MSLM Photo memories of COVID 19

Our first of many Zoom Zone Conference - March 19, 2020
Sister & Elder Jacob, Elder Hatield, Sister Everton, Elders Newbold and Kelimb

The St. Louis branch of the rapidly formed MSLM Travel Agency - Tuesday March 24, 2020

The Utah Branch / Core of the MSLM Travel Team - Kamie Hubbard shown here at 5am Thursday March 26th

                                   

Lovely Ladies in Masks -first departing group March 26th

All 14 members of the main departing group on Thursday, March 26th

First arriving group (MTC Evacuees - Friday March 27th

AP's say goodbye to Elder Scott, (last flight out) and the office on Friday, March 27th

Calendar of Events in the Church and Missouri St. Louis Mission - March 11th - April 20th 2020

A Calendar of Events March 11 - April 20, 2020

So we don't forget... all the incredible, unprecedented moments during 
the COVID 19 Pandemic in the Missouri St. Louis Mission:

March 11^th   - in the Missouri St. Louis Mission

·         New Missionary Orientation for 9 new missionaries

·         Mission Wide Transfers  (changes in Mission leadership?....

·         Received Notice that 5 missionaries from Korea had received temporary Assignment to MSLM anticipated arrival on March 23rd

March 11^th –  Church Announcement:

·         Restrictions on Stake and Leadership Conferences.  Weekly Church services held under the direction of Local leaders.

March 12^th –  Church Announcement:

·         Gatherings of Church Members Suspended worldwide, branch, ward, or stake activities

MSLM impact – Zone Councils were scheduled for that day. Zone conferences were scheduled for 3 days in the following week – March 17-19, Stake Relief societies were planning meals for 50-70 missionaries each day.

March 13^th –  Church Announcement:

·         Temples would be closed except for living ordinances

Friday, March 13^th –  church group email system ‘broke’ .  

Church worked to release a new system, in time to start communicating regularly with parents regarding COVID 19 notices/information.  It was probably related to the fact that the church was revamping it's Missionary portal and asked that all of our mission documents, letter templates etc be transferred to Google Drive... without much instruction or technical support to do so!  It was a huge project that coincided with all that was happening due to COVID19 - 

March 15^th – First at home sacrament meetings

MSLM impact - we had 9 new missionaries and many transferred missionaries who were in new areas for the first time and did not have relationships with members or priesthood leaders to support their work... they had to find other ways

March 16^th – Church Announcement: COVID-19’s Impact on Missionary Service

·          young missionaries with health issues and senior missionaries may be released from service

·         Missionaries who begin their service and are unable to travel to assigned mission may be temporarily reassigned to another mission

·         Missionaries who would complete their mission on or before Sept 1 2020 may be released after they have served for 21 months

March 17^th – LDS provide disaster relief to Tennessee Tornado Victims  (was this the storm where mission vehicles were damaged?)

March 18^th – Earthquake in SLC damages Angel Moroni statute

March 18^th – MSLM – 9pm President Bell received initial list of missionaries who ‘out of an abundance of caution’ would need to be released.  He called staff and asked us to prayerfully consider who should go home.  We were 'flexing' to have our first zoom zone conference the next day - and would have to include a staff meeting to discuss and decide

March 19^th

·         1^st Mission Wide Zoom Zone Conference,

·        1^st young missionaries and Senior missionaries contacted to and told they were being released

·      Pres & Sister Bell in conjunction with Mission Medical council began painstaking work of identifying others who were at risk, Elder Hatfield & I served on the council for 2 hours during the this day

Elder Hatfield made phone calls to Stake Presidents as names were decided upon, I started preparing departing materials, certificates of release, letters, etc.

