It was a very busy few days as we welcomed 42 missionaries from the evacuated Tokyo Mission into Kobe. Meals, sleeping arrangements, transfers and new assignments needed to be worked through, announced and implemented with little or no preparation time.
Nevertheless, it has been a wonderful experience. For many of the missionaries it was a sweet reunion as they were reconnected with their friends from the MTC and even home. To witness the love and support these missionaries have shown for each other has been a wonderful blessing.
Elder Priddis, one of our senior missionaries, goes through the apartment keys for a group of missionaries heading out to their new area with new companions.
Tokyo missionaries arriving and greeted by Kobe missionaries.
Happy to be in Kobe!
Missionaries reunited who were together in the MTC.
Meal time.
All 42 missionaries are now settled and working in new areas in the Kobe Mission. Most of the Tokyo missionaries are now paired with a Kobe missionary. Amid all the confusion and inconvenience, there are some real benefits and blessings that will ultimately come from this mixing of missionaries. I see this as a unique and great opportunity for the Tokyo and Kobe missions to share best practices and ultimately strengthen both missions. As these missions are eventually put back to their original structures, they will both be filled with missionaries with new insights, ideas and experiences to draw upon. The benefits of this synergy will be exciting to see in the coming months and years.
Nevertheless, it has been a wonderful experience. For many of the missionaries it was a sweet reunion as they were reconnected with their friends from the MTC and even home. To witness the love and support these missionaries have shown for each other has been a wonderful blessing.
Tokyo missionaries arriving and greeted by Kobe missionaries.
Happy to be in Kobe!
Missionaries reunited who were together in the MTC.
Meal time.
All 42 missionaries are now settled and working in new areas in the Kobe Mission. Most of the Tokyo missionaries are now paired with a Kobe missionary. Amid all the confusion and inconvenience, there are some real benefits and blessings that will ultimately come from this mixing of missionaries. I see this as a unique and great opportunity for the Tokyo and Kobe missions to share best practices and ultimately strengthen both missions. As these missions are eventually put back to their original structures, they will both be filled with missionaries with new insights, ideas and experiences to draw upon. The benefits of this synergy will be exciting to see in the coming months and years.
1 comment:
My parents are the office couple in Tokyo. They have been sent home temporarily, but are itching to get back out there. Can't wait to show them this post.
Thoughts & prayers to all missionaries serving in Japan!
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