By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist
“Starting out my mission right now has been pretty tough…. But I have learned that I can push through all those feelings and accomplish the work, because through Christ, I can do anything.” said Sister Alyssa Higley currently serving in the Arkansas Bentonville Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sister Higley is one of 15 missionaries that has left or will leave between May and September from the Church’s San Antonio North Stake.
It’s a very unique time for missionaries entering the mission field due to COVID. Mission Training Centers worldwide have been shut down along with temples and Church services. When the virus began impacting missions there were 12 missionaries from the North Stake who had received calls. They had a decision to make, go forward with their call, or defer and go to school for a year. “All 12 who had calls made the prayerful decision to move forward with a reassignment.” said North Stake President, Greg Neuberger. He continued, “That surprised me…. They are all excited to serve and have a great understanding of what Elder Bednar taught about the call to serve and the assignment given.”
Clay Cummings, was called to serve in the Taiwan Taichung mission, and will enter the online MTC later in July. He said “I was really discouraged when I learned I had to make a decision whether I would leave when assigned or wait another year…. I knew I needed to make it a matter of prayer. I fasted and prayed … I read my patriarchal blessing, and studied scriptures…. it just felt right. I knew this was the Spirit telling me that it was okay and a good thing for me to serve when I was first assigned. There’s still plenty of things that are less than certain…. but I know that the answers and feelings I have gotten are from God and that there is a plan for me. That gives me enough confidence that the Lord knows what’s best for me.”
Of the four missionaries that have left for the mission field from the North Stake, only one was able to receive her temple endowment and give a traditional farewell talk. Sister Brenda Martinez, currently serving in the Idaho Pocatello Mission was originally called to serve in the Brazil São Paulo South Mission. She said, “I gave my talk on March 8th and by the next week Church was closed.” She began online training on March 18th. “I was trained through the Brazil CTM, and honestly it was amazing. Some things were hard like coordinating companion studies and learning a new language…. There was actually one Elder in my zone that was from Finland and he would end his days at 2 am,… when class ended.” Sister Martinez said, “There was a lot that was difficult but there was also a lot that was really amazing. I would have loved to go to the actual CTM, … but I’m honestly extremely happy how everything turned out! I was still able to feel the Spirit in such strong ways every day. I had an amazing time getting to know/love everyone in my district. After my classes, I got to go right downstairs and tell my parents about what I learned while I ate whatever delicious meal my mom made or have Chick-fil-a (which I for sure would not have at the CTM). So it was definitely a confusing time, but I loved every second of it.”
When asked what she has learned about herself through this experience of being a “COVID” missionary, Sister Martinez said: “I’ve been able to put 100% of my trust in the Lord, I never expected to be going through any of this but I’ve realized that there’s no need to worry about how things are gonna go, if you trust in the Lord, He will guide the way.”
Missionaries are set apart by their Stake President the evening before entering the virtual MTC. As in a traditional setting, they are all assigned a district and a companion. Sister Higley said, “My MTC experience was so unique and fun. It was amazing to see how strong the Spirit was even over Zoom. I learned so much and all from the comfort of my home! I got to play with my dog during our little breaks and I consider myself pretty lucky…. All in all, I loved it. I didn’t get to experience being at the actual MTC in Provo, but personally, I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.” Sister Ellise Westenskow echoes Sisters Martinez and Higley. “I loved getting to be a part of the online MTC! At first, I did have a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) because I had heard so many great stories about the in-person MTC, but after experiencing the virtual MTC I still feel like I was able to have an experience I can look back on and remember.”
Sister Westenskow is currently serving in the Colorado Denver North Mission, her original call was to Sweden. She said, “Having an online companion was definitely a lot different than one in person. Together, I think we were able to learn how to communicate effectively over technology.… Also I thought it was so cool that even though we were online companions we still became really good friends and we still keep in touch now to practice and improve our Swedish.” She is trying to work on her language skills in Denver. She said, “I’m grateful that I get to spend time in Denver. Since it is English speaking it has really given me the opportunity to learn how to teach in my native language first, which I think will give me an opportunity to really know how to teach the lessons in Swedish once I’m able to get there.” Like the other missionaries, it was a tough choice as to whether to defer or keep their original call. Sister Westenskow said, “It was a really hard decision for me to make to continue going forward with my mission. I received my mission call almost 6 months earlier and so I had my heart set on Sweden. I did however come to realize, that I had been called to the work not to a set place.”
