Meeting the Challenges

Since we're down to 4 weeks before the Olsen's go home and leave us here to oversee the day to day operations of the LABRM, I thought that it was time to pray for new challenges and obstacles to overcome. Best we have more problems now while they're here to help us resolve them.  I didn't have to wait long for that prayer to be answered!

Sister Olsen and I were just discussing a difficult situation we'd dealt with yesterday when I took a call from a man whose daughter is serving in our mission. He wanted to talk to Pres. Wall to help him break the news that the missionary's aunt had passed away.  When we get these types of calls I text the President then wait for him to call so I can explain as much as I can about the situation. I don't like to pry into private lives but need to determine if it's an emergency, really important or can wait for awhile.  I didn't tell him it was urgent but he called back within 15 minutes. He's so attentive and sensitive to the needs of the missionaries.

Throughout the day we had unusual, but not unmanageable glitches that were good tasks to learn how to handle, such as, a referral that refused to be sent (via computer) no matter what we did and required a call to Salt Lake, a woman who called twice wanting us to pay her water bill, form letters that needed to be changed but wouldn't cooperate (another computer issue), notification that we're getting a new sister from Temple Square and how to make her file, etc. I know these and other hiccups aren't a big deal, but it helps to have someone to answer questions, and it's a lot faster!

Just a word on Sister Missionaries who come from Temple Square. These sisters have a unique type of mission.  They don't knock on doors or teach standard lessons. They usually only meet people once then never see or talk to them again. But they are still missionaries with a message of hope and a desire to help bring people to Christ. These sisters spend much of their time conducting tours for the millions who visit the temple grounds each year. But their overall goal is the same as other missions: "to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."

Because these sisters don't have the same routine as those in other missions, a program has been set up to give them a taste of what missionary work is like outside Temple Square. At about the midpoint of their missionary service, sisters are temporarily reassigned to another mission within the United States. Their assigned missions are chosen by the Missionary Department, and this service lasts for  12–18 weeks, or 2–3 transfers.

Elder O loves getting Temple Square sisters because they're so good at meeting and talking with people.  They've already been serving for 6-8 months, are well prepared to work and are anxious to have a new experience in the mission field.  Well, I think that's what he said!