with his
trainer, Elder Anthon

Elder Langford with
Elder Ashford

Sister Huxtable with Sister Hall

During all this, we got news that the six sisters whose visas had not come and who had been assigned to other missions, DID GET THEIR VISAS. Unfortunately, three had already traveled to their new missions, but the other three would come on Thursday! These three were literally on their bus just leaving the MTC for the airport when someone from the office blocked the bus from leaving and informed them that they were on the wrong bus because they were supposed to go to Sweden. The missionaries didn't believe them until finally, the employee literally read their names on a document showing that their visas had arrived.

Thursday evening we went with the entourage to the airport to greet these sisters.

President and Sister Youngberg, Sisters Mendenhall, Westerlind, Edwards
Elders Benson and Lee

They spent the night with their trainers at the Mission Home, got an abbreviated version of what the others had received,  and rushed to their new areas the next day. It was exhausting for everyone involved, but I found we never got tired of seeing the anxious, happy, and determined faces of these newly arriving missionaries.

Going back to Wednesday, we had to be available for transporting the missionaries who were preparing to return home. As excited as missionaries are to get started on their new adventure, the level of excitement of those returning is equal, but in a different way. They are excited to see their MTC group and share war stories. Sometimes, they have not seen each other for the entire two years or 18 months. Some have been in the same zone or district for part of their missions. They are also a little nervous about what their next step in life is going to be, who they will become, how they will discipline themselves, if they have chosen the right path in life, etc., etc.

They usually stay up the entire night and try sleeping on the plane ride home. By the time we get to the airport, some are sleeping (how, I don't know as all the others are still talking loud enough for everyone else to hear), some are getting solemn as they look out the window of the van at nothing in particular, and others are sick to their stomachs. The ones who are meeting their families, who came to Sweden to pick them up later that morning are as sleep deprived as their parents are jet lagged.

With Elder Roylance

With Sisters Christensen and Olsen

Around the table clockwise: Sisters Christensen, Hale, Olsen, Christoffersen,
Howlett, Young,(back wall) Elders Wilson, Scott, Jämsä, Johnson, (table)
Moulton, Roylance, Bentson, Banks, Dean, Schultz, Sister Gill.
Missing Elder Nielsen

The Uppsala group: Roylance, Young and Christensen

In an effort to assure clean apartments, there
is a new checklist which is supposed to be
returned. Only two did so. Sister Gill and
Elder Nielsen got the Marabou chocolates

Elders Dean and Wilson serenade 

President and Sister Youngberg both play the piano as do all their children. A little ragtime this night.

Sister Christensen has been especially close to us, so we were happy to be able to meet her parents and younger brother. We showed them the changing of the guard at the palace, the Stora Torget which is in the middle of old Stockholm and went to lunch at the Kastanjeträd restaurant where we enjoyed a truly Swedish meal of meatballs (a 100-year old recipe), lingon berries, etc. It was a joy to see how much they appreciated this faithful daughter.

We also celebrated Sister Hale's birthday this week. We invited the mission office elders, and as many of the senior couples who could come. We had a nice meal of taco soup, tortilla chips, relish plate and brownies with ice cream. We then sent the elders away and watched En Man Som Heter Ove (A Man Called Ove) which had been recommended by our daughter, Hannah. It was a good recommendation. We all enjoyed watching it and seeing how much Swedish we understood before reading the subtitles in English.

Sister Hales got flowers from her "boys". Elders Porter, Hamrick, Lee and Benson

Someone actually asked if she likes chocolate. Yes. She does.

The priesthood leaders from the Nordic countries were all invited to Helsinki, Finland to a meeting with Elder M. Russell Ballard and members of the Europe Area Presidency. Elder Johnson is the Branch President in Visby, so he went, leaving Sister Johnson alone at the Clubhouse. Saturday, Sister Hales called and invited us to go shopping with Sister Johnson and her. I would rather have my eyes skewered with knitting needles than spend time with three women shopping, (Elder Hales bowed out as well) so Olivia went alone. I cleaned off my desk, read and deleted emails, and cleaned house while they were gone. Olivia did get a nice top that she had been looking for in vain until now.

Sunday we had a great day in the Uppsala Ward. Our usual interpreters were absent, so Elsa interpreted for us. She is exceptionally fast and knowledgeable with a great command of the English language, so all went well for us. I am finding that I can understand much of the Swedish in church. I also find that because I understand a little, some assume I understand it all, so I don't get a lot of help in Priesthood Meeting. That is probably not all bad as it forces me to listen more intently.

Sunday ended with a most inspiring meeting broadcast from Germany, to all of Europe, where Elder Ballard presided. He assigned Elders DeFeo, and Sabin who are counselors in the Area Presidency to speak with their wives; as well as Elder L. Whitney Clayton and his wife (he is the presiding president of the Seventy) who were there to preside over a stake conference (Stockholm South Stake, as it turns out) and he took the balance of the time. I don't think it was recorded, because the topics were unassigned and he spoke off the cuff. I truly hope it was because we would like to hear it all again to review what was said, in depth. Elder Ballard pleaded with the members to strengthen each other so we don't have failing branches and wards in Europe. He encouraged greater cooperation with the missionaries and then left an apostolic blessing that we would receive miracles for our obedience.

Stock photo. Unfortunately, we didn't get pictures.

That was our week. I hope yours was busy, fun, and fulfilling as ours was.