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.
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!
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.
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| Zone Conference Transfer 1 - OFallon, Springfield, Champaign Zones |
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| Elder & Sister Hatfield Zone conference - Columbia, Lake St. Louis, Hazelwood Zones |
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| 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!
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