Hastening the Work: The March 2013 Transfers

       In a recent Round Table discussion, Elder Craig Zwick of the Seventy said that after President Monson made the announcement about the age change for Elders and Sisters in the last October Conference, many youth tweeted responses across the globe. Some spoke of the convenience of the change. “Then you had the other side who said, ‘This is not about us. This is about the Lord hastening His work.’ … This is about the Spirit of the Lord preparing these young people. He is hastening His work, and they are responding to a prophet’s invitation to serve.”

        All the changes move the “Church to where it needs to be, where it’s prophesied to be,” said Elder Daniel Johnson. “The Lord knows what the future is, and … this is just one of the many things He is doing to advance that kingdom, to help it roll forth.”

        Elder Paul Pieper commented, when contemplating all that happened during last General Conference, he sees “a prophet with keys, flinging doors open and saying, ‘There you go.’ We are inviting you to come and get engaged in this work,” he said. “It is the Lord’s time now. We all know that. We all felt it. The Church is feeling it. Of course it will work.”

        The March 2013 Transfer was the beginning of the surge of missionaries we have been anticipating in the GKLM. Twenty-eight new missionaries arrived on three flights Monday, March 18th. Nine new Elders and nineteen new Sisters rounded the corner in the airport terminal, brim-full of enthusiasm and faith. 

Waiting at the airport/
The transistion of the Assistants to the President
President Woodbury, Elder Daynes, newly called,
Elder Murphy, about to return home, and Elder Warner, carrying through

Our first glimpse

Elder Tracy and Elder Larson

Elder Faudree, Elder Jensen, Sister Brooks

Hermana McDonald, Hermana Marsden, President Woodbur, Hermana Luke, Hermana Kearsley, Elder Larsen, Elder Daynes, Elder Murphy, Elder Warner Hermana Lawrence, Sister Vikari

Elder Carter, Elder Hathaway, Sister Baldwin,
Hermana Evans, Hermana Christensen

Hermana Christensen, Elder Carter, Sister Baldwin, Hermana Evans

Sister Woodbury with Sister Brooks and Sister Hodges

Elder Faudree and Elder Jensen

Sister Baldwin, Elder Faudree, Hermana Evans, Elder Jensen, Elder Daynes,
Elder Hathaway, Elder Carter, Hermana Christensen, Hermana Hansen
Elder Warner

Elder Rasmussen, Elder Scott, Sister McInnis,
Hermana Penman, Elder Ott, Hermana Rice

Sister McInnis, Sister Pisciotta, Hermana Rice, Hermana Penman

Elder Warner, Hermana Rice, Sister McInnis,
Hermana Penman, Sister Pisciotta, Elder Bolliger

         President Woodbury began Interviews right after the first group arrived at the Mission Home, where he and Sister Woodbury live as opposed to the Mission Office, where the Office Couples work and oftentimes the Assistants to the President and the President himself. As soon as the third group arrived Sister Woodbury began Orientation and finished just as dinner was ready. She by the way, makes the main course and dessert ahead of time and then has two ladies come to do the finishing touches, serve, and clean-up afterward.

The largest group we've ever had for dinner in the Mission Home!

Downstairs in the Training Room/Family Room, all were treated to a skit by the Assistants about missionary life followed by a stirring Testimony Meeting.

The beginning of the skit about a missionary's first day in the GKLM

Bright and early at 6:30 the next morning, all were up, and continued the process of getting showered and ready that some, smartly, had started the night before. (Thirty showers takes some coordinating) After a hot breakfast and Companionship Study, led by the Assistants to the President, and a talk on Finances by Elder Bolliger from the Mission Office, 

Breakfast!

individual pictures were taken to be used on the Transfer Board at the Mission Home and also the Mission Office,

Hermana Christensen

Elder Carter

Hermana Hansen

Hermana Mason

Elder Larson

Sister McInnis

Sister Short

Elder Ott

Elder Faudree

Hermana Penman

Elder Rasmussen

Hermana Kearsley

Elder Scott

Hermana Lawrence

Hermana Rice

Sister Baldwin

Sister Hodges

Hermana Luke

Sister Thorne

Hermana McDonald

Sister Pisciotta

Hermana Marsden

Elder Hathaway

Elder Tracy

Sister Vikari

Hermana Evans

Elder Jensen

Sister Brooks

pictures of the President and Sister Woodbury with each missionary,

Sister Hodges with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister McInnis with President and Sister Woodbury 

Sister Short with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Baldwin with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Pisciotta with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Brooks with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Thorne with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Hansen with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Mason with President and Sister Woodbury

Sister Vikari with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Lawrence with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Rice with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Larsen with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Ott with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Christensen with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Jensen with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Faudree with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Scott with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Tracy with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Kearsley with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Luke with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana McDonald with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Evans with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Marsden with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Hathaway with President and Sister Woodbury

Hermana Penman with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Carter with President and Sister Woodbury

Elder Rasmussen with President and Sister Woodbury

and a big group shot.

Top row: Elder Carter, Elder Hathway, Elder Faudree, Elder Larsen, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Ott
Third row: Hermana Evans, Hermana Luke, Elder Scott, Elder Jensen, Elder Elder Tracy,
President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury
Second row: Sister Thorne, Sister Baldwin, Sister Vikari, Hermana Marsden, Hermana Mason, Hermana Kearsley, Hermana Christensen, Hermana Hansen, Hermana Rice,
Front row: Hermana McDonald, Sister Hodges, Sister Short, Sister Brooks, Sister Pisciotta, Hermana Lawrence, Hermana Penman, Sister McInnis

The suitcases were loaded into the GKLM trailer and five vehicles transported everyone over to the church next to the Mission Office, about ten minutes away, for Transfer Meeting.