The Westenskow family had a double dose of a COVID mission switch up. Ellise has a twin, Sister Annika Westenskow. Annika left for the Provo MTC on January 29th and was able to go to her original mission of Ecuador Guayaquil West for four days before she went into quarantine for two weeks. She was sent home after her two week quarantine ended. She then waited for about two months before getting her reassignment. She left the day after Ellise for her reassigned mission of San Francisco/Oakland mission.
Cameron Vines, was called to serve in the Camaroon Yaounde Mission (located in Africa, he will be learning French). He will enter the MTC in early July, and was able to give a Farewell talk on Sunday, June 28th to members of his ward and a lot of relatives. “We had family from Utah, Arkansas and Colorado in addition to the ward. How cool is technology?” said his mom, Cindy Vines. During his farewell talk, he echoed what so many of the missionaries have said: “When given the option to wait a year or more to leave on my mission, I chose to start my service on schedule. I knew then as I do now, that the Lord called me to serve Him, wherever this might take me.… So rather than finding disappointment in the possibility that I might not go to the place I have been called to, I have chosen to find joy in my prospective service to the Lord. As I prepare for home MTC, I am trying to remain flexible as I get new information about my schedule, and my assignment. I am very excited, and although home MTC is not how I expected to start my mission, I am ready for the unique challenges entailed.”
Elder Cameron Barlow “entered” the MTC the end of June and quickly encountered some “unique challenges”. He was called to serve in the Panama Panama City Mission. As is common with technology, he struggled at first to get everything figured out with the online MTC. One benefit of doing the MTC at home, he could vent to his father when things were not working out. “This would be so much easier in real life.” Later in the day, Elder Barlow realized he had been sent the wrong calendar and links. He is now up an running and was able to meet his companion and is getting to know his district. In his first email as a missionary he wrote: “I have begun to say my personal prayers in Spanish which is difficult but is really helping me grasp the language. I miss everybody so much and it’s hard knowing most of my friends are only a couple miles from me. I am having a good time with my companion Elder Rowley.”
Obviously, the way missionaries are currently serving has also been altered by the virus. Elder Joshua Merrill, who left in May for his assigned mission in the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission said, “I’m currently serving in Broward County in Florida, it has the highest infected rate in the United States right now. We don’t leave the apartment a lot. We do a lot of Zoom calls with active and less active members and our investigators. For some people it’s been easier to join a Zoom call then it is to get them out to Church. We’ve seen several people begin to get back on the covenant path and that’s one of the miracles of technology.”
Elder Merrill said, “I knew this was going to be a hard time to be a missionary. But I went through some really hard times during the last part of high school. My mom was in the hospital literally almost dying during that time…. Because it was hard, I was able to learn more about myself. I know how to work hard and I knew I could do this.”
On Elder David A. Bednar’s Instagram account on Thursday, June 25th he wrote: “As we invite into our lives the power of godliness by receiving priesthood ordinances and making and keeping sacred covenants, we are blessed with strength beyond our own to overcome the temptations and challenges of mortality and to do and become good.” Elder Bednar’s quote mirrors what he told Elder Merrill during a Zoom meeting with the Ft. Lauderdale mission. Elder Merrill asked a question about how he could live up to his own expectations as a missionary. Elder Merrill said: “Elder Bednar answered ‘that without God I can’t be a missionary and without God he couldn’t serve as an apostle.’”
That answer has really helped Elder Merrill as he’s moved forward with using technology in missionary work. He said: “This is the Lord’s will it’s going to move us forward. We have not used technology the way we should. I think we’ve been focused on the missionaries and worried about the struggles or the temptations that can sometimes come when we’re online and have the technology in our hands. It is super easy to do stupid things. But, when we apply what Elder Bednar taught to technology, and I’m willing to do what the Lord asks, He will magnify me and magnify any missionary so they won’t be tempted.” Elder Merrill added: “When we get back from a mission we will be handed a cell phone and will be by ourselves but we’ll know how to handle ourselves and the temptations. I think it’s going to help us. Why not embrace it and teach us how to use it appropriately?”
During these unusual times, what can members of the Church do to support the missionary effort? During COVID, missionaries can only work through members. Several missionaries said that members can and should also embrace technology in moving the work forward. Use social media to share genuine messages of hope and love. Elder Merrill said: “You can be generous as a friend without the judgment of the nametags. Share genuine stories, show interest. Let them see why you’re happy and then share why you’re happy.”