Friday, March 20^th

·         Received Email from MTC that 6 missionaries who had calls to foreign countries had received temporary assignment to MSLM

March 20^th  Church Announced: More Temporary Adjustments made to Missionary Work

·         Coming weeks substantial numbers of missionaries will need to return to their home nations to continue their service

·         14 day period of self-isolation and may be assigned to serve within their home country

·         MTCs will not receive missionaries – training will take place through technology

Saturday, March 21^th – State of Illinois Stay at Home Order effective beginning at 5pm

MSLM impact:  No one would be able to be baptized in Illinois. (3 full zones, 2 partial zones impacted)   Missionaries would not be able to gather at church buildings – even in small groups.  (5 zones were impacted by this order  - all of the areas in O’Fallon, Champaign, Springfield, part of the areas in Hazelwood and Cape Giradeau)

·         First of the Senior missionaries started for home (Thomsons & Emmersons)

Monday, March 23^rd – St. Louis County Stay at Home Order effective at 5pm

MSLM impact:  Baptisms could be conducted if fewer than 10 people were in the building at the time.  Must observe social distancing practices.  People could gather at church buildings for sacrament meeting – if 10 or fewer people were in attendance and observed social distancing while there.  (parts of 3 zones were impacted, St. Louis, So St. Louis, Hazelwood)

·         We expected the arrival of 5 missionaries transferred from Korea, they did not arrive

Tuesday, March 24^th

·         Mid morning received an email from Missionary Department directing our office to make the travel arrangements for all of the missionaries were to be released

·         Sister Bell, Sister Hatfield worked in conjunction with Sister Hatfield’s sister, Kamie Hubbard to begin booking trips

·         Learned 2 more missionaries would be evacuated from the MTC to our mission, for a total of 8 new arrivals on Thursday, March 26^th.

Wednesday, March 25^th

·         More missionaries received notice of releases

·         Flurry of activity in the office to prepare all the departing packets and welcome notebooks

Thursday, March 26^th

·         18 missionaries departed, beginning at 6am, rolling departures/reassignment of companionships

·         6 pm learned that the flight for 8 incoming missionaries had been cancelled

Friday, March 27^th

·         7 missionaries departed,

·         8 missionaries arrived transfers occurred in Mission Office Parking lot

Saturday, March 28^th

·         New Missionary Orientation conducted via Zoom

March 31^st – Church offers new Options for Missionary Service by April 30^th

·         Impact on MSLM:  the 6 Korean missionaries and the 3 new missionaries we were expecting on April 21^st will be delayed

Thursday, April 2^nd

·         3 more missionaries depart

Friday, April 10^th

·         1^st New Missionary training via Zoom for 17 missionaries (9 from planned transfer in March, 8 from

Monday, April 13^th

·         4 more missionaries depart

Monday April 20^th

·         3 more missionaries depart

Church at Home with Nana & Papa Begins!

It's been over a month since I first posted the following photos on Blogger.  I haven't had a moment to get back to adding captions/explanations.  And truth be told, I don't have a moment today!  It's Sunday and we are at the Mission office.  President Bell is conducting zoom interviews with the 19 missionaries who we got word on Thursday would be arriving in our mission on Tuesday - yes, 5 days later!  In other words - life as normal - transfers every other week - in the Missouri St. Louis Mission during COVID 19 Pandemic.... But I digress....

Here are photos from our first Google Hangout Church at home with Nana & Papa on Sunday March 22nd.  

Super heroes can stand for the Right

We can be gardeners planting seeds in the Lord's vineyard - like missionaries!

Sunday afternoon chat with his folks while he watches big fluffy snow flakes fall and papa with his hands full of the 'fruit' he harvested from the tree while our grands watched ("Silly Papa - taped oranges on the tree)

My friend Eva sent me a photo from Easter 2019 standing outside my house... my house 2020

Like Swans on a Lake & The Case of the Missing Peanut Butter Sandwich

The following are the articles that were included in the 18 page COVID19 Special Edition of the Mission Newsletter, published on April 24, 2020

Like Swans on a Lake by Sister Hatfield

That’s how I described it to someone who asked how things were going in the MSLM office during week 3 of the “COVID19 transfer”.

On Tuesday, March 24^th President Bell received a “Major Process Change” email from the Missionary Department directing our office to to make all the travel arrangements needed to get the 27 missionaries who had been identified home ASAP.  

A few minutes after President Bell gave me the news, I had the thought to post it on my family GroupMe thread.  I pushed the thought away a couple of times, but finally, still feeling like I shouldn’t take time to give my family a frivolous update - I stepped into the back office where I wouldn’t be overheard and dictated a quick text.  At the end of my texted I quipped “anybody want to help me book tickets?”  before I was able to sit back in my chair, my sister Kamie texted “I would love to” followed by a text from my niece, “that’s my mom’s dream job”. 