Suitcases in the garage

        In Transfer Meeting the departing Elders and Sisters gave their "Words of Wisdom," the new missionaries were introduced to their Trainers, "Called to Serve" - GKLM-style was sung. the rest of the Transfers were called out, and President Woodbury did "Tune-Ups."
Following Transfer MEeting there was a Training Meeting for the Trainers and new missionaries followed by lunch for them, the outgoing Sisters and Elders, those members who provided rides, and  miscellaneous other missionaries driving back in the same cars - 95 total.

Elder Evans, Elder Dansie, Elder Berube, Elder Ahern, Elder Leany

Elder Miller, Elder Dursteler, Elder Tuttle, Elder N. Anderson

Elder Lawrenson, Elder Robison, Elder Wharton, Elder Barlow,
Elder Singleton, Elder Howard, Elder Torgersen, Elder LeFevre

Elder Rasmussen, Elder Dopp

Sister Ward, Sister Vikari, Sister Jensen, Sister McInnis, Sister Whiting, Sister Pisciotta,
Sister Trimming, Hermana Kearsley, Hermana Arreola, Hermana Lawrence

Sister Melendez, Sister Ford, Sister Jensen, Sister McInnis

A generational photo:
Elder Stoddard is training Elder Faudree,
and Elder B. Johnson trained Elder Stoddard. 

Hermana Luke and Hermana Davis

Elder T. Johnson, Elder Chambers, Elder Manzano

Elder Gill, Elder Tracy, Elder Carson, Elder Leany, Elder Allen, Elder Castillo, Elder Leavitt
Elder Blake, Elder T. Johnson, Elder Warner

Sister Goodrich and Sister Melendez

Elder Torgersen and Elder LeFevre

Elder  Downs and Elder Forsgren

Elder Evans and Elder Despain

Elder Murphy, Elder Wood, Elder Savage, Hermana Gomm, Hermana Okey

Elder Whitehead, Elder Gill, Elder Roskelley, Elder Godfrey

Elder Evans and Elder Haws

Moving across the parking lot to the Mission Office, pictures were taken of the new Training companionships with President and Sister Woodbury...

Sister Woodbury, Elder Dopp, Elder Rasmussen, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Lawrence, Hermana Arreola, Hermana Kearsley

Sister Woodbury, Sister West, Sister Short, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Meek, Hermana McDonald, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Gomm, Hermana Evans, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Ward, Sister Vikari, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Whiting, Sister Pisciotta, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Messerly, Hermana Marsden, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Velasquez, Hermana Christensen, President Wooodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Mickelson, Sister Hodges, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Kidd, Elder Scott, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Luke, Hermana Davis, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Lawter, Hermana Rice, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Jensen, Sister McInnis, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Navarro, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Lipsh, Elder Ott, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Stoddard, Elder Faudree, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Tuttle, Elder Larson, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Carson, Elder Tracy, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Dye, Elder Carter, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Haws, Elder Jensen, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Hermana Penman, Hermana Okey, Hermana Hansen,
President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Walker, Sister Baldwin, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Earl, Sister Thorne, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Sister Roberts, Sister Brooks, President Woodbury

Sister Woodbury, Elder Blake, Elder Hathaway, President Woodbury

after which everyone took off to their respective areas.

Sister Baldwin and Sister Walker

Elder Rasmussen, Elder Dopp

Hermana Okey, Hermana Hansen, Hermana Penman

Sister McInnis and Sister Jensen

Hermana Marsden and Hermana Messerly

Sister Roberts and Sister Brooks

Hermana Navarro and Hermana Mason

Elder Tracy and Elder Carson

Sister Vikari and Sister Ward

Sister Vikari and Sister Ward

         Then it was the departing missionaries' turn.

Elder Webb, Elder Savage, Elder Wood, Sister Woodbury, Sister Ford, Hermana Holt, President Woodbury,
Elder Funk, Elder Murphy, Elder Duran

         Pictures were taken then after a short stop at the Mission Home we went together to the Louisville Temple for a intimate meeting with the Temple President and Matron and a specially arranged Endowment session with only our group.

Sister Ford, Hermana Holt

Elder Webb, Elder Funk, Elder Duran, Elder Murphy, Hermana Holt, Elder Bolliger, Sister Ford, Sister Bolliger
Elder Savage, Elder Wood, President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury

Hermana Holt and her brother
He was in traveling through Louisville with his family
and, as a Temple Worker, was able to surprise his sister
as she was coming through the Veil.

         After dinner at the Mission Home we had a sweet and touching Testimony Meeting. President Woodbury did Exit Interviews before, afterward, and in the morning, and the Elders and Sisters visited, played a few games of Apples to Apples and others, packed, weighed their bags, and in most cases re-packed and oriented things to make the weight restrictions of the airlines before heading off to bed. 

Elder Murphy

Elder Duran

Elder Wood

Elder Funk

Sister Ford

Hermana Holt

Elder Webb

Elder Savage

        Wednesday morning it was time to say goodbye for now, to those valiant servants of the Lord as they moved on to their next "Transfer." They've left their mark in the GKLM and we will miss them sorely...
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        That same morning, Elder Savage's parents came to tour the locations where he served and usher him home,

Elder Savage and his parents

and the parents and sister of Elder Murphy did likewise.

Elder Murphy and his parents and sister

        In a week and half Elder Duran's father and mother are coming back with him to see a special Sealing in the Temple and, like the other families, do some touring around the mission.
           It's always a delight to meet the parents and siblings of our missionaries, to see their joy in the reunion with their son or daughter, and to have them be able to see the places and people they have heard about in letters.