Transfer day is always hard and exciting. Hard to leave your comfort zone of friendships and the memories of dedicated service to go forward and make new friends, have new experiences and learn how to get around in a new town. The elders are notified on at a zone meeting on Wednesday that they are going to be transferred and arrive at a central chapel where all transferring missionaries from the mission will attend a devotional with the mission president and receive their new companion assignment.
The missionaries arrive early to meet and greet one another for an hour or two before the devotional starts. The devotional begins at 11:00 am and if completed by 1:00. Jeepneys are lined up in the parking lot with identifying zone banners on each one so they know which one to load their bags on. The zone leaders accompany the missionaries to their new area on the Jeepney and then return home when all are safely delivered to their new companion.
Here are a few pictures of the transfer day today.
Missionary gathering in the air conditioned chapel after hours of visiting in the other parts of the building.
The missionaries came on these Jeepneys from their current area and will return to their new area on a different Jeepney, so there is a mass change of luggage after the devotional.
I think most of the Jeepney drivers are frustrated Formula One drivers. Notice the decals on the side of this one.
There were nine Jeepneys all lined up... one from each zone in the mission.
The drivers and missionaries unloaded the bags before the devotional and set them on the ground for easy access to load them onto another Jeepney after the devotional.
Thank goodness we won't get a new companion or be moving every few months.
Great ride for the missionaries!
Office elders.
After the devotional there is a lot of moving bags around, good-byes, pictures and a few tears shed.
The elders are eager to help the sisters move and load their luggage.
Put your shoulder to the luggage!
New missionaries get a new pillow as well as a new companion and a whole new life in the ministry.
Happy reunions with former companions and the joy of seeing each other growing in faith and testimony. (Alma 17:2)
Elder Hales is the zone leader in our zone and got transferred to a different zone. We'll see him again on apartment checks, district conferences and zone conferences.
Lots of excitement and anxiety brings about a lot of chatter, hugs and gathering of friends. Courage brethren and sisters, onward! Nothing can stop the work of the Lord!
I think we have a princess in our group of transferees today.
Last good-byes through the windows of the Jeepneys... 'til we meet again!
A new zone starts the bonding process all over again.
Away they go again. Off to a new area of labor to thrust in their scicles again to reap the harvest.
Remember this Jeepney with the elder on the back step.
It's lunch time so pull out whatever you have to snack on. No time to stop for lunch now. We're on the Lord's errand today.
We left the chapel about 15 minutes after the Jeepneys left and we caught up with one of them going down the highway we were on. Remember that elder on the back step... he is still there!
Missionaries are always glad to have a free ride, even if you have to sit on the floor. Those shoes look like they have seen a few kilometers and will last him through his mission.
We received a text message from other elders that they found a new apartment and needed our review and approval to move forward with a contract, so we traveled directly to their apartment... after a quick stop at the Urdaneta, Shakey's Pizza.
We joined President and Sister Perkins and two of the office elders for lunch. Chocolate shakes, pizza, salads, soup and pasta... Shakey's is a welcome break from rice and ulam.
We had a map and found our way to meet the bishop that found the apartment. We reviewed the apartment and approved it. A quick down payment and the deal was complete for 30 days. The mission office will draft the annual contract and sign up for the utilities. It was a small villa with an 8 foot wall around it and a caretaker to attend to the yard work. This will be the apartment all elders in the mission will dream of living in... marble floors, separate shower from bathroom (CR-comfort room), 4 bedrooms and private garden (back yard). Now a quick stop to get some supplies for our projects next week and we'll be on our way home. We should get home about 9:00 tonight and we'll sleep well. It was a great day... we were delivered again!
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