Minutes later I had my sister on the phone.  As soon as she was able to open her computer, I shared with her a google doc listing the names, birthdates, and hometowns of all the missionaries who we needed to get home. And Kamie got to work.  Not long after, Sister Bell arrived at the office and the three of us made quite the team.  Sister Bell searched and found the best priced flights and Kamie worked with the airlines to book the tickets.  I managed the communications between the mission, the parents and stake presidents and started orchestrating all of the typical departing processes.  Despite the fact that several more missionaries were added to the flight pool and almost a third of the flights canceled and had to be rebooked – somehow, miraculously, within 72 hours of posting an inspired message on my family’s group text, 26 of Missouri St. Louis’s finest missionaries were safely home or on flights soon to be home.  Like swans on a lake.

The case of the Missing Peanut Butter Sandwich by Elder Hatfield

Many of our departing missionaries left with very little time to prepare.  One sister called after she arrived back at home.  She said when she was on the plane and couldn’t find the sandwich she was sure she had packed - she had the thought that maybe she had left on her apartment kitchen counter.  Late one evening a day or two later I stopped to check.  Although the apartment was otherwise neat and clean, sure enough, on the kitchen counter was a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich, right next to the open peanut butter jar!   Fortunately, the food was found before any great infestation occurred.

Meanwhile, I had plenty of other empty apartments to consider.  I talked to President Bell and developed a plan to start closing apartments, trying to maintain what I thought we would need.  I prepared notices to terminate and decided to send them out on April 7^th.  On the evening of April 6^th, the day before I was to send notices, I received an email from the Missionary Department.  It instructed me that we should not close apartments.  If that message had come a week, or even a day later, I would have put in motion legal notices to terminate leases that might have been impossible to reverse, and at the very least embarrassing to the Mission’s reputation.  I felt relief for the direction from the Church, just at the moment I needed it. 

The process of caring for many empty apartments and getting them ready again for missionaries that will be sent to the Missouri St Louis Mission will be a big job.  I am grateful for the office staff and missionaries who share the burden with me.  In the end, I feel confident that we are being led by leaders that operate with inspiration.  The Lord’s Work with go forward even better suited for our world than before.  It is a blessing to be a part of it.

When you are prepared....

I’m going to be honest.  I’ve never much cared for the ‘war chapters’ of the Book of Mormon. Too much blood and guts and stories of men who cared more about power and money than about people.

But this morning, this first Saturday of what I’ve come to understand is going to be a season,  and not just a single passing storm, of living through the COVID-19 health crisis, I have been taught and inspired by some of the ‘war chapters’.

Early this week, pre-public closures due to COVID-19 and the public panic emptying grocery stores, I was reading in Alma 48, especially verses 13-16.  The message I read was:

1. remember and act upon what I’ve been taught about how to love, serve, and defend myself and my family against ‘enemies’.  (Anything that threatens health and safety) 
2. To have faith in God and His promise to all of us that if we keep His commandments (the good old fashioned 10 ones cover the bases) He will
•  Prosper us in the Land
•  Warn us
• Show us how to prepare
• Let us know when we are in danger
• Let us know how to defend ourselves

Today, early in the morning, my book opened up to Alma 49.  Not remembering that I had already read this chapter this week, I read the opening verses and about jumped out of my seat!  I read words like:

• The city had been rebuilt (hello, didn’t the prophet promise us in October 2018 that “as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight”.  Hasn’t President Nelson guided the remodeling of the church’s online library, church programs: visiting/home teaching, missionary training, youth organization – even temple ordinances? )   
• Others were “astonished at the manner of preparation” (can’t tell you the number of times non members of the church have thought my practice of always having food storage, a more than 2 week supply of household goods etc was astonishing)
• Had prepared their “places of security” (what does society see as places of security? Homes, churches, community connections)
• Had “cast up dirt”  (reminded me of the physical preparations I’ve made to have a strong immune system – the regular exercise, attention to nutrition, vitamins and nutritional supplements I take)

And so on….

