 |
| This photo was taken in June, just before President and Sister Neilson's mission ended. |
What do a mission president and his wife do?
Mission leaders are called of God, by a prophet, for three years. They lay aside their profession or their retirement (depending on their ages) and dedicate themselves to God’s work in the mission: advising and guiding young missionaries, overseeing senior missionaries, coordinating missionary work with local church leaders, and doing other tasks too numerous to mention. (I don’t want to know all the work they do. The list would exhaust me.)
Our two mission presidents and their wives have served our 170 young and 45 senior missionaries with energy, spiritual strength and love. Surely angels hover near them, for mere mortals would crack under the pressures they face.
 |
| President Todd and Sister Heather Clarke on March 6, our last day in the mission. |
President Todd Clarke and his wife, Heather, have led our mission since July 1. Love for missionaries rolls off them in waves. Recently, we spent an evening with them after he had interviewed forty missionaries over six hours’ time while she visited patiently with their companions. (Our mission president interviews EVERY missionary once EVERY six weeks, besides conducting other interviews for various reasons, and his wife is always nearby.)
Someone asked me who my favorite missionary was, and I said Missionary A. He’s a cut-up and not the most obedient guy, but he tries. President Clarke said, “Oh, hug him! He has no support from home. I love him!”
The name of Missionary B. came up. A victim of abuse, she has a disability and is often aloof from her two companions. “Include her in conversations and communicate with her. She has such a good heart. I love her,” he said.
Our talk turned to Missionary C.—perhaps the oddest duck in our ranks, whose social awkwardness annoys many people. I commented that he has changed for the good after six months in the field. (I’d wondered if he’d make it to three months.)
Sister Clarke—with her delightful laugh that is the spoonful of sugar that makes all our medicine go down—said that at the end of six hours of interviews, she was exhausted, “But good old Missionary C. said, ‘What? Time to go home? It feels like we just got here!’” [I feel refreshed like that every time I talk to Sister Clarke!] President Clarke said, “He’s one of my favorites – he's fighting an uphill battle. I love that guy.”
Clarkes’ children are raised, and without Zoom and Facetime, they’d miss a lot of the milestones of their darling grandchildren, ages six on down. As it is, they miss many precious face-to-face interactions.
Last March, Elder Holm and I met President Reid Neilson and his wife, Shelly. They finished their leadership June 30, 2022.
They were called while raising Johnny, 15; Kate, 12; Ally, 9; Whitney, 5; and James, 3. After their first eight months here, the mission went from 150 missionaries to about 250 when countries closed their borders due to Covid 19. Called missionaries came here to wait, requiring companions, apartments, beds and vehicles. Missionaries stayed in their apartments and did their own cooking—and like the rest of us, experienced mental and emotional issues.
Nielsons encouraged the missionaries to be welcoming, like the people of Jershon in the Book of Mormon (Alma 35:6,14.) In hundreds of ways, from interviews to Zoom pep talks, from special sack lunches to crafts taught on Facebook, they connected, loved and encouraged their Covid-weary ranks.
See the pattern? Mission leaders LOVE each elder and sister. Sometimes it’s tough love, but they pick up every lost sheep without taking their eyes off the ninety and nine. They sacrifice time and love, prayer and fasting.
What a humbling blessing it is to serve under their direction!
Comments
Post a Comment