Today, the war chapters in the Book of Mormon are speaking to me.  Comforting me.  Reminding me that all will be well.  I am prepared.  Even without access to the physical food and supply storage I left in Utah. Because of my faith, my physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional preparation, I will be guided to know how and when to act during this season of the COVID-19 crisis to be healthy and safe and be able to support those I have stewardship for in doing the same.  

Irony of it all!

It's Sunday evening at 9pm.  And I am listening to the sounds of a plumber working an auger through the plumbing under the toilet in our bathroom.  For the 4th time in two weeks.  The irony of it all is I live with the Housing Coordinator for the Missouri St. Louis Mission.  The person in the mission who helps solve these types of problems for 90 plus apartments the church rents.  They rent 4 apartments in this complex alone.

Goes to show that crap happens no matter who you are or what good you're trying to do in the world!

On a brighter note... we had our first visitors from home this week!  Taz and Tammy Murray from Provo came to see comedian Jim Gaffigan in St. Louis and introduce us to some of their dear friends who live here.  For the first time ever we slipped away from the office early on a work day and visited the Gateway Arch before their friends joined us for dinner and the show.  It was great fun!

 


We love getting to know the missionaries as they come and go from the office or work with us on various mission projects.  I particularly love "owning my morning" with the Frontenac Sisters who live in our apartment complex.  These two sisters have earned a spot in my heart - Sister Thomas (who lends me her name tag when I forget mine) is from Utah Valley and Sister Jensen is from my home town of Hooper!  So fun!

 We have been concerned about the impact the coronavirus is having on missionary work throughout the world.  Harlan's sister copied us on the letter sent to the parents of the missionaries in Thailand who have been quarantined. As we read the letter I had the very strong impression that it was yet another tactic the adversary has found to thwart the work. That fact was confirmed the next day when we had the chance to video chat with our friends Brent and Jackie Cook, who are also serving in Thailand (doing the same jobs in that mission that we are doing here in ours!)  Elder Cook told us that the work is exploding in south east Asia. He said throngs of people are converting to Christianity generally and to the Church of Jesus Christ specifically.  He wondered out loud how they were going to keep 180 missionaries engaged in the work holed up in their apartments.  It's a little thing but...

Within 12 hours of that conversation, I received a text from some of our Sister missionaries asking if I could help them find someone to help translate for a person they are teaching who's native language is Burmese.  I reached out to the Cooks.  Turns out that the Thailand mission extends into Myanmar - the country where they speak Burmese - and there are a few missionaries in their mission who do speak Burmese!    So with President Bell's permission - Sister Cook and I will be linking up missionaries in Thailand with Missionaries in Missouri to teach the gospel to someone here who speaks a language from over there!  Miracles!

Hooray!  The auger has stopped.  They are working on putting the toilet back in place.  Now it's 10:30pm and here come the 'First Responders" coming to wet vac and clean carpets, sterilize bathrooms, and start the fans going!  Think I'll call the housing coordinator and see if he can get us a rent rebate! (wink)

Transfers with a capital T

I am gradually learning that the rhythm of the mission is based on The Transfer with a capital T.  What happens in the mission all depends on how it relates to the week when missionaries depart,  arrive, and are transferred within the mission.

The week when this happens is called "Week 1" of the transfer.  I've learned that I will barely be able to keep my head above water during weeks 1, 2, and 6 of transfers. If I've stayed caught up, week 5 won't be too bad. And I've come to expect that pending any mission wide emergencies, weeks 3 and 4 will be practically manageable!

Tonight marks the beginning of Week 3.  The past couple of weeks have been whirlwinds!  Not only has it been weeks 6, 1, 2 of transfers - we've also completed the turn over to an entirely new office staff!  Our new Mission Nurse (Carolyn Everton) and Vehicle Coordinator (John Everton) arrived from Bountiful in week 6.  Two days after they came into the office, our new part time service missionaries - Elder and Sister Jacob from the St. Louis Stake came in to the office to learn their new jobs as the Financial and Assistant Mission Secretaries.

And then we were off!  The first transfers of 2020 had a few exciting moments - including the phone call I answered at 1:30 on Tuesday afternoon, from the arriving missionaries who had just landed in the St. Louis Airport - a full 5 hours before we expected them!  Apparently a friendly Delta Gate agent seeing that a direct flight to St. Louis from SLC was departing out of a nearby gate invited the 5 missionaries transfer their seats to that plane, but didn't give them time to call us or the MTC to let us know that they wouldn't be going first to Detroit and then to St. Louis that afternoon.

Fortunately the group was small because Elder Hatfield and the property brothers were a couple of hours away with the trailer that we typically take to the airport to haul luggage in.  We scrambled and modified meal preparation and incoming interview plans. And made it work.  The rest of the 1st week of transfers went off as well as could be expected - having novices run it!

Zone conferences happen in the 2nd week of transfers. Our 9 zones are divided into 3 zone conference groups. Each group has a separate Zone Conference in a different location 3 days in a row.  Which means the Mission administration puts a few hundred miles on our cars as we drive and participate in 3 days of day long conferences. Attending and participating in these wonderful zone conferences comes at a price - of extra evening and weekend hours at the office.

Zone Conference Transfer 1 - OFallon, Springfield, Champaign Zones

Elder & Sister Hatfield Zone conference - Columbia, Lake St. Louis, Hazelwood Zones

Friday night after Zone Conferences

                        

   Sister Erickson and her final project:  The 2019 MSLM History       

On the last Saturday of their mission, Elder David and Sister Becky Erickson took us to a couple of their favorite places in St. Louis.  They included Crown Candy Kitchen, where we ordered their famous 1 lb, BLT                                             

And the Fountain on Locust, where we ordered aged ice cream Sundaes... - one made with almond joy ice cream and hot fudge sauce and one made with Lemon ice cream topped with homemade raspberry sauce.  YUM!

January 19, 2020

January 13-19 in Review

• Proof Positive that weather in St. Louis is schizophrenic:  In the last 7 days we have had 
• Rain, Snow, 60 degree clear sunny days, Freezing rain, and temperatures in the single digits
• MSLM young missionaries are very creative in their missionary efforts.  This week 2 elders decided to list a free book of mormon on Facebook Market place.  A man responded to the add.  When they deliver the book the man said he was looking forward to reading it.  Then the missionaries invited him to go to church with them on Sunday and he said "Sure!"  We're calling it the "Facebook Marketplace" approach
• This week we had two 'evenings out' with long time St. Louis members.  First on Wednesday night we were invited to join the Elder & Sister Erickson and Elder & Sister Lisonbee at Rock & Joy Erickson's (no relation) home.  We had a wonderful evening getting to know them and learning about their 2019 trip to Israel.  Rock is the Just Serve Coordinator for the region and Elder Hatfield and I are looking forward to strengthening the missionary's use and involvement in Just Serve projects.
• On Friday, despite the threat of road closures due to freezing rain, we were invited to dinner at Paul and Patti Hintze's home.  Though they both grew up in Provo, and are dear childhood friends of our friends Scott and Annette Bowen, they have lived in St. Louis for over 30 years.  Elder Hintze had the idea of calling the Bowens and the 6 of us had a lively phone/in person  conversation catching up and getting to know each other.  
• Through out the week we helped move furniture and household equipment into a new apartment in preparation the arrival of the other half of our full time Mission Office staff.  On Saturday, Elder & Sister Everton from Bountiful Utah arrived.  Sister Everton will assume the Mission Nurse responsibilities and Elder Everton will take of over managing the vehicle and bike cycle fleet.  We had them over for dinner tonight.  We are excited to be able to work with them for the next 22 months!

  

  A farewell party of sorts, as Rock and Joy say farewell to the Lisonbees and Ericksons

Our first P-Day! A Field Trip

Finally, after almost 6 weeks in the mission we had time to take a Saturday PDay!  We were invited to join the Lisonbees and Ericksons, the two other office couples on what was for them a farewell trip to one of their favorite places in the mission on Saturday, January 11^th.  

The town of Sikeston, MO is a 2.5 hour drive south and is home to a place called the Lambert Café.  It is legend in the mission among senior couples.  It would take paragraphs to try to try to describe it.  The place is legend for its country cook’n, comfort food, and casual atmosphere, a collection of nostalgic memorabilia, and not least, the “throw’d rolls.”  They come hot out of the oven and the servers start tossing them around the dining room to outstretched hands.  Then comes tubs of apple butter and sorghum syrup.  I ordered delectable fried chicken and RaDene had some beef roast that was as tender and succulent as it comes.  The most impressive dish was Sister Erickson’s ham steak that was served in a 12 inch skillet.  The steak covered the bottom and was at least an inch thick.  This is to say nothing of the endless “pass alongs” of black eyed peas, fried okra, fried potatoes, macaroni and tomatoes, and more.  I’ve never taken more home in to go boxes.  It’s a good thing that Sikeston has the Lambert Café.  Otherwise, it looks pretty forlorn and in need of some fresh industry.

Check out this YouTube Video of Lambert's... we even got to hear their famous honky tonk piano artist play!

On the return trip to St Louis we stopped in the old city of Cape Girardeau.  Called a cape because of the rocky bluff in its center that looks out over the Mississippi.  It has a fascinating French and pioneer history.  Perhaps it is most famous now for the “Wall.”  This is a 20 foot high and almost mile long concrete wall that keeps the river out of the lower portions of town that otherwise would surely flood almost every spring.  We saw the huge gate that swings closed to cut off access from the river dock to the city when the river rises.  It has a beautiful mural painted a good deal of its length portraying Missouri’s impressive list of leading American patriots, authors, athletes, and artists, too many to start listing.  Google it, and you’ll be impressed too.

The High Water Mark for Mississippi

Elder Erickson, R, H, Sister & Elder Lisonbee
"The Motley Crew" (Sister Erickson was taking the photo)

Elder & Sister Hatfield in Cape Girardeau

The MTC

Finally, after years of driving by the MTC and being there when others, including all 3 of my children, were dropped off at the MTC, I (RaDene) finally was able to go there myself!  It was the first time I had ever been on the campus for longer than the time it took to drop a missionary off.  Which for my older two was about an hour.  With Mitchell, who went after the drop off at the curb process was instigated, about 5 minutes!  

It was everything I thought it would be!  An inspirational ant hill of activity.  Devotionals, classes, a massive cafeteria, post office, copy center, books store. Though we were only there a short week there are several things that stood out:

• The simplicity of the new Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ. Gone are the detailed instructions/rules/ always/never/do/do nots of the little white bible.  The Missionary Standards are clear and simply stated standards of behavior for called, set apart and ordained missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ.  
• Changes in Missionary training.  
• Elimination of 'labels': investigator, non-member, inactive, less active. Rather the focus is on people.  Brothers. Sisters.  Friends.  Neighbors.  People who want to learn about Jesus Christ.
• The elimination of "role playing" to learn how to teach the gospel.  Now the focus is learning how to follow the spirit in customizing a message and invitation to whoever is willing to hear a gospel message.
• The proliferation of gospel teaching tools, videos, manuals, scriptures, on smartphones and other devises.  
• The extensive training for how to use these tools to further the missionary purpose of bring people to Christ and inoculate a generation from becoming addicted to the mind numbing/soul damning media on line
• The fact that the sisters, both senior missionaries and young missionaries were able to wear pants most of the time.  They were encouraged to wear Sunday attire (dresses) to devotionals, but pants were perfectly acceptable everywhere else on the MTC campus.  (I predict we'll see a change to the white shirt and tie policy for Elders.  There was a great disparity in how professional/approachable the Elders and Sisters looked at the MTC.  White shirts and ties don't necessarily look 'professional' any more.   
• It was refreshing, if not a little startling to see missionaries through out the MTC dressed in PDay attire with earphones in their ears and talking to their families via video conferencing.  Thankfully gone are the days of twice a year phone calls home!

Elder Hatfield has written elsewhere on this blog of our most impactful teaching/training experience at the MTC with Elder & Sister Gardner.  Suffice it to say here that ours was a powerful poignant example of how training missionaries to teach individuals by the spirit is so much more effective than role playing or memorizing points of doctrine.   

And so it Begins!

The first step in any journey is the hardest.  On this journey, the first step is setting up a Blog!  Talk about uncharted territory!  We are sitting together at the computer trying to figure this out, the night before we are to drive to our assignment to the Missouri St. Louis Mission.  Our bags are packed.  Our trailer is loaded.  We've been to the MTC and are ready to go... .but first we must figure out how to post!  Did it work?!!!